Cacoethes Scribendi

Learnings from GD Disappointments

After having fared poorly in a handful of GDs leading upto the summers process here at K, I have realized how poor I am when it comes to effective verbal and non-verbal communication.

It's actually interesting to note that many students here are probably not as good at communication as they should be. It's just that I stick out like a sore thumb in this regard, despite the general standard being not very high.

This has made me wonder why is it that students at premier Indian Bschools, who supposedly constitute the 'best and the brightest' of the country, are quite ordinary when it comes to oral and written communication skills. It has got a lot to do with the way we are taught at school. The education we receive in our public schools lays such enormous emphasis on knowledge acquisition and analytical soundness, that the inculcation of soft skills is often neglected. The curriculum doesn't provide enough avenues for self-expression, argument and debate.

As a result, we grow up oblivious of certain home truths.
- How you speak is every bit as important as what you speak.
- The way you write matters as much if not more than the actual content.

It is indeed an indictment of the Indian schooling system, that it takes a Bschool education to make the students realize these eternal truths, that should have been assimilated at primary school.

Labels: education