Not so idiot!

The title of the movie, ‘3 Idiots’, might discourage some from watching it. For sure it raises questions like what kind of movie might this be? Is it yet another nonsensical  comedy? But when we consider that this is a Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s production, and that Aamir Khan is the main actor, it calls for viewing without hesitation!

On a quite jovial tone, the movie depicts the life of students in India, where the competition is indeed very fierce. It brings forward a lively Aamir Khan who tries to bring a new approach to the way students are being taught and are learning. Though the subject of the movie is a very serious one, the film maker has been able to keep a light atmosphere. We are subtly and ludicrously presented with the various difficulties students have to face. Behind the pranks and jokes each student has his own sad story and tries to live it up with the hope of giving it a happy end some day… This movie is also a message to every parent – let your children live their dreams too, don’t be too selfish in making them realise what you couldn’t, it might altogether ruin both their happiness and yours.

As far as the educational system is concerned, I found some similarity to our Mauritian one, where the emphasis is more on how to pass exams rather than how to get more knowledge. In the movie we find a main character who is thirsty for knowledge, ready to go to school not to end up rich and successful but knowledgeable enough to find his way out of the problems of life. I personally, do not remember having experienced the pleasure of really learning something out of sheer desire for knowing things! Although I have been studying subjects of my own choice, I really never felt the satisfaction of a thirst for knowledge being quenched.

We studied science, not to understand its wonders but to simply answer exams’ questions well. Finally when my secondary studies were over, I was absolutely fed up of it all and wished to change field. However, tertiary level was not so different, though I came to understand one thing – if you do not understand the very basics of a subject, it’s why and how, you will never be able to understand it ever. By-hearting things will only make us pass the exams but this will not help in applying our lessons to real life experiences. Unfortunately for us not all lecturers were able to convey this. Some of us were completely lost while others were blindly following what they heard and saw. We can’t even blame our teachers or lecturers. There are some who have the real passion of teaching but are easily considered as not good enough because they do not teach the traditional way!

Coming back to ‘3 Idiots’, this is not only a full package of entertainment but also a very deep message being spread. As far as possible let your children follow the path of their destiny and may they find studying an enjoyable journey. Yes, education is important for a brighter future but it’s of no use if it makes your child miserable and less dependent on his own judgement and understanding. The message is therefore loud and clear : “Choose excellence – Success will follow”…

To Future Developers…

If you are aspiring a career in software development, there are a few things you should realise before really stepping into this adventure…

I might be working as web developer for less than one year but I’ve learnt quite a lot in those last months. The first and foremost advice is to really like programming else it’s all gonna be hell!

Besides having an affinity for the job, certain skills are also important among which are analytical skills, patience (loads of it), a well -structured way of working and be well organised.

A developer , I believe, should also be sharing – for his/her own benefit (yeah true). Of course claiming your work is important but here the main idea is to share your experience and knowledge with your colleagues. Not only do you stand to gain more but you also get to introspect how you work and maybe find out how to improve it.

Deciding about becoming a developer will also bring about changes in how you view life. Development brings you to think methodically, relate things to others, find out the possible outcomes, the different conditions that could alter your results and so on. Soon this way of thinking will start to reflect on your everyday life.You might end up finding yourself calculating every outcomes of one single decision (side effects of if/else control structures?).

However, being a developer is the best thing that could happen to me. I used to look in awe at softwares and think of those peeps who had actually coded these as crazy. Today, I just feel like they are not only crazy but geniuses who have made of a computer a living entity 😉

As you aspire to step into a developer’s career, I’d advise you to sincerely ‘feel’ it than just ‘choose’ it. As someone once told me: Since we are to make money to live, why not find a job that’s going to bring both money and self-satisfaction…

My First Steps Towards My Career

Career Girl by ~henares

After some 3 months of biiig vacations, here am off to start my career ! It’s a huge excitement and though some might think: “Why on Earth she didn’t go for a scholarship and continue her studies?”, I feel I’m on the right track- going in the right way. It’s not just a question of feelings but also a decision taken after much thinking. There are stages in life where you come at a standstill, a crossroad rather, and you have to decide where to go. You’ll get advices from so many peeps around you but in the end it’s more like what you want and what you decide that counts.

So after such a long break from everything, the decision was taken. I might have very well gone for my masters but still I don’t feel ready for these. It’s a matter of maturity and experience which I reckon to lack to go further in my studies.

I believe the most important thing in life is to feel comfortable with whatever decisions you take and feel independent of what others might think. Though it might not be an easy task every time – specially when you’ve always been like the focus of the family: “So what’s next now for ya? “

Anyway, here I am all ready for a brand new career, the road to make my own place in the field of work, a great adventure that awaits me indeed! All I wish is that the plans I have been making shall become true – they are so far so let’s cross fingers 😛

With this post I’d also like to state that it’s quite a pity though in Mauritius that we don’t have much career guidance. It’s not always as such to find peeps with a clear idea of what they want to be – I myself was in the shades a year ago. It would be great if our youth could have a better insight of job prospects in our country and not only have so-called career guidance fairs where the real goal behind is to market your university or institution to potential students. How are they supposed to chose when they don’t even know what they want to do?

Usually children here get their inspirations from their parents who most of them encourage their children to become doctors, lawyers, engineers and the most recent trend – IT officers (I’m saying IT officers because parents rarely know exactly what jobs the IT field offers). It’s nothing like having your own ambitions – it’s just a race to fame and glory. We have to understand that a person’s success is not only his salary but also how much happiness he is deriving from his life. So, it’s high time to encourage our children in developing their talents and in discovering the different opportunities they have. Then later on they might not end up in opting only for what’s trendy and see if they are lucky enough to succeed.

On my part, I have been lucky enough, I have found my path in this IT field. I have no regrets in my choice so far and I wish it to be so for all of you there!