Never overage to be undergrad

By Farah Mihlar

"Victor is a cool guy" that is usually how you would hear students at the Arts Faculty of the University of Colombo describe the newcomer.

What is unusual about the statement is that Victor is far from being a guy. At 51 years, Victor Goonetilleke must definitely be the oldest undergraduate the faculty has ever had. He joined as a second year student this year, after completing his introductory year at the Open University.

"As an English teacher I have this great advantage of getting fullpaid study leave to complete a university degree in English," says Victor. He always knew the importance of having a degree but he was never motivated to enter university as a student because the economic gain at the time for a teacher was negligible.

"The annual increment for a teacher with a degree was just Rs. 2.50. If you had a degree you were paid Rs. 15 otherwise you were paid Rs. 12.50," he says.

However, after some 27 years of teaching, Victor decided to take a break from parting with knowledge and made an effort to gain knowledge. He says he had the option of doing his entire degree at the Open University but chose to join as an undergraduate because he wanted to "experience a new type of environment and life."

Victor says he did have a few jittery thoughts when he decided to get into university. "I was wondering how I would fit into a university where the average age is 25 — to have as batchmates my daughter's friends. That really made me think a bit, but it wasn't a factor that kept me away," he says.

Victor's oldest daughter is an undergraduate at the Moratuwa University and is a year ahead of Victor in her degree.

Among the few humorous dilemma's that arose as a result of his decision to join as an undergraduate was the problem his daughter's friends faced when addressing him. "I asked them to call me by my first name but they have always called me 'uncle' so it was quite a problem for them," he says. Victor says his family was supportive of his moves and did not find the decision too alarming.

Campus life has been somewhat enriching for Victor who is doing a general degree in English, Sociology and International Relations. He says the youth world with its openness and honesty is a more refreshing environment to be in than the complicated adult world. Victor says he hardly has time to study but he attends lectures regularly, which helps him through his exams. "I attend lectures regularly and give 100 percent listening to the lecturer. That is 75 percent of my studying," he says. According to Victor as an adult he has accumulated knowledge that his batchmates lack. "As an adult, one assimilates a lot of knowledge. So I have a tremendous amount of raw data, which I have to put into an academic perspective," he adds.

People usually look for a job after their degree, but Victor, who left the professional world to become a student, may have to look at the unusual option of retirement instead. He says, after his degree he has to serve a bond as a teacher in a government school for a few more years. If he wishes to, however, he may pay off the bond and retire.

Victor is not even considering his choices. Right now he is simply enjoying the company of an entirely different generation. The secret of his success in defying the generation gap is 'breaking barriers'. "People just aren't as old as they think they are," he says.

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