4 Beyond Grades

My father always emphasized the importance of time management when I lived with him. Now that I’m living in Canada, I see the importance of managing my time appropriately. From the time I left my hometown in India to this moment, the ethics and cultural norms instilled in me by my parents has helped me in every stage of my life. When I consider my academic journey, most of the time I received good grades on every exam taken, however, I remain unsatisfied with the achievements made.

My grandfather revealed to me a story about one person who got everything just because of education. This person was a son of the brick maker and his family was very poor. But he had an enthusiasm for getting an education. His father tried to manage everything for his education. Eventually, he graduated in the mechanical field and now, he is a manager in a reputed industry and a successful businessman. This is a true story about my Dad, Mr. Chandrakant Prajapati. At that time, I realized the definition of success and for that, education is a major factor. I have learned from my father that in addition to knowledge, we require the acquisition of skills, values and beliefs. He teaches me to study to be accomplished, not affluent.

In this competitive education atmosphere, most students study simply to get good grades. I think, somehow, the education system overemphasizes how to make good grades. However, parents should understand and appreciate the areas in which their children are really interested and capable of excelling in. A circus lion can learn how to jump on a chair with the fear of being whipped, but we call such a lion well-trained not well-educated.

What happens if you get poor results in exams? I would say nothing!!! Grades won’t decide your future, so if you pursue excellence, success will definitely chase you.

Furthermore, my father was teaching after graduation and his unique pedagogy inspires me to be a tutor. I believe teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. In our tutoring family at St. Clair College, I always learn new things from tutors and students. Student satisfaction is my aim when I am tutoring. As I learn from many great personalities throughout my entire life, I always encourage students to make your passion as your profession. I believe that if you want to learn something, you will find a way to learn it. Also, institutes should be flexible in the way they teach students rather than follow a rigid curriculum that places too much emphasis on grades.

I was teaching after my Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in India, this helps me a lot during tutoring and in making materials for students. I also include simple and quick tricks to solve any problems in the materials. Additionally, I provide practical applications and conditions in which students can learn better, with an aim to realize the purpose of what they are studying. I’m seeing my students improve every week significantly, which makes me more confident about my teaching skills. I would say knowledge is power but knowledge without application is useless.

“Real process of education should be the process of learning to think through the application of real problems.”  ~John Dewey

Harshkumar Prajapati has been a tutor since May 2018 and is a 2nd year student in the  Mechanical Engineering Technician – Industrial  program. In the future, Prajapati plans to acquire more knowledge and experience in the mechanical field after graduation with a goal of becoming an instructor.

Photo by Johan Mouchet on Unsplash

From the OE 9x9x25 Inspiration Gallery:

I believe that if you want to learn something, you will find a way to learn it. ~ Harshkumar Prajapati