The academic year 2013-2014 for Undergrads at the University of Delhi will end soon. For those students who are graduating this semester, it will mark the end to their college life. For the rest, there is going to be a very long break, so anyway -_-
Very soon, there will be no lectures to attend, the class-rooms will be empty, the campus will be deserted; and not to forget, no more setting the alarm clock to 6:30 in the morning to attend the 8:45 class which I failed 90% of the attempts. Before everything comes to an end, before my seniors graduate, I thought why not write a little something of my freshman year in college. Though only a year has passed, and I still have three more years to be in college, after this semester I will no more be a freshman, a new batch of students will come and life will moves on. Things will change, life will not be the same.
There is a time and a season for everything. I still remember the first day I came to this college, everything was strange and new. Everyone was a stranger to another. I remember how I ran from block to block searching for my classroom. When finally I got in one of those bamboo-classrooms, we were made to introduce ourselves, and yes, let me admit it was awkward. I don't really remember how much faces I remember that day, but as days passed by, we started to know each other better.
During those initial days, before I could remember or recognized faces of my classmates or friends, I would sit in the foyer and look for familiar faces. I know no one. I reckoned, however, I am not the only one who is lost and without any friends. I saw some sitting alone in the foyer, thinking, dreaming, or whatever is on their mind. I would tried saying hi, hello, my name is so and so...to them. We introduced each other about the self, our hometown and just other introductory tidbits. I remember how 90% of those whom I talked with won't believe me when I told them I am an Indian. They would asked about my parentage, and would asked if we were immigrants, and how I came to India, and so on. They are hard to convinced and sometimes I would simply tell them that I am from a certain South East Asian country. I will be a Filipino to one, a Thai to another, or a Burmese, or a Chinese.
[Fast forwarded. December. End of Semester I.]
Come January and the new semester begin, I am now in the IInd Semester. Delhi's winter is hard to pace with, the chill, the morning classes, it bite us hard (but well remembering those days NOW [summer], it is something very soothing, anyway). Then, NEXUS - my college annual fest came. We rocked, we clicked, we had fun...so much of it.
Assignments, projects and presentations followed. I do not blame the FYUP of the University of Delhi, I am neither an anti-FYUP nor a pro-FYUP, but seriously the many foundations courses are ridiculous. Though they don't carry much credits, and aren't a heavy load for end semester exam, yet the assignments and projects and presentations are overwhelming. They ate up many precious hours. I had the busiest weeks in ages, to meet all those deadlines.
Somewhere in this semester, I happened to make friends with two seniors. We came from the same district in Manipur. Though we have met since last semester, it was only in this semester that we really get to know one another well. We spent many hours together in the college lawn, the canteen and in Satya Niketan, we missed many lectures just to be together. We have fun, laughing at silly jokes. One of them is graduating this season and I will miss her.
Though some classes are still going on, many has completed theirs and students don't come to college anymore. They would rather laze in their room at home, rather than beat this Delhi's heat. There seem to be no spring in Delhi, but just winter and summer. Some professors in my department are trying their best to complete the syllabus by taking in lots of extra classes, but many don't care. Even today, right now, there is a lecture going on. But I believe many didn't turn up. I am writing this in the library's reading room, I might missed all the lectures today. Yesterday, only after I reach home I realized that I did not attend even a single lecture. To tell you the truth, I came to college not to attend lectures but because I wanted to be in college.
As the session come to an end, I want to tell my seniors that they shall be missed and I wish them Bon Voyage for the journey that lies ahead.
Very soon, there will be no lectures to attend, the class-rooms will be empty, the campus will be deserted; and not to forget, no more setting the alarm clock to 6:30 in the morning to attend the 8:45 class which I failed 90% of the attempts. Before everything comes to an end, before my seniors graduate, I thought why not write a little something of my freshman year in college. Though only a year has passed, and I still have three more years to be in college, after this semester I will no more be a freshman, a new batch of students will come and life will moves on. Things will change, life will not be the same.
There is a time and a season for everything. I still remember the first day I came to this college, everything was strange and new. Everyone was a stranger to another. I remember how I ran from block to block searching for my classroom. When finally I got in one of those bamboo-classrooms, we were made to introduce ourselves, and yes, let me admit it was awkward. I don't really remember how much faces I remember that day, but as days passed by, we started to know each other better.
During those initial days, before I could remember or recognized faces of my classmates or friends, I would sit in the foyer and look for familiar faces. I know no one. I reckoned, however, I am not the only one who is lost and without any friends. I saw some sitting alone in the foyer, thinking, dreaming, or whatever is on their mind. I would tried saying hi, hello, my name is so and so...to them. We introduced each other about the self, our hometown and just other introductory tidbits. I remember how 90% of those whom I talked with won't believe me when I told them I am an Indian. They would asked about my parentage, and would asked if we were immigrants, and how I came to India, and so on. They are hard to convinced and sometimes I would simply tell them that I am from a certain South East Asian country. I will be a Filipino to one, a Thai to another, or a Burmese, or a Chinese.
[Fast forwarded. December. End of Semester I.]
Come January and the new semester begin, I am now in the IInd Semester. Delhi's winter is hard to pace with, the chill, the morning classes, it bite us hard (but well remembering those days NOW [summer], it is something very soothing, anyway). Then, NEXUS - my college annual fest came. We rocked, we clicked, we had fun...so much of it.
Assignments, projects and presentations followed. I do not blame the FYUP of the University of Delhi, I am neither an anti-FYUP nor a pro-FYUP, but seriously the many foundations courses are ridiculous. Though they don't carry much credits, and aren't a heavy load for end semester exam, yet the assignments and projects and presentations are overwhelming. They ate up many precious hours. I had the busiest weeks in ages, to meet all those deadlines.
Somewhere in this semester, I happened to make friends with two seniors. We came from the same district in Manipur. Though we have met since last semester, it was only in this semester that we really get to know one another well. We spent many hours together in the college lawn, the canteen and in Satya Niketan, we missed many lectures just to be together. We have fun, laughing at silly jokes. One of them is graduating this season and I will miss her.
Though some classes are still going on, many has completed theirs and students don't come to college anymore. They would rather laze in their room at home, rather than beat this Delhi's heat. There seem to be no spring in Delhi, but just winter and summer. Some professors in my department are trying their best to complete the syllabus by taking in lots of extra classes, but many don't care. Even today, right now, there is a lecture going on. But I believe many didn't turn up. I am writing this in the library's reading room, I might missed all the lectures today. Yesterday, only after I reach home I realized that I did not attend even a single lecture. To tell you the truth, I came to college not to attend lectures but because I wanted to be in college.
As the session come to an end, I want to tell my seniors that they shall be missed and I wish them Bon Voyage for the journey that lies ahead.
