Camille Grefaldia UPCED NSTP Com Module 2 nd Sem 16-17

2016-90854 April 22,2017

B.S. Community Nutrition 3 Idiots (Reflection Paper)

For this weeks NSTP, we watched an interesting Bollywood film called 3 Idiots. When I first heard the
title, I couldnt help but connect it to pampalipas-oras, watch-when-bored comedy films like knocked-
up, 40-year-old virgin and wondered why are we watching it. But interestingly enough, it was nothing
like those movies, this movie gives you lessons that are applicable to real-life. The ideas within this film
reflect the real-life, and it provides the audience ideas that are eye-openers. This movie is about 3
engineering college students trying to survive their college life, with constant pressure from their parents,
peers and teachers.

There are many educational issues in the film that are similar to the educational concerns faced in the
Philippines. I believe that this is an important film that every college student must see because it is very
relatable and also the lessons provided in this film can help college students survive their college years.
One educational issue tackled in this film is that the school system gives so much more importance in
memorizing information and ideas rather than actually understanding the materials handed to students.
In the film, Rancho, the leading character, was asked to define what machines are in which he gave the
simplest answers that even students in kindergarten will understand. The professor didnt like his answer
because it was not something you can write on test papers. The other student gives the professor a
long, memorized, text-book definition of what machines are in which there are complicated words such
as pulley, pivot and the professor approved of that answer. Rancho on the other hand, argued his side,
telling the professor that the other student gave a similar answer to his, and that he just used simpler
words so everyone can understand. One line in the film that stayed with me is when Rancho challenged
the cramming system in schools Whats the point of blindly cramming a bookish definition, he argued
that one must understand what it means, and only more people will understand it in simpler language
without the use of fancy words. This reflects the education system nowadays because learning relies so
much more on memorization rather than actually understanding the learning material. Books and any
other learning resources provide students with information and ideas that are hard to grasp because of
the use of complicated words which always only translate to ideas that are easy to grasp when we use
simpler words. Personally, I will never understand the importance of using fancy words in text-books
when they are only making it harder for people to understand. Education aims to educate people. They
say that people who are given education are lucky. How would they be lucky if they themselves cannot
comprehend whats being taught to them, not making them any wiser than they were before they went
to school.
Another education issue that was given importance in the film was the grading system. Rancho
compared the grading system in the school with the caste system where the students who attain high
grades are at the top and students with lowest grades are like slaves in the caste system and are at the
lowest. Rancho again challenged this system and suggest that exam results or rankings shouldnt be
publicly announced so the weak students dont get embarrassed by their grades. This reflects the real-
life situations in colleges where students are put there to compete against each other for grades and
rankings. This also result in social issues within school institutions because it can be a source of bullying
where one is ridiculed for their low grades and are called stupid by other people, or even people who
get high grades, they are often called nerds and are always associated with deviants or anti-socials.
Moreover, most students nowadays are defined by their grades. They are not thought of highly when
they have bad grades, they are normally thought of as lazy, irresponsible or someone with no future.
This is wrong, grades dont define us, our intelligences are not only dependent on our grade reports.
People are born with different skills and talents, not all people are academically smart, some are people-
smart, or street-smart or talented in different aspects of life not only in academics. I really admire the
character of Rancho in the film because without any fear, he challenges the conventional aspects of the
learning system in school, and aiming to make learning more fun and more accessible to everyone.