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When we were kids
all we could think of was when we will wear a school bag, carry a lunch box and go to school.
Days went by- and we went to school.
After that we were waiting for the moment we can write with a pen.
And we wrote with a pen.
Later we anticipated anxiously the national exams with all the fuss that comes with it
And we had the exams...
At the last stage of secondary school we couldn't wait to be free of the 12 years of schooling
And we became free - from school -
Then comes university education
And for any university student in the world going to college is considered one of the most important milestones in a person's life.
Because college is supposed to expand our horizons and in the same time tailor our educational efforts to a certain specialization
But for the Yemeni student our challenge is much harder
University starts, first day in college Excitement in the air lectures and professors, lecture halls and those for recreation
All of this turned out to be a major disappointment
Days go by and the enthusiasm goes down Motivation to study and the excitement to learn, all of those feelings vanish
The reason simply is that reality was so different from our expectations
However, what we need to remember is that at the end of every dark tunnel there is light
The longer the journey, the more lessons we learn and the stronger they are
As for my personal experience after four years of struggle and suffering - in university - I learned five important lessons
Those are not lessons I learned directly from books and lectures, What I learned were indirect lessons, positive lessons learnt from negative experiences
The first lesson; I wake up early in the morning feeling fresh and go to study energetically and excited
I arrive at the lecture hall; find my classmates waiting for the professor and I wait with them We wait, and wait... and the professor is a no show
The lecture is cancelled with no prior warning or notice We then waste our time doing random stuff until the next lecture or go back home
On the way back we don't resent the fact that we had to wake up early and rushed to get to college on time and mostly without eating breakfast, No... What annoys us the most is the money for the bus ride... goes up in flames - wasted!
I came up with a suggestion: What is there was a committee in each college that monitors how much money students have to waste when there is an unjustified cancellation of a lecture. This money is deducted then from the salary of the professor or lecturer [applause]
Who did not have the courtesy to call or inform the students that he or she is not coming...? This was an idea...
If the lecturer expected that there is a possibility of delaying the lecture the least he or she can do is put a note on the lecture hall apologizing to the students stating that there will a ten minutes delay or so...
This is respect, which we unfortunately miss Leave aside the postponing of exams Exam results are not revealed on time until we forget that we had exams in the first place
Such kind of behavior and especially carelessness provokes students The bright side in all this and which was my first lesson is that I learned to respecting time is a sign of self-respect
That if people respect their duties as should they will receive the deserved respect in return
The second lesson is related to exhausting the students and oppressing them psychologically
Such as using marks to play with their feelings, ruling with an iron fist and all those ways of terrorism
Why all this??
Here is a simple example: It is natural that a professor asks a question to the students in a lecture, and those who know the answer raise their hands.
The professor picks you to answer and you give an excellent and perfect answer. Yet what is the comment you receive in return: "We all know that you are a genius, so there is no need to show off to us that you know everything!"
Then why did you pick me to answer?
Here is another scenario: A questions is asked and you don't raise your hand to answer. Even then you get a nasty comment: "There are two explanations: Either you don't know the answer, or you don't like the question!"
What do such lecturers want from us? To quit studying and just go home? You will always find such people who frustrate you and put you down.
What I have learned is that this "iron fist" way of education does not work. Education can be both useful and fun because there is no conflict between enjoyment and benefit.
Educationists should use constructive criticism not destructive ones. Encouragement not intimidation.
To all those who put me down, I say thank you. Thanks because indirectly you taught me everything that a teacher should not be or do.[applause]
The third lesson: Cheating
Cheating may be one of the international problems in education, but for us in Yemen, we have an infinitely creative ability to cheat.
We know that by cheating, you can sail through all stages of education in Yemen. But it is impossible to cheat your way successfully through life.
In my four years of college I saw wonders. I have seen a variety of cheating methods that you could write a book about them.
To the extent that you stand in awe of the creative minds behind these methods.
Also girls' ways of cheating in Yemen are different from boys. Boys, that is if they show up to start with, throughout the year are loud and you feel their presence all through campus.
But on exam day, they are an innocent angle who walks against the wall quietly and sits at the far end of the hall. Does not want to see anyone or be seen.
He has what he needs in his pockets and has guaranteed to pass the exams.
As for girls, they use a different way: "Ninja Style"
Throughout the year this female students looks in a certain way, but on exam day....The veil comes out.
The Yemeni girl wears it naturally as part of the culture, and takes the exam as if nothing is wrong everything goes well.
She would say: "Thank God, I didn't expect the exam to be so easy! You reap what you saw. I really worked hard and studied. Thank God!"
When the grades are out, she would complain: "This professor is evil! Look how much he gave me and I cheated really well!"
Imagine that someone in the same hall knows that you are a cheater and knows that one day you may become a teacher yourself!
Would he or she give you complete trust to educate his children? Would he or she trust you to build a country?
What I learned is No to cheating and that is it!
My fourth lesson may not be considered by some important but think otherwise.
We are university students many times come across certain silly situations that may or not be intentional.
Bad mouthing and spreading rumors, this student said this about you, or that thinks you are something...etc. Groups and rivals, true and fake friendships, uncalled for criticism and sniggering, "look at how she looks, look at her eyebrows! and all this drama"
Yet this kind of drama has proved to be quite helpful because it teaches you how to deal with different kinds of people. Collage real life drama could either destroy you or give you a strong personality.
The fifth and most important lesson: I learned that the choice to be different is a huge responsibility
Accepting new and unconventional ideas and concepts is one of the most challenged matters in our Yemeni society, Because the people are used to rejecting anything new that they can't understand.
Suffocating new ideas and visions was and remains to be one of the biggest problems in our educational system.
It is known that the more creative and unconventional a person is, the most he or she faces resistance and rejection.
A simple example: In a certain exam, a questions says: justify, or narrate, or explain in your own words... but this is all misleading
after four years I certainly know that if I tried to justify, narrate or explain in my own words I will flunk.
Because now I know better and that what the professor really means is to re-write what he or she had given us in the lecture or in the course book word for word.
Where then is the intellectual benefit for the student? Will I learn anything useful that would help me in my future from this copy-paste mechanism? Might as well bring the course materials, staple them into the questions sheet and get full marks!
Why bother understanding or learning?
What I have learned is that success is not a walk on the beach. Success requires courage and will. Success requires patience and time.
That if you believe in something that is right, don't surrender to anyone who tells you otherwise.
Express your opinion...Defend your opinion!
Because you are the only person who will bear the consequences of your decision.
After all these lessons, some may wonder isn't there anything good about college?
Yes, there must be many good things about collage life.
But those good times are good times and that is it,
But the difficult bitter incidents have more and stronger lessons to teach us.
We have to be grateful to each and every difficult situation we faced because now we are more capable to face them steadfast.
And even if our educational system in Yemen is a failure. Yet it succeeded with me in one thing: It made me become a better teacher, because I decided to avoid all the flaws in the system that I suffered from as a student
So that I don't repeat the educational ordeal with my students as a teacher.[applause]
Finally, I must say that no matter how dire the circumstances are, there is always a bright side, and there is always a lesson to be learned.
Thank you!