I read a article on Forbes on how College students waste money and opportunities in the US. I then continued to research online on how the situation is in India relating to the same context. The cultural attributes of Parents funding their students' education in India, versus a students' loan based solely on students' merit where he pays for his own education and free community colleges are in contrast to both the countries. That's perhaps one of the reason why our country's education system has to improve on.
So here are some of the alarming findings on where our students waste money and opportunities.
Training Courses: Because our Engineering and other Graduation syllabuses fail to prepare our students for a job interview, but focus on a partially outdated basic knowledge although are important for a foundation, but they have not been improvised for a decade over. Hence our students start looking to learn Scripting, Graphic designing, Programming, some standards like Agile, ITIL, XP (Xtreme programming) or administration like DB, OS, Networking, some on Cloud, architectural, CAD and a host of courses to start with. You name a course and you have a training center offiering that course. But what a student has to look at as a training center is the worlds largest knowledge base "The Internet" it has everything you need, its an online trainer that a student can have. Look for online videos on CBT, Youtube etc., there are hundreds of foreign universities like the Stanford University, or the Cambridge have free online courses. They even give a completion certificate some of which I have learnt myself. Then the websites like Coursera are amazing. Contact me if you want to know the entire list. Why waste money in a training center. Mind you the trainer himself is not an expert in what he is teaching, then how can he prep a student to be an expert in what he is teaching.
To top it all, a student has to leverage the skill of Self-paced learning. Because learning in anyone's career is a life time activity. Learning never stops. If you have to stay in competition, stay employed then you have to keep on learning. And every-time you cant depend on a coaching center. Do It Yourself - DIY - this is now a major industry practice. If Parents, teachers encourage our students in DIY sort of a thing at an early age, it will help them immensely!
Abroad University Admission: As per a recent study 92% of Indian students fail to repay their Student loan by securing a job there. Then they get into Visa extension hassles, end up returning back to their homeland. Struggle to find a job, and work for the next 20 years repaying the loan which is doubled to what they had originally taken. Question is WHY? If a student thinks himself/herself as good and capable, then achieve what you want to achieve in your own country. Then find a job or start a company that will go global or gives you an opportunity to go abroad and settle if needed. Not in your parents' money, even if its black money, white money or bank money! Challenge yourself and prove it that you can do what many cant with the resource you currently have at hand. Dont go by what you see in Star Movies and HBO. Reality is far different. Dont go by your friends' pictures posted on Facebook standing in front of an amazing background. Show what you can with what you have. There are hardly a numerical few who have been successful or who have grown their wealth, made a successful career after being graduated in a Abroad university. But there are examples of millions of Management grads from IIM, Engineering grads from IIT, VTU, BITS PILANI, even BU, KU etc., who have become stories of success! Dont dream about a lifestyle, dream about a Style of Study that will get you life!
Gadgets, Parties, Lifestyle: An average student from a Middle Class family according to India Economic Forum's research used to take up a Bus Pass to travel to college in the year 2001 and spend about 15 to 20 rupees a day on an average on food, movies, and other "fun" stuff. There were hardly any Coffee Days or Baristas and inflation was low. Adding Inflation and comparing the current scenario a student from a similar class should be spending about 80 to 90 rupees a day. But, in reality its different. There is 63% decline in Student bus passes, because every student now has their own vehicle. They love to party, not just coffee or movie. Malls offer more than just coffee, party and movie. There are clothes, accessories, automobiles, alcohol etc., and in reality as per the research a student now spends about 200 to 500 rupees on weekdays and about 1200 to 2000 rupees on weekends. Weekends a must meet-up and a Must-party days. Its the culture now. In a month of 4 weekends, a Student has spent Rs.8000, and about 12,000 rupees on weekdays in a month. Thats a whopping total of 20,000 rupees spent by a Student! This is alarming. What are we teaching our kids? Sales offers, discounts, brands, baristas - this is what they have in their head! there is less space for Physics, Maths, Literature or Science or Engineering.
One thing for sure is they have no value to money, people, or themselves. Learning is a distant and a least looked upon aspect of a student while it should have been the primary goal!
I feel sad when I see many fresh out-of-college Indian students from foreign universities struggling to secure a job even in their own country. This is also because of the lifestyle they got used to, for the party they thought they could have for the rest of their lives with the best of their friends! This is all what they thought a job can get them. Gadgets, cars, bikes, parties, clothes, name, fame - aren't they expecting too much from a meager salary? If a student wants a rosy-cozy life then he cant get it from a job, he should have a rich father or he should become rich overnight like play in an IPL cricket match or something!
A student's life as what we can a golden-era is a very precious and a holy period in one's life. No one can get back the time that they lost. So I am going to join a few of my known associates in spreading this word to students that they need to have a goal, a path to create value to themselves and to the people surrounding them. They have to grow to become the next big person known for their knowledge and contribution. Study while you should study then the rest of your life will be a party of its own! So I request all students reading this blog to dedicate themselves to studying and to nothing else! the Quench of knowledge will bring in Glory and one can thus live forever!
