The bitter reality of every hard working, yet low achieving person is procrastination. It is a tendency that is very hard to avoid. Take this article for example. I put the heading up last week and planned to write it. Time and again, I postponed, pushing the day further for one reason or the other. I guess, the time is right only now, for I will not procrastinate any longer.
For the past few weeks, I've been thinking of discussing, with the principal, about a few reforms in the functioning of our college, but could never find the right thread to pull. Firstly, our college neither has a student counselor, nor does it have a suggestion box. Whom do I speak to? This is one of the matters I wanted to discuss about. Autumn is creeping in faster than I imagined. In two months, I'll have to start writing my college applications, and with no counselor, completing it won't be easy. I have yet to find out who in our college has the authority and the ability to complete the official parts of my college application as a school representative.
Secondly, our college library's modus operandi is one the most peculiar and worst kind I have ever seen. All the books are kept behind glass walls and to read any of them, one has to affix one's identity card. So, obviously, the librarians have trust issues. But, that isn't the end of it. One is allowed to borrow only one book among limited options, that too only on a specified date once in two weeks. I feel as if the librarian decides what I read and when I read it. The other day, one of the librarians told me that many old books had been stacked, bundled and kept in a storeroom on the top floor of the library building, inaccessible to potential readers. They could have been leased to students or, even donated to economically or academically poor students. But, no; they had to take the stupid decision and pack the books off for rodents to bite at. I don't know what one needs to know to become a librarian, but I'm sure librarians in our college library are unqualified for the post. In nearly all libraries, the situation is so pathetic that I've never seen a librarian as a book lover. Librarians at the counter often sit playing games on the computer, never caring to read a book from among the thousands around them.
Thirdly, the cultural and co-curricular activities in our college are nearly equal to nil, qualitatively and quantitatively. Our principal doesn't even permit us to participate in fests organised by other colleges; Fests in our college are out of the question. When some of my friends and I had opted for a French language course, the principal dashed our aspirations and asked us to concentrate on the core science subjects. The very soul of our college has become resistive to cultural expression and extra-curricular activities. The only active group in our college is the eco-club comprising of lecturers only. I don't know why; I'm going to find that out soon.
Now, surely, I will no longer wait for someone to take the lead, neither till someone asks me for my opinion. I will take the lead. I will ask the questions and I will get the answers I need. I will open the forum for discussion. I will try and I will succeed.
For the past few weeks, I've been thinking of discussing, with the principal, about a few reforms in the functioning of our college, but could never find the right thread to pull. Firstly, our college neither has a student counselor, nor does it have a suggestion box. Whom do I speak to? This is one of the matters I wanted to discuss about. Autumn is creeping in faster than I imagined. In two months, I'll have to start writing my college applications, and with no counselor, completing it won't be easy. I have yet to find out who in our college has the authority and the ability to complete the official parts of my college application as a school representative.
Secondly, our college library's modus operandi is one the most peculiar and worst kind I have ever seen. All the books are kept behind glass walls and to read any of them, one has to affix one's identity card. So, obviously, the librarians have trust issues. But, that isn't the end of it. One is allowed to borrow only one book among limited options, that too only on a specified date once in two weeks. I feel as if the librarian decides what I read and when I read it. The other day, one of the librarians told me that many old books had been stacked, bundled and kept in a storeroom on the top floor of the library building, inaccessible to potential readers. They could have been leased to students or, even donated to economically or academically poor students. But, no; they had to take the stupid decision and pack the books off for rodents to bite at. I don't know what one needs to know to become a librarian, but I'm sure librarians in our college library are unqualified for the post. In nearly all libraries, the situation is so pathetic that I've never seen a librarian as a book lover. Librarians at the counter often sit playing games on the computer, never caring to read a book from among the thousands around them.
Thirdly, the cultural and co-curricular activities in our college are nearly equal to nil, qualitatively and quantitatively. Our principal doesn't even permit us to participate in fests organised by other colleges; Fests in our college are out of the question. When some of my friends and I had opted for a French language course, the principal dashed our aspirations and asked us to concentrate on the core science subjects. The very soul of our college has become resistive to cultural expression and extra-curricular activities. The only active group in our college is the eco-club comprising of lecturers only. I don't know why; I'm going to find that out soon.
Now, surely, I will no longer wait for someone to take the lead, neither till someone asks me for my opinion. I will take the lead. I will ask the questions and I will get the answers I need. I will open the forum for discussion. I will try and I will succeed.