Dear College Admission Seeker,
So the admission season is back in Delhi University- the only time when your 12th board percentage will matter in your life! Yes, all your hard work and the family pressure that was exerted on you was of no use other than getting admission in some random college which has been hyped enough to break your and your friend’s self respect.
To begin with, all those who have secured good ‘percentages’ can stop reading this from here. And all those who think they have got ‘bad percentage’ may continue reading. I do not know what good and bad percentages are, so I am not specifying them. I do not understand how 79.75% is bad and 80% is good, the same way as I do not know how 97.5% is bad and 98% is good. But that’s how our education system discriminates. Let me accept this system at least for now.
Here’s something I want to share with you: do not take your 12th boards too seriously. That was a trap made by some extremely stupid people, to fool you. Accept this and move on!
You must be thinking how much I secured in school. I always thought I was one of the best students my school possessed- a true asset. But they said I had failed my pre boards in 10th. I never lost faith and still considered myself the best in 12th. They again told me the same thing. My father suggested that I should drop a year and prepare again. But it was just an exam right, so I thought of going for it.
I admit, I was scared about the result because I did not go for the Mathematics paper, and my parents weren’t aware of this. Result was announced and I had passed, thanks to my 6th Subject, with an A in Maths- A for absent. I had decent percentage overall. I thought so, but Delhi University was of a different opinion. I wanted to study Literature and got enrolled in a regular college, which people say was not ‘good’, but I have few beautiful memories from there. I met wonderful teachers and got a better understanding of society and politics in my college.
See, when you run behind a brand, you are doing nothing but just being a part of the race. Education is beyond all this petty crap. I may be an idealistic but yes, education is holistic. Being a part of the race is too easy, my friend. Do something good, something better- something bigger. You are a brand. Its just that these selfish University people will never let you realize this! You are bigger than any college. Make your own way. You are just out of your school and the world is in front of you. You have to add value to it. Be a responsible human and that’s all you need in your life. Believe me.
I studied at three colleges- one for Graduation and two for Post Graduation. I never judged them. I was not there to use their ‘brand value’ (another term created to fool you and to make you a factory product). All the teachers who felt students must attend classes never liked me. But all the teachers who believed education is everywhere- in theatre, music and films, loved me. They are still my best friends. You just need to be fearless and do whatever you want to do- join a theatre group, form a music band, create a dance group. Do everything that people say is useless. They do not understand the value of doing useless things- there is no value because they are priceless.
Bottom line:
The world is selling you a Policy in the form of the Education it advocates. Do not be a fool and make your life bigger. You can, because you are priceless.
Lovingly Yours,
Another Fool
This was first published in Youth ki Awaaz on June 28, 2013
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