"I'd do MBBS when I grow up!" I was surprised to listen to a seven year old stating his future plans. I thought the kid barely knew what MBBS was abbreviated for. "Why?" I was intrigued. "My father wants me to do so", came the much repeated innocent reply. Such is the story of Medicine and Engineering and any other profession which breathes on this part of Planet Earth. "My father/my mother, /my uncle /my aunt/my brother/my sister want me to do so!" Let alone the idea of objective and mark of life, even the basic aptitude capability is brazenly brushed off.
I remember that I was admitted to F.Sc because I had secured good marks in Matriculation, and as an accolade I was restricted to choose from two of most
prestigious of the professions; Medicine and Engineering. I had always admired doctors as, I think, their engagement is the most difficult of the professions, and their skill is most intricate of the works. But I was convinced I couldn't stand the everyday drill of experiencing agony of fellow beings a doctor was subjected to. I chose Pre-Engineering. I didn't know why I wanted to be an engineer.
Soon I realized same was the story of most students studying the subject. Once during class, on asking which faculty of engineering we wanted to pursue, everyone screamed, "
Electrical Engineering!"
Why? That year Electrical Engineering was heading the merit list in UET Lahore (University of Engineering and Technology). We didn't even have a slightest of idea what on earth this engineering was all about. Yet it was a dream of each one of us to get admission in the realm. But our college didn't want us to pursue our
"dream".
I still remember my first orientation when Mr. Siddique Awan, a brilliant teacher from English Department, advised us not to put all prominence on our studies. He wanted us to spend time in student societies and other activities. That was a rather novel idea for us; we were amazed. He said GCU Lahore was least interested in producing cramming toppers. They didn't have any role in society. He further proceeded that GCU Lahore had produced Ravians; ones who brought change in the society following their own heart. Quoting the examples of Allama Iqbal, Liaqat Ali Khan, Dr. Abdus Salam and many other great personalities was of no help. We were not convinced!
We were advised to follow the tradition of the institute by following no one. "
Your forerunners didn't follow anyone and wrote their own destiny. Follow them! Write a one for you. Do what you want! Don't let anyone dictate you", he elaborated.
One of our teachers, once during the class, threw the text book on the bench and said,
"Nothing is written in this book. I will tell you what life is all about. This book can be taught in any of the academy. You need to get advantage of coming GCU" But all seemed in vain. We were androids programmed only to do one thing:
Study! And by study I mean learning curriculum books. No activities, no interests, no games, no nothing. Only study!
But GCU kept on. Ashfaq Ahmed Khan, another great scholar from GCU Lahore, once said,
"A student can get good grades by consuming all his energies studying. But doing so, he ignores very important of the lessons life has to teach him". Golden words went in vain! It was too late. We were already programmed. Only thing which could motivate us was "marks":
"Yeh das number ka sawal hai, woh panch number ka sawal hai" ("
This question worth ten marks, and the other one worth five") was the only discussion we could think of. Considering our conviction towards
study we were praised by all around us.
Most of us had joined academies as well. The in-capacious rooms and scanty teachers were making our thinking even narrower.
"If you get good marks, you'll get admission in Engineering University. And that is the only way to get six figure salaries", warned our math teacher on the very first day in academy. Probably that’s why Pakistani engineers, doctors or scientists don't make mark in the world. The best of the aspirations of the most intelligent of this country is to get a six figure salary. Is it all they worth for?
It was only after constant hammering of two years on our otherwise cramming brains that some of us decided to go askew. Abandoning conventional wisdom some decided to join "radical" of the professions like Humanity, Law and Fine Arts. At last GCU succeeded. Our old, dictated, and synthetic dream was replaced by a new one having vision, originality and uniqueness. That was how GCU ruined our years-old "dreams".
