College life, a pit stop in life's journey

Two groups of people in India will be less one part in their bodies, their nails. The anxiety levels of Class 12th students and Members of Parliament (MPs) which have reached a feverish pitch. The students will know if they got a seat in the college of their choice and MPs will know if they got one in the lower house or not. The MPs may not mind contesting again after five years but students would want to get this phase over with right away and jump straight into their wonder years. Though students stress about the college of their choice, deep down they know irrespective of the college they get into, an exciting new life awaits them.

Whether one is a corporate executive, artist, doctor, lawyer or any other professional, graduation days always hold a very special place in our hearts. It's something romantic about those days that makes them unforgettable. The independence, the freedom to make choices, the camaraderie and more, makes those days absolutely memorable.

Change

Change will be an important part of your college life literally and figuratively and this time this change whether physical or digital, will keep you on your toes. It will be a skewed learning curve right from your daily commute to putting up with an unkempt roommate to lending money to a college mate who has no intention of returning it back to you. But more importantly you'll need to be prepared for the change that you will experience in the academic front. Subjects will mostly be delivered in a hard to digest form which means you will have to do a lot of work on your own. So get ready to the world of self-learning.

Devil and the deep sea

Hostel life will be like being thrown in the deep end when you haven't got a clue about swimming. Nothing prepares you for it. It's virtually like a tsunami of new experiences which challenge your faculties to the core. The challenges thrown at you range from getting organised, getting along with your roommate, staying away from trouble to dealing with the opposite sex. Though there is no prescription that tells you how to deal with these situations, having a balanced approach might be helpful. Living college life can be a bit like being Spiderman – you have great powers but you also need to understand your responsibilities.

Eureka moments

There are certain traits that define us. For example - how well we handle pressure; what kind of people we gel well with; how we handle rejection; what are our hopes and aspirations etc. Not all these questions get answered during our college days but a lot of them actually do. In the various situations that you encounter in college, there will be moments when you will bump into someone with whom we spend a lot of time in the future. The real you. For example, most of us are petrified of public speaking but if you make the most of those chances in college who knows you may become the next Dale Carnegie.

Fevicol bonds

Managing relationships in this phase is not easy. Whether it's relationships with your friends, batchmates or parents – you have to work extra hard at them. Especially, your relationship with your parents. Handling their expectations takes a lot of effort and care. The key would be to gain their trust by being transparent. You will have to be fair with them when they make demands because let's face it, even though they've gone through this phase, they end up wondering how things changed so much with one generation. So instead of being at constant loggerheads with them build a rapport.

Colleges are also places where life long bonds are forged in most unusual ways. Whether it's the gang of boys sharing that one bike or the group that is fanatical about quizzing, this camaraderie with friends will last a lifetime.

Using your head or your heart

Making decisions in college is going to be a constant struggle so be prepared to take responsibility for your actions. You will see yourself constantly being torn between what you need and what you want. A movie with a girlfriend before an exam would be a brave thing to do and will certainly be a great story to tell your grandchildren but if your preparation is not adequate you may soon regret your action. There will be seniors and friends to guide you but mostly you'll be on your own. When taking decisions on your own, you might also stand a chance to stumble upon life's most important mantra that while all decisions in life are made from the head or the heart but knowing when to use what becomes a journey called life.

Learning is a life- long journey and college life is only one pit stop in it. So experience it to the hilt and make sure you tighten all the screws for the long adventures ahead.