Willingness to Learn

Where there is a will, there will be a way...

Many unsung and known heroes have proven this statement. Among them is Kanak from a remote village of Bihar, named Vishnupur. His teacher had praised him right from his primary classes for his dedication and willingness to learn. Kanak had to travel every day 18 miles from his hometown to attend his secondary school and this he did with great enthusiasm. The school did not have transportation facility. And to reach school on time via road transport vehicle, will be the toughest challenge. His father was thoughtful and bought a bicycle. Kanak was too excited about his new school, new friends and in particular, his new bicycle.

Time passed by. Years flew, Kanak was doing good in his studies and thought of pursuing his career in Management. He did his BBA from one of the renowned universities of Bihar. He started dreaming big. He wanted to achieve something relevant and valuable in his life. He wished to move from tire-III city and wanted to explore new things. Hence, he decided to pursue his Masters from Delhi.

His mother was little skeptical and pleaded her son to rethink his decision. She said that in their neighborhood, there was a boy who after his graduation, had got through certain competitive exams and got appointed as a clerk in a government bank. His life is secure. What else one would need in life. A well-settled job, government quarters to reside that too, near to their hometown.

Kanak said that he wants to do something different. He wants to continue his studies and probably after two years, he wishes to see himself at a better position than his well-settled friends. His father could sense the anxiety that his son had. He had to borrow money for his son's further studies. When Kanak was boarding the train, his father said, "I believe you and I know that you will never let me down. You will definitely face many problems in Delhi. It is a very big city. You should remember that life is another name of challenge. The more you wish to enjoy your life, the most complicated and challenging it becomes. Face the challenges and learn to get through them."

Kanak joined one of the best private management institutes in Delhi. Unlike other students who generally got attracted by the luxuries of this city, Kanak was pretty aware of his responsibilities, expectation that his father had, and his dream. In the initial stages, there were two major issues which were faced by Kanak.

He had studied from Hindi medium school and college. The management studies were completely in English. He had used the internet for browsing some information but was a novice to MS-Office. Assignments, Projects were to be drafted by using Ms-Office. He never thought that Laptop will be his basic requirement. 

Unlike other students who reach out their parents instantly when in the problem, Kanak knew his father's financial condition. He thought of part time job. He got his CV prepared and went for a walk-in-interview. It was a courier agency where they were in need of someone who can collate the complete data in excel. Kanak was honest and in his interview, he told the interviewer that he hardly knows anything about Excel, but he is keen to learn and if given an opportunity, he is ready to pick the job on the spot. 

Honesty in his eyes and in his voice caught the attention of the interviewer. He said, "Let me explain to you what you have to do. If you can finish today's entry within an hour, then you consider it as a confirmation."

Kanak wanted to encash this opportunity. He observed everything that was told to him and started typing with keen interest and care. There were twenty entries for which he took 40 minutes to finish. Though he was too slow, he got selected. His boss stepped into the shoes of his computer teacher. He taught him the basics of MS-Office. How to create PowerPoint presentations, use excel and its common functions. Kanak after finishing the given task started using the desktop for his college work.

English still remained his problem. he wanted to read correctly, pronounce the words aptly, but he lacked a teacher. While browsing, he came across a website, where English Pronunciation practice sessions were uploaded. He started regular sessions. Reading newspaper loudly was one of his daily routines. He even recorded the class lectures on his mobile, and at home he tried to copy his faculty mentors.

Kanak hardly had time to participate into any fun-loving activities. After a year, during his summer internship, he got an opportunity to work as an intern for an e-commerce company. He understood the importance of online business. 

During his summer internship, his mentor taught him the basic nuances of Online Industry. How in the future years, the role of the online industry will change the lives of the common man?

Kanak was a keen learner. His faculty started observing changes in him. His dedication, sincerity and willingness to learn was admired by all. Kanak who fumbled to give his introduction a year ago was emceeing the major events at his institute, was confident of speaking and communicating in English.

The question that clicks to my mind was...Who was Kanak's teacher?

Willingness to learn, self-introspection and taking the right action at the right time...these three were Kanak's teacher. Kanak had the appetite to learn from his mistakes. He never overlooked at his mistake. He knew his shortcomings and started working over them so that he could get rid of them.

Kanak did perform well and is currently employed at one of the leading e-commerce companies. His parents are proud of him. In fact, the institute is proud to have students like Kanak who are true mentors for their peer group.

Kanak's willingness drove him from a small village of Bihar to the capital of India. It can create wonders if you have the willingness to learn.