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Kaammini Chanrai

January 20th, 2014

Questions a university student may fear

1 comment

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Kaammini Chanrai

January 20th, 2014

Questions a university student may fear

1 comment

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Throughout my university experience, the importance of asking questions has always been emphasised. I was encouraged to question everything, to clarify anything I didn’t understand and to constantly make an effort to further my knowledge through asking more.

The benefits of asking questions are all around us. If Isaac Newton hadn’t asked how the direction or speed of a moving object was altered, he would not have come up with his theories of gravity. If Hamlet hadn’t asked “To be or not to be?”, he may never have avenged his father’s death. And if Queen hadn’t asked “Is this the real life? Is it just fantasy?”, we wouldn’t have one of the greatest rock anthems in the history of music. Questions are interesting, essential and unavoidable.

However, questions have their downsides. True, they broaden knowledge and initiate invigorating conversation but they can also be damaging, insulting and downright nosey. In fact, for some students questions can wreak havoc on their worlds, catalysing states of confusion and chaos.

I have identified three questions that I have found have this overwhelming effect on students. This is not to say that the entire student body is affected when asked the following. Some are unperturbed by these but for many of us, they are the Voldemort of questions: they should not be said aloud and we fear them like nothing else:

1.     Where are you from?

Aside from ‘What is your name?’ this will probably be the most commonly asked question that you receive throughout university. It works under the guise of a conversation starter, a small talk tool or an awkward chat filler. In reality, however, it can be the most complicated question of all time.

Notably, LSE is a very multicultural place so answering this question does not usually involve a simple one word response. This is not the problem. Truthfully, I find that most people enjoy discussing their background, even if it is not an easy question to answer. From personal experience, I can tell you that as a British Indian who has been raised in England, Malaysia and Nigeria, my reply usually begins with something along the lines of “Ummm, well…” but I am typically more than happy to divulge this information.

The problem lies in the ridiculous replies that you can often receive when you give your answer. “But you’re quite pretty for an Indian”, “You don’t look British” and “So if you’re from Africa, why are you white?” are not particularly appropriate responses. It is not our place to question someone else’s identity in this manner and this question can initiate rude stereotypes, insult cultures or traditions and release prejudices unnecessarily.

Of course, it’s a good a thing that we ask this question. Acknowledging where you are from is important as it’s an intrinsic part of who you are. As Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones says, “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.” And realistically [Spoiler Alert] given that he’s still alive in a TV show that averages thirteen deaths per episode, we should probably take his advice. However, I would advise you to proceed with caution.

2.     What do you want to do when you finish your degree?

The second question mostly instils anger and, like the first, it is ubiquitous. It’s your first day of university and you’re getting to know your peers. Inevitably, someone will bring up plans for after university. It’s only your first day and this makes you want to cry. You think you want to save the world. The person next to you is determined to destroy it, and you are paralysed by the fear that these three years will transform you into a renegade.

You’re in the middle of your second year and you’re having a mini family reunion. You’re trying to enjoy the meal but the tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife – you are prepared for this. An older relative comes up to you and begins to ask what you’re doing these days and your plans for the future. You are rendered motionless and have difficulty forming sentences. You’ve been hovering over applications for internships for months now with no luck. You have accepted perennial unemployment but you reply politely with, “I’m just focusing on my degree at the moment.”

It’s your final year and exams have just ended. You’re ecstatic after months of hard work and coffee-induced sleepless nights. You have a short holiday between now and graduation and you decide to use this as a well-earned break. You deserve it! You’re telling everyone how you’ve just finished your last exam and how excited you are for the holidays. Suddenly, like a tight slap across the face, someone asks you the question. You freeze and your joy has not just been killed, it has been murdered brutally, repeatedly and viciously stabbed by a rusty knife.

I recognise the importance of dealing with this question and I understand why people are curious to know the answer. However, it is mind-blowingly stressful and exceedingly difficult for a student who already has two 4,000 word essays to complete over the Christmas break to think about this wholeheartedly.

Nevertheless, once again, I do not believe that this question is problematic in itself. The issue, once again, is usually the counter-response to your own. Your answer is usually inadequate, unrealistic or isn’t really an answer at all, which does not tend to please the audience and consequently, that validation from we crave from our answer is lost, along with our patience with answering this question.

3.     Isn’t that your area of expertise?

This may seem like a slightly odd question to add to the list but, through observation, it appears that asking this question can cause frustration like no other. I say it’s odd because one may assume that students enjoy discussing ideas related to their subject. I do not question that this is true. Since childhood I have mastered the art of bringing up conversations that we had in school that day to make me appear more intellectual.

However, this same question can be frustrating as it accentuates the fact that we can never know everything about our given field. Not every History student has full knowledge about every past event in every country. Not all English students have read every book ever written. Not all Biology students are able to name every bone in the body (I’m not sure about this one, to be honest). But generally, these are truths and, despite how hard we may try, it is impossible to overcome our lack of omniscience. It only takes one episode of University Challenge to set us on edge, and this question just adds insult to injury.

There is a sense of irony in what I have written. Although I describe the detrimental effects that such questions may have, I have been guilty of asking them all before and I have no doubt that I will continue to use them in the future. Hypocritical? Perhaps, but it is true that that these questions have value. They may cause unwitting confusion, antagonise the recipient or trigger annoyance – but that isn’t always such a bad thing. Telling people where you’re from can be educational, knowing what you want to do is necessary and awareness of your limitations can ground you.

Some of the best things in life are achieved through questions. Questioning a system can lead to freedom from oppression. Asking everyday questions such as ‘How are you?’ or ‘How do you feel?’ can lead to the expression of emotions that otherwise may not have had a voice. And questions such as ‘Will you marry me?’ can change someone’s life forever.

But, as with anything, there are limitations. So the next time you ask a student one of the above questions, I give you this simple advice: question it.

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Kaammini Chanrai

Posted In: LSE | News

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