16th June, 2005. My first day as an official Third Year student. The first day for me was quite an unusual one since my day started by having a look at the presentation made for the freshers by the faculty members. The atmosphere was abuzz with activity. First Year students reaching college ahead of time; some had even come with their parents. And then the presentation began. Everyone became silent. The presentation had begun. Just then, while everything was in motion, the presentation going at its pace… just at that moment, those 45 minutes that I spend amongst an anxious and frightened crowd, reality struck me. I revisited in my thoughts my first day at college. The faculty members looked so grim and serious; the environment was so invigorating and scary. Invigorating because through the presentation, one thing was for sure, the college provided ample opportunities to improve oneself. Frightening because the norms, the tradition, the culture, the pressure all described in the presentation gave you a feeling that this was not exactly the vision of college we had in mind.
And now I was right there, looking at that presentation once again, the same faces talking about the same topics, but it was a lot less frightening. And I do mean a lot less frightening. That was the first time in these 3 years of college I felt superior to my juniors. I exactly knew where the faculty members made blunders in their presentation, I exactly knew how much each faculty is serious about his/her work, and I exactly knew what each and every faculty member will talk about. Because I had savoured almost all the flavours of college life, and they were having just an overview of what was in store for them.
But then as soon as the superiority complex simmered down, reality struck me once again, though much sharper this time, like a pang. I was right there and realised, that what I’m seeing has already been seen by me. I am not supposed to see this once again. My tenure in this college is on the verge of coming to an end, while these people, poor creatures have just begun! At the outset they are so frightened, so confused as to whether their decision of joining this college was right or not, but once they fall in love with the place, they would never wish to go back. I felt so jealous of them, as if life had been unfair to me. It was like a mockery, that they were sitting there all scared in their seats and did not realise the potential this place offered to grow, to make friends, to build relationships, and to do lots and lots more.
And I was sitting there amongst them, like a fool, like a grandfather amongst his grandchildren. Things were feeling so uneven; I felt I was committing a carnal sin by looking at something that was not meant for me! But in reality it was that pang that still existed, the stint of feeling that these people have just begun and I’m here on my way to the egress. I tell you life is sometimes unfair.
Nurturing Excellence?
If anyone apart from the student community reads this article, they might certainly feel that this guy is a crackpot and doesn’t know how the system functions.
But the fact is its one of those days when life tries to teach you a lesson in one of the cruellest ways possible. 2 days from now, the felicitation ceremony of the rankers of my college is to be held. Their parents have been called. The felicitation ceremony will take place in the H.L. Auditorium. And one thing I’ve seen in my college; only the most serious events that involve much grandeur take place in the auditorium; others are almost like a non-entity. The paradox of the whole story is that I am going to be the host for the felicitation evening. The reason being, the other good hosts are also rankers and they can’t take flowers from the guest of the event and call out their fellow rankers simultaneously.
I mean just think how it would feel like to announce the name of your buddies in front of a 150 odd crowd, praising their performance just when you know that you are just 5 ranks behind!
See, the feeling of contempt has arisen not out of spite, since I did not get a rank, but out of sheer impartiality. Just think, on one hand you say that the Gujarat University has no standards as compared to our college, that the evaluation system is bogus, that the college gives tougher questions in the prelims and terminal exams. And on top of it, you have the best of infrastructure, the best of the faculty, the best ‘pedagogical’ tools, and the highest cut-off during admissions. Don’t you think the ranks that the college is getting now should be by default than by chance? Technically, the ranks that our college does not get are not because others had done well, it’s the flaw, the errors that the University system creates. So, to set a target of 10 out of 10 at the University level, according to me holds no sense.
I know the reader will still feel that I’m pouring out my entire wrath onto the felicitation thing, but it’s not the case. Believe me. There are students in my college, who stand just a level below the toppers, who, think in innovation; different ideas so as to fully exploit the dynamic environment that we find at B.K.M.I.B.A. – H.L.B.B.A.
