Is the Education System really the problem?

I often hear people blaming the education system for the lack of preparedness among students. But let’s take a step back and ask — what is the education system made of? It’s made up of people. Professors, administrators, students — we’re all part of it. And if we don’t evolve, how can we expect the system to?

Take Tier-2 or Tier-3 colleges, for instance. Why don’t more professors there look at IITs and ask, “Why can’t we do that too?” Why not promote hackathon culture? Why not guide students about the real-world corporate landscape — service-based vs. product-based companies, support vs. development roles, the importance of DSA, system design, open-source contributions, internships? These aren’t just buzzwords; they’re the difference between stumbling into a job and building a career.

When I graduated, I had no idea about any of this. I didn’t know the difference between service and product companies or what kind of project I’d be working on. I joined TCS without understanding what support or development meant. And that’s not just my story — it’s the story of thousands of graduates every year. We’re churned out with degrees but little direction.

But here’s the flip side: students aren’t powerless either. Yes, colleges need to step up, but today’s world offers tools our professors never had — YouTube tutorials, GitHub repos, free courses on Coursera or edX. If the system’s slow to change, why not take the reins yourself? A professor might not teach you system design, but nothing’s stopping you from learning it online and contributing to an open-source project by semester’s end.

So instead of just blaming the “system,” let’s shift focus to mindset change — among educators, administrators, and students. Because if the people don’t change, even if you rewrite the syllabus or revise regulations, the outcomes won’t budge. Change the mindset, and the system will follow. It’s not about waiting for reform; it’s about starting where we stand.

#Education #MindsetMatters #EngineeringColleges #CareerAwareness #RealTalk #StudentLife #Learning #GrowthMindset #TakeOwnership