Stay Bold when Staying Away from Majority

This incident took place 14 years ago! It was during my school days. Indeed, the most crucial year of a student's life. 

We belonged to class 12 - initial days somewhere between june-august!

Except one, all were enrolled in some kind of coaching centres. Few for board exam preparation, few for entrance exam preparation and majority was preparing for both! With not many choices, those years dedicated 12th students life to engineering and medicine. Engineering in the first place? Yes! It was the time our people were flying high in IT industries, giving new hopes to all families that they will economically get better one day!

The school did not concentrate much on intense extra coaching like their other competitive schools. Instead they gave minimal stress on the students. Not good na? But students were somehow pressurized because they had to prepare for school tests, coaching centers' tests and entrance exams. Some scolded the school management for not providing intensive coaching, some scolded the teachers for not providing special care, some scolded everything and everyone, simply because they were stressed! 

The school came up with an initiation during our 11th class. They brought some expert teachers from outside to give coaching on entrance exams on alternative weekends. This went hardly for a month. The idea was basically dropped due to financial issues but the major drawback was - the students were comfortable in learning these things from their respective centers rather than in schools.

The exceptional case who had no idea on entrance exams, found 2 different approaches - entrance exams were dealing practical problems while board exams were dealing theoretical stuff. The majority of the rest cases were confused why both stuff were different.

Why are board exam students not prepared for both in the same classroom? 

Very simple! Because the exam question paper blueprint did not suggest it. If the pattern / blueprint was designed appropriately, students would gain both the aspects from the same classroom and from the same teacher knowing there is atleast some relationship between theory and practical aspects.

The school came up with another idea during our 12th class. They brought a group who were providing training for both board and entrance exams. They had an interaction with us. The person who was assumed to be the head threw a great question to us:

How many of you do not want to become an engineer?

I was about to raise my hand. It was me who was the exceptional case to attend only schools. Obviously I was not that much interested to get into engineering or become an engineer. May be I didn't have any idea over that. 

The person, who was my friend, sitting next to me, wanted to become an engineer / to do engineering (am not sure what she really wanted), held up my hand from getting raised! I was puzzled! 

I asked her - why? I did not use words but my eyes spoke. 

She whispered: Do not think you are doing something different, you will just be named as mad. 

I said - But I do not want to!

She held my hand so tightly remaining a deaf to my words. 

I turned around the classroom to see how people will be sitting dumb. To my great shock, few eyes were looking at me in anticipation: If you raise, we will also raise!

I really wanted to raise, but before I could relieve my hands out of her, that 1 minute gap spoiled everything. The head continued:

Oh, everyone wants to become an engineer! Ok then, we will discuss about engineering prospects in detail.

She left my hand!

Since I was not so outspoken, I could not initiate this topic again in the hall. But when we returned to our classroom, one or two from the few directly asked me - We thought you will stand out and we thought we can stand with you! I smiled and moved away.

The group arranged for a meeting outside school and we were asked to accompany atleast one parent to discuss on our future. We all went there. One person was giving me few options after finishing 12th. I asked her: Your head questioned asking how many of us do not need engineering, what was the purpose? She immediately told me: He wanted to give you all career options apart from engineering so that everyone can choose the option which they wish instead of going with the group's choice.

I really felt very ashamed. If I did not hesitate myself for a second, I could have atleast helped many of my friends get some more career options. Today when I come across few of my school mates who completed engineering and are no more interested in engineering, this incident comes to my mind. The person who held up my hand, completed her B.Tech and later on did MBA. She worked in a bank I guess. I do not know where she is!

B.Tech -> MBA -> Bank employee - Is this what she aspired? I do not know. If so, it was her way of life. But why was she adamant that day? Why should I ask her?

Let me change the question: Why was I not bold that day? Not bold enough to openly show that I wished to stay away from majority!

If I had raised, if those few had raised and if the head discussed more paths, things would have still more been better!!! All of us are in good tone today, but are we in the path which we dreamt? Only each of our conscious knew!

If you ever stay away from majority, STAY BOLD to speak out! Else, there will be no use speaking up later!