On one hand we say that we train the students to become the managers of tomorrow. We teach them not only bookish knowledge but the soft skills as well. But the vision to equip the students with those soft skills is so narrow that the value addition is simply restricted to Group Discussions, Personal Interviews, Reading business magazines and the rest. What about the subtle but imperative skills like Innovation, Vision, Creativity and Leadership??? Out of the total toppers half of them are not able to converse in proper English. Why? Because they only study hard, bang their heads everyday, have their faces turned 90 degrees towards their desk for more than half a day and don’t care a shit about raising their heads and looking at the various opportunities that are in front of them.
Someone should recognise that there are a few students who do not like closed environments, who do not like to be bound by traditional norms, who don’t prefer archaic methods of evolution and evaluation. They want to be free, want an open canvas where they can paint their own future and not giving only finishing touches to a painting. Innovation is what drives them. Leadership is what makes people follow them. Creativity is what is violently erupting in them. And Vision is what makes them reach their goal. But here, innovation is given little importance, leadership is something one cannot exercise since others are least interested in what one is doing, and the vision at sometime or the others starts looking hazy since there is little support, more of criticism. People are so focused towards academics and other related activities like debates and management quizzes and presentations that the ‘congratulations’ and handshakes are skewed more towards the latter.
Sure, you have those ‘Continuous and Meritorious’ Awards at the Annual Day, but then that’s nothing compared to the pomp and show that the rankers get. People who get ranks will get ranks; if they don’t someone else will. But for people who have a vision, they carry an idea, and that vision, that idea is their own and nobody else’s. They are those who need more pep, more support to make their vision a reality.
All I can deduce from such tortuous behaviour is that we feel it’s the system that virtually guarantees a future; innovation and creativity matter little in such cases.
I just want to end by asking one question. The college has Nurtured Excellence for a span of 7 years. Has each excellence been welcomed and rewarded equally?
But the fact is its one of those days when life tries to teach you a lesson in one of the cruellest ways possible. 2 days from now, the felicitation ceremony of the rankers of my college is to be held. Their parents have been called. The felicitation ceremony will take place in the H.L. Auditorium. And one thing I’ve seen in my college; only the most serious events that involve much grandeur take place in the auditorium; others are almost like a non-entity. The paradox of the whole story is that I am going to be the host for the felicitation evening. The reason being, the other good hosts are also rankers and they can’t take flowers from the guest of the event and call out their fellow rankers simultaneously.
I mean just think how it would feel like to announce the name of your buddies in front of a 150 odd crowd, praising their performance just when you know that you are just 5 ranks behind!
See, the feeling of contempt has arisen not out of spite, since I did not get a rank, but out of sheer impartiality. Just think, on one hand you say that the Gujarat University has no standards as compared to our college, that the evaluation system is bogus, that the college gives tougher questions in the prelims and terminal exams. And on top of it, you have the best of infrastructure, the best of the faculty, the best ‘pedagogical’ tools, and the highest cut-off during admissions. Don’t you think the ranks that the college is getting now should be by default than by chance? Technically, the ranks that our college does not get are not because others had done well, it’s the flaw, the errors that the University system creates. So, to set a target of 10 out of 10 at the University level, according to me holds no sense.
I know the reader will still feel that I’m pouring out my entire wrath onto the felicitation thing, but it’s not the case. Believe me. There are students in my college, who stand just a level below the toppers, who, think in innovation; different ideas so as to fully exploit the dynamic environment that we find at B.K.M.I.B.A. – H.L.B.B.A.
On one hand we say that we train the students to become the managers of tomorrow. We teach them not only bookish knowledge but the soft skills as well. But the vision to equip the students with those soft skills is so narrow that the value addition is simply restricted to Group Discussions, Personal Interviews, Reading business magazines and the rest. What about the subtle but imperative skills like Innovation, Vision, Creativity and Leadership??? Out of the total toppers half of them are not able to converse in proper English. Why? Because they only study hard, bang their heads everyday, have their faces turned 90 degrees towards their desk for more than half a day and don’t care a shit about raising their heads and looking at the various opportunities that are in front of them.
