It seems as if adults these days, preach a lot, but practice none of it. Every question posed to a student can be dangerous when it comes from an adult, like-minded or otherwise. When you read the news about how people across the world, from illegal migrants to your next-door neighbors are judged and profiled as worthy or unworthy according to their standards in life, it's kind of shocking to notice how much of it is targeted towards students.
Being an Indian student, there are a lot of hopes riding on my shoulders to achieve great in life. But sometimes, I realize that I am in the good graces of God. Others might not be so lucky. Here's a example of a man I faced on Friday.
I had just finished tuitions and was cycling to a friend's house. She wanted my bike for a trip of hers and I was more than happy to lend it to her. The plan was to meet at the nearest metro station where I would hand the bike over to her and use the metro back home. But I decided last minute against that because there was no way of contacting her, my phone was dead. So I rode my bike all the way to her house. Her apartment building is guarded by a door and an intercom system which can buzz anyone inside. I didn't know her apartment number so I decided to wait for someone to leave the building as I can enter. In a few minutes, a jogger walks out of the door and I ask him to hold it for me. I have no clue as to why he did this, as if he were protecting the sanctity of the building by blocking its entrance.
He asks me why I wanted to enter and if I lived there. I said I had to give the bike to a friend and leave and no, I didn't live there. He then asks me if I know the apartment number. I said I had no clue, just the floor. I thought I was safe until he asks me which grade I was in (12th grade), hence which stream I selected (science + math) and what I planned to do in life. At that moment, my only plans were to run away from this man. See, in my school, students studying the commerce stream are given less credit. Our teachers choose to insult us at our mistakes by telling us to rethink a career choice as a charted accountant. That's not right, by my principles. This man, was probably thinking around similar lines. So I tell him that I want to proceed my studies in the field of Biotech. Like that, I am granted access.
Now these people are very demeaning. If it were someone other than me, who was from the commerce stream, who knows how that man would've treated the student. I don't believe that any careers are less worthy or otherwise. One of my best friends is fascinated by law, so she took up legal studies, which is considered a risk to the 'Indian science student' stereotype.
Being an Indian student, there are a lot of hopes riding on my shoulders to achieve great in life. But sometimes, I realize that I am in the good graces of God. Others might not be so lucky. Here's a example of a man I faced on Friday.
I had just finished tuitions and was cycling to a friend's house. She wanted my bike for a trip of hers and I was more than happy to lend it to her. The plan was to meet at the nearest metro station where I would hand the bike over to her and use the metro back home. But I decided last minute against that because there was no way of contacting her, my phone was dead. So I rode my bike all the way to her house. Her apartment building is guarded by a door and an intercom system which can buzz anyone inside. I didn't know her apartment number so I decided to wait for someone to leave the building as I can enter. In a few minutes, a jogger walks out of the door and I ask him to hold it for me. I have no clue as to why he did this, as if he were protecting the sanctity of the building by blocking its entrance.
He asks me why I wanted to enter and if I lived there. I said I had to give the bike to a friend and leave and no, I didn't live there. He then asks me if I know the apartment number. I said I had no clue, just the floor. I thought I was safe until he asks me which grade I was in (12th grade), hence which stream I selected (science + math) and what I planned to do in life. At that moment, my only plans were to run away from this man. See, in my school, students studying the commerce stream are given less credit. Our teachers choose to insult us at our mistakes by telling us to rethink a career choice as a charted accountant. That's not right, by my principles. This man, was probably thinking around similar lines. So I tell him that I want to proceed my studies in the field of Biotech. Like that, I am granted access.
Now these people are very demeaning. If it were someone other than me, who was from the commerce stream, who knows how that man would've treated the student. I don't believe that any careers are less worthy or otherwise. One of my best friends is fascinated by law, so she took up legal studies, which is considered a risk to the 'Indian science student' stereotype.
Comments
Post a Comment