IEEE Newsletter - University of Peradeniya Volume 2 (March 2019) | Page 15

03)
When did you enter the faculty? And what
were your experiences as a University undergraduate?
Tell us some of your most memorable moments in the
University life.
I passed my GCE A-levels in 1993. I got four A's. But
because of the backlog caused by the insurrec on in 1989,
we had to stay at home for nearly three years and we
entered on the14th of June 1996. But it was a different
arrangement than today because just to shorten the
backlog, the administra on in the University arranged our
industrial training before we stepped into the faculty. So we
went for industrial training in 1995. I went for training in
Central Engineering Department of the Central Provincial
Council. I was assigned to the Execu ve Engineer,
Madadumbara,
Karaliyadda. He was
a nice person, Eng.
Mr. Suresh, a
graduate of UOP
from Ba caloa. He
straight away put
me to a new
building
construc on for the
Divisional Educa on
Office, Karaliyadda.
The site was facing
the nice view of the
Victoria reservoir.
life was. Then we came here in June 1996 and the
academic work started. It was a different
environment than today because now you have the
orienta on program for freshers, but those days
there was nothing like that. The Dean did the
welcome, followed by the English placement test.
A er that we could see the seniors hiding behind
pillars, watching who was wearing shoes and who
was coming in slippers, etc. Just to clear the backlog
caused by problems in 1989, our immediate junior
batch came in three months behind and that was a
challenge. Also, we had to do an addi onal hour
every day, so that the 30 weeks academic program
was finished in 24 weeks.
Then we went to the 3rd year. I think the thing that I
will never forget in 3rd year is that I met Prof.
Gunawardhana. People used to call him "Gunda”, a
very difficult character. People were even shivering to
reach him. Somehow within the class, he became
friendly with some of our batch mates including me.
He used to give one problem and walk around the
class. Some mes that problem takes the whole one-
hour, or even con nues for one week as he didn't
proceed un l the students solved the problem
correctly.
Started from se ng
out the ground, that
project went all the
way upto roofing
and wall finishes. I
was assigned to
other sites as well,
which were at
different levels of
construc on. Not
just buildings, but they did C, D, E grade roads, minor
irriga ons etc. And also, like today, the Central Provincial
Council was in the same place where it is now and they
wanted to do a survey. The technical officer who was in
that team under Mr.Suresh, confidently said “we have an
engineering undergraduate with us, so let's do the survey
ourselves”. Actually, that was my first survey even before
stepping into the university. We completed the survey and
plo ed the map and I think it was there hanging on the wall
un l very recent mes. I'm very happy about it because I
did it even before entering the University. That's how the
IEEE Newsletter University of Peradeniya
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