Single cell is one cell . . .
I was poor at science subjects. I still am. Be it physics, chemistry or biology. I was very poor. I never understood any of those theorems and formulae. Even some of the very basic things are still a problem for me. Only physics was slightly better because I found it a bit interesting and practical. Overall, science subjects were very alien to me. As far as I was concerned, “if it moves it’s biology, if it stinks it’s chemistry and if it doesn’t work, it’s physics”.
My disconnect with science subjects never was a major hindrance for me academically speaking. I was still scoring decent 70s and 80s which did not threaten me too much. As you figured out, I wasn’t a dumb student. I was a ‘tiger’ in Mathematics. I was one of the brightest kids but with an evident weakness in science subjects. Why did I not get along with science subjects then?
When I joined high school (public school), I happened to get a lousy science teacher. But then that was the time the school got serious with the curriculum, exams, competition and all that. Primary school was just time pass. High school gave me goosebumps. And this science teacher was a waste of space and time. That early in high school, my parents didn’t think I need to be put in private classes. There are some teachers who teach in school like they’ve not been paid their salaries for years and when it comes to their private classes they treat you like you’re their adopted sons.
This man in the frame wasn’t even that. He simply sucked. I think he would have sucked even at watching movies, walking the dog, reading newspapers, combing his hair, buying his clothes – he’d have sucked at everything. I don’t know how the rest of the students managed. I generally had to understand in order to appreciate anything. I can still pass your exams but I wouldn’t appreciate the concepts. The only positive I saw was that he is not going to be my science teacher next year too. Our school would keep rotating teachers every year.
I moved to the seventh standard. Bingo. You’re right. Same man. Same agony. I was screaming ‘I’m wasting my time with you’. You must know what he actually does in the class. He is a very calm and quiet man. He is a very nice man all right, it’s just that he was just incompetent or indifferent. He would walk in quietly. He would take his chair. He would call one of the students near him and ask him to read aloud say, chapter 4. The boy generally happens to be the typical teachers’ pet who is always the public enemy. So he reads it aloud while we all listen to him reading the paragraphs of text. Practically no value add at all. While the boy reads, the teacher would not explain anything. He’d be vigilantly watching us like we were the pakistani soldiers across the line of control.
There was one time when he crossed his limits and gave a memorable explanation. I remember that even after 15 years. One day this public enemy was reading a chapter from biology. As always, he was reading at million words per minute. Suddenly the teacher interrupted. “Stop. Single cell is one cell. Now continue.” We were flabbergasted. This was fucking outrageous. What was he thinking? Jumping in as if we did not know what “single cell” meant and as if that was only thing we did not understand in that diarrhoea of biological words. He was breaking his own records. Luckily, we were moving on to the eighth standard. I knew that no teacher has taught the same class for three years in a row.
Did I say he was breaking his own records? Third freaking year in succession! I thought somebody hired him just to screw my education. I was very good in all other subjects. Only science was going from bad to worse. In fact, I had lost hopes. I lost all my interest in understanding the concepts. I was just trying to avoid it as much as possible. I started ignoring science. The neglect even turned into hatred and aversion. I had also tried to understand stuff myself with the textbooks and invariably ended up playing cricket.
The guys from the other sections of my class had very good science teachers all along. So those guys were pretty good in science. They were there to remind me how much I sucked at concepts of science. In the ninth and tenth standards, our section got some decent teachers but by that the damage was done. With a terribly poor foundation, the decent teachers could only paper the cracks. The pity is that, for some reason, I always thought I could have done well in Science and related subjects, if I had got the right education. I think I had the aptitude for that.
In the tenth exams, I got a respectable 81% as the overall percentage with 71% in science. In our school terms, it was a very good score. I had to then decide which group I was going to take in higher secondary – science with biology (yuck), science with computer science (grrr), commerce with economics (yawn) and commerce with computer science (wow).
There was this interview with the principal where my group will be determined. Apparently, there was a mad rush for science groups. There was a class system in groups too. The general perception was, if you scored low or if you’re dumb or both, you’d be assigned commerce group. Add to that, in higher secondary, the science group classes were moved to the brand new building in the school campus. So, commerce groups in the rotten old place. Science groups in the brand new building. They referred themselves as the ‘first group’ and that they are in the ‘new building’. Annoying.
D-day. My father accompanied me to the interview with the principal. We were waiting outside. The speed in which the queue moved said there is no discussion happening inside. You’re being stamped ’science’ or ‘commerce’ based on your marks, potential and conduct. I had told my father that I’m opting for commerce with computer science. He had said ‘you decide’.
Our turn. We went in. After meet and greet, the prinicpal looked at the mark sheet and asked my father ‘with biology or computer science’. Knowing that my fate was in my hands, I swiftly reacted, “commerce with computer science”. He looked a bit pizzled. “You’ve got very good marks, you can get into the science groups easily”. I said, “No sir, I want commerce with computer science only”, with a strong tone of determination and insistence. He didn’t try to persuade further. He obliged. I was granted what I wanted. In the snap of a finger, I was free from protons, neutrons, electrons, potassium chlorides, inorganic compounds, molecular models, plasma membranes and the other gangsters.
I’m a qualified chartered accountant today. Thanks goes to that single-celled teacher who managed to keep me out of the evils of science subjects. It’s always comes in a package, doesn’t it? Every good might have a bad and every bad does have a good too!
