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The Internship Exodus: Black Mirror Season 7 EP 1

By DU Beat July 5, 2023

The article is a take on the internship culture, the dilemma it presents to college undergrads and the possible alternative solutions that seem to summarize a student’s summer break post pandemic .

If I had to pitch in the latest episode of black mirror that intrinsically captures the essential collapse of society, I might just bring to the table the possible plot of a dystopia the summer break essentially is, with a love triangle, featuring the insane tension between a college student, summer internships and the reclusive possibilities of an actual summer vacation.

An intern is an unfledged hustler entering what’s basically the hunger games of employment where undergrads try to maximize any and every chance to be pumped out as career ready hirelings. The internship culture has taken the entirety of universities across the globe as an efficient yet at times, a deceptive ploy at adulting.

The benefits of internships range from cost effective employment drives to efficient skill set peddling, a channel of networking and hands on experience in fields the student tends to value more than the drowsy July lectures in sepia toned stifling classrooms, no wonder it seems like the perfect step in the “type A” coded corporate world. But internships aren’t the typical “grabbing coffee for your boss and excel sheet presentations in office ” Nancy Myers fantasy, but rather a tight rope of balancing deadlines and breakdowns.

Even though a stipend incentivised internships offer an angel’s halo to the ever broke student stereotype, they can be exceedingly exploitive in the favour of the status quo and when this exploitation is mechanized as a necessity by colleges coupled with the peer pressure of ‘not doing enough’ it becomes a problem at hand, a predicament that Delhi University undergraduates currently juxtapose with their one shot at having a true summer break for once. While one section decides to upscale through the increasingly popular advent of ‘summer schools’ , the other has an undeterred resolve of the ‘perfect CV’ that has their most fancied summer internships as the crown jewel, while others fancy their truly deserved summer break in the sweet nostalgia of their home towns or fancy holidays that make up a core memory .

The onset of adulthood, the anxiousness of leaving your formative years behind too fast and the ruthless race to succeed in an unforgiving world – all adds up to the truly tormenting experience of being a college student facing the brink of the summer break .

Monotony in Millennials: Hobbies are the Cure

By DU Beat March 14, 2020

Millennials have started to believe that they do not have enough time for any leisure activity, and they that they need to succumb into the monotony of life. This piece aims to break that myth.

As children, the majority of our time was spent playing some sport, painting, and simply discovering our hobbies. This practice, however, saw a major transition as we grew up, even our diversions changed. Contrary to popular belief, hobbies are supposed to be activities that we make time for, despite our busy schedules and indefinite piles of tasks.

According to many surveys, most people prefer staying at home and watching television rather than stepping outside to discover themselves. Moreover, there is a difference between a past-time and a hobby. In the most generic sense, a hobby is mostly recreational.

Millennials fail to realize the importance of hobbies and continue living their vanilla lives. Every industry is characterized by its dynamic environment, and to soar higher in such conditions, everyone should indulge in creative thinking to stand out.

Hobbies are formed after several rounds of introspection, they are extremely important for self-actualization, and true happiness. Those people who make their passion their professions, have it comparatively easier than those who are still on the path of self-discovery.

Researchers have also discovered, that some time away from work, to indulge in some leisure activity has been linked with increased performances at work and creative activities, leading to higher confidence levels.

With extremely high-stress levels and constant pressure, millennials need an outlet for the same, which seems impossible due to their pre-occupation with technology, and the inability to make time for themselves.

Ishita, a student of Lady Shri Ram College said, “I used to paint every week as a child, but the last time I picked up a paintbrush was over five months ago just to post a story on Instagram.”

The idea that Instagram, Twitter, and other products of modern technology are replacements of hobbies is bizarre. Our fixation on social media is proving to be way more harmful than it was first predicted. Even if someone is actively pursuing their hobbies, they feel the need to post stories on their social media while they paint, bake, or read, which is strange because this trend has recently surfaced, and millennials tend to focus more on posting stories rather than enjoying their hobbies.

