Going to college is a lot like rappelling. When I rappelled for the first time, down a thirty-foot rock in Bangalore with my cousin, I went from excitement to doubt to terror before landing on relief when it was finally over.
I had to climb a rock as big as me to get to the top, and I was sure I couldn't do it. For two pins I would have given up and returned had not the humiliation of failing and the encouragement of the other rappellers kept me going. Even then I came down very rockily, losing my balance, bumping my arm against the cliff and finally nearly collapsing on the ground. Now that the experience is long over, I can say it was a lot of fun and I would love to do it again. I really do mean it - for now.
I am in my terrified stage with regard to hostel. I have wanted to go to hostel ever since my cousin told me about night-shows, midnight feasts - a dream ever since I read Enid Blyton - and most of all, being independent. Now that I am actually in, however, and I have to go tomorrow to buy buckets and things for my room, I find myself dwelling more and more on the potentially scary people I'll have to stay with for five years.
Will they drink, smoke, do drugs, rag juniors, make me sing onstage, make me speak onstage, speak to me, not speak to me, expect me to talk more or completely ignore me?
Will I be able to make friends, earn the approbation of teachers, talk to seniors, wake up at 7:00 a.m. everyday, decide what I really want to do in my life, balance study and fun, participate in extra-curriculars, stomach the mess food and put up with the (probably) lousy rooms?
Now that I have written that out, I realise that I will have to do all the above, of necessity, because I am going there. So instead of focusing on the bad things that could happen, I should focus on the potential good ones. Maybe I'll have a great room-mate and good friends; hopefully I'll enjoy what I study and I'll have enough time to do extra activities on the side; perhaps once I'm actually on campus I'll discover a lot of exciting, inspiring, amazing stuff about it I never even dreamed of.
There are a lot of trees on the IIT Madras campus - that's the best part about it. There are always a lot of activities like marathons or lectures by eminent personalities. There's sure to be a library, and the campus is so huge it will take me a good five years to explore every nook and cranny of it thoroughly. If the course is rigorous and the load huge, well, I was always a workaholic and a nerd and I'll be able to manage.
I hope I'll improve the things I like about myself and change the things I don't. I hope I meet all my goals for myself. I hope I''ll find one thing I love so much I'll want to do it for the rest of my life. I hope I'll have loads and loads and loads of fun!
How was your college experience? Or if you're joining this year, how do you feel?
I had to climb a rock as big as me to get to the top, and I was sure I couldn't do it. For two pins I would have given up and returned had not the humiliation of failing and the encouragement of the other rappellers kept me going. Even then I came down very rockily, losing my balance, bumping my arm against the cliff and finally nearly collapsing on the ground. Now that the experience is long over, I can say it was a lot of fun and I would love to do it again. I really do mean it - for now.
I am in my terrified stage with regard to hostel. I have wanted to go to hostel ever since my cousin told me about night-shows, midnight feasts - a dream ever since I read Enid Blyton - and most of all, being independent. Now that I am actually in, however, and I have to go tomorrow to buy buckets and things for my room, I find myself dwelling more and more on the potentially scary people I'll have to stay with for five years.
Will they drink, smoke, do drugs, rag juniors, make me sing onstage, make me speak onstage, speak to me, not speak to me, expect me to talk more or completely ignore me?
Will I be able to make friends, earn the approbation of teachers, talk to seniors, wake up at 7:00 a.m. everyday, decide what I really want to do in my life, balance study and fun, participate in extra-curriculars, stomach the mess food and put up with the (probably) lousy rooms?
Now that I have written that out, I realise that I will have to do all the above, of necessity, because I am going there. So instead of focusing on the bad things that could happen, I should focus on the potential good ones. Maybe I'll have a great room-mate and good friends; hopefully I'll enjoy what I study and I'll have enough time to do extra activities on the side; perhaps once I'm actually on campus I'll discover a lot of exciting, inspiring, amazing stuff about it I never even dreamed of.
There are a lot of trees on the IIT Madras campus - that's the best part about it. There are always a lot of activities like marathons or lectures by eminent personalities. There's sure to be a library, and the campus is so huge it will take me a good five years to explore every nook and cranny of it thoroughly. If the course is rigorous and the load huge, well, I was always a workaholic and a nerd and I'll be able to manage.
I hope I'll improve the things I like about myself and change the things I don't. I hope I meet all my goals for myself. I hope I''ll find one thing I love so much I'll want to do it for the rest of my life. I hope I'll have loads and loads and loads of fun!
How was your college experience? Or if you're joining this year, how do you feel?
I have those exact same doubts. Like you said, all we can do is hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteI think you made good friends and earned the approbation of teachers now.
ReplyDelete