This post is about my experiences for the past three months with
students at SRM University. “Job Satisfaction”, the most wanted component! I feel, one achieves , “Job Satisfaction” when his/her talent and attitude matches with the job. I feel the second factor comes
in here because Job involves making money and the way u make money decides ur attitude. I may be totally stupid but I feel this way. That way, I think I achieved that Job satisfaction
at SRM. I landed here almost after one year of long wait ie after submitting my PhD thesis.
Having brought up in a Research and Development environment at CEG, Anna
University for about 7 years, I happened to get passionate towards research but my dream was
always to become a professor. I was under the impression that I will get into
some good college/University easily after I am done with PhD. The scenario was
completely opposite and I had to end up in a software start-up company. May be
partially my talent supported that job but my attitude din get along. When the
job was turning into a 5 AM to 12 AM job, I lost interest and temper as well. After
all, you should have some time to spend the money you are earning,atleast! Fortunately,
I landed in SRM and I am here to share the nicest experiences here.
As I said earlier, I was looking for
job which will support my teaching and research interests. SRM did support and
is supporting that. I can’t forget my first class on 30th June 2015.
Teaching Natural Language Processing subject which is my research domain
is almost dream come true. I took this subject for third year students. It is
an elective and only 20 students had opted that. I was quite nervous as I was
resuming to teaching after seven years! It took almost a week to get used to the
chalk and talk method. Regarding the
students, there is a complete change in the current generation. I am just looking back how I did that final
year project during my BE and even in ME. According to me, theory papers are to
be studied for exams, practicals are meant to remember the procedures and that’s
it! One thing was definitely missing. Application of the concepts! Now students
do number of projects apart from their final year projects. One student came to
me and asked that will I be guiding for at least two projects in his third
year! They do projects for their passion! I feel teaching is a two way process. U teach
and also u learn from the students. I
have observed this with first year students. I take C programming lab for them.
They sometimes come up with the logic that is smarter than what I teach them
and I feel it’s better to accept it and learn from them. They also feel
comfortable when we accept what they say!
One day, I was taking class and I
noticed that one student was writing his record. I pointed out this and
continued taking class. After the class is over he came to me and I was
thinking that he is feeling sorry but he was asking me if it is possible to do
a project which can generate records in his own handwriting. I thought he was
just kidding but he seriously came for a discussion later! Not only the students
and I think the teachers also has changed or have to change accordingly.
Of course, they make you lose
temper sometimes but I mostly avoid that! You know why? It doesn’t work and
that’s y!!!. I asked the first year
students that,” what is there expectation from a teacher?”. I just asked this
question on the first day as they have just come out of their school education.
One student said, a teacher should be a humorous person instead of having a
strict face! U will definitely have funny moments as well!
So far so good. Hoping to teach,
learn, research and of course enjoy for many more years! Let’s see how it goes.
Thanks for reading!
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