Most of us find it hard to find a balance between academics and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. I have seen many students so engrossed in debating and 'MUN-ing', that it is almost a sickening sight. Then there are also those who are so thoroughly into their books, that it is a sickening sight in itself. Now the problem is this, that people often do not reveal themselves entirely. So, for example, even if somebody studies a lot, he/she might not be willing to accept it publicly because to study a lot (higher input) raises expectations for better results (higher output), and hence greater scrutiny on your performance. That is something most of us don't like, so we avoid. In this situation of information asymmetry, to make valuations about people becomes a rather difficult job.
However, let me be honest about what I like and what I respect. I like to put together things, to connect things. For example, I like to use statistics and mathematics that I study in my first year Economics (H) syllabus to problems presented in my principles of economics papers. Or another example where I like to apply what I learn about valuation of stocks in finance to the performance of MicroFinance institutions in India. Or as I've already mentioned on this blog before, how I used trigonometry back in class 10th to calculate the area of Tamil Nadu. Fairly simple all these things were, but it just gives me a high to connect things and disciplines in this manner. Makes my education seem much more holistic.
Now to what I respect. Firstly, i respect an independent thinking and innovation. For example, I don't see merit in conditioning the mind to think on pre-specified lines. This is what happens many times in our examination systems, JEE included. There has to be scope, and incentive, for innovation, at least at the undergraduate level. Yes, path-breaking research is not to be found at the undergraduate level, but a small beginning can be. Second what I respect is self-confidence. Fine, if you want to be a scoring maniac, be it, but do it confidently. You have to be, in short, sure of what you want to do. You have to be able to justify your actions to yourself.
It's true that I probably am sounding very confused, because I am really, when I talk about this. I want the good grades, yes, the best grades in fact. But why do I want them? Do I want to trade doing the work I'm doing now (which I really enjoy) for the best grades? I don't know, probably no, I won't. I suppose the problem is one of limitless ambition - I want to have this and I want to have that. A lot of it probably owes it to the passive pressure of being 'Delhi Topper', people let this expectation build into them. I tried to impress this upon people several times last year that i'm not a brilliant student, I'm just mediocre. But the expectation didn't go away. Hopefully, it will go away this time (that's one of the best things about the results) and hopefully not manifest itself in taunts.
What I once told a couple of friends of mine was then. Let's just visualise and think everything is ideal, and then work accordingly. We won't get to ideal, but we'll come closer. What is my ideal? I want to contribute to others' lives, academically and otherwise. I want to see St. Stephen's College contribute more (academically) to a student's life than what it currently does. Okay, the ideal is there. What's the plan? The plan is to start in a small way, to start with helping people around you, your friends. Does that pre-suppose superiority? No. There are things I might be better at (currently) and there are things they might be better at and this is a simple give-and-take thing.
So, yes. That is what I want to be my ideal life and that is the assumption under which I shall hopefully be spending the next year of my life.
2 comments:
I have a question Wheatgerm, is this exactly how you feel about these things?
Absolutely. I really have this thing for independent thinking and innovation.
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