[ One of our readers,  Gaurav Anand sent in tis piece for ‘Jesuit Education Month’

I am a student of St. Xavier’s College, Patna ( a Jesuit institution). I would like to share my experience in my college.

Most of the educational institutes today have become more of a business than temples of learning. Where money making is the first priority and quality education is the second or it may not be there in the list all together. Educational institutes have turned into shops. I am proud to say my college is not one of them. The real thrust here is to impart a good quality education. Not just a good quality education, equal emphasis is laid to impart moral values. Not only does it strive to turn out good professionals, but also  better human beings. I really wonder if other undergraduate colleges in my state have FOUNDATION & MENTORING classes.

The faculty here too does not really teach for money. For I feel they would be making a lot of money elsewhere with the stature they have. Again money is the second priority.

The third thing is discipline. Here you have to follow a lot of rules and be disciplined. Discipline, I feel is one of the key elements which is important for your life and is not very easy to develop. Being disciplined is not an easy task. At least for me, it is the most difficult. After two years in college I find a lot of changes in myself and feel that I’ve become more disciplined.

The fourth thing which I observed is that everybody is treated with equal dignity. There is no discrimination. The professors, the principal, the peon or the guard- all stand the same. I observed that the Principal as well as the blue collar workers wear an I.D card of the same stripe colour i.e Grey.

Next one is that the fees of St Xavier’s College is very reasonable. I am paying 1/4^th of the fees for my course compared to other colleges of the same repute.

Everybody in a Jesuit institution, I feel, is very hardworking. Everything happens in an organized way, with a proper system and with intact protocols.

Jesuits Education educates while also teaching the ways of life. It imparts a holistic education and makes  students  better persons in all walks of life.

-Gaurav Anand

  Jesuit education, letters