The admission procedure is going on and just as every year, this time too many will be left broken-hearted. Understandable as it may be, you cannot let this wear you down. Here are a few things you absolutely must keep in mind if you’re about to start college in some time.
1. Don’t let college be your be all and end all:
I get it. You had a set of A-list colleges that you shortlisted and could bet your money on getting into one of them. Today you stand admitted into a college you would usually just scoff at as something too below your worth. Disappointing and frustrating? Yes. End of the world? No.
There’s so much opportunity out there, waiting to be seized. I know it’s easier said than done, but you need to get over it. Many people have ended up making their lives exemplary despite not getting into those well-sought after colleges. Form a society, intern for magazines, and learn about social entrepreneurship. Go, make, do, believe! The world is your oyster.
2. If you did get into a college of your choice, point 1 holds so much more significance:
I’ve seen some exceptionally intelligent and talented people get into the top brass of DU and then lose it the second they enter college. Either it’s a sense of superiority that gets to their head, or they actually feel that a college name is enough to get them through all the hurdles of life. It’s a tough world out there. Everyone competing to be better than the other. Complacency is the one very despicable trait no one enjoys dealing with : not your colleagues, definitely not your bosses. College is the time to hone your skills, become good at what you never knew, and better at what you were always good at.
Don’t let that supposedly good college name consume you. Arrogance takes you nowhere, humility might.
3. Don’t discount yourself…or others.
You’re so much more than your college. And so are other people. Once you start college, you’ll realize there’s so much more to people than the brand of varsity they study in. You need to stop taking people for their face value. Friendly and humble, understanding and considerate. If you don’t get how these traits make a true man/woman out of you- no college will ever be good enough. Judge people for who they are not for the brand they carry with them (This holds true for both college and clothes).
4. Make yourself AWARE:
You’re in college now. Study beyond those textbooks. Read, watch, talk. Engage in conversations with people from backgrounds you’ve only heard on TV about, learn about the conflicts and disputes in all parts of the world, research and form opinions. Engage in debates with your teachers, your lectures are no more merely a lesson on rot learning. Get out of your bubble. There’s so much going on out there, your boyfriend issues, and your ‘not enough pocket money complaints won’t hold a candle in front to the turbulence engulfing the world. Not to say the former doesn’t matter, but when you start seeing the larger world-view, your life develops a whole new meaning.
5. Don’t isolate yourself:
Life can get too much to take on some days, but that is no reason to keep to yourself and lose hope. DU is effectively a conglomeration of people from all cultures and backgrounds. It’s an amazing opportunity to debunk your prejudices, to ditch the preconceived notions and take a sneak peek into the world of ‘the other’. Whether it’s celebrating North Eastern Day or meeting new people at MUNs, everything you do leads to a better understanding of the world. But for that to happen, you need to just let go and get out there. It’s a short life, make the most of it.
A college can mean a lot to people, it can end up carving you into the person you eventually end up becoming. Make your college more than its name. Make it about the experience. And more importantly, make that experience great.