Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Of studying and more

Like everyone else, during their teens, I used to be glued to MTV and Channel (V). After a point in time, my mom came up to me and said, "Are you going to be watching TV all your life or would you be doing anything constructive that you'll be on TV and that others may watch you?". Though at that time I would have sulked like any other kid that age (I don't remember if I did or not), I know that I would probably say the same to my kids. As for the Television, it has not been switched on in over 8 months at my place and has been reduced to a wall accessory.

Mom told me yesterday that whenever she thought she was going through tougher times, she used to study. And that was the best way to engage the mind in something constructive. Time and again would she give me this reminder of not wasting time unnecessarily on various things as tech advanced. Chatting or SMS. She would say what an awful waste of time SMS/Chat were, the time spent in typing some 20 lines a phrase at a time to convey an idea/thought is at least 10 times more than what we would take in just saying it including the response time from the listener, considering we are not talking of monologues.

In retrospect, I remember that most older members of my family used to keep studying for something or the other. My mom or mom's sibling. Some exam or the other. 

And looks like the genes may have finally caught up with me, albeit late but as they say, Der se aaye par durust aaye.

I am perhaps embarking on similar exercises that I shall undertake, God willing, in studying one thing after another. And let me tell you, studying once you are an adult of reasonable mental capacities is a great experience. Especially when you are doing something just for the heck of it. There is no pressure. You don't have to take an exam. But studying or the collection of some knowledge is actually fun. A friend of mine happened to echo this same thought of mine and sent me a text late in the night "Did I say studying was FUN!!", to which I responded, I tweeted about it a few days ago :)

I'm not sure if I can hazard to make a fleeting statement like reading as a habit is going down or people are less willing to listen, less willing to learn, so on and so forth, but if I belong to this generation that has seen such a quantum changes in the world we see and the world we have grown up in and with, a generation that has enmasse been accused of ADD (attention deficit disorder) or to be kind, lets say short attention spans, I would also say perhaps in a generation that has perhaps seen it all, the beauty of values and ethics is perhaps getting more impressed upon us than it could have for the previous generations. We have seen disintegration of ethics and morals, judgmental attitudes (yes I realize the words before and after the comma is pretty relative, but then, one man's poison is another man's medicine), nothing seems to be sacred really and as much as I perceive or notice it, the wild children I know are shifting focus to what values our grandparents used to have. That said, I wish wisdom and ideas and practices and customs had been explained and passed on to us without shrouding it in cloaks of secrecy and in respect where questioning meant a display of disrespectful attitude and perhaps we have now become the generation where we learn everything for ourselves first hand, without the wealth of ancient wisdom backing us at times when we need it most, and then finally learning our lessons in hindsight.

To you, reading this blog, I'd urge you to study something, take an exam here and there, even if the exam was on, let's say, "How to ice flowers on cupcakes" (I'm sure there is a course on this somewhere, considering the cupcake boom) and if all that is too much, just read. 
Learning and assimilating knowledge is fun.

17 comments:

madhu.g said...

Knowledge Is Power, Knowledge Is Productivity.

Ayshwarya said...

Nice post. But the sentences are too long and compound. Maybe be you could edit it a bit. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for a very useful post. This is the first time visiting your blog and really admired. I am also wasting timetw watching but will convert that to read or listen

Bhanu Prakash said...

jst loved ....articulate writing .. :)

Raghavan said...

got here via ur tweet, for the first time. the thoughts are well-conveyed.

and yeah, writing exams back in school used to be a pain, but now, doin that on a subject of interest feels good, even on a failure! :)

LB said...

It all makes sense now why e-mails don't get replied, a 20 liner time well spent on studying!
Yes, indeed "studying" now, on the existence on Veenai before I lay my hand on one.

Education is the only way out of poverty, I strongly believe in that, so those who are reading this, let me make a quick online marketing, visit us at http://www.saifund.org/v2/
cause if you don't feel like studying, than help someone who wants to =)

On another hand, studying when you are an adult makes more sense, you finally understand the message that's being sent across!

Anonymous said...

Totally agree. Having finished part time management course and one small certification, I am continuing on this reading/studying train. Gives immense pleasure. However be warned that if momentum stops, it will be very difficult to rev up again.

Sudha Subramanian said...

Hi Chinmayi,

Feels good to observe that I am exactly like you and surprisingly my mom is like your's too :). My list is on Engineering, French, Baking and wait, lots are about to be added soon...

Rajesh alias Balasubramanian said...

Well said Chinmayee. It was a fantastic blog.

I will soon register for a course in Tamil Sangam Literature (not for marks).

Wanderer said...

Good Idea! I have been postponing the idea of acquiring a PG degree for a long time now. Hope I would wake up from my slumber and do it this year.

Unknown said...

Exactly......also learning this thought from you is also fun:):)Good write up...hats off:)

Janak A Jain said...

Your posts are really absorbing... Why don't you collate all of them and publish a book?

reNUka said...

Have heard from my maths teacher what your mom used to tell you when you used to watch TV... Was a nice surprise to see that someone else has also said this. Nice thought on 'reading'.
I follow your blog occasionally but have refrained from commenting. But this post on reading triggered me to comment.
You write meaningful stuff. And I appreciate your 'keeping up' with blogging 'cos there are not many who have been able to.

Saravanan / C Subramanian said...

yes, Learning and assimilating knowledge is fun.... :)

##"How to ice flowers on cupcakes" (I'm sure there is a course on this somewhere, considering the cupcake boom)## ha.. ha...

Anonymous said...

That's the catch. You know why learning is fun if you know there are no exams to catch? Cuz of our stupid educational system. Instead of seeking more and more knowledge, we are made to mug the same thing over and over. Where are application skills? I'm sure reproducing what's in the text isn't application. Or maybe it's the application of our brain's idleness. I'm a twelfth student, awaiting my results, and God knows how we were made to slog in the past two years. Sorry if I sound rash!

And yes! Learning is immense fun. Especially if we aren't forced to do it. I couldn't remember my physics problems even after continuous practice, but can jot down about things I like, say cricket or song lyrics, in a jiffy. And there's not a better thing in the world than a lazy summer afternoon, book in hand, and an easy chair. And I guess you're an Amar Chitra Katha kid too. Life is bliss! Keep learning! :)

Shoba Shrinivasan said...

Hi CHinmayee,

I completely agree on the point that ypu are making. It is amazing feeling to study and learns regardless of age. I know an uncle, who has started studying sanskrit at the age of 62. Knowledge gives you inner peace and satisfaction and its a lot of fun spwcially when you DONT have to be doing it.
Shobha

Cosmos said...

வராத படிப்பை வா வான்னா எப்படி வரும்? படிக்கிற காலத்திலயே ஒழுங்கா படிச்சதில்லை .. இப்போ போய் படி படின்னு சொன்ன என்னங்க அர்த்தம் ? :-) Just for Fun.

Nice post.