By Rote

I hate giving exams! No matter how simple they are, I always succumb to the numbing tension. The Teradata Certification Course I gave today is a perfect example ! Even though i knew I "mugged" enough to pass, I still felt the fear of failing creeping up!( 75% required to Pass!) I guess an exam is supposed to test your knowledge, not your mugging skills. guilty for not taking the time to "learn" the subject even though I had the material with me. For a change, I actually felt guilty being satisfied with my score of 746/800, knowing I hadn't read half the course material.

I've always preferred to gain knowledge and just about pass rather than just remember gibberish by rote and vomit it out on the day-of-the-exam and score great marks. Some people might say that the problem with that attitude is that the only way somebody else is going to judge you is by your marks, because theoretically your marks are an indication of how much you know. But what if the examination system itself is faulty and is more suited for muggers rather than learners? If you've studied in a Maharashtra State Board School, you probably would already be familiar with this. (Or if you've done your engineering in Karnataka off late) I myself remember mugging up Hindi and Marathi answers from non-didactic "Guides". The only way these books guided you were towards the path of becoming a vacuous memorizing machine.

I sucked in languages in school, and because I neither had material nor teachers that would help me learn them well, the only way I could pass is memorize answers by rote. The end result - After "studying" Marathi for 8 years, I can't talk to my 5 year old Maharashtrian neighbour in Marathi ! Sure I can understand most of what he says, but I can only reply in Hindi to Calvin (This kid totally fits the Calvin and Hobbes character with his violently grand malice and stories)

Our education system (or atleast a part of it) needs a revamp, before we produce a generation of empty-headed specious morons.