Here is a note from our Editor summing up the next three years of your life-the rollercoaster ride.
Every year around 55,000 students take admission to the prestigious University of Delhi. Many leave the comfort of their home to pursue their academic goals and become the best version of themselves. Undoubtedly, the University is a breeding ground for personal growth. It is one place which gives you an experience of a lifetime- be it friendships, fun, extracurricular activities, or academics.
Every day you are going to meet a number of people who have different ideas and opinions, who differ from your political and societal views. You might be hesitant in the starting, but as months pass by, you will witness a change within yourself, a change which will make you realise how important inclusivity is. You will gradually empathise with the boy from North-east and his conditions back at home, and also understand the struggles of the girl from Kashmir.
It probably feels great to know that you are no more a child who has to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning, wear that boring school uniform, and go to school. The thought of having the freedom to walk in the college anytime without anyone to question or the freedom to attend classes, party with friends, and shop makes everyone excited. However, one must also realise that this image created by Bollywood will soon be busted. Not always will you have the freedom to walk in, sometimes you will have to reach as early as 8 a.m. for that one important lecture, or will have to sacrifice a get-together plan because you are too broke. All the NCERT books, guides, model test papers, and reference books will soon be replaced with a number of readings, heaps of xeroxed notes, neverending assignments, and ten-year books to study two days before the exam.
The people who you are friends with, or the groups you are a part of, will play a huge part in shaping your personality and character. In the coming months, you will pick and choose many people who you think will stay with you forever, with whom you will have all the fun. But let’s burst this balloon. This is not going to be the case. There will be happy days when all of you will chill and have fun in the cafes of Hudson Lane or Satya Niketan. But not all days bring sunshine, there will be gloomy days also; how you handle it will truly shape you as a person.
There will be situations where your college life will appear to be harsh and unwelcoming. You will experience situations where you will end up feeling that you don’t fit in the cultural space. Trust me, when I joined college, I felt the same. Most people feel the same. You might feel left out. But it is important to understand that every transition brings its own ups and downs. It is slow, gradual, and definitely challenging. And when we talk about the transition which can probably shape your entire career and personality, it is not going to be easy. You might leave the University with a completely transformed version of yourself, but I am sure that version would be a more refinied, responsible, and experienced one.
My advice to each one of you will be to simply invest in yourselves, join societies, question everything, apply for internships, meet new people from different cultural backgrounds, plan night stays and road trips, explore the night life, explore Delhi, and most importantly explore yourself. Choose your friends wisely and you will find your chosen family who will stick by you during the most adventurous and exciting years of your life
Christian D. Larson said, “Believe in yourself and all that you are. know that there is something greater inside you that is greater inside you that is greater than any obstacle.
So, fasten your seatbelts as you embark on the journey of a lifetime!
Anoushka Sharma