Feature image credits- Vaibhav Tekchandani for DU Beat

Suhani Malhotra

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Anxiety: A Constant Pull From Prosperity

By Chhavi Bamba March 10, 2020

If you experience being engulfed by anxious thoughts, or questioning the simplest of ideas, this piece is for you. Sitting in a room tired of the repetitive attempts to make your mind a peaceful place, the tornado of negative thoughts encircling the comfort of your brain, the surfeit of stress as the only constant of your life – is what all defines excessive anxiety. A feeling of fear or apprehension before starting something new or significant is common and very natural but, having a brain filled with fright and restlessness for the entire day is what marks a minor form of unhealthy anxiety. We all go through anxiety its very common in the myriad of situations we encounter in a day. But, worrying excessively about every other thing because you think about its negative or unfortunate outcome, every single time points a lack in your mental well being. Overprotectiveness, order freakiness and panic attacks when the things don’t go in a pre planned way marks a person with an anxiety disorder. There are feelings which drag you down and make you unable to take up a new project or start a conversation with a new person. In a such a state where peace of mind becomes a rarity people very often find there solace in drugs, which paves the way for a truck full of other problems. The best solution in this condition is to talk and let your problems out to a mental health expert or practitioner. It is very important to understand that its completely fine and normal to face such a condition and it from nowhere gives you a tag of an insane or manic. Never ever feel hesitant or embarrassed to seek help, rather you should embrace yourself of identifying your problem and making attempts for its rectification in a world which suffers a mental health awareness crisis. Common doings such as tapping ones feet in a stressful situation or chewing nails whenever there is a work related pressure can reflect the beginning of deeper problems later. So, if you see your close ones doing so make sure you ask if there’s anything they want to talk about. Supporting your friends and family and standing by them instead of criticizing the happening is extremely crucial. In fact the person himself or herself should remain extremely positive about everything around as he/ she is a fighter in true means and deserves all the appreciation. Treat every moment as a fresh beginning and always remember what Howett said,” Just when the Caterpillar thought the world was ending, it became a butterfly.” Feature Image credits: Navya Jindal for DU Beat Kriti Gupta [email protected]]]>

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Uncategorized

Social Anxiety Disorder: A Fresher’s Perspective

By Anoushka Sharma August 10, 2019

The excitement of meeting new people, making friends, and knowing more about university life is what is on the minds of freshers. But it is not the same for people with Social Anxiety Disorder.

Social Anxiety Disorder or SAD, more commonly known as social phobia is one of the most common anxiety disorders. People suffering from this disorder tend to excuse themselves from attending social gatherings, parties, and often find it difficult to meet new people, initiate a conversation and make friends. Socialising is really difficult for them. A lot of times, they come across as shy or even arrogant. In simple words, they might be called an introvert but suffering from SAD is different from being an introvert. The constant worry that is on their mind, the panic attacks that they might get even on the thought of attending a social event is what describes a socially phobic person.

Leaving school and joining college is a big turning point in our lives. However, this brings excitement to some while fear to others. For people suffering from SAD, the fear of coming out of the cocoon of school life and stepping in the big wide world of college is very high. In this new and bigger world, the fear that people face is that they will have to talk to new people, make friends and adjust themselves among a completely new set of people.

On the first day of college, they find themselves in a big pool full of unknown faces. Not knowing whom to talk to, what to say, how to start a conversation is very common. You might find people who are very bubbly and try talking to everyone, as well as those who are introverts and prefers not speaking much. But you should not let this affect you. All you need to know is that it is completely fine to be feeling the way you are feeling and it will get better with time.

A second-year student of Gargi College shared her experience of being a socially phobic fresher. She said, “Before the first day of college, I had thoughts that I would end up feeling isolated. This would freak me out. The fear of talking to new people was constantly on my mind. But I realised that it was not just me. However, one year into college I have a group of five friends, and they are the people I can fall back upon. You need to know that everyone is sailing in the same boat and all your other classmates are also just out of school. It is not easy to step out of your comfort zone but with the right people by your side, it becomes much better. You might not find your set of ‘right people’ on the first day but you will soon find them.”

Finding your best friend on the first day of college is not really possible. Finding your gang takes time. It is very common to feel lonely and not have anyone to talk to. But this does not mean that you will not make friends throughout your college life. You will surely meet people who might turn out to be your friends for life. But do not rush into anything.

Do not feel pressurized and don’t let the situation become a source of worry and panic for you. You might also see some ‘newly become friends’ going out and chilling while you might be sitting in some corner alone trying to avoid social gatherings. Don’t let such things make you feel worried. Get over the thoughts that you will have to be alone forever. Because that is not true and you will find people in whose company you will feel comfortable.

