He was doing his final year project under my supervision. How I had to practically run after him every few weeks to watch his progress. He seemed excited at first. Then along the way, he lost his confidence. I did not receive his progress report. My emails to him went unanswered. Then, I had to send word through his friends (whom I tried to identify while at the university cafeteria) that he had to see me. And urgently too!
A few days later, he came.
He sat on the chair, running his hands through his disheveled hair, his eyes downcast on the floor.
“How are you doing?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“I just don’t seem to get things in the right perspective,” he replied, wiping both his eyes with the tips of his thumbs.
“And what do you mean by that, may I ask?” I said, clasping both my hands and placing them on the table in front of me.
“I just don’t know. Everything seemed fine at first. Then, things just fell out of place. I just don’t seem to get things the way I wanted,“ he said, his eyes now red at the brims.
“For example?” I asked.
Silence again.
“Actually, I have a big problem, back home. I am feeling very confused and disoriented,” he said, shaking his head.
“Everybody has got problems. So do I. In these situations, it is not about how you are going to solve the problem but how to survive without losing focus and maximizing your full potential! Find some pieces of driftwood, that you can hold onto!” I said.
“It is just that, things are so bad and I feel so helpless!...I don’t know!” his hands were clasped firmly to the sides of the chair.
“Look here! Young man! The biggest problem that you are facing right now is that – you NEED to graduate! And listen to me! Do you really want to graduate?” I firmly put the question to him.
He nodded his head.
“Do you want to be an engineer?” I asked.
He nodded his head again.
“I am not convinced!” I retorted.
“Yes! Of course, I want to become an engineer!” he said out loud.
“Then put aside your problems. Or rather, forget about your problems for these few weeks and focus!”
He was silent.
“I want to see your progress report before next week!” I said.
“I need to print some of the pages in colour, but I don’t have a colour printer,” he muffled.
“Can’t you just print them at the shops?” I asked.
After a momentous silence, he lifted his head from the floor and said in a whisper, “I don’t have the means to pay.”
“Why didn’t you just say so, in the first place!” I mumbled.
I rummaged my fingers through my handbag, handed him some cash and he was gone. Not after I dismissed his profuse ‘thank yous’…
Sure enough, his progress report was in my pigeon hole at the end of the week. And it was a job well done!
A few days before his final year project submission, I was again full of anxiety.
“Have you seen *****?” I asked a familiar face whom I met while on my way down to the general office, to get my letters.
“He is around but…” the student said, pulling his face away in another direction.
“But what?” I asked.
“He is at it again. Down and in low spirits…”
“If you see him today, tell him I want to see him by the end of this week, okay?” I said.
Two days after that, he came, his face unshaven and gloomy.
“Why do you keep doing this?” I blurted out.
“I don’t know Ma'am! It is just that, I feel so troubled and very sad. I don’t even feel like going home during the long breaks.”
“Not again?” I said.
He turned his face to the floor.
“Your final year dissertation need to be in. I want to see what you have written so far. Bring whatever you have in three day’s time. Is that clear?” I demanded.
“All right, Ma'am!” he said, his eyes were full of sadness.
“Is that a promise?” I said.
He nodded.
I shook my head and said, “I want to listen to the words!”
“I promise!”
Three days later, he turned up in my office and we went through the dissertation together. His work was excellent though not really polished. And he was willing to make amendments according to my suggestions.
The day of viva came. I was very pleased with his performance during the project presentation. So was the co-examiner.
“You could have gotten an A if you had been punctual in handing in your progress reports and all! But then, I hope you will settle for an A-,” I quipped.
“I would be so very happy even if I had managed to get a B!” he said gleefully.
(This event took place many years ago, while the engineering campus was still at Tronoh….to be continued…)
A few days later, he came.
He sat on the chair, running his hands through his disheveled hair, his eyes downcast on the floor.
“How are you doing?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“I just don’t seem to get things in the right perspective,” he replied, wiping both his eyes with the tips of his thumbs.
“And what do you mean by that, may I ask?” I said, clasping both my hands and placing them on the table in front of me.
“I just don’t know. Everything seemed fine at first. Then, things just fell out of place. I just don’t seem to get things the way I wanted,“ he said, his eyes now red at the brims.
“For example?” I asked.
Silence again.
“Actually, I have a big problem, back home. I am feeling very confused and disoriented,” he said, shaking his head.
“Everybody has got problems. So do I. In these situations, it is not about how you are going to solve the problem but how to survive without losing focus and maximizing your full potential! Find some pieces of driftwood, that you can hold onto!” I said.
“It is just that, things are so bad and I feel so helpless!...I don’t know!” his hands were clasped firmly to the sides of the chair.
“Look here! Young man! The biggest problem that you are facing right now is that – you NEED to graduate! And listen to me! Do you really want to graduate?” I firmly put the question to him.
He nodded his head.
“Do you want to be an engineer?” I asked.
He nodded his head again.
“I am not convinced!” I retorted.
“Yes! Of course, I want to become an engineer!” he said out loud.
“Then put aside your problems. Or rather, forget about your problems for these few weeks and focus!”
He was silent.
“I want to see your progress report before next week!” I said.
“I need to print some of the pages in colour, but I don’t have a colour printer,” he muffled.
“Can’t you just print them at the shops?” I asked.
After a momentous silence, he lifted his head from the floor and said in a whisper, “I don’t have the means to pay.”
“Why didn’t you just say so, in the first place!” I mumbled.
I rummaged my fingers through my handbag, handed him some cash and he was gone. Not after I dismissed his profuse ‘thank yous’…
Sure enough, his progress report was in my pigeon hole at the end of the week. And it was a job well done!
A few days before his final year project submission, I was again full of anxiety.
“Have you seen *****?” I asked a familiar face whom I met while on my way down to the general office, to get my letters.
“He is around but…” the student said, pulling his face away in another direction.
“But what?” I asked.
“He is at it again. Down and in low spirits…”
“If you see him today, tell him I want to see him by the end of this week, okay?” I said.
Two days after that, he came, his face unshaven and gloomy.
“Why do you keep doing this?” I blurted out.
“I don’t know Ma'am! It is just that, I feel so troubled and very sad. I don’t even feel like going home during the long breaks.”
“Not again?” I said.
He turned his face to the floor.
“Your final year dissertation need to be in. I want to see what you have written so far. Bring whatever you have in three day’s time. Is that clear?” I demanded.
“All right, Ma'am!” he said, his eyes were full of sadness.
“Is that a promise?” I said.
He nodded.
I shook my head and said, “I want to listen to the words!”
“I promise!”
Three days later, he turned up in my office and we went through the dissertation together. His work was excellent though not really polished. And he was willing to make amendments according to my suggestions.
The day of viva came. I was very pleased with his performance during the project presentation. So was the co-examiner.
“You could have gotten an A if you had been punctual in handing in your progress reports and all! But then, I hope you will settle for an A-,” I quipped.
“I would be so very happy even if I had managed to get a B!” he said gleefully.
(This event took place many years ago, while the engineering campus was still at Tronoh….to be continued…)
