BU COO instructs PG freshers on accountability
Times of Bennett | Updated: Aug 23, 2023 19:49
By Pranavi Ambati
One’s duty as a student, according to BU Chief Operating OfficerSudhanshu Varma , is to ensure that no action on one’s part brings shame to one’s parents. Addressing the incoming postgraduate students on Day-2 of Deeksharambh – Bennett University’s Induction programme – COO Varma expressed his wish for the students to experience the student life, guided by a sense of self-accountability.
“You see your parents sponsoring your education. What you do not see is the sacrifices they make in their private lives to ensure that your life is a breeze,” he said, drawing from his own parents’ tales which he found out about much later in his life.
“The Dean of Academics, the Controller of Examinations and the Chief Proctor must have drilled the ‘dos and don’ts’ of campus life, from the various vantage points. But my advice to you is a one-liner, which is far easier to remember than the clauses in the Bennett handbook,” he further elaborated.
His advice? “Don’t do what you wouldn’t at home.” This entailed respectful conversations, valuing administrative facilities, avoiding lawlessness and staying clear of substance abuse.
On the academic front, he let an anecdote from his time as a student of B.E (Hons) – Mechanical at BITS Pilani do the talking.
“I recall one day before the last unit test of the semester; everyone was rushing to the batch topper’s room to borrow notes. What took us all back was that all his notes were condensed to fit in just one-quarter of an A4 sheet. It was all greek and latin for us,” he narrated, continuing, “But it was enough for him to secure a 10 that test. And that habit of his continued with him till the end of our course. Throughout, he maintained an SGPA of 10 across 8 semesters.”
As to how his batchmate was able to pull off such an impressive feat, it was because he was present – body, mind and soul – in the class when the lecturer addressed them.
“The topper didn’t even take notes, which a lot of us were in the habit of and in which case, we would miss a few points when the professor moved on to the next topic. He would just sit there where he sat daily and he absorbed all information by living in the moment,”COO Varma said. He then extended on the idea of the PG freshmen holding themselves accountable by committing themselves to the very suggestions they gave on how their classes ought to proceed.
“For the next 10 years, immerse yourself into learning with dedication, and life will take care of you thereafter. Remember, never say no when you are given a chance to learn,” he instructed, concluding his address.
(The writer is a Semester III student from BAJMC (Journalism and Mass Communication)
One’s duty as a student, according to BU Chief Operating Officer
“You see your parents sponsoring your education. What you do not see is the sacrifices they make in their private lives to ensure that your life is a breeze,” he said, drawing from his own parents’ tales which he found out about much later in his life.
“The Dean of Academics, the Controller of Examinations and the Chief Proctor must have drilled the ‘dos and don’ts’ of campus life, from the various vantage points. But my advice to you is a one-liner, which is far easier to remember than the clauses in the Bennett handbook,” he further elaborated.
His advice? “Don’t do what you wouldn’t at home.” This entailed respectful conversations, valuing administrative facilities, avoiding lawlessness and staying clear of substance abuse.
On the academic front, he let an anecdote from his time as a student of B.E (Hons) – Mechanical at BITS Pilani do the talking.
“I recall one day before the last unit test of the semester; everyone was rushing to the batch topper’s room to borrow notes. What took us all back was that all his notes were condensed to fit in just one-quarter of an A4 sheet. It was all greek and latin for us,” he narrated, continuing, “But it was enough for him to secure a 10 that test. And that habit of his continued with him till the end of our course. Throughout, he maintained an SGPA of 10 across 8 semesters.”
As to how his batchmate was able to pull off such an impressive feat, it was because he was present – body, mind and soul – in the class when the lecturer addressed them.
“The topper didn’t even take notes, which a lot of us were in the habit of and in which case, we would miss a few points when the professor moved on to the next topic. He would just sit there where he sat daily and he absorbed all information by living in the moment,”
“For the next 10 years, immerse yourself into learning with dedication, and life will take care of you thereafter. Remember, never say no when you are given a chance to learn,” he instructed, concluding his address.
(The writer is a Semester III student from BAJMC (Journalism and Mass Communication)