Knowledge is Ageless

Damn! It was not even Wednesday and I wanted to run away from my office and never return back. Most weeks it took me 3-4 days in my tiny cubicle and at my cluttered desk to realize that I badly needed a change in my work environment. But of late I was attacked by sudden panic and dizzying episodes, while performing mundane tasks. I was having thoughts about how good a decision I had made when I jumped in the IT bandwagon.

Source: istockphoto.com

I was 30 and I was thinking about career change! I decided that I had gone crazy. The humdrum of IT life had finally caught on and my mind had gone bonkers. I quickly opened Google and keyed in my search string, the damned question that was eating away at my already diminished brain – “I am 32 and I am thinking of a career change, is that normal?” 

Like always Google gave me correct and pacifying answers that soothed my frayed nerves. People in their early 30’s usually had second thoughts about their chosen profession. By 30, a person would have spent 5-6 years in his/her current field of career and would know if he/she is disillusioned in the current profession. The piece of information gave me some relief and I realized that I may not be the only one in early 30s, feeling this desperate urge to toss away everything in my professional life that I had built in the past years and start afresh.

But this A-ha moment set me thinking though-if not software engineer then what else? After finishing 4 torturous years of Engineering and 2 years of pre-university in the field of Science, my only wish had been to get into a software company. I did not give a single thought on what I really liked, or what I was good at. All my friends were earning big bucks as software engineers and I was ready to fight tooth and nail to get into a software career myself. But after 8 years of experience in my career, I have nothing else to say but that software field is not for me!

Source: istockphoto.com

If I was given a chance to turn back time and choose the path of education that I really wanted to excel at, then it would be ‘Creative Writing’. Blogging and writing fiction in the last few years, made me realize how much I love the written word. I love writing, spinning tales and creating magic out of few words. Yes, how much I wish that I had realized my dream some 12 years ago and had stood by my dreams instead of blindly following the crowd.

So, you can imagine my delight when I saw an opportunity to study again and that too in an enchanting and beautiful place like UK and in a field of my choice. This opportunity was through the British Council, studying in UK and yes, they offer courses in ‘Creative Arts and Design’. Now, was that a signal from destiny or what?

Source: istockphoto.com

I pottered about in their website and was surprised at the number of universities offering the course. I selected Birkbeck, University of London because I vaguely remembered reading about it before or maybe it was the allurement and the undeniable attraction of living in a pulsating and vibrant city like London. And the good news is that, they also offer scholarship programs, thus providing an opportunity to hopeful Indian students to study in UK. And British Council also offers good practical advice on how to succeed in your chosen career field after you graduate from their programs.

For people like me, in their 30s who want to revisit their student days again but cannot travel to UK for an education, they also offer online courses or overseas program where we can utilize their study centers in our own shores. Now that’s some awesome news considering my bank balance cannot stand the additional pressure of studying in UK.

I know studying after a certain age is considered unconventional but I think there is no age limit for acquiring knowledge (just like there is no umar for lalach). The day I stop learning is the day I stop living.  

This post is written for Knowledge is Great contest at Indiblogger