Someone should recognise that there are a few students who do not like closed environments, who do not like to be bound by traditional norms, who don’t prefer archaic methods of evolution and evaluation. They want to be free, want an open canvas where they can paint their own future and not giving only finishing touches to a painting. Innovation is what drives them. Leadership is what makes people follow them. Creativity is what is violently erupting in them. And Vision is what makes them reach their goal. But here, innovation is given little importance, leadership is something one cannot exercise since others are least interested in what one is doing, and the vision at sometime or the others starts looking hazy since there is little support, more of criticism. People are so focused towards academics and other related activities like debates and management quizzes and presentations that the ‘congratulations’ and handshakes are skewed more towards the latter.
Sure, you have those ‘Continuous and Meritorious’ Awards at the Annual Day, but then that’s nothing compared to the pomp and show that the rankers get. People who get ranks will get ranks; if they don’t someone else will. But for people who have a vision, they carry an idea, and that vision, that idea is their own and nobody else’s. They are those who need more pep, more support to make their vision a reality.
All I can deduce from such tortuous behaviour is that we feel it’s the system that virtually guarantees a future; innovation and creativity matter little in such cases.
I just want to end by asking one question. The college has Nurtured Excellence for a span of 7 years. Has each excellence been welcomed and rewarded equally?
The Stinking System!!
Anyone who has read ‘Five Point Someone’ by Chetan Bhagat must have liked the character Ryan in the novel. For the ignorant lot who do not know what I’m referring to; well its about a novel which portrays the life of three ‘very-similar-to-us’ kind of students who fortunately or unfortunately ended up in the much hallowed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Of the 3, Ryan is the only brat who keeps on cribbing about the education system, and its flaws that leave no room for ‘Original Thinking’.
Come to think of it, we’re almost in the same situation here. Just think of it and you’ll realise how disgraceful it is for whom B.Com, B.B.A. and B.C.A. fell upon by chance than by choice. It’s quite startling but most of us select our future course of action at the form-filling desk than a few months earlier. We all are idiotic twerps that we enter a graduation course even before looking at the course contents and things like that. No wonder how ‘Follow the Herd’ theory came into existence!
“B.Com is easy! But B.B.A. sounds cool! Nah, too much hard work; and then what about B.C.A.? No-no too much computer oriented.”
Such are the conversations between you and your conscience. But to be frank, I don’t blame you. It’s because you’re a victim of the system. We’ve been hammered for 14 years so that we could have the aptitude to pursue further studies but not to have a mind of our own. There are few who have already decided their pathway and they follow it, religiously. Let’s just say that they were blessed with scholarly brains and have the ability to solve half of the world’s problems. For others, well, poor creatures, realisation dawns upon them a bit too late. Afterwards there’s no looking back. And such clangers happen simply because one is not aware of the plethora of options available.
Once a student in class was asked about his future plans. He immediately stood up and blurted, “Sir, MBA in IT”.
The professor asked, “MBA in Information Technology or Income Tax?” and the entire class burst into laughter. Amused but not astonished, the professor retorted, “I suppose you are not aware but there do exist specialised courses for areas like Income Tax.” And the class went numb.
Moral of the story – Crack the System; have an out of the box thinking approach. I’m not asking a Commerce student to be an astrophysicist but certainly he must have the vision to look beyond qualifications in capitalised letters.
And by the way, Ryan eventually does break the system in the novel by joining as a research assistant at IIT, Delhi. Now, does that inspire you?
Come to think of it, we’re almost in the same situation here. Just think of it and you’ll realise how disgraceful it is for whom B.Com, B.B.A. and B.C.A. fell upon by chance than by choice. It’s quite startling but most of us select our future course of action at the form-filling desk than a few months earlier. We all are idiotic twerps that we enter a graduation course even before looking at the course contents and things like that. No wonder how ‘Follow the Herd’ theory came into existence!
“B.Com is easy! But B.B.A. sounds cool! Nah, too much hard work; and then what about B.C.A.? No-no too much computer oriented.”
