University of Skövde

             There's a saying in Marathi that what appears isn't true and that's why many fall pray to the illusions. I had expected some-what easy education, but it is pretty challenging. The concept is explained and it's left up to the students to decide till what depth they should study the topic. Yes the professors are always there to help you out, just in case you need them. Another discipline and a really quick and assured method to meet the professor is to mail or call them. The schedule is put up on the internet and there is always an email alert fro everything. You shouldn't really direct the university mails to your spam or thrash. The best part is the exam questions. They are all aptitude based questions. I think they are more similar to mathematics. The correct response to the first question takes you to the next question and the cascade continues. If you are wrong for the first question then you just had it. So what you have really understood counts more than what you have mugged up. It is even expected that you know the basics before you start your laboratory sessions. In a way it's good, the students read the topics and get a better understanding of the experiments. This reminds me of Kary Mullis, the Nobel Laureate behind the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). He had this great idea while he was driving. Isn't that worth admiring? I wonder how many can think of work involving mathematical calculations and that too during a leisure drive. 

             As you all know the Nobel prizes are presented in Stockholm. I think every person should make it a point to at least visit the city. I haven't as yet but planning for it in the near future. I am still moving around Skovde. Over here I encountered a very strange problem. The products don't have a maximum retail prize (MRP) on them.They are priced differently in various stores. I did get the answers to this question but as yet I am not convinced. So I will detail this matter some time later.

             I am not very sure if all the students are aware of the student forum. It's meant for the students help but not many have put in their academic or other problems. Many had discussed their accommodation problems and others wanted a part time job. And the responses were pretty fast and convincing. It's more in Swedish than in English but you can always post in your queries. Now that's why I insist that we all learn basic Swedish language. It's a afternoon and evening course and a real fun to attend. It's a learning and relaxing exercise. Learn the language and relax yourself from your routine subjects. I actually felt like a kid. The teacher asked us to repeat the alphabets and numbers after her. Obediently we did follow her up in a chorus. Later we had Swedish conversation and it sounded pretty funny with all the different dialects. Learning a language isn't enough. I had trouble speaking it out the next day. So I am going to practise it out daily.