20 February 2008

Education - Did I get the worth?


My previous blog on '... 3 books', has brought up an interesting topic. About education ... Was it worth the trouble?
No..I didn't mean that education was not worth. On the contrary I meant, did I actually get my time's worth? I will spill out my side of the story and hope to strike similar chords in yours.

I spent 12 years in school before I passed 10th standard and in a decently good private school. Then I spent another couple of years in Intermediate (Pre-University /XII / Plus 2), and spent a bunch of money of tuitions. I did my graduation in Physics for about 3 years in a private college (aided by Government) and another 3 years for my post-graduation in Computer Applications in a government college. Thats a good (12+2+3+3) 20 years of education which comes to about 7300 days of effort and couple of lakhs in investment by my dad and others [Government aid means some-body's hard earned money forcibly looted in the form of tax and paid to me].

Did I do good enuf? I guess not. In fact, I am quite sure I didn't do well.
I put in 7300 days of effort to learn English, Telugu, Hindi, Sanskrit, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Civics, Geography, Economics, History and Computers. What do I know at the end of it.


























































SubjectWhat I Know
Englishknow enough to write this blog and read the daily newspaper.
Telugustopped writing long ago. Can read the daily newspaper.
Hindistoped reading and writing long ago. Can read the movie names on posters.
SansrkitNever understood this language. Dont think ever will. [2 years wasted completely].
MathsKnow to count, multiply, add and divide, and some basic trigonometry, probability, algebra and geometry enough to solve GMAT aptitude tests.
PhysicsNewtons 3 laws and some basic principles. Cannot recall the value of any constant apart from g=9.8 ms^2.
ChemistryPeriodic table. Acid+Base is Water+Salt. Amino acids are building blocks are proteins and cells. Vaguely remember Krebs Cycle and ATP. Thats it. Nothing more than that.
BiologyPlant cells are different from Animal Cells and that biologist have a very complicated name for everything. A little about evolution.
CivicsWe have a constitution, a President and Prime-minister and some rules of the game.
GeographyIdentify World and India Maps and name all the states and some important places.
HistoryMughals invaded India, ruled for 200 years, British ruled for another 200, Free from 1947 onwards. A little about world history, i.e the names of various revolutions and world wars [cant remember a single date/year].
EconomicsBook Keeping, reading a Balance Sheet and a little about GDP, inflation, and stock indices.
ComputersSome programming languages and s/w engineering concepts.


Phew! that sums up all my 7300 days of effort.

Couldn't I have done that faster, cheaper, smarter, easier? I bet I could have..

Or, is it everything appears easier after-the-fact?

[Will continue later..]

No comments: