How to transition to a good graduate student.

An undergraduate students always attached a certain relevance to grades. So as an undergrad I would "need" to talk about what a dilligent engineer I am, a First Class with Distinction, no less. Then you internalise it so much, that the most naural conversation that you would have at, say, an airport waiting lounge -

"Hey! I'm Mathi, and you are?"

"First Class with Distinction"

"Err... Hi. What do you do for a living?"

"First Class with Distinction"

"Oh. What's that?"

"First Class with Distinction"

"Funny. You've got some sense of humor"

"Uh? Yeah. That's because I am a First Class with Distinction"

And so on...

So after a 99.90 percentile in the XAT, with well balanced sectional scores ranging from 98.66 to 98.90 you enter graduate school with the idea of making your mark, making eye popping points, decimating the curve, graduating with the highest honors possible, speaking such gyan... so much that ordinary mortals feel scared to stand within a one kilometer radius else the blinding light of your brilliance would leave them blind, or probably burn them to dust with the white hot intensity of a couple of shining suns, or something like that. After a couple of quizzes and exams you accept there's no point in aiming for the dean's list. Then it gets down to a high pass. And finally "fuck 'em. As long as I pass the fuckin' course".

Congratulations, you're now a complete graduate student.