01-10-2007 - Traces, n. 9

THE GRADUATE

“I LEARNED A
METHOD”


He graduated summa cum laude in Statistical and Economic Sciences from the Bicocca in Milan. Giuseppe, 22 years old, from Merate in Brianza, lives in an apartment with some American guys in downtown Milan, near Catholic University, where he has enrolled in a graduate course in Business Management.
Giuseppe, you’re starting over?
“Yes, it’s a new beginning. I’m optimistic.”
When he finished his first degree, he was disappointed by the courses offered by grad school, above all in specific areas. “I wanted to quit, because I realized, and the teachers confirmed it, that at grad school the university aimed at dumbing down... I mean, someone can do a hundred and he’s only asked for seventy. In short, the standards are benchmarked on mediocrity.”
On the one hand, students don’t always aspire to something more. On the other, teachers seem to be deterred by the low level of student demand. “It risks being reduced to an exam factory. Enrollments are actually taken online in some universities! It may be simple, but the impression is that they’re trying to keep students off the campus. A lot of people, including faculty members, just don’t accept that attitude. Underneath it all, they want what you want–like a professor who had ideas poles apart from mine, but he showed his respect and affection for me. He even dropped in for dinner at the apartment where I lived with some other guys. He told us how low the aspirations of students were. We were really stunned when he said, ‘My wish is that you have a dream for your lives.’ Then there was another professor, whose exams were really tough: ‘I’m sorry, I’m not here to con you by inflating the grades.’ If you think about it, he’s right. It makes it worthwhile to continue studying.”
So what does the future hold? “I still don’t know what I’ll do after the university. Still, in these years, I’ve discovered that I’ve matured, I’ve become more of a man. And this growth is possible when you find someone to look up to and follow, as I did with some teachers. It is also possible when, like last year, I helped some freshmen. What you learn is a method, apart from the skills you acquire. You’ll have that all your life. Today’s enthusiasm stems from the great hope of continuing to find people like that.” (P.P.)