Where do write-ups originate?

Long long time ago, there existed a thing such as original assignments and write-ups. Where each would be unique and no two would be the same. But that was a long time ago… we have since come into an age, where the only matter different is the handwriting. Even readings are the same, if not for 60 then certainly 5 students. We get photocopies of content and the only thing to be done is copying from the photocopy and then copying from someone else’s write-up. Being the engineers-in-making, improvisations happened, and we began copying directly from one another. Not caring to think – “ Where write-ups originate???”

If i weren’t an engineering student, i certainly would have been an investigative reporter (or so you must believe for the sake of this article) and so it would be an disgrace for me to let go of such an important mystery… So i sneaked and got hold of all the write-ups left on the table. I scanned through everyone of them. All had the same content in them. Clearly the originator of them wasn’t into public appreciation.

So i proceeded into the labs where the real things happen (by real, i mean i can get my hand burnt by acid! Oouch!). Now note my logic here – the one who has an original write-up must have taken the readings himself, and correctly too! So i checked what all others were doing, all the while doing my own experiment. Lest the teacher come and lecture me for “not paying attention” or being “distracted”. And the professional-pretender that I am, i proceeded to do the experiment correctly, so that the teacher may not have anything to say against me.

Well, back to our issue, i didn’t find anybody worthy of being the originator. Disappointed, i tried to go away, but the teacher stopped me. Oh no! Had my cover been blown-off??? No way! For she said “You’ve done the experiment, so finish the write-up”. Well, i had no idea how was i to complete it without someone else’s write-up. So i did the next best thing – i used my readings and did a quick 10-mile run on my calculator and submitted it to the teacher. I ran outside as fast as i could… after all it was a narrow escape! After going over through my experience and clues, i definitely knew that the originator was a very clever thing and highly deceptive. Maybe he was afraid that people might come to steal his skills? Nah! Just being exaggerative here.

So I went in the next day, and under the pretext of collecting my write-up, sneaked up to have a look at other submissions. Surely, I would get the originator today. I had kept my eyes on everyone during the practical, and together with the readings I would definitely catch him! So I began checking all the write-ups one by one. Since mine was submitted first, it would be at the bottom of the pile. So I had no fear of being caught snooping. So I began going through each write-up one by one.

I found that all the write-ups contained the same reading. And this told me, I was nearer to my goal. Well, I kept on looking and looking and looking. But all contained the same reading. How could that be possible???

I was highly disappointed when found the one that contained the original readings and calculations. Instead of being happy, I was shocked! My throat went dry, eyes wide as footballs, brain no more working, and beads of sweat. All because I knew whose write-up I was holding..

It was mine.