CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en" ><head><meta charset="utf-8"><meta name="robots" content="" ><meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"><meta http-equiv="cache-control" content="no-cache" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no"><title>The burden of a degree</title><meta name="description" content="The more classes I attend, the more I feel out of place, like living in a village where the language feels foreign."><meta name="keyword" content="The,more,classes,I,attend,,the,more,I,feel,out,of,place,,like,living,in,a,village,where,the,language,feels,foreign."><meta name="language" content="English"><meta name="revisit-after" content="1 day"><meta property="og:image" content="https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/fiction-1732410954.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="The burden of a degree" /><meta property="og:type" content="article"/><meta property="og:url" content="https://kathmandupost.com./fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree"/><meta property="og:description" content="The more classes I attend, the more I feel out of place, like living in a village where the language feels foreign."/><meta content="@kathmandupost" property='twitter:site'/><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /><meta property='twitter:title' content="The burden of a degree"/><meta property='twitter:image' content="https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/fiction-1732410954.jpg"/><meta name="twitter:description" content="The more classes I attend, the more I feel out of place, like living in a village where the language feels foreign."/><meta name="twitter:creator" content="@kathmandupost" /><meta name="twitter:url" content="https://kathmandupost.com./fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree" /><link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/ficon.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="icon" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/ficon.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="57x57" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-57x57.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="60x60" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-60x60.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="72x72" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-72x72.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="76x76" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-76x76.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="114x114" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-114x114.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="120x120" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-120x120.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="144x144" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-144x144.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="152x152" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-152x152.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/apple-icon-180x180.png"><link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="192x192" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/android-icon-192x192.png"><link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/favicon-32x32.png"><link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="96x96" href="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/favicon-96x96.png"><link rel="manifest" href="/manifest-tkp.json"><meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#ffffff"><meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/device-icon/ms-icon-144x144.png"><meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff"><meta property="fb:pages" content="190249544498250" /><link rel='stylesheet' href='https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/css/commonv3.43.css'/><link href="https://kathmandupost.com/assets/css/smartbanner.min.css" rel="stylesheet"><meta name="smartbanner:title" content="The Kathmandu Post"><meta name="smartbanner:author" content="Kantipur Media Group"><meta name="smartbanner:price" content="FREE"><meta name="smartbanner:price-suffix-apple" content=" - On the App Store"><meta name="smartbanner:price-suffix-google" content=" - In Google Play"><meta name="smartbanner:icon-apple" content="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/icons/apple-icon-72x72.png"><meta name="smartbanner:icon-google" content="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/icons/android-icon-72x72.png"><meta name="smartbanner:button" content="VIEW"><meta name="smartbanner:button-url-apple" content="https://apps.apple.com/np/app/the-kathmandu-post/id1489704917"><meta name="smartbanner:button-url-google" content="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kathmandupost"><meta name="smartbanner:enabled-platforms" content="android,ios"><meta name="smartbanner:close-label" content="Close"><script src="https://kathmandupost.com/assets/js/smartbanner.min.js"></script><style>img.lazy{ background:rgba(100,70,44,0.5);}img.lazy{ background:#999;}.ui-menu { width: 150px; }.lazy{content:url("https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/lazy.png");}/*Start of Lane Block*/.header-ads, .sponsor-header{ background:#f6f6f6;margin:0; border-bottom:solid 1px #efefef; position: relative; z-index:0;}.ads-block{/*background:#fff;*/ padding:4rem;}.ads-block img{ max-width: 100%; }.ads-block h1{ margin:0; color: #efefef; font-size:1.3rem;}.close-btn{ position: absolute;right:10px; top:10px; width: 24px; height: 24px; z-index: 2;}.ui-menu{ width: auto; }.close-btn{cursor: pointer;}/*End of Lane Block*//* roadblock */#roadblock-ad {position: fixed;text-align: center;top: 0;height: 100%;width: 100%;z-index: 9;min-height: 500px;}#roadblock-ad .wrap {display: -webkit-flex;display: -ms-flexbox;display: flex;-webkit-align-items: center;align-items: center;-webkit-justify-content: center;justify-content: center;height: 100vh;}#roadblock-ad:before {content: '';position: fixed;width: 100%;height: 100%;left: 0;top: 0;background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);}#roadblock-ad .image {position: relative;width: 76%;margin: 5% 12% 0;max-height: inherit;overflow:inherit;}@media (min-width: 992px){#roadblock-ad .image {width: 56%;}}@media (min-width: 1440px) and (min-height:992px){#roadblock-ad .image {width: 70%;}}#roadblock-ad img {max-width: 100%;}#roadblock-ad .link {position: absolute;right: 12%;top: 4%;font-size: 1.15em;cursor: pointer;color: #eee;}#roadblock-ad .link>i {color: inherit;font-weight: bold;}#roadblock-ad .link:after {content: '';display: block;width: 0%;background: #aaa;height: 1px;-moz-transition: 0.3s all ease-in;-webkit-transition: 0.3s all ease-in;transition: 0.3s all ease-in;}#roadblock-ad .link:hover:after {width: 100%;}#roadblock-ad .icon-close {color: #fff;cursor: pointer;float: right;height: 28px;width: 28px;border: 1px solid #fff;position: absolute;top: -8px;right: -10px;border-radius: 50%;line-height: 1.8;background: #ff0000;font-weight: bold;font-size: 0.9em;}/*.ads-wrapper{margin-bottom:20px;} */.sponsored-article{ padding: 17px;background-color: #f7f3f3;}.sponsored-badge{font-size: 0.7em;/* text-decoration: underline; */border-radius: 3px;background-color: black;padding: 1px 11px;display: inline-block;color: #fff;text-transform: uppercase;letter-spacing: 1px;}@media(max-width: 767px){.video-ad {width: 90% !important;}}.news-coverage {padding-left: 1rem;}.news-coverage li{font-weight:bold;font-size: 13px;}section.story-section img {max-width: 100%;}/*.block-money{margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;} */.story-section p a{color:#2420b9;}</style><script type="text/javascript" src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/js/jquery.min.