So here are some of the alarming findings on where our students waste money and opportunities.
Training Courses: Because our Engineering and other Graduation syllabuses fail to prepare our students for a job interview, but focus on a partially outdated basic knowledge although are important for a foundation, but they have not been improvised for a decade over. Hence our students start looking to learn Scripting, Graphic designing, Programming, some standards like Agile, ITIL, XP (Xtreme programming) or administration like DB, OS, Networking, some on Cloud, architectural, CAD and a host of courses to start with. You name a course and you have a training center offiering that course. But what a student has to look at as a training center is the worlds largest knowledge base "The Internet" it has everything you need, its an online trainer that a student can have. Look for online videos on CBT, Youtube etc., there are hundreds of foreign universities like the Stanford University, or the Cambridge have free online courses. They even give a completion certificate some of which I have learnt myself. Then the websites like Coursera are amazing. Contact me if you want to know the entire list. Why waste money in a training center. Mind you the trainer himself is not an expert in what he is teaching, then how can he prep a student to be an expert in what he is teaching.
To top it all, a student has to leverage the skill of Self-paced learning. Because learning in anyone's career is a life time activity. Learning never stops. If you have to stay in competition, stay employed then you have to keep on learning. And every-time you cant depend on a coaching center. Do It Yourself - DIY - this is now a major industry practice. If Parents, teachers encourage our students in DIY sort of a thing at an early age, it will help them immensely!
Abroad University Admission: As per a recent study 92% of Indian students fail to repay their Student loan by securing a job there. Then they get into Visa extension hassles, end up returning back to their homeland. Struggle to find a job, and work for the next 20 years repaying the loan which is doubled to what they had originally taken. Question is WHY? If a student thinks himself/herself as good and capable, then achieve what you want to achieve in your own country. Then find a job or start a company that will go global or gives you an opportunity to go abroad and settle if needed. Not in your parents' money, even if its black money, white money or bank money! Challenge yourself and prove it that you can do what many cant with the resource you currently have at hand. Dont go by what you see in Star Movies and HBO. Reality is far different. Dont go by your friends' pictures posted on Facebook standing in front of an amazing background. Show what you can with what you have. There are hardly a numerical few who have been successful or who have grown their wealth, made a successful career after being graduated in a Abroad university. But there are examples of millions of Management grads from IIM, Engineering grads from IIT, VTU, BITS PILANI, even BU, KU etc., who have become stories of success! Dont dream about a lifestyle, dream about a Style of Study that will get you life!
Gadgets, Parties, Lifestyle: An average student from a Middle Class family according to India Economic Forum's research used to take up a Bus Pass to travel to college in the year 2001 and spend about 15 to 20 rupees a day on an average on food, movies, and other "fun" stuff. There were hardly any Coffee Days or Baristas and inflation was low. Adding Inflation and comparing the current scenario a student from a similar class should be spending about 80 to 90 rupees a day. But, in reality its different. There is 63% decline in Student bus passes, because every student now has their own vehicle. They love to party, not just coffee or movie. Malls offer more than just coffee, party and movie. There are clothes, accessories, automobiles, alcohol etc., and in reality as per the research a student now spends about 200 to 500 rupees on weekdays and about 1200 to 2000 rupees on weekends. Weekends a must meet-up and a Must-party days. Its the culture now. In a month of 4 weekends, a Student has spent Rs.8000, and about 12,000 rupees on weekdays in a month. Thats a whopping total of 20,000 rupees spent by a Student! This is alarming. What are we teaching our kids? Sales offers, discounts, brands, baristas - this is what they have in their head! there is less space for Physics, Maths, Literature or Science or Engineering.
One thing for sure is they have no value to money, people, or themselves. Learning is a distant and a least looked upon aspect of a student while it should have been the primary goal!
I feel sad when I see many fresh out-of-college Indian students from foreign universities struggling to secure a job even in their own country. This is also because of the lifestyle they got used to, for the party they thought they could have for the rest of their lives with the best of their friends! This is all what they thought a job can get them. Gadgets, cars, bikes, parties, clothes, name, fame - aren't they expecting too much from a meager salary? If a student wants a rosy-cozy life then he cant get it from a job, he should have a rich father or he should become rich overnight like play in an IPL cricket match or something!
A student's life as what we can a golden-era is a very precious and a holy period in one's life. No one can get back the time that they lost. So I am going to join a few of my known associates in spreading this word to students that they need to have a goal, a path to create value to themselves and to the people surrounding them. They have to grow to become the next big person known for their knowledge and contribution. Study while you should study then the rest of your life will be a party of its own! So I request all students reading this blog to dedicate themselves to studying and to nothing else! the Quench of knowledge will bring in Glory and one can thus live forever!
