A responsible university student

In most of the universities a significant percentage of students belongs to families with the economically poor background. To live a comfortable and happy life, parents’ goal always remains that their child should build a successful career. Parents work tirelessly to earn money so that they can meet the educational expenses of their children. Although a university student is a grown-up, parents still support him financially and emotionally, and it is now his responsibility to make his parents’ dreams come true.

Getting admission in a reputed university is not an easy job but a challenging one; it is not handed over to a person on a golden plate. A student who gets admission in a university is very fortunate. After graduating from a university, society expects a pass-out to be a responsible citizen who contributes towards it through his services and leadership. Thus, he should be able to discover and utilize his strengths for the betterment of society.

   

By the time a student is applying to study in a university, he is expected to have developed proper study habits, and approved personal conduct. Although the genuine information he carries about his subject may not be so high. Still, he should at least hold the kit indispensable to excel in the interested field in the form of building-blocks of the subject, and it is not expected that at the university, the basic structure of the subject will be supplied to a student.

Most of the universities have now admitted students for the new academic session and to my limited understanding, at the university level, it is expected from a student to exhibit academic honesty and openness. He is expected to attend classes and participate in discussions to widen his horizons. His acts should reflect a civilized mindset who respects the institution, its social & educational fabric by obeying the institutional policies, acts, and ordinances carved for the betterment of students. In the Centre of Highest Learning, it is expected that a new entrant exhibits approved conduct and avoids making excuses for truant behaviour.

A university student should always be open-minded and adopt a critical way of thinking. He should be dynamic, hard-working, determined, and committed to his particular field of interest. He should always remain inventive and resourceful to convert his scientific queries into a realizable practice though his out of the box and creative thinking.

He should be wise enough to access and fully utilize the educational resources available within or outside the institution. The importance of these resources has been increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, significant time should be devoted to access the online resources relevant to the chosen field. The resources consulted should develop his capacity to learn and expand the best potential returns.

Be it a class, a debate, a seminar, or a workshop; he should always remain ready and observant to participate in the learning process. He should also be conscious enough to go through the reading material before the teacher takes it up in the class. All the distracting elements/items of learning must be kept away and should not be carried inside the classroom to devote full attention to learning. He should not leave the class in between, which may disturb the whole class. If a student realizes that he may have to leave in between, he should show the courtesy to sit near the exit point.

We believe in student brilliance, and if a student thinks that a teacher has committed a mistake while delivering content, he should graciously point it out during the same class, which becomes easier for a teacher to correct and set the learning back on track; and there is a possibility also that if the student is incorrect, the teacher will specify why it is correct. In this way, the confusion gets removed. A university student should be candid and  outspoken enough and should not hesitate to request the teacher to repeat the concept/content if he doesn’t understand something. Because there is every chance that other students in the class might also have not understood that.

To conclude, student responsibility crops-up when he performs an active role in his scholarship by realizing that he is accountable for his academic accomplishment. His responsibility is established when he searches for his options and takes actions that direct him towards pursuing his educational aim. An accountable and responsible student takes ownership of his activities by displaying the approved and cherished behaviour. A university student must work hard to get what he is intended to. He should be able to spot, execute, and expand a plan to achieve the educational goals he sets for himself. He should realize that it is not the teacher’s job to pass a student when he doesn’t deserve it. It is not his job to grant him exceptions. It is not his job to chase after him for consultation, complete the given assignment, or provide him with individual attention if he bunks classes and is utterly lost afterward.

Thus, a student at the university level should remain very serious about his academic career because the very few years of university life are crucial for a student, and he should be very sincere to the time, as it is here where he can make or unmake his career. Anyone who feels that the responsibilities to pursue university education are too heavy to carry should not pursue it.

Dr. Mohammad Sayid Bhat is Sr. Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Central University of Kashmir

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