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/js/commonv3.43.js"></script><style>/* Enter Your Custom CSS Here*/.week-logo{display:none;}.new-class {display: none;}.currency-converter .alert-warning {display: none;}.auth-socia ul li {margin-right: 5px;}.logo a {margin-bottom: 0;}.logo span {/*background: #fff;*/display: inline-block;padding: 4px 13px}@media (max-width:992px){main {margin-top:20px;}}/* for new year 2020 *//*@media (min-width:992px){header {margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;}#mainContent header .container{padding-top: 5rem;padding-bottom: 1rem;background-color: #fff;background-image: url('https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2019/miscellaneous/happy-new-year-2020-mast-head-tkp.jpg');position: relative;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 25px bottom;background-size: contain !important;}*//*.blocktop-date {color:#fff;}*/}@media (min-width:768px ){.article-image--left:nth-child(3){border-bottom:none;}}/*@media (min-width: 992px){.blocktop-date {padding-left: 20px;}}*/.logo span a {color: #000;}/* for dashain*//*#mainContent header {background: url(https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/LOGOs/dashainbanner-1603264308.svg) no-repeat center bottom;}@media (min-width:992px){#mainContent header{}#mainContent header {padding-top: 5.8rem;background-color: inherit;margin-bottom: 0;padding-bottom: 0.9rem;}}*//*end dashain*/@media(max-width:767px) {#mainContent header {background-size: 100%;margin: 0;/*padding-bottom: 1rem;*/padding-top: 2rem;}}@media(min-width:768px) and (max-width:1359px) {#mainContent header {background-size: 100%;margin: 0;/*padding-bottom: 1rem;padding-top:4rem;*/}}@media(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 991px){#mainContent header{padding-bottom: 10px;}}@media (min-width:991px) and (max-width:1359px) {#mainContent header {/*padding-top: 7rem;*/}}/*@media (min-width: 992px) {.logo {bottom: 10px;}}*/*/ .image.story-section {max-height: none;}.ads-wrapper {clear: both;}main p a {margin: 0px;}.full-width.bg-lightgray.text-center {padding-top: 7px;padding-bottom: 7px;/*margin-bottom:0;*/}/*.story-section div{padding-top:0!important;}*/.page-detail--full .full-width {margin-top: 2rem;margin-bottom: 2rem;width: 99.225vw;position: relative;margin-left: -49.59vw;left: 50%;}.section-full img {width: inherit !important;}#roadblock-ad .image .ads-wrapper {background: none;}.page-detail--content .ads-wrapper {margin-bottom: 40px;margin-top: 40px;}.page-detail--content .ads-wrapper,.page-detail--content .ads-wrapper div {padding-top:0;}.social-scroll__whatsapp {display: none!important;}.verify {margin-top: 15px;}.verify-btn {background: #999;padding: 10px;display: flex;margin-top: 10px;color: #fff;background-color: #666;}.page-detail--full .image {max-height: none;}.story-section p a {color: #D42620 !important;}.offcanvas li ul.sub-menu.visible {max-height: 289px;}.offcanvas li li {padding: 8px 0 8px 10px;}.south-asian-games-2019-banner {background: url('https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2019/sports/13th-south-asian-games-2019.png') no-repeat center bottom;background-size: contain;height: 58px;}.new-year-supplement-2020-banner{background: url('https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2019/miscellaneous/new-year-2020-tkp.jpg') no-repeat right bottom;background-size: contain;height: 58px;}@media(min-width: 768px) and (max-width:991px) {.south-asian-games-2019-banner,.new-year-supplement-2020-banner {height: 142px;margin-bottom: 20px;}}@media(min-width: 992px) {.south-asian-games-2019-banner,.new-year-supplement-2020-banner {height: 236px;margin-bottom: 40px;}}.covid19-banner img{width:100%;}.covid-readmitted-table{display:none;}/*.covid-readmitted-nepal{display:none;}.covid-readmitted-district{display:none;}*/.tooltiptext div:nth-of-type(4) {display:none!important;}.tooltiptext div:nth-of-type(2) {display:none!important;}/*.nepal-total div:nth-of-type(4) {display:none!important;}.nepal-total div:nth-of-type(2) {display:none!important;}*/.district-wrapper td:nth-child(4), .district-wrapper th:nth-child(4), .covid-readmitted-nepal,.covid-readmitted-district{display:none!important;}.fs-map.nepal-fs-map{display:none;}.col-xs-12.col-md-5.fs-nepalmap{display:none;}.col-xs-12.col-md-7.fs-nepalmap{width:90%;}.tooltiptext div{display:none;}.tooltiptext div[style]{display:block;}.tooltiptext .tooltip-district{display:block!important;}.videos-block-section{display:block!important;}.promo-block{padding-bottom: 30px;margin-top: 10px;margin-bottom:10px;}/*@media (min-width: 1025px){#mainContent header {padding-top: 7rem;margin-bottom: 1rem;background-color: #fff;background-image: url(https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2021/default/tihartkp-1635917838.png);position: relative;background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: center;background-size: contain !important;}}*/.smartbanner{z-index:9999;}@media (max-width: 992px) {#mainContent{margin-top:0px;}#header .blocktop{margin-top:20px;}.smartbanner{top:-40px;}.smartbanner{z-index:9999;}}</style><script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-10805376-29"></script><script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}gtag('js', new Date());gtag('config', 'UA-10805376-29');</script><script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LMXW7XJ2ZH"></script><script>window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}gtag('js', new Date());gtag('config', 'G-LMXW7XJ2ZH');</script><script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-P82R6K27');</script></head><script>window.fbAsyncInit = function() {FB.init({appId : '483474262191046',cookie : true,xfbml : true,version : 'v3.2'});FB.AppEvents.logPageView(); };(function(d, s, id){var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><script>/* Auth Scripts*/function isLoggedIn(){if(localStorage.user_details){return true;}else{return false;}}function fbLogin(){FB.login(function(response) {if(response.status=='connected'){var fbID = response.authResponse.userID;doLogin(fbID);}else{FB.login(function(response){fbLogin();});}},true);}function doLogout(){localStorage.clear();showToast('Successfully Logged Out');loadWidget('login','login-wrapper');}function handleLogin(){form_id = 'login-form';form = document.getElementById(form_id);if(!form.checkValidity()){form.reportValidity();return false;}var postData = {phone: $("#"+form_id).find('.phone-number').val(),password: $("#"+form_id).find('.password').val()};$.ajax({url: 'https://auth.kathmandupost.com/login',type:'post',data: postData,success:function(response){response = JSON.parse(response);if(response.code==200){showToast('Successfully Logged in');setLoginDetails(response);}else{showToast(response.message,'error');}}});}function doLogin(id){FB.api("/"+id,function (response) {if (response && !response.error) {name = response.name;var postData = {'fbID':id,'name':name};$.ajax({url:'https://auth.kathmandupost.com/login',type:'post',data:postData,success:function(res){var response = JSON.parse(res);if(response.code=='200'){showToast('Successfully