Such are the conversations between you and your conscience. But to be frank, I don’t blame you. It’s because you’re a victim of the system. We’ve been hammered for 14 years so that we could have the aptitude to pursue further studies but not to have a mind of our own. There are few who have already decided their pathway and they follow it, religiously. Let’s just say that they were blessed with scholarly brains and have the ability to solve half of the world’s problems. For others, well, poor creatures, realisation dawns upon them a bit too late. Afterwards there’s no looking back. And such clangers happen simply because one is not aware of the plethora of options available.
Once a student in class was asked about his future plans. He immediately stood up and blurted, “Sir, MBA in IT”.
The professor asked, “MBA in Information Technology or Income Tax?” and the entire class burst into laughter. Amused but not astonished, the professor retorted, “I suppose you are not aware but there do exist specialised courses for areas like Income Tax.” And the class went numb.
Moral of the story – Crack the System; have an out of the box thinking approach. I’m not asking a Commerce student to be an astrophysicist but certainly he must have the vision to look beyond qualifications in capitalised letters.
And by the way, Ryan eventually does break the system in the novel by joining as a research assistant at IIT, Delhi. Now, does that inspire you?
All about me
Greetings everyone. I doubt if you hopped in to this site by chance, but anyways, since this is an introduction of myself I believe it would be mandatory to provide my name. And for the record, my name is Bhushir Mankad. It would be practically impossible to describe myself in such minimalist space, given the limited words allotted for the introduction; but then if you are here just for my introduction, then I would suggest you to ‘buzz off’. Do not feel offended. That was just a warning to those nifty people who try to search their life partners in blog sites than ‘Sunday Matrimonial’!!! And believe me, such people do exist.
All I want to say is, thanks for visiting this site, though I would be more thankful if you visited my site again and again. Take your time, and browse through my blogs. And yes I aspire to write as good as Chetan Bhagat. So, for those who know about his book ‘Five Point Someone’, do drop me a line at bhushir@gmail.com. And those who do not know about his book, my suggestion is buy it. Not because you can then give me critical analysis but it’s truly a good book.
Enough advertising! I was about to end here, but I felt some more disclaimers were necessary. It concerns the title of my blog site which, I would have loved to put it something as ‘Blueprinting Success’ or ‘The Blog spot of White Hopes’ but then someone would feel that I’m promulgating various crazy philosophies here which, to a certain extent is the case. And yes, about using the word ‘girls’ in the title, well, that was a trick to lure you into reading my blogs. But that’s the maximum voyeurism you’ll find here. Quite disheartening isn’t it?
All I want to say is, thanks for visiting this site, though I would be more thankful if you visited my site again and again. Take your time, and browse through my blogs. And yes I aspire to write as good as Chetan Bhagat. So, for those who know about his book ‘Five Point Someone’, do drop me a line at bhushir@gmail.com. And those who do not know about his book, my suggestion is buy it. Not because you can then give me critical analysis but it’s truly a good book.
Enough advertising! I was about to end here, but I felt some more disclaimers were necessary. It concerns the title of my blog site which, I would have loved to put it something as ‘Blueprinting Success’ or ‘The Blog spot of White Hopes’ but then someone would feel that I’m promulgating various crazy philosophies here which, to a certain extent is the case. And yes, about using the word ‘girls’ in the title, well, that was a trick to lure you into reading my blogs. But that’s the maximum voyeurism you’ll find here. Quite disheartening isn’t it?
My College - A symposium of future mangers or a bunch of University Rank hoggers?
I sit here humming to the tunes of “I’ll be the one” by Backstreet Boys, while my mind slowly yet elatedly drifts back towards the past. Space shifts, time bends. Reminiscence is in the air. As you read other blogs of mine you may find that digging up the past is my favourite pass time to annoy the reader; well so be it. Because this is my version, if you wanted yours, you should have thought about all this earlier. So stuff it guys and slap your cheeks out; this is my blog, accept it or not, and you are free to close it, since this one fortunately or unfortunately is free of cost.