A student of Kamala Nehru College shared her experience and said, “I have always felt petrified in meeting new people. In school, I had a bunch of friends who made me feel comfortable but when I entered college, I was struggling to make friends while I saw some people go out every day with their new friends. This made me anxious. So, I joined them. I did not enjoy but I did this just to make an image in front of some people. But today, when I look back at it, I realise how stupid I was. Today, I have a group of people who make me feel much better. It took me one whole year to find them. Wait for the right time and things will eventually fall in place. You are not as lonely as you think you are.”

It might be difficult for you but you need to realise that social phobia doesn’t have to control you. Be comfortable. Get over the thoughts of embarrassing yourself. Stop thinking about what everyone else thinks and have fun in college.

Feature Image Credits: FTI Portfolios

Priya Chauhan

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Misery and Materialism

By DU Beat April 6, 2019

Materialism can either refer to the simple preoccupation with the material world, as opposed to intellectual or spiritual concepts, or to the theory that physical matter is all there is. In today’s world, people are more concerned with what they have instead of who they are which is what materialism stands for.

Materialism can be defined as a dominating sense of desire to pursue wealth and other tangible things that can provide physical comforts that ignores the importance of spiritual values. Researchers define materialism as a value system that is preoccupied with possessions and the social image they project.

Materialism stands in contrast to idealism, which takes spirit, idea, mind, thought, the psychic, and the subjective as its point of departure. Recognition of the primacy of matter implies that it was not created but always existed, that space and time are objectively existing forms of its being, that thought is inseparable from matter that thinks, and that the unity of the world consists in its materiality.

However, materialism is considered to be a part of human nature and thus, it is inseparable from the human self. There is a good side of materialism too. Material objects can be said to play a positive psychological or spiritual role in our lives when more positive ideals are ‘materialised’ in them, and so when buying and using them daily gives us a chance to get closer to our better selves. When they are contained in physical things, valuable psychological qualities that are otherwise often intermittent in our thoughts and conduct can become more stable and resilient. This is not to say that all consumerism just conveniently turns out to be great. It depends on what a given material object stands for. An object can transubstantiate the very worst sides of human nature – greed, callousness, the desire to triumph – as much as it can the best. So one must be careful not to decry or celebrate all material consumption: we have to ensure that the objects we invest in, and tire ourselves and the planet by making, are those that lend most encouragement to our higher, better natures.

There has long been a correlation observed between materialism, a lack of empathy, engagement with others, and unhappiness. Researches show that as people become more materialistic, their well-being, autonomy, and sense of purpose diminishes. But when they become less materialistic, the same rises. Materialism promotes many other negative feelings as well like lust, selfishness, jealousy, sense of hopelessness, etc. Materialism also blocks one’s inner growth.

Materialism also leads to an increase in anxiety and depression. People also become more competitive and more selfish, have a reduced sense of social responsibility and become less inclined to join in demanding social activities. However, these are the temporary effects and are only triggered when people are continuously exposed to images of luxury and messages that cast them as consumers in the first place.

There is a two-way relationship between materialism and loneliness: materialism fosters social isolation; isolation fosters materialism. The main reason behind this is that people who cut off themselves from others are the ones who attach themselves to material possessions. Materialism also forces people into comparison with the possession of others. The material pursuit of self-esteem reduces one’s self-esteem.

However, it can be said that too much of materialism is never good.Thus, to prevent the influence of materialism from blocking our inner growth, we need to set ourselves free from the material world, and recognize the real self that lies within us. It is only in this way that individuals can benefit the society.

As quoted by Anthony J. D’Angelo, “The best things in life aren’t things.”

Feature Image Credits: Nicky Cullen

Priya Chauhan

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The Millennials’ Fig Trees: Choices and Anxiety

By Anushree Joshi January 14, 2019

Have you ever felt that the possibility of being many things is too much of a burden? Does it ever occur to you that the career choices in your path offer opportunities, but act as a trigger for fear, anxiety, and sadness as well? Then, read on to understood why too many choices restrict your freedom.

The new millennium is not only the time non-millennials, and other adults, refer to as a time of social media vernacular, Netflix, and frivolity from behind our gadget screens, but it is a time where mental health and other issues are seen to find a dialogue. This dialogue is no more censored to be inclusive of the misrepresentations around these tabooed themes, and the older generations are right when they call us growing angrier. The millennials are angry, because the millennials are tired of being at peace with the wrong kind of humour, the insensitive form of living.