Logged in');setLoginDetails(response);}else{showToast(response.message,'error');}}});}});}function getAuthentication(){if(isLoggedIn()){return localStorage.authentication;}}function setAuthentication(authentication){if(isLoggedIn()){localStorage.authentication = authentication;}}function setLoginDetails(response){localStorage.user_details = JSON.stringify(response.user_details);localStorage.authentication = response.token;loadWidget('login','login-wrapper');setTimeout(function(){getBookmark();},2000);}function getNewAuthentication(){if(isLoggedIn()){$.ajax({url:'https://auth.kathmandupost.com/login/refreshtoken?token='+getAuthentication(),type:'get',success:function(response){response = JSON.parse(response);if(response.code==200){setAuthentication(response.new_token);}else{doLogout();}},error:function(){doLogout();}});}}function loadWidget(section,wrapper){if(isLoggedIn()){url = "/pages/widget?section=login&token="+getAuthentication();}else{url = "/pages/widget?section=login";}$.ajax({url:url,type:'get',success:function(res){$("#myModalLogIn").remove();$("#"+wrapper).html(res);$(".modal-backdrop").remove();return true;},error:function(){doLogout();}});}function toggleMute() {var video=document.getElementsByClassName("embed-responsive-item")[0];if(video.muted){video.muted = false;} else {video.muted = true;}$(".icon-speaker").toggleClass('mute');}function gaEvent(eventCategory,eventAction,eventLabel,eventValue){ga('send','event',eventCategory,eventAction,eventLabel,eventValue);}function gaPageView(url,title){ga('send', 'pageview',url,{'title':title});}var short_url = window.location.href;</script><style>.section-center{text-align: center;}.section-full iframe{min-height:300px;width:100%;}.section-center iframe{width:60%;min-height:300px;}/*.section-full img{width:100%;}*/.quiz-share a{display:inline-block;}.story-section{margin-bottom:15px;margin-top:15px;}.image{max-height:600px;}.updated-time{ line-height: 1.3rem;}figcaption i{font-weight:bold;}.quiz-result{background:#000;color:#fff;font-size:1.2em;text-align:center;padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;}.quiz-result strong{color:#fff;}</style><body class="page page-detail "><noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-P82R6K27"height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript><div style="float: left;width: 100%;clear: both;"><div id="login-wrapper"></div><script>loadWidget('login','login-wrapper');</script><div class="menu-top menu-top__down menu-ani"><div class="menu-bar menu-open"><div class="bar1"></div><div class="bar2"></div><div class="bar3"></div></div><div class="menu-top__list text-center hidden-xs hidden-sm"><ul class="list-inline" style="display:inline-block;"><li><a href="/national">National</a></li><li><a href="/politics">Politics</a></li><li><a href="/valley">Valley</a></li><li><a href="/opinion">Opinion</a></li><li><a href="/money">Money</a></li><li><a href="/sports">Sports</a></li><li><a href="/art-culture">Culture & Lifestyle</a></li></ul><a href="/weekender" class="week-logo weekender-menu" style="width: 40px;margin-left: 10px;margin-top: 0;border-radius: 50%;padding: 0px 7px 0 6px;width: 36px;height: 36px;background-color: #f6f6f6;"><img src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/logo-sticky-bar-tkp-weekender-1.png" class="img-responsive"></a></div><div class="block--searchBox"><div class="block--searchBox__input"><script async src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=006439178574289969438:21nndnycfqd"></script><div class="gcse-search"></div><style>.gsc-search-button-v2 svg {fill: #868686 !important; position:relative;top:3px}.gsc-search-button-v2, .gsc-search-button-v2:hover, .gsc-search-button-v2:focus{padding:1px 5px; border-color: #d4d4d4 !important;background-color: #fffdfd !important;}input.gsc-search-button, input.gsc-search-button:hover, input.gsc-search-button:focus {background-image:url("https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/common/images/search-btn.png") !important;}.cse .gsc-search-button input.gsc-search-button-v2, input.gsc-search-button-v2{width:24px; height:24px; border:none; padding:0 12px; background-position:center center}.gsc-adBlock {display: none!important;}</style></div><div class="blocktop blocktop-search block--search"></div></div><div class="blocktop blocktop-user"><a data-toggle="modal" data-target="#myModalLogIn"></a></div></div> <h1 class="logo logo-white"><a href="/"><img src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/logos/thekathmandupost-logo-white.png" class="img-responsive"></a></h1><div class=" menu-sidebar"><div id="myOffcanvas" class="offcanvas"><ul class="list-unstyled"><li class="megamenu"><a class="menu-item " href="/national">National</a><ul class="list-unstyled sub-menu menu-ani"><li><a class="" href="/national/province-no-2">Madhesh Province</a></li><li><a class="" href="/national/province-no-5">Lumbini Province</a></li><li><a class="" href="/national/province-no-3">Bagmati Province</a></li><li><a class="" href="/national/national-security">National Security</a></li><li><a class="" href="/national/province-no-1">Koshi Province</a></li><li><a class="" href="/national/gandaki-province">Gandaki Province</a></li><li><a class="" href="/national/karnali-province">Karnali Province</a></li><li><a class="" href="/national/sudurpaschim-province">Sudurpaschim Province</a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/politics">Politics</a></li><li class="megamenu"><a class="menu-item " href="/valley">Valley</a><ul class="list-unstyled sub-menu menu-ani"><li><a class="" href="/valley/kathmandu">Kathmandu</a></li><li><a class="" href="/valley/lalitpur">Lalitpur</a></li><li><a class="" href="/valley/bhaktapur">Bhaktapur</a></li></ul></li><li class="megamenu"><a class="menu-item " href="/opinion">Opinion</a><ul class="list-unstyled sub-menu menu-ani"><li><a class="" href="/opinion/columns">Columns</a></li><li><a class="" href="/opinion/as-it-is">As it is</a></li><li><a class="" href="/opinion/letters">Letters</a></li><li><a class="" href="/opinion/editorial">Editorial</a></li><li><a class="" href="/opinion/cartoon">Cartoon</a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/money">Money</a></li><li class="megamenu"><a class="menu-item " href="/sports">Sports</a><ul class="list-unstyled sub-menu menu-ani"><li><a class="" href="/sports/cricket">Cricket</a></li><li><a class="" href="/sports/football">Football</a></li><li><a class="" href="/sports/international-sports">International Sports</a></li></ul></li><li class="megamenu"><a class="menu-item " href="/art-culture">Culture & Lifestyle</a><ul class="list-unstyled sub-menu menu-ani"><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/arts">Arts</a></li><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/brunch-with-the-post">Brunch with the Post</a></li><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/movie-review">Movies</a></li><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/life--style">Life & Style</a></li><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/theater">Theater</a></li><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/art-entertainment">Entertainment</a></li><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/books">Books</a></li><li><a class="" href="/art-culture/fashion">Fashion</a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/health">Health</a></li><li class="megamenu"><a class="menu-item " href="/food">Food</a><ul