Do you want to become a professor?
Reasons does not matter, if you want to become a professor, you can. And there is a way, you just have to find this out. I am here to give you a little bit of wisdom, a push, an idea. So, the first part of this article is for the young, like you. Who wants to achieve something in your life. The second part is for the ones who already did achieve something or just got old achieving nothing.
Nope, I am not going to list out ten things you have to do to become a professor, like doing well in your college and getting a degree and PhD. As a confession, I never wanted to become a professor. But I had this little moment, where I thought about it, how one would actually achieve such a monumental success in life? If that is easy, everyone would have done that. As you can see, everyone is no professor. Hence, even when I tell you the secret, it is likely 99% of you would not become one. Yet you can use this wisdom as it is not just about being a professor of academic achievement, but a professor in anything. Are you up for a challenge?
The moment.
At one moment in my life, I was faced with this daunting task of a competitive exam which will determine the trajectory of life. Never was I naturally concentrating on studies. I knew, I am on a wrong path halfway through the study year, and exam rapidly approaching. I thought about it. The exams were tough. The question papers were prepared by professors. Who are individually geniuses of their own subject. Yet, I am supposed to face this exam, prepared by professors. That is unfair! How can I answer questions, prepared by professors? And in all the subjects.
I took a moment, to contemplate my thoughts. I wanted to answer the questions 100%. Only another professor would be able to do that. What does it mean? Then it hit me. I have to become a professor. Not in one subject. But in all of them. Then it would be inevitable I would pass the exam. How does a professor conduct? That is easy, It's all in movies I have watched.
A day of a professor
I thought about a day of a professor. He would wake up in the morning. And think about his latest experiment. He would start reading latest articles from Elsevier while taking his morning coffee. Then he would go through his notes for the lecture he is doing for his students. He would look at answers to previous class and critically mark and evaluate them. Would he stop there? No, He would think about his next experiment while taking lunch. And in the afternoon, he would spend in his laboratory doing some experiments. And after that he would peek into the library and read about one or two hours, on the history of Mathematics and science! Would he stop there? No, he would be back home, and he would be in thirst of more information. He would take a nap. And an afternoon walks, enjoying the nature while still thinking about equations. He would do some more reading and studying at night. He would read from where he has left yesterday. And even dream about his subject.
Basically, the professor lives with information, related to his subject of expertise all his day. And If I wanted to become a professor to answer all the questions, I would have to do the same!
So, that is the answer, to become a professor it is easy. You just have to do what a professor would do in his day. In fact, there is theory behind this, which is called Reverse, or backward goal setting. And I have article written previously about this, yet at the time of the exam I did not know the theory. It was totally my invention, and I felt a little proud about myself when I had the idea.
Implementation and results.
I implemented my theory by carrying a list of topics I am reading, all the time in my pocket. I would take it out and read and think and re-read when I go back. I would read for interest, to improve my knowledge not to pass the exam. And I would deliberately mix things up to see how things are interconnected. I would think while in the bus, while washing my cloths. And as expected the results were great, and I achieved results I thought I could but only dreamed I would as I had doubts.
Now I have given out the way, if being a professor is your thing, you should try this. If you are willing to devote your time It is possible, and Richard Ferman will second my statement.
“I was an ordinary person who studied hard. There are no miracle people. It happens they get interested in this thing and they learn all this stuff, but they’re just people.” ~ Richard Feynman
Second part - Living with information.
This observation leaves us two important lessons. One is the obvious. If you master the information, you can be an expert in anything. Human consciousness is a potential. What you put in will bring out the change in the output, which is thoughts. Hence, if you live with criminals and master that information, you will become an expert criminal. Like what happened to Frank Abagnale in the movie Catch me if you can. If you change your environment, it will affect the outcome of your life.
Second important lesson is it challenges the free will in a Subtle way. As you already know, this blog is about mindfulness and philosophy and truth about life. Imagine what I have said is true. If we live with information, and it will shape our future, there are no geniuses. There are no mystery people. It's just a matter of reasons. A mind which is capable of being a criminal or a mass murder, is also capable of becoming a saint. And that just makes no sense. If that is true, becoming a professor is just circumstances. There is no victory in it. But we do not have to come to conclusions. As someone really said the following, there is enough time unless there is a hailstorm in your life.
Life begins at forty - Walter Pitkin (after you become a professor :))
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