NUMB TO NURTURE

My twenties have been chaotic, to say the least. I went through an academic comeback while also growing increasingly frustrated with the education system that shaped so much of my life. Looking back now, school and college were some of the most difficult experiences I’ve had. You’re told education should be exciting and empowering, but that wasn’t always how it felt.

Today, I’m in a much better place mentally and physically, and with that distance comes perspective. My journey through the Indian education system, though tough, gave me a deeper understanding of how powerful education really is. It doesn’t just shape individuals; it shapes the fabric of society for better or worse.

In many parts of the system, marks, grades, and college reputations aren’t just numbers or labels. They carry real consequences. No good marks often means no good college, and that can limit job prospects and opportunities. It creates a narrow definition of success that can feel suffocating and, at times, shallow.

What troubled me most was how little emphasis there was on the environment, personal growth, or even student well-being. We are meant to learn about the world and our place in it, yet the system often leaves little room to think about other living beings, the planet, or ourselves beyond performance metrics.

Still, I don’t see the journey as wasted. It gave me character, resilience, and the ability to reflect critically. That perspective now gives me hope -hope for myself and for the world around me. If nothing else, I want to use what I’ve learned to contribute, in whatever small way I can, to making the world a little better.