May 1, 2009 2:08:58 am
Anyone who stops learning is old,whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
– Henry Ford
The above quote gives an apt description of some people who truly believe that there is no right age to learn something new. Be it trying your hand at painting,or playing that instrument which you always wished you could,learning a dance form or simply pursuing certain a degree course it is never too late to start. Here are some impressive examples,and what is common to them all is that they are all well above 45,well-settled in their respective careers and still pursuing higher studies. No,it has got nothing to do with recession and the insecurity associated with it. In fact,it is the hunger to learn and add more to their knowledge reservoir,which has led them to opt for such courses.
Surekha Bhasin,49 years
A corporate trainer by profession,Surekha is a graduate in Psychology. Presently,she holds workshops under Mahayana,which aims at developing talent for the corporate sector and among young children. Bhasin always wanted to do her Masters degree but couldnt. All these years,marriage,kids and her profession kept her so busy that her plan of pursuing the degree kept getting postponed year by year. Finally though,she managed to enroll and is now studying MA (English) from the Nowrosjeee Wadia College. Bhasin believes that any kind of knowledge acquired at any age,broadens a persons growth horizon. Initially,I was a bit skeptical about doing it,as I was going back to studies after a very long gap. But when I scored highest in my college in my first term,I got the confidence that I am on the right track, says she. With two college-going children,a home and professional workshops to look after,Bhasin agrees that at times it does become difficult to balance home and studies. But she makes sure to devote three-four hours daily for studies. During examinations time,she gives nothing less than five-six hours.
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R D Patil,50 years
Patil,a civil engineer,feels that learning is an on-going process and one should not miss out on any opportunity that has the potential to add to ones existing expertise. He is pursuing the Executive Management Course from IIM,Kozhikode. The course has not only updated my knowledge in several ways but also made me understand the finer aspects of business and management,which is the need of the hour,irrespective of the kind of career one is pursuing, says Patil. With his other projects in hand,Patil manages to give two-three hours for this course every day. My wife Sadhana and my kids are very supportive and encouraging. Although it is difficult to strike a balance between work and studies due to the other responsibilities I have,with their support I am able to do it pretty well.
Vilas Khachane,53 years
My daughter knew that the construction industry had always fascinated me and she was the one who motivated me to follow my interest at this age. Hence,I applied for the post-graduate program in Construction Industry at the National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR). I intend to do further research in the same area,once I finish this course, says Khachane,a sub divisional engineer at BSNL. Khachane gets up everyday at four in the morning and studies for three hours and is thoroughly enjoying the newly-adopted routine. He says,Information changes ones view spectacularly and one should not restrict ones potential in any manner.
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