Ms Arnisha Khandakar, a student of B.Sc in Computer Science and Engineering as well as current faculty member of the same department received the prestigious Chancellor’s Gold Medal on 13th Convocation of Brac University (BracU) held at Bangladesh Army Stadium on 23rd November 2019. Let’s hear her story of BracU campus life, inspiration, future plans and so on –
In the famous words of Tim Burton, "Every story has a beginning, middle, and an end." Even if for me, the beginning was the end, the end of a long vicious cycle of self-loathing. As a child, I had a very happy-go-lucky attitude towards everything and excelled in studies as well as extracurricular activities. But most often than not, the harshness of reality hits you out of the blue and change it all.
After losing one of my closest relatives to whom I owed pretty much all my childhood to and relocating to a new city that very year which resulted in me being estranged from all my friends, I fell into a black pit of depression. Little did I know then that I'd be carrying this depression with me through some of the most important years of my life. I was disorientated, lacked focus and quite clearly had an existential crisis. I somehow managed to finish my secondary and higher secondary certification exams with flying colors, but could not get myself to plan or prepare for university admissions. I constantly blamed myself for feeling the way I was and my inability to do anything about it only made matters worse. Fast forward a few months, of course, the entrance exams were a disaster and I found myself in an unlikely spot where I never imagined I'd be: completely lost. I had no idea what I was going to do. I remember spending most of my days at home contemplating my life decisions, reading any book I could get my hands on and fighting the urge to go someplace far away whenever my parents brought up the topic of getting admitted into any university.
It was during one of those days when I visited my brother at TARC and I fell in love with the place right then and there. I remember thinking that I wanted to experience it for myself. Finally, I had a purpose. I knew what I wanted. I got myself admitted to BracU in the summer of 2014 and thus began the four most memorable years of my life. BracU felt like a second home to me. The instructors and fellow students there were so helpful and supportive that it didn't take long for me to pull myself back up from the dark place I once had been.
My journey at BracU was one complete roller-coaster ride. There have been good times and bad. In retrospect, the journey is what mattered and not the end result. Ultimately, it is the experiences that make you grow as a person. One thing I had pledged to myself when I started my journey was I would work my hardest to keep my grades up as I did not want my parents to worry the way they did during entrance exams. I also set up a personal goal that I would try to be the best version of myself. I would tell myself every day that the only competition I have is with myself and if I can be a better version of myself than I was yesterday, then that's a win for me. This standpoint really helped me out in more ways than one. Each semester I'd aim for a grade point higher than the last and this culminated in an excellent overall grade point. Needless to say, this ongoing battle of self-improvement took a lot of perseverance, hard work and self-motivation. But in the end, it was worth it as it made me who I am today.
Although I have many fond memories of BracU from the time when I was at TARC, one particular memory stands out from the rest. It was the social activity day at TARC and on this day, all the students had to take up roles of different staffs working there and run the entire place themselves. Some students would be in charge of cooking, some in charge of doing the laundry etc. etc. I found it to be a very fun and educative social experiment. It really got each of us to be in someone else's shoes and understand what they were going through. I realized after that day that no work is ever easy. Everyone's fighting their own battles and everyone's putting their all into it. We should therefore treat everyone with respect and kindness.
BracU has already occupied some very big chapters of my life. However, my story is far from over. The end of my four-year university life opened the portal to a future full of opportunities. I have already lived a bit of this future. It is with great joy I can say that I have managed to become a lecturer at this very institution which was a dream come true for me. My parents were extremely proud and I busted into tears when my dad said he was proud of me for getting this job.
In the coming future, I would like to employ all that I've learned and experienced so far at BracU. I also want to venture out further, experience more things, complete my doctorate degree and visit at least eight countries in the next 10 years. I would then like to impart all my gained knowledge among the rising youngsters of my country, inspiring them and encouraging them to do their best. Nothing makes me feel more fulfilled than making someone realize their potential. I want to rekindle the joy of learning among the bright youth of my country by employing innovative pedagogical methods.
To my successors, I would like to say: I understand life can be difficult. It comes with no manual and in some situations, no do-overs. But each day you live on is another page added to your novel of a past. A published novel that is written in ink and cannot be changed. Instead of wasting time re-reading old chapters and drowning in despair of previous plots, focus on your future. Your future is a book of blank pages waiting to be inked. Like any great character, you too can be dynamic. Have an epiphany. A turning point. A Change.
Each chapter you write and each character that comes to life will make each installment to your series different than the books before. While it may seem frightening to jump into the unknown of tomorrow, but why let that fear hold you back from a learning experience? With each setback being the opportunity for a comeback and a chance to grow, why would you want to deny yourself that? Realize that growth can't happen without pain and struggle. Pain brings a chance to grow in wisdom by learning from the events which caused it. It is also one more way not to go about something or one more mistake not to repeat. Struggle brings a chance to grow in strength and courage. Another battle is another chance to be victorious, another chance to choose to keep on. So wipe off your tears. Buckle up and fight on. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. All you have to do is believe.