More than enough | Baradwaj Rangan

A plug for a self-help book that guides students to enjoy the experience of learning, instead of concentrating on just marks.

Author: Dr. D. V. Sivapriya, Professor and Head, Department  of Physiology, Panimalar Medical College Hospital and Research Institute.

Narrative Memoir for students

The book is published in both English and Tamil  language and is available on amazon, flip cart.

More than enough is a self-help book that guides students to enjoy the experience of learning. Often intelligence is connected to the capacity to score marks and education is directed towards scoring and not learning. The book opens up the readers to connect back to their potential and to focus on learning which automatically attracts marks. I have shared my experience as a student and the transformation that I made to myself from the so-called slow learner to a confident person. I have shared recommendations for students to step into their full potential and discover the immense capacity they possess which they themselves are not aware of. The book aims at the realization of the reader that they are more than enough.

Author

My name is Dr. D. V. Sivapriya, M.D. (Physiology). I am currently heading the Department of Physiology, in a Medical College. I have 17 years of experience as a teacher. I have trained more than 3000 medical and paramedical students. My life has given me a rich experience of what it is to be a learner and my students have made me understand the common challenges they face as a learner.Beyond being a Physiologist, and teaching Physiology, I have always shared my life with my students and what it is to live life powerfully and to be a doctor. This is a part of all my interactions with them. My students have communicated to mehow pivotal my sharing was for them in their life. The little time I gave to them has miraculously changed the life of many.

I am sharing the important events of my life as a student with you. Here I have shared all the mistakes that I have made as a student that gave me profound learning. I wish you take important lessons from my mistakes and become a better version of yourself without having to repeat the same mistakes in your life and learn from them.

This book is not just for medical students but for all students in general, including school students. There is something from my life that you can take to yours. I wish this book brings profound transformation to the reader, opening up new doors of success and happiness that they had closed themselves. 

PART I – I AM MORE THAN ENOUGH

In this session I have narrated my story as a student. From a care free below average to average girl, I made my dream of becoming school first in tenth come true. Then I wanted to become a doctor. My school days in eleventh and twelfth did not go the way I expected. With great struggle I entered the medical college. Here I found myself struggling to cope up with studies. Completed my degree with very little confidence of practicing as a doctor. Education was focused only on scoring and not learning.

Later completed my masters in Physiology. During these years I was concentrating on learning rather than scoring. With the completion of degree, I came out as a very confident teacher ready to interact with my medical students. As my years of teaching continued, I learned whatever was possible on my journey from whom ever I came across. I underwent lot of transformation on how I perceived myself and worked greatly on the negative beliefs I had about myself. I emerged as a new version of myself and I started realizing that I am more than enough.

Schools and colleges are becoming nightmare because focus is not on learning, its only on scoring. Learning is fun and makes you confident with your subject and with yourself whereas studying a subject is stressful and allows you to score great marks and not necessarily confidencein the subject.

The self-image you have about yourself decides your learning capability. Accept the way you are and from there work for betterment.

PART II – YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH

In this part I speak about dreaming what you want and setting clear intensions and enjoying learning without resisting. Positive self-talk is emphasized.  I have introduced about intelligence, cerebral dominance and learning styles. Self-affirmations are encouraged and students are invited to believe in yourselves. Mistakes makes us learn. Fear of making mistakes stops us from trying. Its ok to make mistakes and to say that you don’t know because both enhance learning.Remember that you are your own competitor. Focus to be a smart worker rather than hard worker. I have included as many examples as possible from my life to make you understand what I am trying to say.Healthy breaks in between studies, family harmony, self-acceptance all enhances learning capacities of students. Few sharing about handling exams and preparations for exams are included.

This book is authored to show light at the end of tunnel for students who don’t believe in themselves. My life can show you that creating your life is in your hands. All that you need is to believe that you are more than enough.

PART I

I AM MORE THAN ENOUGH

This is me

I am just going back to my childhood days. A fun-filled girl who never took anything seriously. Up until my tenth standard, my life was effortless. A very average girl in studies, I have never worked hard or studied intensely. I was this girl going to a CBSE school very close to my house. I used to walk the way to my school. What I remember is only having fun. I was too good with my maths and language, average with science and really bad in history and geography. No regrets, no hard feelings. I have failed a few times in geography. I have been the topper in my class in reverse order. But nothing took my joy away from me. I grew up.

 Sweet memories   

As a child, I was too fascinated by doctors and teachers. I used to have a blackboard and teach to a non-existing audience. I just loved to do that. I used to scribble on papers as if prescribing tablets for my patients. (I used to think it is essential to scribble in a way it is difficult to read, to be a doctor). My room will have small mountains of these discarded prescriptions I would write for my patients. All these times are still fresh in my mind. There was nothing to lose or nothing to gain, but only happiness around.

In nothing you experience everything.

Winning moment

 I was just 11 years old in my seventh standard. (I would like to tell you that I completed my LKG when I was 3 years old. So, I was one year ahead of everybody). One day, I was watching this tennis match of Steffi Graf vs…. Hmm, I don’t remember exactly who. But yes, I was watching this world tournament with my father. Steffi Graf won the game and she started to cry. Her coach brought her a towel to wipe her tears. I asked my father, “Why did she cry after winning”. My father said, “All the efforts that she made all these yearshave given her the fruits. Her cry tells us the efforts that went into it. And those are happy tears on her success”. This strongly got inside my head.

The master plan

I entered my eighth class. You all know, the timetable has sports in it. I just hated sports. My school had a really big playground with a lot of trees. During all my sports periods, I used to sit under a tree along with my best friend then, who was another average child. You know like attracts like. And all that we did was create plans to be successful in our studies. Both of us were fed up struggling to score a pass mark and being the toppers from the bottom. So, we planned that one day we will surprise the entire world with our marks. The meeting will happen every week and we will conclude the same way. All we did to score marks was only the meetings and decisions. No actions.

The big dream

The days went by. I started to dream about my success. The story of Steffi Graf hit me hard, that is after hard efforts, one will cry over success. Now I started dreaming about my tenth board exam results. …

End note

The ultimate aim of education is the integral development of a person.
It should boost creativity, confidence, and critical thinking.
It should lessen the challenges you will face in your life.
Education should not be challenging.
It should not create learners who lose their self confidence,
in which case, get that your approach is wrong.

Dream big. Trust the process. Believe in yourself.
You will see miracles happening in your life.

Don’t let your past define your future.
Don’t allow your mind to put you down.
Don’t allow others to destroy the dreams you are building.
Because all of that is not real.

You and only you are capable of making your dreams come true.
Change who you are today to change your future.

GET UP AND GET GOING

Wishing you all the best for your dreams to come true, my dear.

                                                                          – Dr. D. V. Sivapriya