Speaker's corner: January 20, 2008

From us to you: The eternal optimist
Given the torrential weather we've been having recently, it's hard for most of us (usually overly-baked by the harsh but serotonin-inducing rays of the UAE sun) to deal with life's little frustrations with a constant smile.

Say, for example, you woke up at 4.30am after only 2 hours of disturbed sleep, packed and were instantly ready to catch your 6am bus from central Dubai to the capital city's airport. Unknown to you, this is the exact moment when the UAE is finally blessed with those rare, heavy droplets of rain and an aftermath of serious, hip-high flooding ensues. Who knew what would have been an easy 25 minute congestion-free ride would turn out to be a rough 3 hour swim in alarmingly unfathomable traffic (and who would have guessed half the country would be up at such an unearthly hour?).

Meanwhile, as more of your hair turn white, you're frantically on the phone making calls to your airline (on the many numbers you get from each person trying to pass you onto the next), thinking maybe they'll let you in if you arrive an hour before flight time. With the bus long gone, you still manage to smile hysterically, trying to imagine the Dh200 taxi ride you are about to take, that will drive at 160 km/h to get you to the airport barely in time.

Arriving 15 minutes prior to departure, you somehow, unbelievably, still have a shred of hope left in you. Despite the teary pleading, you smile … You missed your flights and now you need another ride back to Dubai, with a long wait till the next available flight.

An incredible journey is now over and the morning is almost giving way to noon. How many of us would be smiling at the end of it, grateful you're even travelling at all? Grateful to see those much-needed droplets frame the country? Or realise that you've won some extra time for relaxed duty-free shopping and all those presents you wanted to buy?

Well the punch line you've been waiting for is that this is an eye-witness retelling of a true story that just happened to someone dear to me. We all have those rainy days, but what always surprises me is the way in which people, just like my friend, are eternal optimists. They can always smile and laugh at the end of an ordeal, even when things couldn't get much worse.

So this is dedicated to every inspiring person who faces, or merely tries to face, those simply awful days with a brave, brave smile.
Sara Saleh
Notes Intern
education@gulfnews.com

A great help
A part-time job of any kind will help establish the youngester's personality and educate them outside their textbooks. Students should be given a chance to study and work at the same time. However, I do think that six hours is too much time for work when students have school or university on their plates as well.
Amna

Balancing work and studies
The Ministry of Labour has permitted students to work legally from the age of 16. It is not necessary that students work so young, unless they have strong reasons to do so.

One of the challenges students face is prioritising. With major board exams and semester-finals around the corner in the late teen years, academics precede the need to earn pocket-money. If one can work without hampering his/her education, which includes individual and group study, gaining experience is definitely worthy — it is a good measure of how well an individual manages time and task.

Studying and working is not easy — to top it all, making time for family, friends and colleagues is indispensable! Having held various jobs on and off since I was 18, here is my two cents worth on student work experience:

Punctuality is a code of respect —especially when you are new on the job. Being on time is by far the loudest action that will speak about you.

Maintaining academic excellence, mind you, is a measure of commitment, perseverance under pressure and the quality that defines you as a quick learner.

Having a charming personality and the ability to work in teams are equally important.

Moreover, work experience helps vastly in networking and makes it easier to land a desirable job upon graduation.
No matter what job one may have, it is vital to get the best out of it and present it constructively.
Zerleena Khan

Working at an early age
Many students have to take up part-time jobs while studying for various valid reasons. Most of them have to work because of a financial situation that is imposed on them or their family.

If this is the case, they feel obliged to work in order to be able to pay for their daily expenses, which are rising continually.

I had a friend who had to balance work and studies. He gained experience from working, and undertaking both responsibilites simultaneously helped shape his personality.

However, I do remember that because of the late hours working hard he used to come to class very tired and used to miss classes. So it did affect his educational performance. He'd also miss out on the fun side of being in college. He could not participate in extracurricular activities and could not attend group meetings.

Despite all this hard work and commitment to work and university, I believe he turned out a very strong and dedicated person, who is ready to face any challenge and cope with any difficult situation.

I have to say that all this hard work didn't go in vain.
Maria