Student’s Voice
Why the Turbulent Generation Z Needs an Academic Revolt
Because they’ll lose nothing but their confusion.
Also, so that all the coming teenage generations know beforehand that the current education system works for the system and not for the students. They’re on their own.
We want to have everything and be everything. And that everything has to be Cool. And when we realize it’s not, we try to give it multiple exhausting chances to make it miraculously work out for us.
Last night, I was talking to a former coworker I can comfortably call a friend. And like all conversations we used to have, it also ended up ranting about our latest career goals. But this time, there was a little pragmatized touch to it, because, like all other generations, we also realized that we have grown up and have to make it through life till the very end.
This conversation gave me a brief energy boost. So, I hopped on the ambition horse searching for the right major that can help me for the career I have finally chosen after all the years of aimlessly dragging myself through the headwind that effectively kept my vision blurred. Too much Drag. Bad design.
And then the overwhelming reality laughed at my face. Ha Ha. Slow burns.
I’m blessing you with clarity by devoiding you of opportunity, Ladyluck sneered.
This is the thing about wisdom, it needs to be felt, quoted, shared, and spammed until it becomes just another unasked advice. What was the original dialogue? John Green? Anyone?
Because Changing Academic Career Later is Too Hard
Why, academic lot, why?
Whoever decides these Admission Requirements criteria certainly was either too certain as a teenager or is now too established to care about most of the students who don’t get career counseling when they’re making the most crucial decision of their lives. See, we are a confused generation. We don’t know where we are going and what should we invest our multidimensional energies pouring out of our turbulent minds in.
And do you really think most of the teenagers graduating from their high schools actually know what they are good at? Well, I didn’t. Okay, I get it. It’s our problem. Our lot just wants to be everything. Bunch of excited kids. But the situation is here, and while everyone wants these excited kids to be studying, no one wants them to learn about who they are, what they’re good at. Or maybe, we just don’t think about it if we’re comfortable with not knowing too much about ourselves.
Also, because we get bored easily.
We need to taste everything before deciding for ourselves. Enough said.
Online Revolution Time
Because why not?
We’re choosing our politicians on Twitter. We fight with our keyboards. We subsist on digitally ordered food. We campaign on social media. We decide through Change.org which folks are more miserable, and whom should we provide aid to.
Then why on earth we can’t bring the academic revolution online?
Why are the virtual learners then lowly scholars? Is it easy to be motivated enough to go to the internet and actually learn, make notes, and actually achieve deadlines? The Internet! We are what we are. Only if being complacent was being satisfied, we could have thought of working the system. Another time for self-hate. This one is for self-pity. Or maybe, finding self-confidence somewhere in between. So, let’s focus on the system for a while.
And what’s with the online platforms pouring out skills and knowledge, conducting really interesting tests, and actually getting students involved, but can’t assign them the certificate that actually helps them for real job placements? What are we supposed to do with the ease of access to all the lessons online — the lessons we never learned in our poorly chosen disciplines — when we can’t apply them because we don’t have the academic qualification some university has the authority to bless us with?
With the pandemic spreading its wings, bringing the exhausting and sometimes hilarious chaos these online sessions are with tech-illiterate and otherwise respectable teachers going nuts with tech-obsessed and ruthless students, education has to change right now.
Coursera, Udemy, Skillshare, Masterclass, where are you at? Why is your certificate lesser than a college degree. Own up the light of knowledge you spread transparently at the price average students can actually afford. Be the opportunist, and infiltrate the mainstream education systems built over depressed students’ loans, tired parents, and a few fancy big guns trying to legitimize their privilege.
Now is your time. C’mon, already! Be the new cool. Stop being just another marketing tool for academic giants. You guys are more than that. And I can say that because I actually enjoyed the learning experience.
See, I have never written that mandatory essay on My Favorite Teacher all my academic life. I had good enough, not-so-good, and sometimes bad teachers, I was bound to respect. But out of all those good, bad, and well, useless ones, I never thought a virtual one on the other side of the screen from another part of the world would eventually be my favorite mentor. No drama, no favoritism, and a serene unconditional flow of wisdom is what the future of education should be. And I’ll meet you all there. No promises.
Thanks, Professor Michel Scharf and Professor Asher Susser. You guys don’t know me and don’t need to know me, but I know you. And I respect you.
