my experience as a student
(Arunpandian was a student of Udavi from 1997 to 2007)
The school imparts to its students practical as well as theoretical knowledge with which to face the challenges of life. Students not only learn the regular school subjects, but they also gain knowledge of various other cultures, and have a chance to excel in co-curricular and extra curricular activities. Students also learn and practise the values of secularism and brotherhood. I am an ex-student of the school, now doing my B.E. in Aeronautical Engineering at Adhiyamaan College of Engineering, Hosur, near Bangalore.I joined as a four-year-old in 1997, troubled by fears of going to a new place as any child at that age would be. However, in what was to be Udavi’s first gift, courage and confidence came to me on my very first day there. Then, over the following years, Udavi gave me friends, and brothers and sisters, in my classmates and my teachers. We called our teachers Anna and Akka. This relation took away all fear from us, and we became as free with the teachers as we would be with our own brothers and sisters. I used to ask lots of questions, and my teachers cleared all my doubts with love and understanding. We had lots of freedom, and we felt as if we were at home. Usually young children tend to cry while away from home, and would rather be with their families, but I remember crying wishing to be at the school! Ordinarily, students from the village did not get chances to learn things in English, but I think that we, the students of Edayanchavadi, have been very lucky – we not only got the opportunity to learn our subjects in English, but we also got to interact with and learn from teachers from different places and different cultures. Udavi taught me how to speak fluently in English. She has been a second mother to me. I say so because I know a mother gives her children everything she can without any expectations. Udavi students can learn art, dance, music, tailoring, clay work, carpentry, computer skills, and drama. Sports and athletics are also on offer. I became an all-rounder, thanks to this combination of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. While I enjoyed all these activities, my particular interest lay in art and Odissi classical dance. What I learnt from Udavi helped to differentiate me from other students. It was here, at Udavi, that I learnt how to live and how to face the difficulties and the challenges of life. When I joined another school for my higher secondary course, I had to compete with students who had scored higher marks than me but at the public exams that I took later I topped the list. Udavi had taught me everything I needed to know. Today, I stand at the top of my class with a 93% mark and AC.G.P.A. of 9.5. I am thankful to my old school that has done similar things for my fellow students, who have excelled in their own chosen fields. I am proud to be a product of Udavi. |