Friday, September 26, 2008

As examination nears

I have asked many students, “Why are you going to school?” Many would not able to give proper answer immediately. May be the question is too simple that he/she wouldn’t have thought for an answer.

Many students feel that they studying for better future. True. For many, education is the only way they can improve their future earnings and elevate themselves from poverty level which was holding them for generations from advancing. In short investment on education, is the best investment. Good. Knowledgeable society is vital for future survival.

However, many students especially those who are children of parents with only primary and/or secondary education do not have much vision for the future. Vision is achieving what is not visible now but with much hard work achievable in the future.

Many wanted to achieve their vision without much effort. Studying 8 hours a day means something torturous, unimaginable, not at all in the family history.

These students wanted to achieve their ambitions if any, without much effort. They wanted to live in the comfort zone. Success has to find them. They pray hard for miracle to happen to them.

I have attended many motivation courses conducted for students, where age old philosophies were told. Many were pertaining to sages of the past. The philosophies would mention on the relevance of knowledge. They will also mention, the knowledge is not valued if one do not pray to god. No mention of anything about future.

Several information pertaining to the future planning, input of time, increase in the input of time with work load, allocation of time with the importance of subject (time management) will not be mentioned.

Motivators need to emphasize the comfort zone had to be relinquished if one had to enjoy success. . If one had to live comfortably in future, he/she have to move to a uncomfortable zone for at least a short period of time. Need to work hard. Convert time to relevant knowledge for examinations. No communications with anybody. No entertainment at all as examinations nears. Maintain it until the examination is over.

Then only one will able to enjoy the sweetness of success.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Technologies of the future

Man was letting nomadic life for a million years and then changed to settle farming about five thousand years ago along river banks which are called as beginning of civilization. However industrial revolution let by Britain started in eighteenth century.

Industrial revolution is simply mass production with the use of machines. Productions were beyond the out put of normal man. Science knowledge accelerated at accelerating scale. This revolution, not only widen the gap between the rich and the poor but also the knowledge level among communities.

During these new fields of studies like engineering, aeronautical science, automobile engineering emerged.

After the industrial revolution, the computer technology, emerge where storing of information, processing of information and retrieval of information was made easy. Digital technology made calculations more accurate.

At one time, universities only offered computer science, now offering courses on computer of various types like computer hard ware engineering, soft ware development, multi media, graphic etc.

Nanotechnology, robotics science, artificial intelligence, genetics, space technology and medical sciences are still the unexplored fields. They will be the technologies of the future.

Our fore fathers had either missed the industrialization or acquired the knowledge late as with westerners. We should not do the same mistake. Who ever first to acquire a technology the will earn an economic rent until others learn the technology. Why not we to be the first?

Do anyone want our future generation to blame us as what we blame our pass generation for missing industrialization or future historians to blame the present generation for the failure of the future generation.

We should encourage present students to take up sciences of the future. We should be the first to learn any technologies in the region and earn an economic rent.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Technology in the future

During the industrial revolution, the engineering field in general and mechanical engineering in particular developed faster then any other fields. Then there were developments in medicine, naval architecture, aviation, space and nuclear technology.

Now developments in health care industries, progress at rocket speed. Biology combines with physics and called bio-physics, with chemistry bio-chemistry, with medicine bio-medicine, with technology bio-technology.

Now there are more people obese than any other time in history and food reserve than any other time. Seedless fruits bigger in size, dwalf plants bearing fruits earlier than it suppose to be were products of bio-technology.

Genetics engineering (part of bio-technology) and food technology are other fields which also developes at unimaginable speed.

I suggest students should read for these courses for enhance their employability. These courses also provide wider chances for self employment.

The very mistake of many students is that they have the herd mentality. Very few have blue ocean thinking and usually they are successful. I do understand it is not easy to be different.