Jack of all trades

I was in the fifth grade when my teacher after reading through a lesson in BalBharti mentions, "Don't be like him, he was a jack of all trades but sadly a master of none" thus introducing us to the new idiom. It was put up as the thought for the day for the rest of the week high up on the blackboard.

I'd read it every morning, trying to figure out which master was I going to be when I grew up. I definitely didn't want to end up a loser like the fellow in the lesson. Confused, yet determined, I knew I would be great at 'something' one day.

Look at me today. I boast of having my own blog, I love playing violin, I am so happy I end up coding well, I can cook decent ( while most of the other girls of my age suck at it), I get above average marks, I sketch portraits, etc.
For people who are acquainted with me, often compliment "You're multi talented!" "Wow! You can do that too!" As I speak of this, I bet you can think of atleast 3 people of similar traits you think are good at everything, all-rounders as they say.

It is only I who knows how brilliant some bloggers exist out there, I play the violin only when I am alone at home to avoid the unbearable tune that follows, I absolutely suck at algorithmic coding (read: actual coding), cooking is something I definitely don't wanna do the rest of my life, I was way better at academics when I was in school, I cannot sketch a female portrait (yes, all attempts in vain).

Left me what? Something I didn't want to be - Jack of all trades, master of none.

For peers, its complex giving only for a while. Its tough for people like me to win in competitions of a particular skill. There are always 10 people who are masters of that art, bagging away the prize rightfully. All we are left with is the so-called great essence of participation everywhere. The metaphor applies to bigger things like coming across an interview too!

It is interesting to note how this phrase was not meant to be a derogatory term at all. Earlier it was the very positive context that a Jack of all Trades was refereed to. I don't even see the reason why:

• Variety is the spice of life, isn't it? Why stick to a particular area and keep exploiting it till you get bored? And when you feel you're done, its too late to step out.
• Steve Jobs was definitely not a better programmer than his Engineering Head. But what made him Steve Jobs was the overall knowledge from programming, designing and marketing fields.
• Jacks of all trades are up for a show anytime. They are far more sporty than a master of one because I bet he would have tried at that performance sometime before in his life.

Well often these are just reasons I keep giving myself owing to the category I belong. The truth is, the world is too specialized to see that. The blinders of their area of mastery allows them to think only in One Direction (No! Not that band!).

In fact, it is not only me or that teacher of mine who sees this as a bad trait. The world today demands a 'specialized' person in every field. Tremendous respect and fat salaries await individuals with a specialization. Practically jacks of all trades are more or less treated as average mediocre crowd with no distinguishing factor at all. They have no reason in the word to be famous as things they do are ordinary.

What is it like BeingAJackOfAllTrades?

Honestly, when its showtime, we know we rule. But when it comes to making decisions, that's where we falter. If we knew what held more importance in our lives, we would left trying to do everything at once and set ourselves on the path to master that 'something'.

Precisely that is what happened when I was supposed to select a 'stream of study' after 10th grade. I could have managed with any field I could have taken. That is what is happening now, I fail to figure out if MBA or MS or No Masters would be the best choice for me. While its so easy for the others to pinpoint their line of action, its with considerable envy I say its too tough for me to decide. And then in the end, our choices, it doesn't even matter. Because whatever we choose, at the same time, somewhere we are polishing ourselves to improvise on the other choice too.

While it sucks to be stuck in such shoes, I cannot help convince myself that the reason why "Generals" in a Military force are called so because they see the bigger picture, innovate, plan, predict and ultimately climb to power the fastest.

The price to education

Hardly done with the 10th grade when people started questioning me if my choice was commerce or science (Poor arts, always treated as an underdog when it isn't one!)

Oh, science is it? Will you prepare JEE? (Oh my God, it sounds tough already)

Engineering, computers only na? (Extc/Etrx for the ones who missed Computers and Mechanical, oh no you're a girl. And if you happen to mention the other branches, "Oh it is a separate branch now?")

And come second year of Engineering to an end, people are already asking, MBA or MS?

Whaaaaat? Already? Give me a break! Am I supposed to decide it right now? Isn't it too early?

Early, did you say? Look at your classmates, your peers all have joined classes already and you're yet to decide. Huh, not expected from you..

People just come, taunt and go! They'll make you feel horrible for the stupidest and silliest things on earth and you'll keep cursing yourself for something so unnatural. You have got to agree with me, there are countless decisions we have all made just because we saw our peers do them. And often such a decision taken in haste is unworthy and disappointing later in life.

