Who is a student? Who qualifies to be a real student? What are the qualities or rather say properties of a student? These are the few real questions, I think, a student or in general, a person ought to think about; look for the answers. Is it only the person who studies in an educational institution and completes a curriculum?
Simply, a student can be defined as one who studies. Let’s see what etymology (the study of the origin of a word) has to say:
The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb "studēre", meaning "to direct one's zeal at"; hence a student could be described as 'one who directs zeal at a subject'. In its widest use, "student" is used for anyone who is learning. (Wikipedia)
Let’s see what the dictionary has to say:
- A person formally engaged in learning, esp. one enrolled in a school or college; pupil: a student at Yale.
- Any person who studies, investigates, or examines thoughtfully: a student of human nature.
(dictionary.com)
We can see that it is not only a person formally engaged in learning but also the one who studies, investigates, or rather explores knowledge that can be called a student.
These are only general definitions, but if we look at the history we get a complete picture of what a student really is or what is he really meant to do. Accordingly, there are three basic and fundamental aims of a student which were propounded by my friend, Musab Iqbal.
One is thirst for and exploration of knowledge. A student does not feel satisfied by any amount of knowledge he/she gets. This thirst leads him/her to further the exploration. The knowledge, apart from books, can also be gained through our surroundings, our neighborhood, our society, towns, villages, our elders, peers and friends. This habit of digging for it is what makes a “student” the student.
Second aim of a student is to contribute to the advancement or prosperity of human civilization. He/she shares what he/she has learnt. A student works for the betterment of the world he/she lives in and is a part & parcel of. Contribution can be in various fields/disciplines – art, science, music, technology, social sciences, ecosystems, etc.
Third, he/she has to understand that a student is the link between knowledge and society. If he fails to do so, or if he is not there as a link, there will be none who can teach moral values, ethics, or guide society in the right direction.
