facebook twitter

UAB diversity helps students learn

Posted on Aug 30, 2010 in Opinion

Share|

American philosopher Vernon Howard said, “Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will.”

As students of UAB, we can learn a lot by just walking around the campus. UAB is ranked third by the Princeton Review in the diversity of student population. People from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds make UAB an ideal place for everyone.

It’s up to us to determine how much we can add to our education by learning from each other. This especially holds true for the freshmen, who are new to the UAB family.

Students should not limit themselves to their books, classes, and labs, but should also take part in various educational and co-curricular activities on the campus coordinated by different clubs and organizations.

As an international student, I know the value of studying in a diverse university. Two years of studying in a globally recognized university is equivalent to four years of work experience in a multi-national corporation.

In today’s highly competitive environment, one needs to have skills and abilities beyond his or her major and degree to gain an upper edge.

Recruiters and corporations are interested in the things students have learned and experienced outside the classroom before considering them for a position. It provides an idea about the leadership and intellectual potential of the candidate.

By getting involved on campus, one can not only increase his or her depth of knowledge but also have the opportunity to hone professional and interpersonal skills. More importantly, it looks good on a resumé.

Another interesting thing that students like about the activities is free food, but don’t assume it’s bad because it’s free. Delicacies from far corners of the Earth can be found at various events around the campus.

I remember going to an International Food Fair in the International house. It was buzzing with food aficionados from all over the campus.

The great thing about this event was that all the cuisines were made by UAB students for UAB students. Italians served pasta, Germans delighted everyone with their black forest cake, Chinese had dumplings and Indians were giving away curry. It was a great effort toward bringing the diversity of the campus under one roof, and the event was a big hit.

UAB is an ideal portrait of the cultural diversity found in this country, and the kind of learning environment students encounter here is rarely seen on many other campuses. So don’t limit yourself to the cubical classroom. There may be an event occuring on campus today which could open a new world for you to explore.

From Intercultural Club to Leadership Council, from the Kaleidoscope to the recreation center, something new is happening on campus every day.

A list of clubs and organizations can be found on the UAB website, including all the details of different professional and cultural clubs at the university. Most of them do not charge any fee for signing up. There could be a few exceptions, but the important thing is not the money, it’s what you could learn from these diverse groups.

Apple founder Steve Jobs gave a famous speech at Stanford in which he shared a quote with students that inspired him throughout his career. “Stay hungry, stay foolish” was his message for the young Turks.

It’s important that we recognize the meaning hidden in these words and let our curiosity and imagination drive us instead of our hesitation and fear.

Email: sidharth@uab.edu




Tags: , ,