Great Opportunities require greater Maturity
IIT = Institute of Infinite Tensions
It probably is correct. But guess what, I love it that way!!! Most people will think I must be crazy to like all this tension, but I feel it extracts the best out of me. When I am at home, and when there are no tensions, I just waste my time. And here, I get to do so many things, meet so many people, try new stuff, and also enjoy like hell.
And it is the same with most people. Ask any IITian and he will vouch that his IIT days are the best time of his life. Most of us are having a ball. We are free to do what we want. We can get down to the great depths of the oceans, or to the infinite resolutions of genes, atoms and molecules, or even to the binary world of computers to satiate our yearning for knowledge. And if one happens to be of the alternate bent of mind, (s)he could dabble in dramatics, mesmerise in music, dominate in debates, paint like Picasso, or do so many innumerable things, I could probably not count before coming here. Even for those gifted with a special ability in sports, this place is Athens, with possibly every sport in the world being played, and opportunities galore.
Yes, IIT is the land of a thousand and one opportunities, and you can develop yourself the way you want. Most of us dont realize this, but somehow swim with the flow to reach our destination. On the way, we pick up all sorts of abilities, maturity, and character that can stand us in good stead in our careers later. If we want to join the academia, there are all sorts of instruments we can play with, a huge library where we can learn, state-of-the-art labs to apply the theory, and a guaranteed future. If we want to join managements, we can hone our skills in the various clubs and societies, not to include the gymkhana, the umbrella over all of them. If we want to work, the system will ready us for the real world outside.
It is sadly not utopian. But I prefer it this way. After all, after passing out of here we will not be taking a one way ticket to heaven, where everything is great, people work together, you are clearly told what to do, and rewarded when you do it. The world outside is an epitome of chaos, where things never happen correctly, where you never get what you paid for. Then if we find that IIT is not exactly what we expected, what is the harm. You are only preparing for the future, where your colleague is praised for your successes, and you are punished for others faults. Where everybody is trying to kick the ass of everybody else, rise up another rung in the ladder, reach the top, and then throw away the ladder. Hell, What did you expect???
I do understand that the system is not perfect, but then nothing is, and I believe that over the years that system has really tried to move in a particular direction, and that is what is important. People say that it is a rat race in here, with everybody after marks, and nobody after knowledge. But tell me one thing, how else to test the knowledge you have acquired. How else to judge between two people. And what did you did in school, was it not based on marks alone? Here at least people get recognition for what they do outside the classroom. In school, it was marks and marks alone. The interface between the teacher and student was the examination paper. Probably the reason was that we did not have much of a choice in terms of the subjects. Here we have a choice, and you can see the outcome. Actually, you can not complain. This is human nature. When you tell a person to do a thing, he will do it. When you give him a choice, he will drive you crazy about how the system is not right.
I think before condemning the IIT system, we should compare the life o a normal IITian with his counterpart in another college. The guy in a city college will probably do class in the morning, then attend tutions, and then waste his evening watching television. His friend in another engineering college will be no better. He will have the free time, but where are the opportunities? Compare that with an IITian. He goes to class for about 6 hours in the day, and the rest of the day is for him to use [or waste]. How he makes use of his time is entirely upto him. He can spend time poring over books, or debating with his friends, or in the sports field. You should not crib after so much freedom.
Then many people say that the system is very taxing because the professors assume you know the basics, and proceed with the details. This is obviously not correct. But as the most intelligent bunch of students, is it not our responsibility that we take some interest to do what we have come here to do? People say that once you get into IIT, your career is made, not because its a cakewalk after that, but because that professors will ensure that you learn to learn by yourself, and distinguish yourself from your friends in other colleges.
Some are not able to settle in the rural and rustic setting of the IITs. They find it too boring, to dull, too slow. Well, for their information, this is a village with a 10 Mbps link to the internet, probably the only one which is completely wired, with supercomputers, and a olympic size swimming pool, and a huge Open Air Theatre; I doubt if Delhi will be able to match the infrastructure to residents ratio, or even New York. And even then, if it was in a city, wouldn't the same people waste more of their time, and crib even more about how the IIT doesnot promote learning? Cummon, wake up!!!
Some one had once said, "With Great power comes great responsibility". I think I would add, "And great opportunities require greater maturity".
