First Year In College: The Fun Side of The Story

Today, as I walk around in the campus confidently, I can't help but contemplate over the changes in my own attitude/personality that've come in this one year(+). Scenes from pre-college days keep running somewhere in the back of my mind. The preparations, the countless instances of ragging that I had collected in my mind secretly during the school years from hear-say, the freaking thought of travelling alone (that too in the rickety buses of Delhi), the never ending doubts and queries, the fear of seniors, academics... all these must only be a 'few' of all the turmoils, somersaulting then in my little brain, over 'OMG! College, how is it all gonna be!' 

When I heard my school-principal say a year ago, 'you get to see the real face of the world outside once you step out of school,' I only wondered how true was that. Now, more than a year out of school and into a life of a few lectures and a lot of bunks, boring labs and exciting events, logic-less treats and binging during classes, friendship and its various facets (yes, that AND MUCH MORE, is college life for you), I can relate to every word of what I got to hear about this one phase of life at the time of departure from my beloved school's principal, fellows and teachers.

Not even the thought of bunking class ever crossed my mind when in school; here, every day there is some or the other being organized, 'mass bunk'. Full day bunks, half day bunks, lab bunks, specific class bunks... name it, we have it! A single lecture after break? Who cares! We'll roam around or linger in the canteen in that one hour, but that class? Oh no! 

Once the clock struck 8, the school gates were shut! No more entry and no meant NO! And now, more than a month into my second year, I've been very punctual with my classes. Almost always on the same time. That is, at the end of the first class. 

Seniors. Trust me, there wasn't one of 'em I knew properly in school. Honestly, I never cared about it. Most of them seemed all puffed up with fake attitudes and twisted faces. 

On the contrary, I don't think the number of referrals to our seniors as 'sirs' and 'ma'ms' is even comparable to the same number for our teachers here. Enter first year and they warn you, "yahan seniors hi sab kuch hain. Bohot kaam ate hain." And henceforth, every "senior" gets a dedicated lot of devotees, all freshers, religiously following and consulting them for every little nothing. You may also be unlucky enough to get that one senior who'll give you a murderer's looks if you dare to deny him/her his/her share of "respect" with a 'sir'/'mam' tag. I dare to say all this because, I haven't done anything of this sort till date. 

If it's got to be something, it's got to be friendly. Not like some creepy sycophant. "Kaam ate hain"... not my deal. 

I have hated slang all my life. And I still do, even more. 'Coz I've got to hear it more here. You have no one around in college to punish you for saying "shit" (yes, that happened in my school, sisters are strict. And I loved them all for it), no one to make sure the decorum is maintained. Which is logical, we can't remain kids the whole life, after all.

But slang apart, college lingo is pretty cool, I agree. "Katta" is my own favorite word. I have always been good at sarcasm, but katta karne ka to maza hi alag hai! :D

Some people are ghissus who do ghisai all their life. No they aren't carpenters, they are nerds. Interestingly, "ghissu" also happens to be the biggest of all curses, in college. I have never seen anyone (even ghissus, for that matter) say, "proud to be a ghissu". To call someone a 'ghissu', is like using an offensive word, that is sure to trigger a 'mai nahi, TU hai!' game in no time.

'Fattu', 'lag gayi!', 'toduu!', 'phaadu' too are common in everyday usage.

Next on the list, treats. I never imagined that treats can have reasons as illogical as a new mobile phone, one mark more than your friend in a test, a mere pass in all subjects, an illogical bet win, completion of an assignment, a diagram someone drew for you in your file etc. Oh no, don't panic. These treats are only 'demanded', and not all demands are meant to be fulfilled! :P
Did I forget, birthday treats? Faces smudged with cake? And an embarrassing walk through a crowded canteen to the washroom where you can finally get rid of it? Singing (shouting), "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" LOUD in the canteen and everyone else sitting around joining in, just for the fun of it? If that's not fun, what is?!

The last pic of our first year, most special. Making horns on each other's heads while taking photos, when will we grow up?:P

And then the link ups, they can never get over, can they? Reason or no reason, there have to be plenty of 'em for every one. And then, when it comes to joking, neither would the gender matter in this regard, nor the orientation. :D
If you thought that was all, then no, you were wrong. Further:

Taking 'loans' in cash and paying them back in kind (that is, in the canteen), last minute studies before exams and the "kuch to bata de yaar!" study tips from THE 'ghissus', the brutal birthday bumps and the "COMMANDOS!... ATTACK!!!" on each other's food and oh oh... I forgot the baap of all things, standing in long queues at the photostat shops days before exams! I just threw away tatters and bundles of notes of first and second sem, recently.

The 'under the table jobs': SMS-ing, sneaking into the class slyly five minutes before it gets over and then confidently yelling out, "present ma'am!" like James Bond, marking proxies for each other in different styles of handwriting and different colors of pens, the 'respectful' descriptions for teachers like, 'abey kuch nahi ata isko!' and thoroughly enjoying someone's one-on-one debate with a teacher in class, with he finally becoming a favorite among students, for the simple reason that he induces a little spark in a boring one hour lecture everyday. And the teacher's favorite too. Favorite target.

What else shall I mention here? I don't know if I summarized the first year of college life or the whole college life itself. But undoubtedly, these are things we all shall remember with a heavy throat, years down the line, when our time would partly be devoted to family and partly to our work. No room for anything even close to fun, childishness, pranks, mannerless-ness in friendships and the very many things I mentioned above.

BUT. Is it all about fun alone? Could life ever be so easy that 3-4 years of life pass by oh-so happily! No, certainly no. 

One of the most fun filled phases of life, is also one of the best 'teachers' (ironic, being devoid of the best academic teachers :P). 

Let's leave the talk about this phase of life as one of life's biggest lessons, sour but real, for the final chapter of this most special post. The UGLY FACE, would soon be revealed. Till then, enjoy reading, "First Year In College: The Fun Side of The Story".