This idea was for a long time walking around my brain:
– Do we understand who we are and where we are?
– Are we going to go somewhere?
– If we are going to go somewhere, do we really thing “where to go” and “how to get there”?
Above-mentioned idea has been inspired by:
– Teaching students at Zhitomir State Technological University (ZSTU) for 6 years.
– Virtual comparison of Zhitomir State Technological University and Dnipropetrovsk University of Economics and Law (DUEP) and the personalities of their rectors (my personal experience of the communications with them).
– Observing people working around me.
Working and communicating with the students I am trying to recall myself being in the same situation. Telling about me, despite uncertainty on the 90-th where I’ve spent most part of my childhood and youth I had some goals. I can honestly say, that I didn’t know the way I had to take, but I was trying and I would be glad to listen to anybody looking capable in giving me any directions to go to reach my goals. There were not too many tellers, I should assume: mostly people were “from the Soviet Union”, those who succeed to achieve something were either busy of achieving more or were not sure about it was the result of their sequential work of just a big luck. So, I had to study from people myself, deciding what habits, knowledge, behaviors, actions might be useful to me for reaching my goals.
People from whom I have something to study were:
- My father.
- Mehed Vasiliy Fyodorovich – owner of the Samara LLC (internet provider, “000” taxi service and the car-dealer).
- Kondratyuk Dmitry Ivanovich – owner of the ORTA Corporation.
- Podkorytov Victor – CTO of Samara LLC (internet division)
- Holod Boris Ivanovich – rector of the Dnipropetrovsk University of Economics and Law.
- Jan Kees de Jager – former co-owner of ISMeCompany and present Minister of Finance of The Netherlands.
There were a lot to study: positive and negative, useful right that time and now only, big and small. I wanted to adsorb more knowledge. Nobody told me to do that, it was self-driven desire. I could do much more that time, I understand it now.
I am able to share my knowledge, I know quite some people around willing to share their knowledge. Nobody requires.
Tell me why, please. You may do it in the comment to this post.
About my “virtual comparison” of Zhitomir State Technological University and Dnipropetrovsk University of Economics and Law and the personalities of their rectors.
I’ve got my 2 high educations at ZSTU I was teaching at ZSTU for 6 years, I was getting PhD at DUEP.[Unfortunately for me I had not time or, may be, just didn’t put appropriate efforts to finish my PhD thesis in the area I really like and I am interesting in “Economical approach of the Intellectual property relations in Ukraine”, at the institutions which is really developing constantly and what is the most important – with the people who are clever, pleasant in the communications and really passionate about their job.]
Short results of comparison:
- Please look at the sites: ZSTU vs. DUEP. Do you feel who is the “central” at them? Student/potential student? Rector? Which site gives you a feeling of the “activity”? Where would you like to study? Please ask you more similar questions. It is not only about the sites – those are their “work-stiles”.
- Rector (and the other personnel) of DUEP talk to you as to the partner. Rector (and a part, not everybody, luckily, of the administrative personnel) of ZSTU talk to you like you have a huge obligations towards them.
- DUEP: established 17 years ago vs. now. ZSTU: established in 1960 vs. a bit decorated building now.
- Amount of work, improvements, activity done by DUEP impresses (look at the site). ZSTU is close to the state I observed it being a pupil of the First Town Lyceum in 1998.
Have any arguments? Provide it to me please.
Also observing people who were working around me during all past time, with the very bitter feeling I have to conclude that I see a lot of people who just follow the flow.
A lot of them are able to achieve better results, to become a real professional in their area, to become a bright artist or perfect mother/father/partner.
I understand some of them – they are aged, have families, but why younger people accept their present achievements? I don’t tell just about professional areas, there are a lot to improve in their relations with people who are close to them or to make their hobbies to bring them more pleasure.
Unfortunately I can’t show the ideal person. I am too far from there in all areas, unfortunately. But just think, please. Find a person who might be glad to see you enhancements, find an area which might get the next visionary/professional.
Find your way and your approaches.
And let me know please what do you think about this.
Dmitry Antonyuk. Zhytomyr. 29/11/2010
Dmitry Antonyuk. Personal site. 
Well you can bring a horse to the water, but to make it drink you must arrange really hot weather.
I mean if people do not react on your “Wake ups” and “Come ons” maybe you’d try something different?
I will, I will!
“I am able to share my knowledge, I know quite some people around willing to share their knowledge. Nobody requires.”
-I think the main reason of all this that’s just our students aren’t able to stady by themselves. Specially, if we talk about ZSTU student. And why do they need it? They feel fine by doing almost nothing in their “hot sits” at university and some of them even get scholarship. And that’s really comfortable, because I know than when I’ll finish university, I’ll work at another industry, where my relatives work and where I’m sure I have a work place. For what reason I should now work very hard, if I know that by doing nothing I’ll have the same results. And other part thinks, that student’s time is the best time of their lives, so they should have a lot of fun and do what they want. They don’t care about what will be after the university. That’s a different story. Priority is what’s going now. And after..hm…we’ll see…
How can we prevent that? I can’t say surely, but I think that the main point is that from our childhood we should hold the idea, that all must be done by outselves to get a real success. Nobody gives us such a good present…
But, in reallity, we can see that everybody thinks “It will get settled somehow” and does not make a lot of effort to solve the problems..
Students’ years are the best years, for sure. But I am also sure that it is possible to combine a fun with the effort to get more knowledge and skills in your professional area. Feelings are stronger under the time pressure.
I understand people in the end of 90-th – it was difficult to see a connection between you efforts at the university and the level of your life. But it is possible now!