It probably is correct. But guess what, I love it that way!!! Most people will think I must be crazy to like all this tension, but I feel it extracts the best out of me. When I am at home, and when there are no tensions, I just waste my time. And here, I get to do so many things, meet so many people, try new stuff, and also enjoy like hell.
And it is the same with most people. Ask any IITian and he will vouch that his IIT days are the best time of his life. Most of us are having a ball. We are free to do what we want. We can get down to the great depths of the oceans, or to the infinite resolutions of genes, atoms and molecules, or even to the binary world of computers to satiate our yearning for knowledge. And if one happens to be of the alternate bent of mind, (s)he could dabble in dramatics, mesmerise in music, dominate in debates, paint like Picasso, or do so many innumerable things, I could probably not count before coming here. Even for those gifted with a special ability in sports, this place is Athens, with possibly every sport in the world being played, and opportunities galore.
Yes, IIT is the land of a thousand and one opportunities, and you can develop yourself the way you want. Most of us dont realize this, but somehow swim with the flow to reach our destination. On the way, we pick up all sorts of abilities, maturity, and character that can stand us in good stead in our careers later. If we want to join the academia, there are all sorts of instruments we can play with, a huge library where we can learn, state-of-the-art labs to apply the theory, and a guaranteed future. If we want to join managements, we can hone our skills in the various clubs and societies, not to include the gymkhana, the umbrella over all of them. If we want to work, the system will ready us for the real world outside.
It is sadly not utopian. But I prefer it this way. After all, after passing out of here we will not be taking a one way ticket to heaven, where everything is great, people work together, you are clearly told what to do, and rewarded when you do it. The world outside is an epitome of chaos, where things never happen correctly, where you never get what you paid for. Then if we find that IIT is not exactly what we expected, what is the harm. You are only preparing for the future, where your colleague is praised for your successes, and you are punished for others faults. Where everybody is trying to kick the ass of everybody else, rise up another rung in the ladder, reach the top, and then throw away the ladder. Hell, What did you expect???
I do understand that the system is not perfect, but then nothing is, and I believe that over the years that system has really tried to move in a particular direction, and that is what is important. People say that it is a rat race in here, with everybody after marks, and nobody after knowledge. But tell me one thing, how else to test the knowledge you have acquired. How else to judge between two people. And what did you did in school, was it not based on marks alone? Here at least people get recognition for what they do outside the classroom. In school, it was marks and marks alone. The interface between the teacher and student was the examination paper. Probably the reason was that we did not have much of a choice in terms of the subjects. Here we have a choice, and you can see the outcome. Actually, you can not complain. This is human nature. When you tell a person to do a thing, he will do it. When you give him a choice, he will drive you crazy about how the system is not right.
I think before condemning the IIT system, we should compare the life o a normal IITian with his counterpart in another college. The guy in a city college will probably do class in the morning, then attend tutions, and then waste his evening watching television. His friend in another engineering college will be no better. He will have the free time, but where are the opportunities? Compare that with an IITian. He goes to class for about 6 hours in the day, and the rest of the day is for him to use [or waste]. How he makes use of his time is entirely upto him. He can spend time poring over books, or debating with his friends, or in the sports field. You should not crib after so much freedom.
Then many people say that the system is very taxing because the professors assume you know the basics, and proceed with the details. This is obviously not correct. But as the most intelligent bunch of students, is it not our responsibility that we take some interest to do what we have come here to do? People say that once you get into IIT, your career is made, not because its a cakewalk after that, but because that professors will ensure that you learn to learn by yourself, and distinguish yourself from your friends in other colleges.
Some are not able to settle in the rural and rustic setting of the IITs. They find it too boring, to dull, too slow. Well, for their information, this is a village with a 10 Mbps link to the internet, probably the only one which is completely wired, with supercomputers, and a olympic size swimming pool, and a huge Open Air Theatre; I doubt if Delhi will be able to match the infrastructure to residents ratio, or even New York. And even then, if it was in a city, wouldn't the same people waste more of their time, and crib even more about how the IIT doesnot promote learning? Cummon, wake up!!!
Some one had once said, "With Great power comes great responsibility". I think I would add, "And great opportunities require greater maturity".
~posted by kpowerinfinity at 2:17 am
2 Comments:
If nothing else, this place sure has taught you to alliterate ;-) . Ref : dabble in dra....... Nice blogging though.
great KK.....awesum
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