With the strength in the relative kindness of the millennial age, there comes a certain sense of baggage as well. One has a thousand choices, and there is the age-old question- ‘how far does free will extend’ brewing in intensity, waiting to explode, in the heads, and starting a mentally unhealthy chain reaction. For instance, one eighteen-year-old experienced two episodes of anxiety within eight months, despite being in one of the most renowned educational institutions in the country, because she could not decide her career path. There appeared to be options so many and wide-ranging that it scared her, making her feel anxious about making the right decision at the right time.

The discourse around the current scenario of choices is positive in its outcome as well. In India, it is no more a dichotomy of the engineer and the doctor to be viewed as the barometer for success. Local artists and non-mainstream occupations are acquiring the centre stage. Three decades ago, being a full-time artist would have required either a whole lot of courage or an immense privilege but today a person from a middle-class family can choose his art as a profession to support himself. Choices have always had that going in their evolution. But this situation is often the half-informed, misunderstood picture as well.

There is often a motivational air while saying, ‘Find your passion and do what makes you happy.’ This takes one fact for granted- everybody has an inherent passion, and that skill is what would make them happy in their professional lives. The truth is that there is a very rare chance of being born with the knowledge that there is a burning need to do one particular thing, and then love it, your whole life. Passions are, for most ordinary people, extraordinarily evolutionary in nature. Rahul Dravid may have known that 22 yards were how far he wanted to run to be content, but most people chase many failures and options before realising that one goal probably works a little better than the rest. It is pessimistic, and not something Dead Poets’ Society would tell you, but it is true for most people. The fear of exploring and choosing the wrong option is extremely real, and dangerous beyond the extent for many people today.

One can aspire to be an actor and live the dreams of many lives, but one may also have a love affair with medicine that makes them want its stability and familiarity. The lines between wanting to break free from the script, and finding your own sense of joy within that script become blurred. The romanticism of Ved breaking away towards freedom can then be dissected from another lens, because if there are these many choices one has to make, then one is not probably as free as they think. An argument could be that one can live many dreams, and does not have to be doing the same thing all their life. This may be true for some, but is often associated with a blue perspective for many. Uprooting entire lifestyles, taking off from a long-known familiarity, and starting afresh are big decisions with serious implications on one’s mental health. But the very fact that there is a necessity to do this, and one has to make that decision, can cause a trigger for anxiety, and may even descend into sadness.

Sylvia Plath was sad and ill for many reasons, but one reason that triggered her depressive anxiety was the problem of too many choices. She understood the millennial dilemma before the millennium. In her deeply personal work, she summed up the rather ugly sadness of deteriorating mental health in a rather poetic manner- “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”

Feature Image Credits: Design You Trust

Anushree Joshi
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Exams

How to Have More Faith in Your Preparation: A Guide to Not Freak Out!

By Prachi Mehra November 23, 2018

The exam season leaves us in an air of uncertainty and anxiety related to the syllabus! These are a few tips to keep you positive throughout the exams.

“We live in a test-conscious, test-giving culture in which the lives of people are in part determined by their test performance. (Seymour Sarason et al., 1960, p.26, Yale University).”

Having faith in oneself is vital to performing well. This is something every exam goer should keep in mind. The exams are a testing time for you, mentally, but here are a few tips to be confident about your preparation for the exams.

You have given your best

If you know you have delivered your one hundred percent into the preparation, keep reminding yourself about it. The syllabus is ever so vast, but if you are confident that the topics you’ve done are in perfection, you can climb Everest with that confidence!

Do not let others cause anxiety to you

The night before the exam is filled with a lot of distractions. Friends and classmates calling you up to clear the doubts or to share the notes, Whatsapp groups will be filled with multiple discussions. Above all, there will always be that one friend, who will hype things up so much and freak everyone out. Do not let all of this scare you. Believe in yourself and be confident you will be able to pull off a good examination.

Be confident and positive

Do not let the negative thoughts brim past you! Believe in your preparation and be confident and happy you were able to pull off all that you decided to work on. Stressing unnecessarily will affect your performance in the paper as well!

It is not the end of the world

Being dedicated to your studies is an important activity but stressing too much on an exam might not be an ideal situation. Believe in the preparation, and even if you feel you are lacking in something, there is always a better time. Invest more in the preparation for the next paper. Do not let the blues affect your performance in all of your exams.

