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The Dilemma: Is it the Right Age?

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“It is the right time now.” “There’s a right age for everything.” How often have we heard these lines? But does it really matter?

With the last semester having begun for several students of the University of Delhi, now comes the phase of thinking and exploring the options ahead with a little bit of worrying. Some may plan to go for their masters, others may look for jobs, or pursue their interests. Be it travel, read, or just relax. Some might be in a hurry to get their careers on track, so that they do it on the ‘right time’. But what is this ‘right time’ that we and our parents too run for?

The right time to start college, the right time to start a job, the right time to settle down, the right time to marry, to have kids – is there really a defined marker for this?

I know plenty of peers who want to go in for a different subject study after their graduation but are hesitant to do so. This is because they feel it is not the right time to start a bachelor’s degree again. Some are skeptical to take the step for their hobbies and passion. Others feel it is too late to start learning the drums he always wanted because it’s the time to look for a job. Who put this timeline over our heads, I’d like to ask?
It’s the fear of lagging behind our peers, that has been inculcated and imbibed in us by the society that comes to hinder
our path of pursuing things we like. The fear of missing out (FOMO), the closest millennial term that would describe it. When 3:30 p.m. in Canada right, it’s 1 a.m. in India. All of us are treading our lives according to our own timelines. It doesn’t mean that one is ahead of other. It’s just that things happen when they are supposed to.

However cliché it may sound, but age is just a number. Some start college at 21, some start working at 15. There is no comparison there. The only thing that matters is that you check off the boxes on your bucket list. The right time or the perfect moment is when you decide to make it. Sometimes, it might not be as soon as you wanted, or may come earlier than you expected it to. All this depends on you and your efforts. So, do things when you want them to; start a new hobby, start a new course, travel the country, take up the job you wished for, start interning under the mentor you look up to. Begin when you feel is correct. Keep cutting cakes every year and enjoy your ‘right age’ decided by you.

Feature Image Credits: Prachi Mehra

Gurleen Kaur
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Offbeat

Precautions Before Taking Your First Drinks

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 Your first drinking session can be a super exciting milestone in your life. However, for no regrets, it is advisable to take care of a few things so that you can have fun, responsibly.

  • Make sure you are with trusted people

Since it can be a little risky getting drunk for the first time when you don’t know your own capacity or tendencies, make sure you get your most trusted people to be with you for the first time. You might go out of your wits and you’ll need somebody to take your home and hold your hair while you puke.

  • Make sure that you are at a safe place.

You should be at a safe place, preferably home, for the first drinks. A nights stay is the best for it! You would need a certain comfort to make all kinds of faces and comments about your experience. Also, if you lose consciousness, its always better to have easy provisions for resting rather than later, rushing to a safer place for comfort.

  • Know about the drinks

You must be aware about the drinks, how they taste and how must they be taken before you actually hit the place! You would be able to flaunt how much you know about it and would also be able to make the correct decisions about what to consume, when. It also helps in deciding to mix your drinks well and you would be a little mentally prepared about what to expect out of the drinks.

  • Don’tdeliberately try to GET drunk, just yet.

It is only fine to get drunk but not just yet! Don’ hurry! Get some lemon or some heavy food along with your drinks. Your first experience must be actually experiencing the taste of the drinks consciously rather than it being a night you don’t remember. Gather a little self-control! Pick your favorites later and get drunk on them if you like! But, for now, you could go slow and actually experience the moment!

  • Be prepared! Your dreams may shatter!

You may have really high expectations and hopes about your drinks since everyone around you is always going bonkers over them! However, remember, it might seem overrated when you actually experience it yourself! The beer that people bond over might taste like piss and that is just fine! Some people will tell you that you need to “develop” your taste for the drinks. However, if you don’t want to, be vocal about it and do not judge yourself! Just pour in some Sprite, pretend its vodka and Cheers!

 

Feature Image Credits: Unsplash

Khyati Sanger
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DUB Speak

The Life Cycle of an Introvert

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Approximately one third of the global adult population exhibits introverted traits, yet young adults often have difficulty using this personality trait to their advantage.

A college campus is a kaleidoscopic mix of hundreds of young adults, bustling with activity at any given point of time. There are people to see, clubs to join, and parties to turn up at. Oh, and sometimes there are classes to attend.The chaos of student life can prove to be quite overwhelming for most students. Some exhibit major FOMO, some procrastinate endlessly, some won’t speak up in class even when they know the right answer to a question, while others end up completely isolating themselves. In other words, the fear of losing what are supposed to be ‘the best years of your life’ sets in, and it’s daunting.

