The National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) released lists of top colleges and universities recently. Even though educational institutes are ranked on a reliable scale, is it possible for all of us to be a part of the créme de la créme? Nope! And there’s nothing wrong with that — the faster we accept this fact, the more clear our decisions will be. Before I go any further, I wish to address parents first: Please remember one very important point — if your child isn’t good at academics, that’s when they need your support the most. Belittling them, cursing them, expressing your disappointment in them, shattering their confidence and making them feel worthless will make you regret every second of it in the future.
Do rankings really matter?
I’ve studied in some of the top ten educational institutions all my life but caused embarrassment to my parents as I was never a so-called ‘bright student’. I was an outcast. I managed to figure out the reason for that. It was precisely because these institutions enjoyed high rankings that they automatically attracted the most intelligent and high ranking students. The teachers were used to having around only those who could
understand things easily, I wasn’t one of them. Hence, don’t just go by rankings and please get honest reviews from others before joining an institution.
Teachers are the heart and soul of our academic life
Irrespective of how much we achieve, we always have a special place for those who taught us. Apart from academics, they teach us a lot of life skills. Parents and students should ensure that they get proper feedback from teachers. It is important that the teachers are emotionally connected and passionate enough to go that extra mile to help, rather than those who just suggest joining tuition classes. You won’t believe the irony, some of the less popular colleges — even the ones of ill-repute — that I’ve visited have some pretty amazing teachers.
Let’s remember the ICE Rule
Dear parents, remember the ICE rule which stands for ‘interesting’, ‘capacity’ and ‘exciting’. Your child needs to tick all these three boxes. One will not work without the other, which means that you need to give them the freedom to choose the path that is fuelled by their true interests. If they feel that a particular field is tough, sit with them and help them choose.
Patience is the ultimate key
It’s all right when parents and children mess up — things fall in place eventually. There’s only so much that we can control, there is no point worrying about things that are not in our control. I failed in my Class X, Class XII and even my BBM. It was in my MBA that I became a rockstar, all thanks to Dr Ramachandra, who was the director for our department and a strong pillar of support to all of us. Patience will definitely prevail.
