Scenario 1:
A few years ago, when I just passed out of my 12th, there was so much talk about this new field of study that could get you to earn such astronomical figures with the least possible time. I didn't know much about anything then, and so decided to go ahead with this old conventional belief that "High Marks, then Science", atleast as far as my state was concerned this was the protocol. It was only with time that I found that I was having a tough time coping up with Science, but I went on to pursue Engg too, since I'd already entered the race. I had only to exit it from the nearest one, and that was Engg, 4 years hence.
I don't find this to be such a bad profession, you get to study some of the basics for the 4 years at college, you get to develop the art of thinking science, which I'd say is pretty useful in everyday life too. But then, 4 years down the line, I'm faced with this new problem. The engineers were already abounding the industry, facing a major crisis with respect to job availability. Some chose to be happy with this job that they got, whether they were underpaid, or overqualified didn't matter. There were some others who chose to study a little further to do their Masters in their respective fields, a desperate attempt to qualify themselves better, a futile attempt to win over the situation at hand. There were this class of poeple, who were very eager to try out something different. And they joined the joined the field of study mentioned earlier!
Scenario 2:
A friend of mine is hell bent on cracking the common ingression exam this time. He was going all out on the preparation. Ask what the syllabus is, and this is what is needed of you. Math skills at 10th level, a little harder on the ability to interpret data, while I guess it requires phenomenal comprehension skills.
He's an engineer, so when asked why this of all the fields,that too just after college, when the four years that you've invested here haven't already reaped any fruits yet, you can hardly ever get a coherent answer.
Scenario 3:
My very close friend recently was so badly striken with this new phobia, that was hardly diagnosable. It had mixed effects and symptoms that made it all the more difficult. Some of the symptoms, she was having this fear of her own self and her capabilities. She'd started to doubt every little bit she was good at. Upon all this, she looks like she's been taken for a ride by her boss. She's so damn irritated and scared and so many more emotions,all at the same time, that the things were not showing out pretty distinctly. But then, we finally narrowed dow nto the cause. It WAS her boss, the project "manager"!
Well, the three scenarios above are nothing but the truth. And to those who read this, things must be pretty evident by now. I'm targeting one community in particular. And I've been waiting to do this, for I was hardly able to converge on any conclusions or solutions. So I seek the help of all those who might be able to contribute to my understanding.
"Dont worry.. I'll defend it", or "I just hope we're on the same page", or even "Let me get this right..(and then Recap)".
Are these too familiar?? Or are these more on the irritating side? Well, then all I can say is, this post will be the best respite to you. For a lot of people, these seem to be their everyday language. For those who are using it, it has little impact, its those who are at the receiving end of it, that the impact is catastrophic!
With all the due respect to all those people, I would like to put forward umpteen questions that are in the minds of so many like me. And none of these are intended to criticise anyone.
What had happened to my friend had happened to me, and I'm very sure, to a lot of other people like me. The problem with these people who've specialised in an area, I would call it "Intangible Studies". My defense- For Pure Sciences or Mathematics, there's a finiteness in quantity and exactness that can be understood, which I see is laking in these so called ""Art like Sciences!"". I read somewhere, that they define this field of study as a normative science, so in essence is a little too abstract to measure precisely.
But that in itself is not the problem. The wounds are deeper. The problem mainly arises when a person specialised in this field is hired to supervise over the engineers or any other peers, the main worry being, those people hardly ever get to understand what science is all about. As they have been trained to think the way they do, "normative", they really don't get the highlights of the game.
First, they're hardly ever well-educated on the area of study, their only bother is always the profits. So to even be able to put across a particular issue seems herculean! Apart from these, they don't really understand the shortcomings in the scientific methods, that they often end up covering it up from all ends. What I question is, why did all this have to happen, if only people with a little industry and domain experience were to undertake this field of study. How can someone blindly decide to take up this field of study after their graduation and expect to be able to gather moss as they roll forwards. If a person knew what it takes to program a code, and to identify a bug, only then can he/she appreciate the problems arising out of it.
And then, there's this other side which is basically the art of fooling others... that not being my concern at the moment, since it'll be long before I might become a victim of this kind. But there's actually more to it, which I wish to refrain from at the moment. Apart from all this, there is this "Falsity" I see in many such people, who think they do a commendable job. The unnecessary praises, the untimely jokes, and what not. I figure, it's the difference in perception that's causing all of this!
So to those readers who fall in the same category as I do, you can add to the comments, but for the others, I'd love to hear your side as well!
Now that I've been able to get some things across this platform, specially an issue that has been troubling me quite a lot, not because it was getting the better of me, but to be able to rightly put across what I mean, I think I'll settle down to look at whether my sample survey is indeed what the population is, in effect, A Hypothesis!