Right… so, where was I? Ah, yes, the nostalgia thing… Well, so to say, my college life till now hasn’t been what people normally see in the movies. Boy sees girl. Boy earlier is the most wayward and insolent brat in the college. Overnight he transforms into a Saadhu, renouncing worldly pleasures. Girl falls for the sobriety of the boy and they live happily ever after. Perhaps my version is too nerdy (forgive the American expression) but the 2 years I spent basically revolved around me trying to optimise my already disturbed mark sheet. The end of Second Year was the beginning, when things were getting back to normal. As one of my Accountancy professors, Prof. J.M. Shah puts it, “The ball is in your court”, and ball certainly was in my court. All the odds that seemed like a constant impediment suddenly vanished!
And that’s why right now I’m in a jovial mood, because you get what you expected, or, well almost what you expected from a disgusting University which has a habit of unflinching surprises. Talking of my mark sheet, the F.Y. results was a shocker, and a big one at that. The Second Year thus was a course more remedial in nature than offensive as far as University Results were concerned. For many rising up the ladder is much less difficult a task than putting things back into motion, that had been thrown out of gear. But hey, I’m not complaining…
Yes, there was this unstinting feeling of repugnance that kept swarming around your thoughts. At the outset, normal life was cool. But once you are alone in silence, and your mind takes over, the same thoughts keep swirling in your mind,
“… Budy you gotta do somethin’… 72% in F.Y. isn’t enough… and they say S.Y. is even harder…” You always have that gut feeling that somewhere down the line your image has been tarnished.
Now for those who feel 72% is actually a good score, well, you people don’t actually meet my standards, sorry to say. And those who feel that I’m praising myself a bit too much, well, I’m going to opt for Marketing as a specialisation. And it’s about time I start building myself as a brand. Bottom line - Everyone craves to be noticed and there’s nothing wrong about it. Its Human Psychology. Some do it silently. Others are more vigorous and outspoken, like me. And in a college which wins more than half of the University Ranks, more than half of the Youth Festival prizes, more than half of the debate competitions, and more than half of the management meets its difficult to survive, let alone prosper. There’s nothing wrong in excessive competition. Just don’t let the excitement fade away using the same people over and over again.
Right… so, where was I? Ah, yes, the nostalgia thing… Well, so to say, my college life till now hasn’t been what people normally see in the movies. Boy sees girl. Boy earlier is the most wayward and insolent brat in the college. Overnight he transforms into a Saadhu, renouncing worldly pleasures. Girl falls for the sobriety of the boy and they live happily ever after. Perhaps my version is too nerdy (forgive the American expression) but the 2 years I spent basically revolved around me trying to optimise my already disturbed mark sheet. The end of Second Year was the beginning, when things were getting back to normal. As one of my Accountancy professors, Prof. J.M. Shah puts it, “The ball is in your court”, and ball certainly was in my court. All the odds that seemed like a constant impediment suddenly vanished!
And that’s why right now I’m in a jovial mood, because you get what you expected, or, well almost what you expected from a disgusting University which has a habit of unflinching surprises. Talking of my mark sheet, the F.Y. results was a shocker, and a big one at that. The Second Year thus was a course more remedial in nature than offensive as far as University Results were concerned. For many rising up the ladder is much less difficult a task than putting things back into motion, that had been thrown out of gear. But hey, I’m not complaining…
Yes, there was this unstinting feeling of repugnance that kept swarming around your thoughts. At the outset, normal life was cool. But once you are alone in silence, and your mind takes over, the same thoughts keep swirling in your mind,
“… Budy you gotta do somethin’… 72% in F.Y. isn’t enough… and they say S.Y. is even harder…” You always have that gut feeling that somewhere down the line your image has been tarnished.
Now for those who feel 72% is actually a good score, well, you people don’t actually meet my standards, sorry to say. And those who feel that I’m praising myself a bit too much, well, I’m going to opt for Marketing as a specialisation. And it’s about time I start building myself as a brand. Bottom line - Everyone craves to be noticed and there’s nothing wrong about it. Its Human Psychology. Some do it silently. Others are more vigorous and outspoken, like me. And in a college which wins more than half of the University Ranks, more than half of the Youth Festival prizes, more than half of the debate competitions, and more than half of the management meets its difficult to survive, let alone prosper. There’s nothing wrong in excessive competition. Just don’t let the excitement fade away using the same people over and over again.
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