Strategize your preparation

If you feel a little blue looking at the vast expanse of the syllabus to be covered, take a cue and design a schedule in such a way that you target all the main and the important topics! A study by the Stanford Research scholars revealed that college students who employ a strategic approach to the use of study resources improved their exam scores by an average of one-third of a letter grade. Smart studying is an effective way to cover up all of the important topics of the exam in a shorter time. Focus on efficiency.

The exams are for sure a testing time for everyone, but do not let it affect you in a way which will delineate your performance. Give your best, at all costs, and relax knowing this fact, at the end of the day.

Feature Image credits: Very Well Mind

Avnika Chhikara
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Healthy Anxiety, Healthy Art

By DU Beat October 19, 2018

An account on how sometimes our fears and apprehensions are needed for young artists to push themselves to the limits and get even better than before.

“You think Picasso was happy? You think Hemingway was? Hendrix? They were miserable folks. No art worth a damn was ever created out of happiness. I can tell you that much.” -Ben Ryder, Kodachrome

Anxiety is an interesting term with several interpretations. Some might face anxiety casually, while talking to people, thinking of the future. Some might suffer from anxiety which would manifest in a clinical and cynical condition. And then there are those who might live in a fabricated world of suffering and anxiety while in reality, they have a calm and relaxed life.

Whatever be the case, anxiety has come to represent negative connotations with every passing day. But here’s the deal: anxiety is like Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb, bad but not that bad. A dose of healthy anxiety has become somewhat necessary to survive and thrive in this rapid, hustling, power-hungry world. Anxiety (till the point it doesn’t turn clinical) might lead to the birth of some fears and apprehensions in our heads but instead of just whining, we can channel it into something positive. Sam Smith wrote and performed his hit single Stay with me, followed by the heartbreak and pain when his lover left him. Alessia Cara wrote the chartbuster Here on experiencing fits of social anxiety at teenage parties. Channelling the negative into something positive, that’s the motto behind such great people. It is beautifully expressed in the film Rockstar, where a young Ranbir Kapoor is hogging on samosas in the Hindu College canteen and the canteen owner tells him how he won’t be able to create a perfect song if he does not experience pyaar (love) and a toota hua dil (broken heart).

The world seems perfect when we are kids. Then as we fall in that teenage ‘wimpy kid’ phase, things start getting clearer that the future would not be perfect like the cartoons, that we will never be calm and relaxed. Maybe, it is better that we don’t acquire a calm state of nirvana because then where will the drama be? Especially if you are an artist, you would need this drama in life to add that drama, that emotion, and intensity in whatever you create. And we live in an imperfectly perfect world and Utopia is a far cry from now. Hence, getting anxious on winning a ticket to Utopia will be a futile gesture. Getting eustress on figuring out how to live in the ‘now’ seems like a much better option. You might be the pride of your college music society, the top champ of your DebSoc but that healthy anxiety might keep nagging at the back of your head. If the going is good, embrace the glory but it’s fine to think about what next and have some anxiety on getting better. Even artists in the college circuit might get overconfident at times and would not even take any constructive criticism. Even if others call your magnum opus a piece of trash, accept that and work on it. Lose some sleep, get some headaches but still work on it. It is to be realised that a tinge of pain, a sense of sacrifice are necessary ingredients for cooking up the dish of perfection. Therefore, if you too feel scared and broken while facing anxiety, then face it, feel it, and embrace it. Who knows your next masterpiece would be a product of anxiety?

Feature Image Credits: We Hear It

Shaurya Singh Thapa
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Campus Central

A Guide to Tackling Homesickness

By DU Beat August 15, 2018

It is the third week of August. Congratulations on getting through the first month of this semester. However, if you’re an outstation student, the first month must have been quite difficult for you. Here are a few points on tackling homesickness.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fresher yourself or have lived outside your hometown for quite a few years, whether your home is halfway around the world or half an hour down the road. If you’re living away from your home, you must have been through a dark phase called ‘homesickness’.

Ranging from the heart-warming goodbye at the steps leading to your front door to the teary eyes at the airport, you would inevitably miss home-family, friends, cuisine, atmosphere-when you live away from it. Let’s face it, there’s no way you can deal totally with this problem, but there are always ways in which this can be taken care of.

