granted that they were true.
I usually cannot move an
inch without knowing the
exact reasons behind things.
What I learnt after 40 years
of my life is that I made the
wrong decision to come to
the engineering faculty. I
feel I would have done much
better, academically, if I had
gone on to follow a physics
or a maths degree. I ended
up having the equivalent of
a 2.8 GPA at the end of the
four years at the faculty. I
compensated my extreme
frustration with the academic
life by making the best use of
the university life. I engaged
in many extracurricular
activities. I was also heavily
involved in student union
activities. Unlike now, those
days, almost every week,
there would be some party,
somewhere (we called it a
night). Everybody comes
and gets drunk. I attended
almost every such night in
Peradeniya. Unlike now we
had a lot of time to make
up. I am still amazed at how
people these days survive
this present 150 credit
course. Those days we had a
year-end exam. Though there
was much content, you had
time to absorb the concepts.
I think, it is comparatively
hard to focus on other things
now. Looking back, I have
no regrets as I was able to
make the best out of the
university life that has served
me excellently in shaping up
my life. Being able to make a
lot of friends among batches first seven in the mechanical
and faculties is a great department. I had a second
achievement by itself.
lower class. At the time I
graduated, there was this
My first year was a very bad policy decision, taken by the
experience. I was good at then administration of the
maths and physics courses. department, to conduct an
I almost failed drawings. aptitude test for instructors.
My first choice for the field As a protest I boycott the
selection was Electrical aptitude test, citing the
Engineering.
Mechanical fact that holding such a test
Engineering was my second implies that the department
choice. Both these choices did not recognize the very
were based on the fact that exams conducted by the
those fields had the least faculty. I had not applied
amount of boring content for the instructor post of
compared to other courses. any
other
department
In fact, I did the Elect kuppi and so I felt completely
for the batch. However, when lost. Another life changing
the selections were displayed, event occurred when one
I was not selected to the field of my good friends offered
of Electrical Engineering. his interview opportunity
That was the first real big for the instructor position
disappointment in my life. at the engineering maths
After a great deal of thinking I department and asked me to
completely convinced myself go for the interview in place
about the pros of doing of him. He had talked to the
mechanical
engineering. then head of the department
However, the next week I to give me a chance to come
was given the opportunity for the interview in place of
to follow the specialization him. I had pretty good maths
in electrical engineering as grades and after considering
there was a vacancy. One my extra-curricular activities,
characteristic in me is that I Professor
Siyambalapitiya
stick to the decisions I make. and Professor Walgama gave
Looking back, I feel, that was me the chance to become a
one of the best decisions I maths instructor and work
have ever made.
with Professor Walgama as a
research assistant. That was
4. Tell us about the things the other major life changing
which motivated you to event in my life that paved
come this far in this field. the way for me to be who I
Again, the story is a little am today.
unconventional. I had a low
GPA. Still I was one of the
GAUGE Magazine University of Peradeniya
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