Vj,
That’s again a nice post. Infact very relevant for me as well. I am an Electrical engineer who always wonders why the yell I mugged up those lengthy Chemical equations? I seriously dislike Chemistry. My teachers aren’t the reasons though! I like physics and biology. More biology because I like to to sketch!
I believe I do have reasons to have completed science with biology as first class with distinction and B.E Electrical again first class with distinction and now working for an investment bank. I believe the reasons are, at school I met my life time friends and also got a certificate to go to college. At college I met my better half and also got a certificate for my food. At office I met my corporate gurus and my life style changed!
What I learnt in the process wasn’t driven by me unfortunately. May be I wasn’t as determinant as you were in making my own choice then. But certainly I am loving the results! I meant the whole package
Hi Vijay,
As usual its a great post. My father was a professor in Chemistry but still Science never fascinated me.. sounds ridiculous..but true.. !!! Thanks to one of my cousins, I got interested in commerce and today I am here.
I also had a similar experience after 10th standard results. I scored for the only time in my life above 80%, to be precise 86%. Pressure was there to go for the “first group” but was determined to study Commerce and did that..
I also agree with the last line.. “every good comes with a bad”. Thats what I feel at times after deciding to study commerce.. Pure Mathematics was and still is a dreaded subject to me!!! Never able to understand the sin, cos, theta, differentiation and integration…unfortunate.
A very good post….brought back old memories! To think of it, a teacher is extremely critical in invoking love for a subject, unless of course, you have a natural inclination towards it. I never understood anything in science too. Whatever paltry marks I got was because of mugging.
Vjy,
Again a nice post which has refreshed my schooling memories too. I too has gone thru the similar situations where the school teacher is my tution teacher and alas the fact that he only completes my homework which he has assigned to me in the school. That’s where I never suffered about the the Sin and cos until 10th as he use to give me the important questions and use to mug the formulas for chem and maths
In 10th defently I came out of the comfort zone and need to face reality of understanding the subject and move ahead. Thats where my choice of commerce intiated and today Iam in Investment Banking world by my Choice. To be lucky to be here where I thought to be.
Goodness me! Looks like I’m certainly not alone on this one! Like Reema said, the teachers play such a crucial role in invoking the interest for a subject. They can make you love a certain subject or otherwise. I think the reason why we have teachers who don’t care is that they lack passion. There are certain professions where passion is a must. Teaching is one. If you don’t have that passion or if you just take it up as a job, you can’t do justice.
I used to love Maths till class X , then in XI my teacher totally screwed it up for me, i never understood probability and I still don’t
Vj,
Completely agreed. It is one such roles I adore a lot. Very few profession earns easy respect from public. In that aspect teaching is a Godly profession. The level satisfaction is immense when you see your student shine like star! It certainly requires passion.
I would say good teachers can earn respect faster than good doctors! I did have an opportunity to take a special lecture for 12th standard students as an engineering student. I don’t believe that I did justice that day but certainly kept the session interesting for an hour. I still remember the way students spoke to me after the session (I was reacting as if I was an renowned engineer
. I earned respect in one hour with minimum experience 
Your post reminded me of my days in school as well. Nevertheless my case was a bit of a contrast, where I sucked at Maths and aced Biology. Ironically maths runs in my family and it was bit shocking how I was awful at it.
One more post to conclude you the good & best scripted again, wish many more to GO….
First of all very nice to read this statement again & again which concludes every one’s experiences & the last statement steals the entire post – “Every good might have a bad and every bad does have a good too”
The entire post made me nostalgic about my school & college. My friends influenced me more to take commerce than teachers/family/well wishers as my dear friends (gang) were keen on commerce and filled my application along with them though I was perplexed which one to pursue. I was more interested in physics and was eager to learn more but as said it comes as a package where the science package was not packed well to my interest along with chemistry & maths!!!
Before getting the official confirmation reg. admission asusual tuition classes used to start at their own pace as per the package in my native and I was forced by family/well wishers to go for science (Physics/Chemistry/Math’s) tuition. It was like everyday matrix movie to me compared to school standards, I was like body present & mind absent on top of that it was boring with science mates for my kind of fun. I was there in science tuitions for around 50 days but used to roam with my commerce friends as their energy’s are always high and the attitude of “Yes” to anything, anywhere, anytime. Finally, I got the admission into science but the matrix movie was still ON except with physics, later with all my courage alone (with out parents) I disclosed my interest on commerce package, my principal spoke to my parents and he convinced home to pursue as per my interest rather than my appeal. I would have opted science group if my school physics teacher has his own tuition classes in college too but ‘life is always surprising’ I ended with commerce subject. I believe our influence & interest will drive us & we explore more on what we want rather than family/well wishers force.
Now I wonder why we need tuitions? To study again on what we have studied in college? Then, what we studied in college.? Why the quality of education is always below par in most of the govt. schools/colleges till +2? The same teacher running evening tuition who used to teach us the same subject in college? Its actually weird to discuss further especially on our education and can be concluded as “More Money, More Quality”
Teachers can make a helluva difference …you are right ….this job is only for people who are passionate about it …..half the teachers in this world bring more trouble than learning …they lower a child’s self esteem…..I am privileged to have God’s blessings as I love my profession ……
Ah, here we have guest teacher talking about a post on teachers. Man, this blog is going places!