Mirroring Environments:

From drinking coffee in your favourite mug to reading your favourite book which reminds you of home, there are various ways in which you can mirror the lifestyle that you had at home. This shall not only make you feel better but shall also enhance your productivity when you are living in a different city for studies.

Comfort Food:

If you’re one of those whose spirits toil in the realm of food, then you’ll thank me for this tip. My personal experience has taught me that eating food from the place/region to which you belong, exercises scintillating effects on your thoughts and is known to help with anxiety and depression. Now that’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?

Understand your Situation:

If the above two weapons don’t work out, (Who are you kidding? Food does work) you can always introspect. Try to assign reason to all that is going on in your life. You worked all through your life in senior secondary school just to be where you are. You need to acknowledge this and give yourself some credit for the same. This is the place you have longed to be at. Look at the bigger picture. Once you pass out from here after three years (I really hope you do), you will have an entirely different life. Who knows, maybe after these years you might work in your hometown. So you need to pull yourself through this because you’re way stronger than you think.

Don’t Spend Time Alone:

When feeling homesick, never sit alone in your room gazing at the vivid texture of the four walls of your room. Instead, pick anything that diverts your attention. Read a book. Listen to some music. Use your first month of free subscription on Netflix to binge-watch a series or go out with your friends.

Delve into Literature:

It has been observed that jotting down your feelings is a very healthy way of blowing off some steam or dealing with stress. Activities such as scribbling into a journal, writing poetry, fiction etc. are practically proven means of mood-lifting.

Talk it out:

You can always try having a heart-to-heart conversation with anyone you can confide in. Care needs to be taken that you must not let your feelings overpower you. Stay strong. Stay Happy. Stay Confident.

These are some of the very simple ways to deal with anxiety and stress related to homesickness. However, if the problem persists, professional help from therapists can always be sought.

Feature Image Credits: Her Campus

Aashish Jain

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The First Class: An Account of Anxiety and Apprehension

By Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak August 7, 2018

The conception of the ‘firsts’ is raised to a pedestal and glorified by any young adult who is about to join college. There is a great deal of anticipation associated with your first day at college, but it’s your first class with the new people and the new mentors that get your heart racing. Do you relate to it? If yes, read on.

As you walk towards your first class, the hot rains of July would most likely be enveloping the lush, green gardens surrounding the campus. However, with the sweat-beads materialising out of your body, you almost overlook the beauty of the rains and rush to find your way in the big, daunting world you stepped into. The clock strikes 8:30 a.m. You realize that you’re 15 minutes early to class, but so is everybody else. A succession of thoughts engulfs your mind. You think, “Are all these people always this punctual?”, “Am I not serious enough?”, and “I’ll never get to sit on the good benches, will I?” A hundred more questions like these exasperate your awkwardly-smiling self, and dance to the tune of your misery.

As the lecturer enters the class, you ascend to greet in unison, almost hoping for her to miraculously know everything about you just by the way you wish her a good morning. As the introductory class begins, your notebooks are out. Your heart thuds in desperate anticipation of a mind-blowing revelation in the first 10 minutes of your college life. Nothing like that happens. Instead, you use your pen unnecessarily to scribble down the words being uttered by the authoritative figure before you who is moderating a gradually opening discussion.

The experience of your first class generates a wave of profuse sentiments. All around you, hands are raised, beliefs questioned and stereotypes defied. All the new phrases, all the new names, and all the newness in general makes you feel awfully overwhelmed. For a good while, you’re in awe. You’re nervous. Your feet are tapping. Your eyes are twinkling. You feel privileged. But on the other hand, there is also a giant cloud of formidable emotions making you feel alone, scared and home-sick.

Everybody tells you that it’s going to take some time to adjust to the bout of change, to take it easy and that it will be more than okay in just a little while. However, you know in your heart that surviving this is going to challenge your mental health and strength. With time, the heavy-seeming assemblage of incomprehensible emotions will hit you in the face stronger than the heat of July ever could. But before that happens, you won’t have the opening to narrate survival stories and say, “Hey, I survived change. I changed for growth.” Your first day might be the epitome of pleasantries or a dooming quiet. Nevertheless, you must remind yourself that nothing is fixed yet. The other person is not your best friend in the whole wide world and this day would not determine the rest of your life in college. Before you comprehend it, you will be a part of it all. Don’t forget, you’re not the only one.

Feature Image Credits: brilio.net

Anushree Joshi

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