I have never understood the importance, back benchers assign to themselves. I am talking about people who occupied the last few benches during their student years. On more than one occasion I have had people come up to me and announce with pride that he or she was a back bencher. What is it exactly that they have achieved? They are not exactly bragging about their athletic achievements, I mean how difficult is it to walk all the way to the end of the room and occupy the last bench? Class rooms aren'’t that big. No, that's not it. What they are trying to convey is that they are different form the rest or that they are '‘cool'’. I think its sad that people have to use the help of their seating location to prove that they are better than the rest.
There is a serious problem here if you think about it. Firstly, every other person claims to be a backbencher. Now, that's not possible. It could mean only one thing, people are lying and people are ashamed of where they sit or used to sit. Why is it that we label people who occupy the first few benches as nerds and the ones in the last as cool. It is time we stop this discrimination. We talk about equality all the time, then why differentiate between a first bencher and a last bencher?
But keeping equality issue aside if you ask me, the real heroes of the class, the real victors are the middle benchers. They are inconspicuous, notorious and have the most fun. As a middle bencher, you are not under constant scrutiny by professors nor are you expected to know answers to everything they ask. Look ahead if you cant remember that complicated formula, look back for some much needed entertainment, a snidey comment or a funny quip. You get the best of both worlds. Yes, you guessed right, I was a middle bencher. And am proud of it.
7 comments:
"I'm a backbencher...I am a rebel...I was born to be a brat...But looks like life turned out all right"...
Come on, don't say you never wished for a kid like Calvin :p
Arunz
You see, in my case the bench I sat on was indirectly proportional to my age:) i started off first bench and by the time i was in college, i didnt even know where the classrooms were.. agree with arunz.. i sure wish my kid was a calvin.. wd be so much fun :))
oh i don't know. I guess wherever u sit u shud have fun. i mostly used to sit in the 2-3 rows and always had fun. throwing chalks at the teacher or sprinkling their behind with ink when they used to move between the rows. :) :)
Oh along with calvin u need to have a kid like hobbes also. It'll be the perfect pair.
Calvin, that adorable lil devil...but no thanks, I'd like my kid to be like susie :p
Whts the thing about being a 'back-bencher'? Just like how u feel proud about being a middle bencher, so wud the back benchers na :) But i agree with you, its become like a 'cool' thing nowadays, to sit in the back benches. Some guys sit in last bench, jus to attract attention! Its sad.. :) lol..
But trust me, genuine backbenchers are awesome fun! Some of their comments, the fun they have - is awesome... True, fun does not depend on where u sit, but by sitting in the last row, its a kind of a licence, to have fun!! :)
I sat in the second-last row throughout my college life.. Needless to say, I had loadsa fun!
ah i jus had the 'back bencher' conversation recently n i was never a back bencher and agree with u totally 'bout having fun even in the middle bench :)
n all kids these days seemed to b reincarnations of Calvin (if they r boys) n Susie Derkins (if they r gals) :))
been enjoyed!!
:)
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