Forget that, have you seen the new trend - JEE preparation from the 8th standard. In that age, I didn't even know what engineering meant. It was some some hosh-posh word to me. And imagine a child's future decided just like that! I have seen kids, literally Nursery kids go for tuition. What do they do there? Practice ABCD?

And my heart just melts to see a similar situation arise here with the onset of GRE and CAT classes. I remember they had tuition classes for Engineering studies too. At times it humiliates me. Either I am overly over confident of my capabilities or this is just mindlessness. Genius mindlessness, I'd rather say! It would have taken considerable efforts to set up a tuition where it isn't needed, right?

Those days aren't far when we will design kids as per needs just like they had in Man of Steel. Decide what the child will do before he is conceived. Perhaps a system like in the fictitious land of Meluha.

Well it roots down to the point, education is no longer a learning process. It has become a money making process. Look at the fee we are being charged, and the Indian parents pay them happily for the sake of their children's future. What thought could be worse? The fact that we are being gladly fooled by this system or that we are unknowingly(perhaps even knowingly) supporting them. How many of us really challenge such high fees or point out the nonsense carried out in the name of "extra" classes? Instead, we sit and join one ourselves.

Don't they call it "Education Sector" while referring to big MNC's in the education field on news channels? We have IPO's of different schools and classes coming up. There was a time when knowledge was divine, considered heavenly to be passed on from one generation to other. Today, it's a paid distribution of bookish knowledge.

Honestly, how many of us remember what was the chemical formula of some big polymer or what is each pin on a particular IC called or what is the integral of arc sine? Simply waste of time and energy, and of course, money in this case. The real purpose of being taught all of that is lost. We learnt the chemical formulae of compounds to ease the remembrance of structures, reproduce them and not complicate our lives by memorizing them all. We learnt about the pins of an IC to understand how they function in reality and not "rattofy" and vomit in the paper. Why did we learn integration and differentiation is still a mystery to me!

You see? Then why do we study? To pass. To qualify our "EXAMS" with good grades. First you give exams which test nothing but your memory power and on top if that later be judged on how well you fared there. I'm pretty sure the first school to hold an exam didn't have this on their mind as they materialized the concept of a test. It was made for teachers to know the grasping power of their students and for students to know how well were they soaking in knowledge. And now, they just humiliate the low scorers. What is the entire purpose of putting up results on a huge notice board? Mindlessness, like I said.

Everyone wants to move forward in the rat race we are made to compete in. And everyone wants a head start! That doesn't mean you start before the whistle even goes off. God knows why all kids want to behave as grown ups, study more than needed when their age suggests them to enjoy. I am not saying one shouldn't be focused. But that focus shouldn't be mistaken for all work and no play.

In the end it is always going to remain a circle, a cycle where you keep thriving to move forward. The path is infinitely long and we, we are unsatisfied, always, whatsoever.
It's like that joke I heard once. In our tenth we were told to study hard so we could enjoy twelfth where we were told to study hard just once more so as to enjoy college. Then at college we are being told to work hard just to get a good job. I'm pretty sure my boss is going to tell me, work hard to get an appraisal. Like I said, in-exhaustive.

Results With A twist

Sem II: A regular day at college. My friend and me, finished with practicals a bit early and were whiling away time. We bought a maggie from the mini-canteen and were chit-chatting while the breeze near the corridors right outside my class hit our face. Suddenly the quiet aura around took a massive u-turn. We could see all my S.E. Seniors spring out of all directions. In the spur, the two of us realized that their results were out. It was the first time we had seen results being displayed on the notice board. Over all these years, in schools and junior colleges, our results were handed out to us privately. This concept was something we had seen only in movies so far. The notice board, we realized didn't only display the results but it showcased a wide variety of emotions. Expressions ranging from shock, surprise, anger, sadness, happiness were portrayed. The scene looked horrible. Some were talking on the top of their voices and for others, their voices shrank. Some were continuously busy on their mobiles, and the others were discussing a great deal amongst themselves. This put both of us in a fix. My friend said, “Yaar, I am damn scared now. If these guys are facing so much trouble, imagine ourselves in their position.” Of course, what she just said was absolutely right. Our results were not far away. How are we, poor little F.E.'s going to handle so much pressure? What about the fact that the result is going to be an open window for our peers to poke fun at? Mutually, we decided not to worry about it for now and take things as they come.

