Come to the Point

I have often been accused of sending the entire class (and sometimes the prof ;-)) to sleep with long CPs (for the uninitiated, CP means class participation). It is almost a natural urge in me to contribute in class, having done that all my student life. At that point of time, however, my contribution was not incentivised in terms of marks/grades being awarded for CP. In fact, it was a welcome relief for most of the class and a valuable learning opportunity for me.

But here, things change. The same activity carried out when there are incentives attracts a different response. Something which represents an intrinsic motivation to learn is sometimes construed as an attempt to gain better CP grades. Which is strange, to say the least. It is amazing how 'economic' incentives to an activity change people's perception of those indulging in it.

Anyways, a lesson I have had to learn from my first year here is to make my communication more precise and structured. Defining my context every time I speak may be useful for a layman, but I find that it is mostly redundant when I address such a bright gang as the one found here...

Whether I have fully achieved that objective is for other people to say, but from my side, the key learning I have had is regarding the "punch" I need to pack into my statements if I want an audience...

One more entry coming up soon :-)