It’s of no use…let’s bunk

Engineering days were bliss, lot of friends, fun, and pranks. However, what overjoyed us the most was bunking classes though very rarely. It indeed was a fun to bunk classes, go to the canteen, sip on a cutting chai and discuss everything from girls, studies, exams to democratic system. The time was constructively idled away.

The idea of bunking classes though seems to have changed today. I came across a friend studying management, who got into this habit of bunking classes under the pretext that – “yaar professors are not good and I would better spend my time studying on my own”. I was amazed that a student could judge his professor’s knowledge and intellect. I am saddened to know that my friend does not understand a very basic difference that his professor has earned some degree and has already studied what he is currently studying, may be in much more detail. That that the professor is a professor is itself a testimony to the fact that he is learned/knowledgeable person, worthy enough to impart/share his knowledge with the class. And talking about studying on own, there was no need to spend so much money – a distance learning program could have sufficed. Almost all universities today offer distance learning program with same curriculum.

I don’t intend to humiliate my friend in anyway but just make him understand certain things if it makes sense.

Management studies do not only involve just reading books and giving presentations. A lot of knowledge and personality traits can be developed by interacting with people in class and professors. You are a manager in the making and should be equipped with intellect, knowledge, people skills – interacting, coordinating, putting across ideas, accepting thoughts etc. Classmates of varied intellect will have several opinions on one topic, it is important to understand those and give it a thought. Professors may have poor presentation/communication/teaching skills but the idea is to listen to “What They Say” and not “How They Say”. You can develop an analytical bent of mind only after you have several thoughts to choose from, analyze and finalize on what is the correct thing to implement/follow. Apart from analytical thinking, it will also improve your decision making ability. Going further and discussing your thoughts will sharpen your presentation skills. And to analyze, decide, present you will need to collect knowledge through reading newspapers, magazines, books, case studies, professor’s experiences, success stories, etc.

Confining yourself to your hostel room will not help to make you a successful manager. Had you just wanted to gain bookish knowledge and pass your exams, distance education was apt choice for you. Saves money and satisfies your style of studying too. Surely, the time gained from bunking classes is utilized more in irrelevant things than constructive studies. Management is a professional course; look at it beyond your conventional angle of studying.