class="list-unstyled sub-menu menu-ani"><li><a class="" href="/food/recipes">Recipes</a></li></ul></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/travel">Travel</a></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/investigations">Investigations</a></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/climate-environment">Climate & Environment</a></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/world">World</a></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/science-technology">Science & Technology</a></li><div class="menu-separator"></div><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/interviews">Interviews</a></li><li class=""><a class="menu-item " href="/visual-stories">Visual Stories</a></li><div class="menu-separator"></div><li><a href="/puzzles">Crosswords & Sudoku</a></li><li><a href="/horoscope">Horoscope</a></li><li><a href="/forex">Forex</a></li><div class="menu-separator"></div><li><a href="/corrections">Corrections</a></li><li><a href="/pages/letters-to-the-editor">Letters to the Editor</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://epaper.ekantipur.com/kathmandupost">Today's ePaper</a></li></ul></div></div></div><div style="float: left;width: 100%;clear: both; height: 0px;display: none;"></div> <div id="mainContent"><header id="header"><div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-xs-2x pull-left"><div class="blocktop blocktop-date hidden-xs hidden-sm">Sunday, November 24, 2024 </div></div> <div class="col-xs-6x hidden-xs hidden-sm"><h1 class="logo"><a href="/" class="logoWHide"><img src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/logos/thekathmandupost-logo.png" class="img-responsive"></a><a href="/" class="hidden logoW"><img src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/tkp-logo-weekender.png" class="img-responsive"></a><span class="logoWHide"><a href="/">Without Fear or Favour</a></span><span class="hidden logoW"><a href="/" class="color-teal">UNWIND IN STYLE</a></span></h1></div> <div class="col-xs-6x hidden-xs hidden-sm pull-right"><div class="blocktop blocktop-uswe user-wrap"><div class="clearfix"></div><div class="blocktop blocktop-weather hidden-xs" style="background: none;"><div class="blocktop-temperature"><a href="/weather"><img style="width:28px;" src="https://openweathermap.org/img/w/03d.png">19.12°C Kathmandu</a></div><a class="hover-target" href="/airquality">Air Quality in Kathmandu: <strong style="color:#cc0033">155</strong></a><div class="hover-element"><div class="index-wrap aq1 "><span class="index-data-range">300+</span><span class="label label-hazardous">Hazardous</span></div><div class="index-wrap aq2 "><span class="index-data-range">0-50</span><span class="label label-good">Good</span></div><div class="index-wrap aq3 "><span class="index-data-range">51-100</span><span class="label label-moderate txt-black">Moderate</span></div><div class="index-wrap aq4 "><span class="index-data-range">101-150</span><span class="label label-unhealthySens">Unhealty for Sensitive Groups</span></div><div class="index-wrap aq5 active"><span class="index-data-range">151-200</span><span class="label label-unhealthy">Unhealthy</span></div><div class="index-wrap aq6 "><span class="index-data-range">201-300</span><span class="label label-veryHeal">Very Unhealthy</span></div></div></div></div> </div> <div class="col-xs-12 mob-flex"><div class="blocktop blocktop-uswe visible-xs visible-sm"><div class="blocktop blocktop-date">Sun, Nov 24, 2024</div><div class="blocktop blocktop-weather" style="background: none;"><div class="blocktop-temperature"><a href="/weather"><img style="width:28px;" src="https://openweathermap.org/img/w/03d.png">19.12°C Kathmandu</a></div><div class="blocktop-temperature"></div><a href="/airquality">Air Quality in Kathmandu: <strong style="color:#cc0033">155</strong></a></div></div></div></div> </div> </header><script>/*setTimeout(function(){getWeather();},2000);function getWeather(){$.ajax({url:'https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=kathmandu&appid=5620c2b78e6d891924652304a96849ac',type:'get',success:function(res){weather = res.main.temp-273.15+'°C '+res.name;icon = "https://openweathermap.org/img/w/" + res.weather[0].icon + ".png";weather = '<img style="width:28px;" src="'+icon+'">'+weather;$(".blocktop-temperature").html(weather);}});}*//*function getWeather(){$.get('https://ipinfo.io',function(response){country = response.region;latlong = response.loc;latlongSlice = latlong.split(',');lat = latlongSlice[0];lon = latlongSlice[1];$.ajax({url:'http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?lat='+lat+'&lon='+lon+'&appid=5620c2b78e6d891924652304a96849ac',type:'get',success:function(res){weather = res.main.temp-273.15+'°C '+res.name;icon = "http://openweathermap.org/img/w/" + res.weather[0].icon + ".png";weather = '<img style="width:28px;" src="'+icon+'">'+weather;$(".blocktop-weather").html(weather);}});},'jsonp');}function ucwords(str) {str = str.toLowerCase();var words = str.split(' ');str = '';for (var i = 0; i < words.length; i++) {var word = words[i];word = word.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + word.slice(1);if (i > 0) { str = str + ' '; }str = str + word;}return str;}*/</script><script>document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) { $( ".icon-close" ).click(function() {$( ".header-ads" ).toggleClass('hidden-md');/*$( "#menu" ).menu();*/});$('.ad-close-btn').on('click',function(){$('.header-ads').slideUp();});});</script><main><div class="container"><div class="row hidden-xs"><div class="col-xs-12"><div class="trending-topics"><ul class="trending-topics-list"><li> <h4>What's News :</h4></li><li data-tagid="63668"><a href="/karnali-province/2024/11/24/666-lives-in-five-years-road-accidents-take-a-heavy-toll-in-karnali">Karnali road accidents </a></li><li data-tagid="63675"><a href="/valley/2024/11/24/the-newari-musical-group-helping-women-play-traditional-instruments">Newari musical group </a></li><li data-tagid="63682"><a href="/money/2024/11/24/nepal-s-foreign-trade-sees-uptick-on-festive-demand-push">Nepal’s foreign trade increases </a></li><li data-tagid="63689"><a href="/karnali-province/2024/11/24/thousands-of-karnali-youths-compelled-to-migrate-to-india-for-livelihood">Karnali youth exodus </a></li><li data-tagid="63696"><a href="/world/2024/11/24/cop29-agrees-deal-to-kick-start-global-carbon-credit-trading">COP29 agreement </a></li><li data-tagid="63703"><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree">Fiction Park </a></li></ul></div></div></div><div class="row"><span class="hidden-lg hidden-md" style="height:10px;"></span><div class="col-sm-8"><script>short_url = window.location.href;</script><h4 class=" title--line__red"><a href="/fiction-park">Fiction Park </a></h4><h1 style="margin-bottom:0.1rem;">The burden of a degree</h1><span class="title-sub">The more classes I attend, the more I feel out of place, like living in a village where the language feels foreign. </span><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/fiction-1732410954.jpg&w=900&height=601" src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/lazy.png" class="lazy img-responsive" alt="The burden of a degree"><figcaption> <i>Shutterstock</i></figcaption><div style="margin-bottom:1.2rem; font-size:0.9rem;"><a href="javascript:;" onclick="bookmark('721003')" class="icon-svg icon-svg-42 icon-svg-bookmark pull-right">bookmark</a><div class="page-detail--content clearfix"><script