The alarm clock rang and the boy jerked up simultaneously. With a sense of urgency in his mind, he rushed to the washroom and splashed a handful of chilled water onto his eyes, making sure that sleep didn’t dare return. With a hasty squeeze, the toothpaste oozed out and dressed itself on the over-used toothbrush which went through its daily torture of 20 seconds. The shower spluttered to life and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts, it finally managed to provide a consistent flow of water. It took the boy just twenty minutes to get through his daily routine of chores, a routine which he monotonously followed every day, without change and without fail. But it wasn’t over yet. The monotony was yet to come….as he sat down to study…studying before the sun was up, studying from 5 am till late into the night…

The general perception of a nerd or a geek is a person who doesn’t know anything except studying. He wakes up every day to a boring world of books, reads his way through tons of them and gets to bed just to wake up to yet another dull day of the same monotonous schedule. Friends for him are just the people of his same intellectual level and the only thing they have in common, apart from wearing high power spectacles, is study. Leave alone parties and hanging out with friends, the poor guy doesn’t even seem to know the names of half the students in his class! The case described above is generally what a normal teenager considers a nerd to be like. However, contradictory to popular belief, this perception is far from true.

The so-called “nerd” is a unique species which is not only rare but also hard to identify. This “nerd” blends with the crowd so effectively that he manages to be quoted as one of the coolest around and that too not without reason. He doesn’t study all day, no, not at all. In fact, his study time, which is almost negligible, doesn’t even compare to that clocked by the average teenager. He watches all the movies, doesn’t miss a single show of Roadies and is busy all day long, whether it is through his flashy mobile or through his overly-customized, overhauled laptop. He gels his hair according to the latest trends, listens to the craziest of bands you wouldn’t have known ever existed and probably even plays the guitar. He is the most interesting person around and is counted amongst the most popular guys amongst his peers. The new generation nerd is far cooler, far more complex, far more superior and far more intellectual than his ancestors.

The average day of this fascinating being is kick started with the latest track from the Billboard Top 10 set as an alarm in his cell. He wakes up to a completely blank schedule and keeps his day free, just in case last minute plans to go out with friends somewhere pop up. His social life dominates all the other spheres. He downloads the latest songs from the internet, flips through Vh1 and MTV every day, religiously, so as to keep himself up to date on any new artists that may have arrived and is well acquainted with the most posh brands in the market. He is a fashion outlaw, not the conceived thick-glassed, braced tooth weirdo who has a freaky hairdo but one who wears rimless glasses, if not lenses, and keeps an iPod on him instead of books.

The metamorphosis of this hip and cool creature takes place during examinations. The transformation is so tremendous that even these species marvel at their transformed selves when they return back to normal. Staying up the whole night is a common feature during these days and rarely would you find these individuals in the vicinity of the television or the computer at these times. All those cell phones are “Switched off”, the laptops shut down and music takes a backseat, for once. These generally sane persons all of a sudden change into their ancestors and study as if there is there’s no tomorrow. The most striking change, which gives them away, is their body language in the examination hall. From normal human beings with a calm and cool attitude, they turn into savage beasts who, apart from asking the time left for the exam to finish in every 20 seconds, would do anything, bite, kill, slay, tear, shout, cry, beg, plead, crib, to write just that one extra point or attach just that one extra sheet to earn that 1 extra mark. The antiquity lies in the fact that in their normal life, these highly developed minds may be most casual and may even spend 100 bucks on a thing that is worth just 20, but when it comes to marks, they would rather be rude enough to snatch 2 instead of being courteous by taking just one. The proud expression that these beings wear after achieving such a feat is incomparable to any other. 

So the question remains, why are nerds looked down upon? The fact is, that within each of us resides a nerd. Yes, there is a nerd inside every one of us. The inability to capitalize on this aspect instills a sense of envy that gives rise to feelings of hatred and discontentment against these species. The fault doesn’t lie within us, as I said earlier, the cultivation of this side can only be up to an extent beyond which there is no way ahead, either you have it or you don’t. The common perception of nerds further adds to the notion of them being outcasts. The value of intelligence is overpowered by their closed attitude. 

But times are changing. Those days are gone when nerds used to hide their true selves and flinch on being called “nerds” or “geeks”. Being nerdy is “in”, no it’s not just the glasses, it’s the whole thing. Getting good grades isn’t crass anymore, it’s cool. After all, it’s not just everyone’s piece of cake. Special talent is given recognition everywhere, then why not this? Isn’t being a nerd special? Of course it is. The ability to blend into society seamlessly while doing well in every sphere is commendable. Then why should be people be hesitant to call themselves nerds? They live their life to the fullest, give every opportunity their best shot and don’t miss out on anything interesting at the same time. It is about time that we left our narrow mindsets and for once stand up and, without envy, applaud these people. They deserve it. They truly do.