First year in college

Having finished my first year engineering exams i sit back and let my mind wander on the changes and transitions that have occured ever since the time i left school 15 months ago.I am quite surprised to discover how much i have changed since then.One year in college has given me enough freedom and exposure to a mutlitude of things.Exactly 12 months ago i was at cross-roads.I wasnt sure of my future then.I took up a course thinking it was where my interest was,quite like most of my counterparts.It is not that i regret that choice,but the past one year has made me realise our insight into certain things are short sighted.


I find that the transition from school to college is quite discernible and maybe it could be attributed to the freedom that is given in my college.There are a few colleges where life is worse than in a military jail, whose students are subjected to so many silly rules and restrictions that even lamenting about the same is stale.Some of these rules include a blanket ban on boys-girls interaction.The plea given by the management of these colleges is that such interactions are an unhealthy trend , students would go wayward resulting in unpleasant incidents.I wonder how such students would be able to face the real world,stepping out of college landing themselves in their first job.In today's scenario where more importantly than the academic record and personal intelligence,the ability to coalesce with colleagues is of paramount importance.Now this being a post on my college life, i dont want to deviate much.However I am grateful to my college for not imposing such meaningless rules on us till now.This made me realize how much valuable freedom my college gives us,expecting us to utilize it discreetly.I do agree too much freedom would spoil students.However one must understand that freedom always comes with a price and this is responsibility.People may or would have fallen by the wayside.Anyways certain lessons in life are better learnt the hard way and they stay forever isnt that so??


Beyond all this serious talk, college has provided me a new environment and a chance to meet new people,friends and acquaintances.I remember how one fine monday evening last august,i was returning home in the college bus after the Orientation Programme ,i was summoned by the seniors to the last row of seats in the bus.I shuddered at the thought of being ragged.There was mild ragging which included singing,speaking punch dialogues,proposing to a fellow first year girl (She rejected it obviously..lolz...) etc.This sort of ragging continued for quite a few weeks and i was initially apprehensive of this.But soon it dawned on me that all this ragging was done only to acquaint the juniors with the seniors .My seniors were really responsible people and never once did they indulge in the excesses that we hear of in medical colleges and IITs ,time and again.

The past one year in college has brought me more friends and acquaintances than my high school life.I would rather say i was able to come out of a shell to which i was withdrawn into during my high school days .It was not that i was a loner in school, but my circle of contacts were quite limited to my closest friends. In any relationship small squabbles and petty misunderstandings are bound to arise and i have had my small share of them with a few of my friends. But i have learnt that it is possible and necessary to shed my ego whenever and wherever mandatory.However i feel i have kind of not performed upto my potential on the academic front and surely i do have a few regrets about them.Here again i have beffitingly learnt my lesson and i now look forward to correct myself in the upcoming semesters.Most important than anything else i feel i have quite matured a lot and grown up as a person.I am no longer the bleary eyed school kid , i am now filled with some kind of purpose.I have three more golden years to spend alongside my friends in college and i am eagerly looking forward ......