University life: Understanding what really matters from the peripherals
Jasmine Jaim | Sunday, 27 February 2011
Jasmine Jaim
After taking admission into the university, most of you seriously think - "Yes!!! I have become matured now!" Going through that statement, many of you may have become annoyed with me because from your point of view- 'That's nothing new! We have already become so matured! Our parents don't always bother whether we are studying or not. No one gonna track us when we are returning at hall. No one is bothered about our phone calls - who is calling and how long we should talk. The varsity teachers do not treat us like the kids. It is completely our personal issue - how to spend our monthly allowance.......' I know - the list is too lengthy! In the mean time, taking a long breath, some of you have started thinking - 'It's not at all so easy to become a matured one! We will have to struggle to earn for studies. And also have to keep in mind that our families may depend on us for financial support after completing studies.' However, few of you have become so impatience by this time and you are simply pondering, "Oh my lord! Why should we think so many things? Let's enjoy life now! Better to be serious after completing education." In fact, after entering into university life, many students get the taste of 'independence' for the first time. According to some students the meaning of this term is simply 'to do whatever we like'. Suddenly with the absence of strict rules and regulations of family or educational institutions, many students try to do the activities what they could not do in their previous life. In a new environment, getting the opportunity to mix up with different types of people, new students try to mould themselves in a different way. There is nothing wrong with the attitude. But the problem is while constructing in a new way, they leave their values that they possessed for a long time. The crisis is too acute when they form their point of view - simply feeling of breaking the rules seems to be the meaning of 'independence' as they no longer posses the lifestyle instructed by others; no matter whether the lifestyle was good or bad. Therefore, because of the lack of rationality, students may choose a wrong way of living. At the same time, I admit that just to adjust with the new environment, students take too long time. These students cannot achieve balance in their activities not because of their feeling of 'independence' but because of the lack of adaptive capability. I have come to know a cruel reality from the experience of many students in different universities; in general, many students have very shocking result in the first year. However, when they realize that they have acted in a childish way and have to be serious, it is quite late! At the same time, some students consider 'independence' as the synonym of 'responsibility'. They are committed to themselves, to the family and to the society as a whole. They are really confident and possess strong sense of rationality. They have already learned what is called good and what is called bad. They never do something simply since some others are doing these. They have the courage to go against the wind as they have faith in their principles. They not only properly utilize their potentiality but also strengthen their diversified qualities. This is how they can prepare themselves for the competitive society and at the same time they can prepare themselves to serve the society as well. All the students start their university life with dreams. The dreams are too colourful! But if students do not act carefully in the university, these colourful dreams will be just faded. The cost of a flawed beginning of the university life is reasonably high. However, I do not want to write in a rude way! So, I would like to tell you, particularly those who are starting your new univeristy life, a very simple story (but, I have forgotten the source of it). That was a class room of a school. The teacher had a jar made of glass. He was putting large stones one by one in the jar. When the jar was almost full, he started putting pebbles in there. With jerking he was trying to make place for the pebbles. After a while the jar was full with the large stones and pebbles. Then the teacher put some sand in the jar that filled up the empty spaces. At last, he put coke in the jar and made it completely full. The students were looking at the entire process with curiosity. They were just pondering - 'What's going on?' The teacher then started the explanation: "Look! I put the things in the jar in a sequence - large stones, pebbles, sand and finally Coke. For maintaining this sequence I have such a large amount of things in that jar. But in case of breaking the sequence, what would happen? For example, first of all, I would make the jar full of sand and then Coke. Afterwards, if I would try to put the large stones and pebbles, it would not be possible to put all the same large amount of things that I have just put now in the this jar! Therefore, maintaining the sequence is very important. Now, consider this jar as your life. These large stones are the most precious things of life - your family, your nearest and dearest ones for whom you have your major responsibilities. Then consider the pebbles as the second important thing of your life; that is your career. And the sand stands for your friends, neighbors, environment and such other issues for which you have comparatively less responsibility." The teacher stopped for a while. At that moment, one boy raised a question, "Then what's about Coke?" The teacher smiled and answered, "Coke means simply Coke! Amusement, entertainment - the least important thing of your life!" The teacher then drew the conclusion, "If you want to fulfill your life, if you want to be successful in your life, always try to maintain the right sequence!" The writer is lecturer at the Institute of Business Administration, Jahangirnagar University.