type="text/javascript">//$(document).ready(function(){/*var headerH = $('header').height();*///$(".social-scroll").stick_in_parent({//offset_top: 63//});//});</script><div class="social-scroll"><span class="social-scroll__count" style="display:none;"></span><ul class="list-inline"><li class="social-scroll__facebook"><a href="javascript:;" onclick="fbShare('https://kathmandupost.com/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree');" class="icon-svg icon-svg-32 icon-svg-facebook">facebook</a></li><li class="social-scroll__twitter"><a href="javascript:;" onclick="twitShare('https://kathmandupost.com/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree','The burden of a degree')" class="icon-svg icon-svg-32 icon-svg-twitter">twitter</a></li><li class="social-scroll__whatsapp"><a href="javascript:;" onclick="whatsappShare('https://kathmandupost.com/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree','The burden of a degree')" class="icon-svg icon-svg-32 icon-svg-whatsapp">Whatsapp</a></li><li class="social-scroll__mail"><a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#19264a6c7b737c7a6d244d717c397b6c6b7d7c7739767f3978397d7c7e6b7c7c3f7b767d60244d717c3974766b7c397a75786a6a7c6a395039786d6d7c777d35396d717c3974766b7c3950397f7c7c7539766c6d39767f396975787a7c35397570727c3975706f70777e3970773978396f707575787e7c396e717c6b7c396d717c397578777e6c787e7c397f7c7c756a397f766b7c707e7737" class="icon-svg icon-svg-32 icon-svg-mail">mail</a></li></ul></div><div style="clear:both;"></div><h5 class="text-capitalize"> <a href="/author/sugam-gautam">Sugam Gautam</a></h5><div class="updated-time"><span class="icon-svg icon-svg-10 icon-svg-time pull-left"></span>Published at : November 24, 2024 </div><div class="updated-time"><span class="icon-svg icon-svg-10 icon-svg-time pull-left"></span>Updated at : November 24, 2024 07:01 </div><div style="position: relative;" class="subscribe--wrapperx"><section class="story-section"><p>The first thing I hear in the morning is an annoying shrill on my phone. Then something more unpleasant—my yawns and curses—takes over as I straighten up, rubbing my eyes. The alarm is always set for four in the morning, and each day, by 4:03, I’m staring at myself in the mirror above my bathroom sink. My hair is always messy, and I try to coif it with my right hand as my mind speculates about the day ahead—the jogging to the bus stop, a senior lady already there, anxiously looking at the watch tethered to her slender wrist. And then, a tiresome trip along the bumpy roads, exacerbated by the gossiping of ostentatious girls—four of them—who I have grown to dislike without even interacting much.</p><p>Things get worse when I step into the classroom with distraught, attentive faces and eyes fixated on the all-knowing professors. Everyone in the classroom finds the professor charismatic and magical. I rip out their faces in my imagination, and in stark contrast to others, I spot an arrogant layer on the inside. I decide to loathe their aura, their movements, and their confidence. </p><p>The more classes I attend, the more I feel I don’t fit in. It’s like migrating to a village where people speak a language alien to your consciousness. Words are said and even grasped as wisdom, which the students discern as a means to earn in the future. I doubt the process, the veins in my body refusing to pump the blood of optimism. And I think people view it as my problem if they ever take a moment to look over my wayward ways. </p><p>By now, everyone has assumingly figured out that I hate socialising, and the urge to isolate has only grown with time, with me knowing that I am imbued with servile souls who have a thing for grovelling. The professors are looked upon as demigods, and between my classes, I imagine each of the students bowing submissively in front of the chair, begging for more internal marks so that the aggregate marks soar closer to the total. </p><p>An old friend of mine, who has been sitting beside me from the start of classes, is probably sick of my attitude to not get along with others. I’m sure he if not others, reads the crease between my brows when someone invites us to a birthday celebration after the end of the class. He knows how much I hate to tag along with him to those parties, and if it weren’t for the situation, I would not be clapping and singing stupid birthday songs, pretending to like my classmates. I imagine that sometimes he would be happier to sit with someone else in the classroom; sometimes, I wonder if he wishes I were not studying in the same class at all. But he is an old friend, and I suppose we understand each other better than others do. </p><p>Of course, we are not without differences—he loves going to the university, even if it means riding a bike for 30 minutes in the biting cold, and I, on the other hand, scrunch my nose on weekdays, anticipating a Saturday morning. There are days I knowingly miss boarding the bus, my gaze lingering on the back of the long, white bus, my soul happy to let it go, excited about the prospect of reading a novel stashed in my backpack. The next day, when my friend asked why I hadn’t come the previous day, I would come up with some lame answers and by the looks on my face, he would gather that I had spent my previous day at a roadside cafe, reading and perhaps writing. </p><p>When we both joined the course at the university, we were equally unsure of why we were doing it. The move we made was arbitrary, perhaps the reputation of the degree luring us. And both of us, being the only sons in our respective families, had tenuous chances of being sent abroad. That’s how we ended up at the university, and though I knew it would not be a cruise, I had very few options. At that time, I found it the best of all options, and now I have started admitting that making the wrong decision is not new to me. </p><p>I say, "Two more years, and I’ll be done with the university." The thought is fascinating, even tempting. But when someone asks what’s after the university, worries wash over me, numbing my mind. There’s still a long way until the day I graduate, and it’s too early to make plans about the future. I need to set the goals daily, month by month, keeping things simple.</p><p>November mornings are already quite chilly. By December, I'll have dug out all my sweaters from the cupboard to protect myself from the illnesses the cold tends to bring. Meanwhile, a professor I can't stand will likely scold me for skipping class presentations. A week ago, when she entered the class and introduced herself, something in her gravelly voice unsettled me. Her acts, her high-pitched voice, and how she wore her sari didn’t look natural to me. She looked like someone who brags about herself, claiming to be modest. I wonder if there’s a mask on her face, and if I touch it, the thin object would evaporate, finally betraying her actual face. She’s acting, I concluded on the first day of class.</p><p>My favourite professor is a young one who keeps to himself and doesn’t engage much with students, and I wish there were more like him. He neither asks anyone their names nor points out his fingers to ask questions. He is certainly the best in the business. A smile always plays on his lips, and his calm demeanour is something I think others should learn too. There will be new professors teaching me in the upcoming trimesters, and if I had my way, I would hire that cool-headed professor for all the subjects.