Everyone has extroverted and introverted traits, people just lean into different sides of the spectrum. In the first year of college, most of us face a personality overhaul. Generally, this change is a three tier process.

1. The Epiphany

School is a safe and gated community. Most students are extremely comfortable in the familiarity of their local schools, and the first few weeks at college introduces them to the hardships of adjustment, compromise and initiative. Students end up realizing or at least considering the fact that they might not be as social and amiable as they thought.

2. Denial

It is expected of people to want to be social and enthusiastic, most borderline introverts force themselves into uncomfortable situations to fit in better. We live in an over-competitive and capitalist society that particularly values extroverted traits because introversion is often considered to be a weakness. Susan Cain, famous author and Harvard Law School graduate, calls this the ‘Extrovert Ideal’. It is the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha and comfortable in the spotlight which causes introversion to be considered a ‘second class trait.’

In a university where class participation, group assignments with randomly assigned members and ‘networking’ are over emphasized, colleges often neglect to cultivate the introverted side of their students’ personalities.Anushree, a first year student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women says, “I am a very reserved person, it takes me a long time to adjust to change since I don’t connect with people that easily.”

Long story short, several people feel disadvantaged due to their social skills (or lack thereof) or disdain for excessive human interaction. Be it regarding employment prospects, co-curricular activities, class participation or human relationships, they feel like they are missing out.

3. Acceptance

After a couple of miserable months spent in pretense, people realize that at the end of the day, it’s important to remember that different people flourish in different environments. A textbook introvert may feel more comfortable in an intimate setting or in one on one interaction. They add value to any piece of work because of their scrupulous nature and creativity. In friendships, feeling the tranquil pleasure of being near a gathering but not quite in it like resting your head in the backseat of a car listening to your friends chatting up front, bonding with a friend at a party while everyone dances inside. The feeling is blissfully invisible yet still fully included feels pretty great.
Feature Image Credits: Tee Public 

 

Nikita Bhatia

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Life at Delhi University

What NOT to do When You are in a Hostel!

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3Ds of hostel life: Discipline, Duty, Devotion. Hostel life isn’t just about the midnight Maggi and coffee. Life, there, is almost a parallel culture, an experience that takes you out of your comfort zone and exposes you to several experiences. It is a very memorable period in one’s life, but due to lack of knowledge or a casual attitude or just irresponsible behaviour, you may have problems of adjusting to the hostel environment, thus affecting your overall development. So watch your steps and hold yourself up carefully. Here are a few things you should not do when you are in a hostel: [caption id="attachment_51067" align="alignnone" width="300"]Hostel life can be tough, but it's fun too! Hostel life can be tough, but it’s fun too![/caption]

  1. First precaution: Don’t keep your money within easy reach!
There will be a lot of people visiting you, and you can’t point at a single person after a theft, should it take place. Better take precautions on this matter.
  1. Take care of your belongings
You aren’t at home anymore and you can’t let things like cell phones and laptops just lie around. In the same spirit, respect others’ belongings too.
  1. Do not use others’ things
Sharing may be a show of love, but it is also a show of bad manners. People have different needs. Are you sure you want to use their things, or allow them to use yours?
  1. Do not play loud music
Well, students have to maintain a regular study routine- you better consult others before playing loud music.
  1. Do not always speak your mind!
Just in case, remember that freedom of speech is not to be exercised anywhere and everywhere.
  1. Try not to break the rules of your hostel
Curfew time, hygiene and etiquettes are a few decrees of a disciplined hostel that must be upheld at any cost.
  1. Don’t be the late-night rustler
A rustling sound breaks the silence that finally descended in your room, right when you leaped off the bed and started performing a series of tasks, that too at the ungodly hour of 4 in the morning. [caption id="attachment_51068" align="alignnone" width="300"]Keep your room neat Keep your room neat[/caption]
  1. Don’t lounge with laundry
Hanging newly-washed laundry around the room, looping clothes around bedposts and stringing socks over the windowsill: enough!
  1. Do not keep the garbage in the room
Hostel rooms are usually tiny. In such an enclosed space, pages and packets littered around are a nuisance.
  1. Don’t keep weeping when you are homesick!
Keep in touch with your parents and try to adjust to the new place. A cry-baby does not give good vibes. The hostel is where you are adulting, so enjoy the stay and be responsible! Image credits: DU Beat, and Backpack and Bunkbeds Radhika Boruah [email protected]      ]]>

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