Class 11 English Unit 20: Taking My Son to College, Where Technology has Replaced Serendipity

 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNJ_euA2tgg

Unit 20: Taking my Son to College,

 Where Technology has Replaced Serendipity (page 181)

Reflection of the Text

The writer describes taking her son, Hayden, to college and reflects on how different his experience is from her own first days at the same university many years ago. Like many parents, she and her husband helped their son move into his dorm, carrying common college items such as bedsheets, crates, and binders. These moments reminded her of her own college days, not only because of the setting but also because she had once been a freshman there too.

Thirty years earlier, the writer came from a small town in Maine and was unfamiliar with the social world of an elite university. She did not understand the signs of wealth and status around her and often misunderstood references to luxury and privilege. This lack of awareness made her college experience simple and innocent. She moved through her first year without much concern for social comparisons.

One major difference between the two experiences is technology. When the writer was a student, she used typewriters, landline phones, cassette tapes, and limited television channels. In contrast, her son depends heavily on modern technology. He uses apps to check laundry availability, dining hall menus, campus maps, and class schedules. He quickly learned about his roommates through social media and group chats. He even planned his classes using online ratings and videos of professors.

The writer admits that her son is better prepared for college. He manages his time well, works efficiently, and avoids wasting time. However, she worries about what might be missing from his experience. She believes that technology may reduce chances for surprise, deep thinking, and personal connections. She remembers making new friends by accident, retyping papers and discovering new ideas, watching TV shows together, and spending long hours searching for information in libraries.

The writer feels that today’s students may be more connected online but more isolated in real life. She ends by sharing a personal story of getting lost on campus and meeting a boy who later became her husband. Finally, she hopes her son will not only succeed but also enjoy the wonder of discovery, unexpected friendships, and the value of time spent without a clear purpose.

Ways with words

A.         Match the words with their correct definitions. (Answers only)

a.     Freshman: a first-year student at a university, college, or high school

b.     Naive: having a lack of experience or knowledge

c.     Obliviously: without conscious awareness

d.     Brag: says something in a boastful manner

e.     Disposal: the action of throwing away something

f.      Dorm: dormitory, student residence hall, or building

g.     Suitemate: someone who shares your bathroom/living room/kitchen

h.     Incalculable: not able to be calculated or estimated

B.         Replace the bold words in (a-h) with synonyms from the box. (Answers)

a.     Her story is incredible in the literal sense of the word.

b.     We often read the novels of potential writers in the world.

c.     The Facebook users are fragmented but connected through the Internet.

d.     Sometimes unanticipated events happen in our lives.

e.     He paused, scrutinising the faces of Anjana and Manju with his glittering eyes.

f.      I am sorry to say your handwriting is indecipherable.

g.     He is mature. He can navigate his own journey to make his career better.

h.     Gita’s heart swelled with delight, translating her confidence into power.

C.         Complete the sentences by choosing the correct word given in brackets.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh2SJiKfMrc (Often Confused Words)

a.     Does television affect children? (affect/effect)

b.     Does television have an effect on children? (affect/effect)

c.     Could you lend me your book, please? (borrow/lend)

d.     Can I borrow your pen? (borrow/lend)

e.     Prices seem to rise every year. (raise/rise)

f.      You can raise your hand if you want to ask a question. (raise/rise)

g.     What did he say to you? (say/tell)

h.     I can’t speak Hindi. (speak/talk)

i.       I will talk to you on the phone. (speak/talk)

j.       I think that’s a very sensible idea. (sensible/sensitive)

k.     My teeth are very sensitive to cold. (sensible/sensitive)

l.       Our principal is a popular person. (principal/principle)

m.  I couldn’t understand the principle of gravity. (principal/principle)

n.     All friends, except Nabina, came to the party. (accept/except)

o.     Will you accept my request? (accept/except)

p.     They were making too much noise. (noise/sound)

q.     All she could hear was the sound of the waves. (noise/sound)

r.      Did you give him any advice for his career? (advice/advise)

s.      My parents advise me to be a teacher. (advice/advise)

Comprehension: Answer these questions.

a.     Why did the author feel that she was lucky to be so naïve in her freshman year at college?

The author felt that she was lucky to be so naïve in her freshman year at college because her ignorance led her to the path of wealth and status. Despite being foolish, she got an opportunity to explore new things. So she felt lucky.

b.     Why did she say that she went to college in the Stone Age?

She said that she went to college in the Stone Age because she compared her college year with her son’s college year she found a vast difference. Technology was not such a use at her time. Compared to the present time, she was not so lucky to use cell phones and electronic gadgets to the fullest like his son is doing now. Seeing her son using electronic devices and technology almost everywhere, she says that her time was so primitive, hence she said she went to college in the Stone Age.

c.     What kinds of technological tools can Hayden use in his college life, unlike those his mother’s time?

Hayeden uses every technological shortcut to make his living easier. He uses a mobile phone with Yale-specific apps, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

d.     How has the internet and social sites affected the lifestyle of the youth?

The Internet has made the youth rely on nearly everything, whether big or small. It has made the life of youths easier, forgetting to experience struggle and hard labour. With no exertion, they’ll plan undertaking work depending upon search engines and software hampering the extension of the skyline of pondering and innovativeness. Social sites have given them opportunities to be connected to different people, but they are fragmented because they know each other virtually. Due to the internet and social sites, the youths have missed the actual pleasure of discovering the real world.

e.     What things about college life will Hayden really miss, unlike his mother?

Hayden will miss real-life interactions, usage of thinking capability and imagination, exploration and discoveries of various things in life dissimilar to his mom.

f.      The writer says, "I worry that students today are more connected and more fragmented. Isn’t this paradoxical? How?

The line "I worry that students today are more connected and more fragmented " is really conflicting and paradoxical. The paradoxical sentence is unreasonable in surface level. However, in profound level, there is its philosophical importance. There is no such thing as a fracture in affiliation; the above line implies that youth are related to each other mainly by pleasant locations. But, in the real world, there are far to at least one other. They do not have a particular person-to-person connection, so they’re divided. There is no openness to one another to acquire life’s critical moment.

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