</p><p>Like every other morning, I wake up on the dot at 4, wolf down some cereal, and wash it with bland coffee before heading towards the bus stop. On the way, I come across early joggers—some rotund figures, others skinny, perhaps making rounds to maintain their health. Not a single pair of eyes meets mine, and it feels as though I’m insignificant or, worse, invisible. As I pierce through the chilling air, a thought crosses my mind: it would be thrilling if I were invisible but could still peer at others, inspecting their moves with my critical gaze. I want to laugh at the idea, but I fear I’ll attract the attention of a young lady on the other side of the narrow lane. Unlike others, she tilts her head in my direction, and I size her up in the dark. How many strangers do we come across daily? Why do we even make eye contact? A human is a strange creature who, forgetting everything for a few seconds, zeros in on strangers, never to be seen again. </p><p>When I reach the bus stop, the senior girl is already standing on the sidewalk, determined to climb the bus that ferries her to her dreamland, a place that supposedly will make her dreams come true. The day I first saw her at the bus stop, waiting for the bus, I was struck by her eagerness and her hunger to reach class on time. And then there’s me, intentionally walking slowly some days, hoping to miss the bus so I can indulge in novels. </p><p>The only time I talked to her, she was gentle and considerate, and surprisingly, she didn’t even talk about her studies. She was all ears when I explained my passion for reading and writing. A few rounds of smiles, a slight nod of the head—that’s all. I don’t remember talking to her after that exchange. She always occupies the same seat in the front row on the bus and hardly talks to anyone except for a girl beside her. If there’s anyone I’d like to befriend, it’s her, but she doesn’t always cross my mind. It’s just that I like her because I think she is what I call a good lady. </p><p>The darkness is gone, and more vehicles ply the road, but the bus that ferries us to the university hasn’t arrived yet. The kind girl is prancing around, even kicking a stone, the phone attached to her right ear. The bus should have been here 20 minutes ago, but for some reason, it isn’t here yet. A few minutes later, she walks towards me and, in her musical voice, says, “Someone in power has died, and the government has declared a national holiday.” She says this as she walks, her smell leaving a fleeting sensation. I wanted to ask her for coffee, but I dropped the idea because she hated that there were no classes today. On the other hand, I’m dancing with joy at the thought of a day filled with novels and stories. </p><p><i>Gautam is a writer from Pokhara.</i></p></p> </section></div><hr /><div class="author-info"><blockquote><picture class="pull-left"><a href="/author/sugam-gautam" class="img-circle"><img style="width:64px;height:64px;" data-src="https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/author/sugamgautam-1680007918.jpg" class="lazy"></a></picture><h5><a href="/author/sugam-gautam">Sugam Gautam</a></h5><p>Gautam is a writer from Pokhara.</p></blockquote></div><div class="clearfix"></div><hr /><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5855301837617098"crossorigin="anonymous"></script><ins class="adsbygoogle"style="display:block"data-ad-client="ca-pub-5855301837617098"data-ad-slot="3540497678"data-ad-format="auto"data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <div class="row news--related"><div class="col-sm-12"><h4 class=" title--line__red">Related News</h4></div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12"><article><div class="image image-xs image-xxs pull-left"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree"><img class="lazy img-responsive" data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/fiction-1732410954.jpg&w=200&height=120"></a></figure></div><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree"><h5>The burden of a degree</h5></a></article> </div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12"><article><div class="image image-xs image-xxs pull-left"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/17/when-veera-decided-to-run"><img class="lazy img-responsive" data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/Run-1731806407.jpg&w=200&height=120"></a></figure></div><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/17/when-veera-decided-to-run"><h5>When Veera decided to run</h5></a></article> </div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12"><article><div class="image image-xs image-xxs pull-left"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/10/27/confronting-the-solitude-in-festivities"><img class="lazy img-responsive" data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/fiction-1729995798.jpg&w=200&height=120"></a></figure></div><a href="/fiction-park/2024/10/27/confronting-the-solitude-in-festivities"><h5>Confronting the solitude in festivities</h5></a></article> </div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12"><article><div class="image image-xs image-xxs pull-left"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/10/20/a-friendship-torn-apart"><img class="lazy img-responsive" data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/FICTION-1729381858.jpg&w=200&height=120"></a></figure></div><a href="/fiction-park/2024/10/20/a-friendship-torn-apart"><h5>A friendship torn apart</h5></a></article> </div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12"><article><div class="image image-xs image-xxs pull-left"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/10/06/now-i-know-why-radha-read-books"><img class="lazy img-responsive" data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/Fictionpark-1728178573.jpg&w=200&height=120"></a></figure></div><a href="/fiction-park/2024/10/06/now-i-know-why-radha-read-books"><h5>Now I know why Radha read books</h5></a></article> </div><div class="col-md-6 col-sm-12"><article><div class="image image-xs image-xxs pull-left"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/09/29/a-rainy-day-and-quiet-revelations"><img class="lazy img-responsive" data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/park-1727572125.jpg&w=200&height=120"></a></figure></div><a href="/fiction-park/2024/09/29/a-rainy-day-and-quiet-revelations"><h5>A rainy day and quiet revelations</h5></a></article> </div></div></div></div></div><div class="col-sm-4 block-side"><div class="block-money"><h4 class=" title--line__red">Most Read from Fiction Park</h4><div class="block-money--c"><article class="article-image"><div class="image image-xs pull-right"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/17/when-veera-decided-to-run"><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/Run-1731806407.jpg&w=300&height=200" class="lazy img-responsive"></a></figure></div><h5><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/17/when-veera-decided-to-run">When Veera decided to run </a></h5></article><article class="article-image"><div class="image image-xs pull-right"><figure><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree"><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/fiction-1732410954.jpg&w=300&height=200" class="lazy img-responsive"></a></figure></div><h5><a href="/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree">The burden of a degree </a></h5></article></div></div><div