Let me tell you what actually happened. I walked into the class, did not look around, heaved a sigh of RELIEF, RAN towards the last bench and sat down with ECSTASY. Actually that looking around was just a formality(enforced upon me by society, and also a move to salvage some of my pride and status... :P). I was always going to sit on the last bench, even if the former benches were not occupied.
In my reign as a back-bencher, I have never ever seen a scholar come into this occult society of ours, that is dreaded and looked upon by many. However, on that day, one ventured into our society, looking for greener pastures, better places. Little did he know that he was going to be bombarded by comments. Not from us, not at all. We are a brotherly society and even the scholars and livers of the 'Third World' are invited to experiment living in the 'First World'. However, that Mathematics lecture of his, turned into hell, as in every 5 minutes the professor passed one comment on top of the other regarding the bold transition that the student had made, which was obviously not appreciated by the professor. Little did he realize the amount of courage that the student required to make that transition
Yes, we are a different society. However, we are not any kind of occult. However, people consider us to be an occult(Actually they mean it in an ironical way).
In society everyone has a different role to play. Take for example the classroom itself. In a classroom, every student has a different role to play. The first benchers are conventionally the scholars or they are at least the people who are serious about studies(this is all a generalization). Then come the students who sit in the middle bench. They are supposed to be serious about studies AND a bit mischievous too. And then the society that I belong to. The last benchers. We are expected to be dumb AND mischievous too. Now if all students start to play the role of the first benchers, then there is no fun. In that situation, eventually someone will have to go to the last bench,(I don't think I need to explain why :P) but then will the last bencher also be dumb AND mischievous? NO, he won't.
The other point is the habit of generalization that exists in society. Society consists of humans, as we all know. And humans cannot be generalized. Hell, if elements in Chemistry cannot be generalized(yes I have been studying a lot :P) then how can much superior humans be generalized? Just because a kid sits in the last bench, doesn't mean he is dumb AND/OR mischievous. Just because a kid sits on the last bench doesn't mean he does not want to be taught. Yes, people do sit in the last bench to while away time. However, you cannot afford to generalize. Professors literally feel the student has lost interest in studies if he sits on the last bench. Hell, that's so NOT true.
This is a wrong myth about back-benchers, that they cannot do well in studies. Well, I intend to break it, while staying on the last bench and remaining loyal to my so-called Occult Society and my Dark Bro's :P
So I am on a mission now. Will surely tell you when it gets accomplished. And yeah do not expect a "MISSION FAILED" because the "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" will come. Wait for it!!!!
THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD READ..... ENJOYED THE HUMOUR AND THE REALISM YOU PUT IN .... : ) ... KEEP WRITING ... WEN U GET TIME BEFORE STUDIES (:P) ....LUCKY I WAS BROWSING .... OR I WOULDNT HAVE NOTICED THAT YOU WROTE A NEW POST .... KEEP BLOGGING SO MUCH THAT OOGLE WOULD BE FORCED TO PUT YOU ON THEIR FIRST SEARCH PAGE RESULT
ReplyDeleteNice one man....Loved the topic, your post really is a eye opener, this is a stereotype that has prevailed in our society for quite some time...
ReplyDeleteI mean who generalized classes on which row students sat on, i remember being a last bencher in school days(rather during the so called important X th standard).
The casual talks and funny comments on teachers still bring a faint smile on my face, but that time has surely passed on like many phases in life. I guess presently I'm not in authority to comment much on the topic (being a first bencher presently).
All I can do is wish u best of luck in your mission. May we surely hear about your successful mission in the future captain over and out...:P
Hey Shaish! That was a really nice post. You're getting better and better with each one.The language, the vocab, the choice of words and phrases are all really nice. Good to see you using the language well. Makes me proud!Of course, the content is great too and very nicely put forward as well.
ReplyDeleteFrom a teacher's point of view though, most students tend to think that sitting on the last bench helps a person to get away with a lot of things.Of course, at least from my experience I can say that a student on the first bench would probably get away with a lot of stuff but not one that sits on the last bench, In fact, the 'last benchers' are privileged to be blest with the constant gaze of the teacher in class. His or her watchful eye is always on the look out for what's cooking back there.
As a student, I've gone thru' these phases as well, of graduating from the first to the last bench, just for the thrill of it; but I discovered that the first bench actually provides you with far more opportunities to be your naughty self, coz the teacher just presumes that the 'first bencher' must be a good guy and would never expect him to be upto any mischief......(Not that I'm advocating being naughty in class okay.....hehehehe)
I also like the way you brought out the point about preconceived ideas. It's a pity that we all fall prey to these biases at some point of time or the other. As hard as we try, it's very hard to break these stereotypes that have been existing from time immemorial.Smart students like you have been attempting to change these perceptions for a number of years. Let's hope you succeed.
Yes miss. I was scrolling through my previous posts and read the first one. It seemed so naive and immature. After reading that one and this one, it is a very big difference.
ReplyDeleteReferring to the point that its hard to break these stereotypes, I totally agree because I am finding it difficult. However, it only makes me more determined.... :)
And of course, the good language etcetera are just reflections of your and our other English teachers' work. :D
Teachers can only introduce one to the basics. From there it depends on how much the person reads and absorbs from the world around him, that makes a person good at his craft. A good writer has to be one who reads and one who observes. New experiences are a starting point for a good piece of writing. So keep broadening your horizons. The more you open your mind, the better your writing will become.
ReplyDeletehehehe ... wen i was in 10th i was also a back bencher for some time and then u must have noticed miss how talkative i became ....
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the change was very obvious....but that's all part of the experimentation stage.....we all grow out of it eventually. We test it all and by the time you finish college, it won't really matter where you sit in the classroom.
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