After taking admission into the university, most of you seriously think - "Yes!!! I have become matured now!" Going through that statement, many of you may have become annoyed with me because from your point of view- 'That's nothing new! We have already become so matured! Our parents don't always bother whether we are studying or not. No one gonna track us when we are returning at hall. No one is bothered about our phone calls - who is calling and how long we should talk. The varsity teachers do not treat us like the kids. It is completely our personal issue - how to spend our monthly allowance.......' I know - the list is too lengthy! In the mean time, taking a long breath, some of you have started thinking - 'It's not at all so easy to become a matured one! We will have to struggle to earn for studies. And also have to keep in mind that our families may depend on us for financial support after completing studies.' However, few of you have become so impatience by this time and you are simply pondering, "Oh my lord! Why should we think so many things? Let's enjoy life now! Better to be serious after completing education." In fact, after entering into university life, many students get the taste of 'independence' for the first time. According to some students the meaning of this term is simply 'to do whatever we like'. Suddenly with the absence of strict rules and regulations of family or educational institutions, many students try to do the activities what they could not do in their previous life. In a new environment, getting the opportunity to mix up with different types of people, new students try to mould themselves in a different way. There is nothing wrong with the attitude. But the problem is while constructing in a new way, they leave their values that they possessed for a long time. The crisis is too acute when they form their point of view - simply feeling of breaking the rules seems to be the meaning of 'independence' as they no longer posses the lifestyle instructed by others; no matter whether the lifestyle was good or bad. Therefore, because of the lack of rationality, students may choose a wrong way of living. At the same time, I admit that just to adjust with the new environment, students take too long time. These students cannot achieve balance in their activities not because of their feeling of 'independence' but because of the lack of adaptive capability. I have come to know a cruel reality from the experience of many students in different universities; in general, many students have very shocking result in the first year. However, when they realize that they have acted in a childish way and have to be serious, it is quite late! At the same time, some students consider 'independence' as the synonym of 'responsibility'. They are committed to themselves, to the family and to the society as a whole. They are really confident and possess strong sense of rationality. They have already learned what is called good and what is called bad. They never do something simply since some others are doing these. They have the courage to go against the wind as they have faith in their principles. They not only properly utilize their potentiality but also strengthen their diversified qualities. This is how they can prepare themselves for the competitive society and at the same time they can prepare themselves to serve the society as well. All the students start their university life with dreams. The dreams are too colourful! But if students do not act carefully in the university, these colourful dreams will be just faded. The cost of a flawed beginning of the university life is reasonably high. However, I do not want to write in a rude way! So, I would like to tell you, particularly those who are starting your new univeristy life, a very simple story (but, I have forgotten the source of it). That was a class room of a school. The teacher had a jar made of glass. He was putting large stones one by one in the jar. When the jar was almost full, he started putting pebbles in there. With jerking he was trying to make place for the pebbles. After a while the jar was full with the large stones and pebbles. Then the teacher put some sand in the jar that filled up the empty spaces. At last, he put coke in the jar and made it completely full. The students were looking at the entire process with curiosity. They were just pondering - 'What's going on?' The teacher then started the explanation: "Look! I put the things in the jar in a sequence - large stones, pebbles, sand and finally Coke. For maintaining this sequence I have such a large amount of things in that jar. But in case of breaking the sequence, what would happen? For example, first of all, I would make the jar full of sand and then Coke. Afterwards, if I would try to put the large stones and pebbles, it would not be possible to put all the same large amount of things that I have just put now in the this jar! Therefore, maintaining the sequence is very important. Now, consider this jar as your life. These large stones are the most precious things of life - your family, your nearest and dearest ones for whom you have your major responsibilities. Then consider the pebbles as the second important thing of your life; that is your career. And the sand stands for your friends, neighbors, environment and such other issues for which you have comparatively less responsibility." The teacher stopped for a while. At that moment, one boy raised a question, "Then what's about Coke?" The teacher smiled and answered, "Coke means simply Coke! Amusement, entertainment - the least important thing of your life!" The teacher then drew the conclusion, "If you want to fulfill your life, if you want to be successful in your life, always try to maintain the right sequence!" The writer is lecturer at the Institute of Business Administration, Jahangirnagar University.