class="block-money"><h4 class=" title--line__red">Editor's Picks</h4><div class="block-money--c"><article class="article-image"><div class="image image-xs pull-right"><figure><a href="/health/2024/11/12/climate-change-drives-dengue-as-mosquitoes-climb-to-new-altitudes"><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/thumb1-1731372742.jpg&w=300&height=200" class="lazy img-responsive"></a></figure></div><h5><a href="/health/2024/11/12/climate-change-drives-dengue-as-mosquitoes-climb-to-new-altitudes">Climate change drives dengue as mosquitoes climb to new altitudes </a></h5></article><article class="article-image"><div class="image image-xs pull-right"><figure><a href="/money/2024/11/10/exports-hit-as-india-wants-no-chinese-component-in-nepali-goods"><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/money/cementindianiryat308720220322511000x0-1731201454.jpg&w=300&height=200" class="lazy img-responsive"></a></figure></div><h5><a href="/money/2024/11/10/exports-hit-as-india-wants-no-chinese-component-in-nepali-goods">Exports hit as India wants ‘no Chinese component’ in Nepali goods </a></h5></article><article class="article-image"><div class="image image-xs pull-right"><figure><a href="/columns/2024/11/11/trump-s-victory-and-south-asia"><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/leadreuters-1731344162.jpg&w=300&height=200" class="lazy img-responsive"></a></figure></div><h5><a href="/columns/2024/11/11/trump-s-victory-and-south-asia">Trump’s victory and South Asia </a></h5></article><article class="article-image"><div class="image image-xs pull-right"><figure><a href="/province-no-2/2024/11/17/complexity-of-transgender-life-in-janakpur"><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/Janakpur-1731804659.jpg&w=300&height=200" class="lazy img-responsive"></a></figure></div><h5><a href="/province-no-2/2024/11/17/complexity-of-transgender-life-in-janakpur">Complexity of transgender life in Janakpur </a></h5></article><article class="article-image"><div class="image image-xs pull-right"><figure><a href="/money/2024/11/08/tia-s-reduced-flight-hours-could-stall-economic-growth"><img data-src="https://assets-api.kathmandupost.com/thumb.php?src=https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/money/Untitled1-1731029082.jpg&w=300&height=200" class="lazy img-responsive"></a></figure></div><h5><a href="/money/2024/11/08/tia-s-reduced-flight-hours-could-stall-economic-growth">TIA’s reduced flight hours could stall economic growth </a></h5></article></div></div><div class="block-epaper block-side"><h4 class=" title--line__red">E-PAPER | November 24, 2024</h4><div class="block-epaper--c"><a target="_blank" href="https://epaper.ekantipur.com/kathmandupost"><img data-src="https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/icon-devices.png" class="lazy img-responsive"></a><ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://epaper.ekantipur.com/kathmandupost">Read ePaper Online</a></li></ul></div> </div></div></div></main><div class="ease sticky--bottom sticky--bottom__hide"><span class="sticky--bottom__close"><div class="close" >×</div></span></div><footer class="menu-ani"> <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class=" col-xs-12 col-sm-3"><h5>ABOUT US</h5><ul class="list-unstyled"><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/about-us">About the Post </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/masthead">Masthead </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/kathmandu-post-editorial-standards-and-integrity">Editorial Standards & Integrity </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/kathmandu-post-policy-against-harassment">Workplace Harassment Policy </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy </a></li></ul></div><div class=" col-xs-12 col-sm-3"><h5>READ US</h5><ul class="list-unstyled"><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/subscribe">Home Delivery </a></li><li><a href="https://epaper.ekantipur.com/kathmandupost">ePaper </a></li></ul></div><div class=" col-xs-12 col-sm-3"><h5>CONTACT US</h5><ul class="list-unstyled"><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/submit-stories">Write for the Post </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/letters-to-the-editor">Letters to the Editor </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/advertise-in-the-post">Advertise in the Post </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/careers">Work for the Post </a></li><li><a href="https://kathmandupost.com/pages/how-to-send-anonymous-news-tips-and-documents-to-the-kathmandu-post">Send us a tip </a></li></ul></div><div class=" col-xs-12 col-sm-3"><h5>INTERACT WITH US</h5><ul class="list-unstyled"><li><a href="https://www.twitter.com/kathmandupost">Twitter </a></li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kathmandupost">Facebook </a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kathmandupost.official/">Instagram </a></li></ul><h5>OUR SISTER PUBLICATIONS</h5> <ul class="publications"><li class="kantipur"><a href="https://ekantipur.com/" target="_blank" title="Go to ekantipur">eKantipur</a></li><li class="saptahik"><a href="https://saptahik.com.np/" target="_blank" title="Go to Saptahik">saptahik</a></li><li class="nepal"><a href="https://nepalmag.com.np" target="_blank" title="Go to Nepal">Nepal</a></li><li class="nari"><a href="https://narimag.com.np/" target="_blank" title="Go to Nari">Nari</a></li><li class="radio-kantipur"><a href="https://radiokantipur.com" target="_blank" title="Go to Radio Kantipur">Radio Kantipur</a></li><li class="tv"><a href="https://kantipurtv.com" target="_blank" title="Go to Kantipur Tv">Kantipur TV</a></li></ul></div><div class="col-xs-12"><div class="footer--copyright">© 2024 www.kathmandupost.com<ul class="list-inline"><li><a href="/pages/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div></footer><div id="stop" class="scrollTop"><a href="" class="icon-svg icon-svg-42 icon-svg-arrowTop">Top</a></div><div class="page-progressbar"></div> </div><div id="snackbar" class="block-hidden"></div><script>function showToast(message,class_name){if(!class_name){class_name = 'success';}if(!message || message==''){return false;}$("#snackbar").html(message);$("#snackbar").attr('class','');$("#snackbar").addClass(class_name);$("#snackbar").addClass('block-visible');setTimeout(function(){$("#snackbar").attr('class','');$('#snackbar').addClass('block-hidden');$("#snackbar").html('');},5000);}function bookmark(news_id){$.ajax({url:'https://api.kathmandupost.com/bookmark/save?news_id='+news_id+'&token='+getAuthentication(),type:'get',success:function(res){res = JSON.parse(res);if(res.code==200){$("#saved-news-list").prepend(saved_news_template);$(".saved-news-list-template").find('h5').find('a').first().attr('href',res.news_details.link);$(".saved-news-list-template").find('h5').find('a').first().html(res.news_details.title);$(".saved-news-list-template").find('.icon-svg-remove').first().attr('onclick','removeBookmark('+res.news_details.id+',this);');$(".saved-news-list-template").show();$(".saved-news-list-template").removeClass('saved-news-list-template');$("#no-bookmark-message").remove();showToast(res.message);}else{showToast(res.message,'error');}}});}function getBookmarkCount(){return $("#saved-news-list").find('article').length;}function removeBookmark(news_id,source){$.ajax({url:'https://api.kathmandupost.com/bookmark/remove?news_id='+news_id+'&token='+getAuthentication(),type:'get',success:function(res){res = JSON.parse(res);if(res.code==200){$(source).parent('article').remove();if(getBookmarkCount()<1){html = '<p id="no-bookmark-message">Not Bookmarks Yet</p>';$("#saved-news-list").html(html);}showToast(res.message);}else{showToast(res.message,'error');}}});}function gotoAqi(){$('html,body').animate({scrollTop: $("#columnchart_values").offset().top-100},'slow');}trending_tag_id = "63703";$(".trending-topics ul li[data-tagid="+trending_tag_id+"]").addClass('active');$(".subscribe-form").on('submit',function(e){e.preventDefault();form = $(this);form.find('subscribe-success').hide();form.find('subscribe-error').hide();var email = $(this).find('.email').val();var postData = {'email':email};$.ajax({url:'https://api.kathmandupost.com/facebook/subscribe',type:'post',data:postData,success:function(res){response = JSON.parse(res);if(response.code==200){form.find('.subscribe-success').html(res.message);form.find('.subscribe-success').show();}else{form.find('.subscribe-error').html('Please try again later');form.find('.subscribe-error').show();}form.find('.email').val('');localStorage.subscription_shown = 1;},error:function(){form.find('.subscribe-error').html('Please try again later');form.find('.subscribe-error').show();}});});function fbShare(url){window.open("http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=" + url, "_blank", "toolbar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, top=200, left=500, width=600, height=400");}function twitShare(url,title){window.open("http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=" + encodeURIComponent(title) + "+" + url + " via @kathmandupost", "_blank", "toolbar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, top=200, left=500, width=600, height=400");}function whatsappShare(url,title){message = title+' '+url;window.open("https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text="+message);}function googleplusShare(url){window.open("https://plus.google.com/share?url="+url, "_blank", "toolbar=no, scrollbars=yes, resizable=yes, top=200, left=500, width=600, height=400");}function isElementVisible(control,loadBefore){if(!control){return;}if(!loadBefore){loadBefore = 500;}var element_position = $(control).offset().top;var scroll_position = $(window).scrollTop();var viewport_height = $(window).height();var element_height = $(control).height();if((scroll_position + viewport_height+loadBefore) > element_position){if((element_position + element_height+loadBefore)>scroll_position ){return true;}}return false;}function checkLazyLoad() {$.each($('img.lazy'), function(i, c) {if (isElementVisible($(c), 10)) {src = $(c).attr('data-src');$(c).attr("src", src);$(c).removeAttr('data-src');$(c).removeClass('lazy');}});}$(window).scroll(function() {checkLazyLoad();});$(document).ready(function(){checkLazyLoad();});function getShareCount(link){$.ajax({url:'https://api.kathmandupost.com/facebook/getsharecount?q='+link,type:'get',success:function(res){response = $.parseJSON(res);if(response.count>=25){$(".social-scroll__count").html(abbrNum(response.count,2));$(".social-scroll__count").show();}}});}function abbrNum(number, decPlaces) {decPlaces = Math.pow(10,decPlaces);var abbrev = [ "K", "M", "B", "T" ];for (var i=abbrev.length-1; i>=0; i--) {var size = Math.pow(10,(i+1)*3);if(size <= number) {number = Math.round(number*decPlaces/size)/decPlaces;if((number == 1000) && (i < abbrev.length - 1)) {number = 1;i++;}number += abbrev[i];break;}}return number;}function getBookmark(){$.ajax({url:'https://api.kathmandupost.com/bookmark/get?token='+getAuthentication(),type:'get',success:function(res){res = JSON.parse(res);if(res.length>0){html = '';for(var i=0;i<res.length;i++){news_id = res[i].news_id;html += '<article class="article-image saved-news-list-template">';html += '<h5 class="pull-left">';html += '<a href="'+res[i].link+'">';html += res[i].title;html += '</a>';html += '</h5>';html += '<span onclick="removeBookmark('+news_id+',this);" class="pull-right icon-svg icon-svg-32 icon-svg-remove">×</span>';html += '</article>';}}else{html = '<p id="no-bookmark-message">Not Bookmarks Yet</p>';}$("#saved-news-list").html(html);}});}getBookmark();$(document).on('copy', function(e) {var sel = window.getSelection();if(short_url && short_url!=''){var url = short_url;}else{var url = window.location.href;}var copyFooter = "<br /><br /><a href='" + url + "'>" + url + "</a>";var copyHolder = $('<div>', {html: getSelectionHtml() + copyFooter,style: {position: 'absolute',left: '-99999px'}});$('body').append(copyHolder);sel.selectAllChildren(copyHolder[0]);window.setTimeout(function() {copyHolder.remove();}, 0);});function getSelectionHtml() {var html = "";if (typeof window.getSelection != "undefined") {var sel = window.getSelection();if (sel.rangeCount) {var container = document.createElement("div");for (var i = 0, len = sel.rangeCount; i < len; ++i) {container.appendChild(sel.getRangeAt(i).cloneContents());}html = container.innerHTML;}} else if (typeof document.selection != "undefined") {if (document.selection.type == "Text") {html = document.selection.createRange().htmlText;}}return html;}</script><script type="application/ld+json">{"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "Organization","url": "https://kathmandupost.com/","logo": "https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/kathmandupost/html/assets/images/logo.svg","contactPoint": [{"@type": "ContactPoint","telephone": "+977-01-5135000","contactType": "customer service","sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/kathmandupost/","https://twitter.com/kathmandupost","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdQwir9haF67rLaD3I92zxA"]}]}</script> </body></html><script>$( document ).ready(function() {$('.story-section, .story-section p, .story-section div').attr('style','');$('.content-truncate--button').on('click', function(){$(this).toggleClass('content-truncate--button-collapse');$('.content-truncate-on').toggleClass('content-truncate-off');$('.content-truncate').toggleClass('removeS');/*// var cTF = $('.content-truncate-off').height();// $('.content-truncate-on').css('height', cTF);// alert(cTF);*/});setTimeout(function(){$.ajax({type: "get",url: 'https://api.kathmandupost.com/readinghabit/save?id=721003',success: function(res) { } });}, 10000);/* footer height remove for wrapper sticky bottom */var footerH = $('.sticky--bottom').innerHeight();var wrap = $('#mainContent');$(window).on('resize', function(){wrap.css('margin-bottom', footerH);}).trigger('resize');getShareCount("https://kathmandupost.com/fiction-park/2024/11/24/the-burden-of-a-degree");});function scrollToElement(element){$('html, body').animate({scrollTop: element.offset().top}, 2000);}</script><script type="application/ld+json">{"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage": {"@type": "WebPage","@id": "https://google.com/article"},"headline": "The burden of a degree","image": {"@type": "ImageObject","url": "https://assets-cdn.kathmandupost.com/uploads/source/news/2024/third-party/fiction-1732410954.jpg","height": 800,"width": 800},"publisher": {"@type": "Organization","name": "The Kathmandu Post","logo": {"@type": "ImageObject","url": "https://jcss-cdn.kathmandupost.com/assets/images/logos/thekathmandupost-logo.png","width": 839,"height": 129}},"description": "The more classes I attend, the more I feel out of place, like living in a village where the language feels foreign."}</script>