As exciting it may sound, the transition from school to college can be equally daunting in the absence of proper guidance. Innumerable trajectories open up in college for youngsters, however eventually, many students end up feeling lost. This is where the role of a senior kicks in.
Who is a senior? A person, who is always willing to lend a hand, be it regarding academics or extracurricular activities. Seniors play the dual role of a friend and a mentor. They are the people who have been in your very shoes before you, therefore can empathize with your conundrums. They counsel you on what to study, how to study, projects to take up, internship opportunities, higher studies, and plain old personal problems amongst other things. They are an invaluable inventory of relevant information.
It is a well-known fact that one needs their seniors in college. This is something that we’re all well aware of even before we enter the campus life. In such an alien environment, it is good to have a voice of experience to consult to deal with changes and subjects.
The role of a senior in college is insurmountable. It is a senior who gives us the hacks to deal with that particular grumpy teacher. Seniors, from their inventory of experiences, share the tricks and techniques to deal with that particular tough paper. Besides, providing us with notes, our seniors sometimes go an extra mile to teach us tougher concepts in a subject.
Working with seniors while preparing for an event, can be a basic simulation of a corporate ecosystem. Teaming up with seniors to pull up events or projects helps us to understand the terms of working and instils basic etiquettes needed to be incorporated.
On an emotional level, seniors are better experienced than us in handling stress. They can figure out the sources of stress in most cases. They understand a junior’s position better than any other adult in a way since they are either going through it or recently gotten over it. Experience counts.
Keeping all the points under consideration, a junior must seriously consider building a good rapport with seniors. A fresher should join societies that interest him or her. Societies in colleges provide a platform and space for interaction among juniors and seniors. One should also be very active in department’s work and events. A junior should go an extra mile to initiate a conversation sometime and seek help on academic issues. Trips can be another exquisite way to help to bond with seniors easily.
We won’t live long enough to make mistakes and learn from it but we can be wise to learn from mistakes our seniors committed. Happy bonding with seniors!
Image Credits: Youth Ki Awaaz
Sandeep Samal