Hello! I'm back after about 2 years of hibernation. The reason for my inactivity is purely- laziness, laziness and laziness. A lot of things have happened in the meantime- the most important is I've begun to see the world- with all kinds of people. For one thing I cannot call myself "A school girl trying to improve my English vocabulary" any longer. In one way there is some connection between the post which follows and the previous sentence- the reason which made me come back to blogger.
Once into college, I see how different everything is. The travel in town bus (mostly fully packed), the attitude of the faculty and peer group have all made me open my eyes. I realize these many years I've been inside a golden cage where I was taken care of by my friends and family. Now as I step into the real world, I see how different it is from the world I've been shown.
Let me first describe my travel experiences. Gaining entry into a bus by negotiating my way from the first step to a comfortable place where I can stand was one of the first things I learned. Mostly, by the time I achieve this I would've reached my destination. Standing on the last step in a private bus with a bulging bag on the shoulder while the bus is turning an S-bend is not exactly my definition of comfort. And to think that kids right from the age of 8 do it everyday to go to and return from school is very saddening. It made me think why no school buses are provided for the government school children. If not separate school buses, at least student special buses can be provided. If those kids get tired just from travel, how can they be expected to learn with their full potential in their homes? Giving free lunch doesn't solve the problem of illiteracy entirely. The only comfortable feeling I have while being squashed in a crowded bus is "Thank God I do not have to worry about pick-pockets". I do not have a smart phone!
Coming to the academic part, among many issues, I find one very annoying- buying education. Sounds absurd, right? When people with great talents find it difficult to get admitted into top colleges, people with money are relaxed. This is one place where the proverb "No pains, no gains" does not hold. I do not see any reason to buy seats in a famous college when the student is not capable of coping with what is done in the college. I'm not implying that everybody who has got top marks in the Higher Secondary exams are highly capable of handling things very efficiently. But they at least know that they should work hard to gain something. Only a single drop of poison is necessary to make a potful of milk poisonous. Apart from possessing venomous qualities by itself, it also contaminates the entire contents of the pot. It does not allow the milk to retain its purity. It tortures and torments every single drop which tries to retain its originality. Unless that drop finds a way of leaving the pot it has no chance of survival. That is exactly the case in real world too. There maybe an argument that not all those who get top marks have the best character. Yes, I agree contamination is possible at all levels. But as long as contamination is there, why not allow people who have talent to be at a place rather than people who have money? There is more in this world than money can buy.
There is also the issue of understanding each and every concept being learnt. First and foremost, we should understand why we are learning a concept. For example, why should an electronics and communication engineer learn engineering graphics? Why should a fashion technologist learn C language? Once we know what we are learning and why we are learning it, half the learning process is over. The remaining part just lies in understanding the concepts and their relevance in our field.
Let me not convey the impression that I have got a pessimistic outlook of the world. No, I only say that there are all kinds of people everywhere. Learning to lead a peaceful life with different kinds of people is a skill; not a very easy skill too. It is a life skill which ought to be developed in each and every human being.
Once into college, I see how different everything is. The travel in town bus (mostly fully packed), the attitude of the faculty and peer group have all made me open my eyes. I realize these many years I've been inside a golden cage where I was taken care of by my friends and family. Now as I step into the real world, I see how different it is from the world I've been shown.
Let me first describe my travel experiences. Gaining entry into a bus by negotiating my way from the first step to a comfortable place where I can stand was one of the first things I learned. Mostly, by the time I achieve this I would've reached my destination. Standing on the last step in a private bus with a bulging bag on the shoulder while the bus is turning an S-bend is not exactly my definition of comfort. And to think that kids right from the age of 8 do it everyday to go to and return from school is very saddening. It made me think why no school buses are provided for the government school children. If not separate school buses, at least student special buses can be provided. If those kids get tired just from travel, how can they be expected to learn with their full potential in their homes? Giving free lunch doesn't solve the problem of illiteracy entirely. The only comfortable feeling I have while being squashed in a crowded bus is "Thank God I do not have to worry about pick-pockets". I do not have a smart phone!
Coming to the academic part, among many issues, I find one very annoying- buying education. Sounds absurd, right? When people with great talents find it difficult to get admitted into top colleges, people with money are relaxed. This is one place where the proverb "No pains, no gains" does not hold. I do not see any reason to buy seats in a famous college when the student is not capable of coping with what is done in the college. I'm not implying that everybody who has got top marks in the Higher Secondary exams are highly capable of handling things very efficiently. But they at least know that they should work hard to gain something. Only a single drop of poison is necessary to make a potful of milk poisonous. Apart from possessing venomous qualities by itself, it also contaminates the entire contents of the pot. It does not allow the milk to retain its purity. It tortures and torments every single drop which tries to retain its originality. Unless that drop finds a way of leaving the pot it has no chance of survival. That is exactly the case in real world too. There maybe an argument that not all those who get top marks have the best character. Yes, I agree contamination is possible at all levels. But as long as contamination is there, why not allow people who have talent to be at a place rather than people who have money? There is more in this world than money can buy.
There is also the issue of understanding each and every concept being learnt. First and foremost, we should understand why we are learning a concept. For example, why should an electronics and communication engineer learn engineering graphics? Why should a fashion technologist learn C language? Once we know what we are learning and why we are learning it, half the learning process is over. The remaining part just lies in understanding the concepts and their relevance in our field.
Let me not convey the impression that I have got a pessimistic outlook of the world. No, I only say that there are all kinds of people everywhere. Learning to lead a peaceful life with different kinds of people is a skill; not a very easy skill too. It is a life skill which ought to be developed in each and every human being.
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