A Commoner’s Arena

Disclaimer: Though the title of this post seems to say otherwise, this post is equally applicable to all the domains of study you can think of.

It’s been 2 years since I completed my graduation and started working for an MNC but there’s one basic observation which hasn’t changed much. All through the 18 years of my formal education and 2 years of Corporate Life, I have come across people who fall in one of the below mentioned categories:

1.   The Pseudo Intellectuals: This is one of the most interesting class of people and at the same time one of the most irritating too. People belonging to this category are usually found raising hands for every question asked in the class. These kids usually end up growing into college students who would go against the entire class to break a GT and take pride in doing so. They would even go to the extent of divulging class secrets to the profs or submitting assignments when the entire class decides not to and think they have done something great to receive a gallantry award. They feel going against the class counts as being unique and are either seen missing or standing at the last so as to run away whenever a situation demanding a collective complain or strike arises. I pity such people for their lack of basic sense for they end up losing everything…friends, career and respect.

2.   The Misery Guts: This category consists of people who can lament on everything possible in the world. They would blame the education system on every possible occasion and would do nothing to improve it. I realize there’s lot to be blamed in our current education system, I too do it at times…but ALWAYS??

When the college life ends, such people are heard saying ‘I didn’t enjoy my college life’. They are such big losers that they blame their girlfriend or boyfriend for missing on the fun part of the college because they spent their entire time attending to them. Such people regret on having lost one of the most beautiful years of their life only when they reach the age of late 20s or early 30s and then they are too engrossed in the worldly clutches that they can’t stop lamenting on the world again. Even the best paying cozy job or a seat in the most coveted college doesn’t stop their urge to lament. One of my friends says this to such people: ‘Ab kya bhagwaan se milna chahte ho!!’.

3.   The Recluses: This category consists of people who have done nothing except studying in their life. I guess it’s in their blood for they can’t stop the urge to study. They buy books well before they pass the previous class’ exams. They end up growing into college students who become indifferent to worldly activities and engross themselves into research oriented tasks. It’s because of the why’s of such students that others get to know what engineering means.

I for once fear such studious people not because they are geeks who are perceived to be insane or boring by many but because their sheer intelligence and knowledge of the subject in hand drives me nuts. Few people of this category end up being the genious, people talk about.

I usually say “Is Duniya mai mujhe 2 kism ke logo se darr lagta hai: 1. Mahapagal 2. Mahagyaani.”

People in this category fall under the “Mahagyaani” class.

4.   The Egoists and Egotists: People falling under this category are too selfish to think of anything beyond their interests and desires. They are self proclaimed leaders who talk of nothing but themselves. Everything they do is an achievement in their eyes and they leave no stone unturned to let the world know what they have done. Their ruthless desires end up turning friends into foes. Their myopic vision sees nothing beyond things that have ‘something for them’. They would go to the extent of being obnoxious to declare how great they are. In doing so, they don’t realize what a big failure they are in life.

5.   The Dignified, All-Rounders: This is, without any second thoughts, my favorite category of people. People falling under this category are in my view the greatest achievers. They are average or more than average at studies, good at some or the other co-curricular activity and very popular among the fair and the unfair sex due to their good people management skills and attitude. They have many admirers: hidden as well as overt and not to miss, are also a victim of constant stares of envious people. They win over people easily and their goodness is talked about for years to come. They stand for rights of others and live a dignified life full of self-respect and integrity. Such people are good as leaders and win hands down when a situation of election to any council arises.

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I have been getting calls from various friends, all of them telling a good news of getting through the best B-schools in India and very happy at the prospect of living the college life once again. My best wishes to all such people but more than anything else, one sincere request to anybody who is about to join any college: Engineering, Management, Arts, Science…

Whatever category of people you belong to, please go through the link below to a post written by Ben Jones, the Admissions/Director Communications of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and strive to achieve the ’50 Things’ he has talked of. I am sure if you follow even few things he has mentioned here, you would not be left regretting ‘I didn’t enjoy my college life’.

Link To Ben’s Blog