Every living being has to face both things: sadness and happiness. Every person has their own life story and their difficulties. Many people raise their hands against difficulties faced by doctors, engineers, child labourers, farmers, soldiers, etc. But few talk about students difficulties.
Today, I want to share the difficulties which I and a student face in their life. When I was a student in the eighth standard, I decided to take some steps when I was studying. The idea gave birth to a goal in my heart that I would become a doctor in the future. But at the school I was in, there were no science teachers, so I decided to shift schools. But at that time there was no school close to my home, so I took up Arts.
As the days passed, years passed, I also passed class 12. Now my mother was worried. She said that I would go to a college where I could fulfil my dreams. But it was my misfortune that she was not there during the entrance. And I did not go to Azamgarh college for entrance. Overall, I was happy with God’s every decision.
I took my admission in B.A. (Bachelor of Art) and continued my education. In the last year of my B.A., I thought not to continue my education. If there was no future, it was enough. But I felt bad inside. I said to myself, “No, it’s not over. I must continue it.”
I started to search for top universities for Mass Communication. Someone told me about Jamia Millia Islamia, Moulana Azad University Hyderabad, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and Indian Institute Of Mass Communication New Delhi.
Dear reader, so far, everything I said was very personal. Now start my real difficulties.
I am from a place where girls are not permitted to use a phone. This world is a digital world.
Whatever happens in the country or internationally, we get every update on our phones. This is not only my problem; many of my friends face the same difficulties.
Then what happens is that I request my brother to get me a phone. He buys me the Mi 3S. Then I start preparing for the Jamia and IIMC New Delhi entrance exams. After all this, I fill the form to enrol in Jamia and IIMC. But to enrol in Jamia, I have to come to Delhi for the entrance exam, and because of that, I was unable to enrol myself in Jamia.
On the other hand, IIMC kept an online entrance exam. I thought I would have to give my entrance exam sitting at home. But I did not know that I would have to cry even in this online entrance because I thought I would give the entrance on my phone. But it was nothing like that. I had to have a laptop to give the entrance.
I did not have a laptop and I missed my webinar. Since I knew that I needed a laptop, I talked to everyone I knew, but I did not get it. Finally, I talked to a person 5 minute before my entrance. He told me he had gone to Azamgarh for some work and had the laptop with him. He told me to meet him somewhere.
I joined ten minutes late for the entrance exam. And I was also disconnected two or three times due to the slow speed of the network. I missed two questions and I was worried if I would get into IIMC. But after a few days when the results were declared, I was selected in the first list. It was a pleasure to see the result, but at the same time, I was anxious about depositing the fees. But I managed that as well.
Now I thought that I would breathe peacefully and attend my normal classes. But in these online class, more than “good morning”, I hear people say, “Am I audible?” “Yes sir, now you are.” Just as the class starts, a voice comes from the middle. “I am sorry sir, I am stopping you in the middle of class. Sir, actually your voice is not coming to me.”
We never listen to the words of Adity, my classmate, due to network problems. There is no shortage of teaching and learning. There is a problem with our network.
Our classes started on 16 November 2020, but every student has never been present on a day because of network issues. Someone does not have a good phone, a laptop or someone who has both but not a good network connection; someone has low battery, someone has exhausted the mobiles daily data, etc.
Facing all these difficulties, today’s students continue their education. With whom are students supposed to share their difficulties? To whom should students say they will not be able to pay the fees of the university? Is it not right for a poor child to study today?