After four days…

The MU website published results as “pass” or “fail”, that’s it! Nothing beyond that. People who passed were curious to know their percentages and for those who failed, were not sure of the KT subjects. What a great deal of confusion it was! Finally, all of us assembled at college the next day with butterflies fluttering in our stomachs. Every minute of all the lectures seemed like ages. However, at the back of our minds, we knew that we had to be ready for surprises. Half an hour before the notice was to be displayed, everybody started gathering at the shack and expressing their concerns. Some my classmates played and sang songs like “Give me some sunshine” on the guitar. And sharp at 5, we started shouting out the countdown. 3, 2, 1… Lo behold! The notice was out and it was fiercely pounced upon and a complete fish-market situation had evolved. Roll numbers and marks were constantly yelled out. A few friends shouted out my score too. After sometime when things calmed down, we rushed to check the marks distribution and of course, providing details to friends who had not turned up to college that day. Anybody who met me had the same question to ask, “Kitna aaya?” The answer, a smile. Next was rushing home as soon as possible to find comfort, try to digest our fate, and begin the study preparations for the next semester with complete zest!

An enchanting and enthralling experience that I had as a First Year Engineering student…

Re-exam, squeezing the hell outta us!

Every year it would just be the regular very low pass percentages, high number of KTs in BEE or CP that we, the First Years had to worry about. This time, something more added to it.

The first paper Mathematics II was conducted in a regular fashion and after we came out from the exam hall, a different scenario caught our attention. A few boys, seemingly happy were yelling around, “Maine toh pehle hi bola tha!” After loads of explanations most of realized that the paper had been leaked earlier that morning via facebook and the celebration was occurrence of the leaked paper in the exam.

No sooner than this news spread, on my way back home, I had started getting facebook feeds questioning if re-exams were to be conducted. The word “re” itself started tensing me. The studious ones started worrying for their billionth revision while the others were still confused with the mess around. Ignoring everything, I moved on to study for the next Physics II paper, something I hated the most after Chemistry.

Time and again the fact that MU gives really very long holidays between consecutive papers started bothering me. Neither was I able nor study nor was I able to enjoy. Finally on the exam day, I managed to somehow finish the paper. During the post exam discussions, it dawned upon to me that again, the physics paper was leaked earlier! In fact, my very own classmate got access to the facebook group leaking the papers and the paper was posted in the class’ group itself at 7 in the morning! I was dumbstruck! Now who checks facebook notifications early morning before an exam!

The news was saddening because none of us wanted to reappear for a physics paper. Similar thing happened for BEE KT paper (Thank God I was saved!). Despite the commotion, preparation for the next paper began. I started checking facebook everyday twice without fail for any news on the next paper or the re-exams. Talking to my seniors, I realized, these things happened every year and MU never bothered to take a re-test. Meanwhile the next paper – chemistry. Everybody hoped that the paper would not get leaked to save us from a re-test! Somehow, the paper got leaked again that morning but MU managed to come up with a back-up second question paper. Heard of shit getting real? The backup paper got leaked too minutes before the exam! As a result, we were made to wait for 40-45 minutes for the third set to arrive and finally, we were just left with 3 more to go (hopefully!)

Eventually the other exams went as usual with some chaos of the question mark on the re-exam around. MU declared a re-exam for maths, physics and BEE KT paper. A facebook group “Voice against Re-exam” was formed where students were discussing their problems and a protest for the re-exam was being scheduled. Those in favor of the re-exam had become a piece of public humiliation. The protest, as expected failed; eventually we ended up giving the re-exams as they were scheduled. Imagine the KT students; they were in a real trauma! The one month and a week exam now stretched to a month and a half! We were desperately dying for the papers to finish.

After it all got over, we sighed a huge relief! For some the re-exam proved to be a boon while for the others it was a payment for boredom and laziness. Status updates like, “MU needs a plumber”, “Our exams started with maths and physics and ended with maths and physics” began to take shape. Everyone were cursing MU for ruining their vacation plans. My hostel friends specially were upset for the delay. Plus they had to book their tickets all over again. To my surprise, some were whining for their next semester classes were going to start! (Every semester classes, That’s another story all together)

Whatever be the case, it was highly unworthy of Mumbai University to do such a blunder causing inconvenience to everyone. Hopefully, neither we nor the juniors would have to face this again.