Rewatching 3 Idiots again today thanks to TV2!! One of the best Bollywood movies since Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. At last a movie that makes you think and it applies to most education system today, to produce ‘workers’ working for money instead of scholars thirst for knowledge. The irony is everyone study only for the sake of exam & pointers just to get a piece of paper called ‘scroll’ , to get yet another paper = paper money.
Some people ask me why I want to continue my study until now,to them its a waste of time,when you already have a degree – you should be finding money instead. I do’t mind what they say about not getting a job and doing my master, because they were speaking in a situation where they dont have the privilege to study for the sake of learning. They have priorities, siblings to take care of,and some even had to sacrifice not going to university because their family couldnt afford (despite PTPTN, the person could not leave their family without them being the head of the family) – but mine..does.
It was a privilege that I will always be thankful for because I know that my parents did not grow up in such privilege I am now. Perhaps thats why they are giving me and my siblings the best education they could give by supporting my studies until now so that I would also get the opportunity they perhaps didnt get back then. So my answer was first – I have the privilege to study, it was an opportunity that I could not refuse. Second, – my goal is not just for a good job, the master I’m doing now have its own reasons why I chose this path, Third, – I love to learn, believe it or not, I do feel that I have developed a love for knowledge & learning new things.
To be honest, I was not really sure why I went to school except the fact that is where all the kids goes to, I was already curious about school when I was 5 or 6 sneaking out to my mom’s school because I want to go to school. There was just some kind of feelings that I felt when I see students in school uniforms, even until now, either because I was reminiscing my school days or because of that pureness in seeing a white uniform. Because whenever I see students at that age, I see hope, I see a fresh mind that could become great minds if they go through the right kind of education that doesnt make you chase for A’s or CGPA’s. But the moment I arrive in this university,everyone was chasing for more marks,that’s all. A race game of who finish first,but being the first is a lonely place to be first in. By the end of the day, few will ask yourselves what were you running for all your life with all these scrolls & paper money you have now?
Fortunately, I was not raised that way. I do get a little disappointed when I dont get good marks but at the same time I was happy for the marks I know I deserve to get for the work I put into it and not because I didnt get A instead of A-. I think its ridiculous for a student to fret about having 5% less mark than the marks they got last exam. My definition of a good mark is when I go from D to C in my last exam, or a C to B, because thats how much I have improved. E.g, I was not good in marks, so if I get 60% instead 40%, I was happy because I was getting better by 20%. That waswhat I think.
Frankly, I was just an average girl, my marks is just average, maybe I get one or two A’s once a while, but mostly I am a B student, with an exception for Math because I was never good at it anyway. I go to regular school, until my form 6. Then I took my degree, and now I am currently doing my master. Well my master was pretty much an unexplored research, but it was something that I grew passionate talking about it. Sometimes I do get tired of it, but still I would be very happy to share what I know in that topic whenever someone ask me. Despite that, I’m still not sure what I want to do next when I graduate. I do hope that by then I will be doing what I love doing now to a another level, but I will figure out that later and just focus on my research first.
What I was trying to say is that, even if your only goal is to get a good degree, a good job, don’t let that thoughts quench your thirst for knowledge. So if you want to get a good job, might as well learn to love it. Start with having good thoughts about the things you are learning, the teacher who is teaching you no matter how bad their teaching is, they are giving your knowledge (Says my dad). So look at it as an opportunity to gain knowledge and not another word to remember. Give yourself a chance to learn while you still have the chance to learn.
***
“Today my respect for that idiot shot up. Most of us went to college just for a degree. No degree meant no plum job, no pretty wife, no credit card, no social status. But none of this mattered to him, he was in college for the joy of learning, he never cared if he was first or last.”
Make your passion your profession, and work will become a game.
Cramming may get you past 4 years in college but it will screw your next 40 years.
Chase excellence and success will follow you
Grades create divide. A=Masters, C=Slaves
Rancho: That day I understood that this heart scares easily. You have to trick it, however big the problem is.
Tell your heart, ‘Pal, all is well. All is well.’
Raju: Does that solve the problem?
Rancho: No, but you gain courage to face it.
Mencari Sakiinah 