things i learned in my undergrad, the hard way!
3 and a half years later…
my undergrad is coming to an end (finallllllly) since there’s only one more semester to go which i’m unsure of completing (just kidding). if you are a student who studies in an indian 2nd tier engineering college, you can completely relate to my glee: no more stupid examinations, mindless copying of un-useful assignments, attendance norms of >75%, not using mobile phones, college administrators giving a hard time, etc etc but there are plenty of memories which i would surely miss: going to an exam completely unprepared (still passing), watching late night football matches, going on unplanned trips and of course making some lifelong friends.
of course i learned a lot in my college life and it has been a steep learning experience; i even made some terrible mistakes and learned lessons which i think have been extremely important in shaping me but the mere fact that i went through a lot of bullshit and depression which could have been easily avoided makes it a terrible one.
i surely had some of the best times of my life, but to be honest college has been really hard for me. being a good student who couldn’t get into a tier 1 college (because of my own mistakes), living and studying around people with such narrow mindsets made it even worse. the urge to drop out got stronger every week but somehow i have made it till now. so here i am, sharing the things i learned, the hard way:
make friends with your seniors and learn as much as you can before they leave.
the best thing i remember from my first year was interacting with my seniors. i still relate to them a lot and thank them for helping me figure out what i can do throughout my engineering. i even remember one of my seniors telling me about how i will come across a time when everyone around me would be kicking asses and i will still be figuring out my next move and it would still be totally okay. “learn from the people around you, and believe in yourself.”it’s okay to be different and to have your own views.
it may sometimes be hard to understand why certain people are so different but if you try hard enough, you realize that every action someone makes stems from the first 18/20/22 years of their life. meeting people who care so much about what they believe in teaches you to stand up for what you believe in too. you learn to forge your own character, not just be a conformist. you learn that it’s okay to be different and it’s okay to be you because being different might just be the best thing you have to offer. try to read not because it’s cool but because it makes you think. try to question things you believe in: political ideologies, being an atheist, spirituality, try to question everything. as far as i’m concerned i truly believe this nation is not going in the right direction with the current political scenario and i can explain why i’m an atheist but believe in spirituality.it is the best time to learn because nobody cares if you fail.
it is the best time to pick up new skills, challenge yourself and learn things you never thought of learning. nobody cares if you fail. nobody cares if you like philosophy, acting, sports or art. it’s when you realize it’s okay to be different because out of thousands of students, you’ll still find that one person who is just as different and just as crazy as you.value learning over scoring.
being an indian student, you’ve always been under pressure to score high marks. even in college most teachers won’t value learning but only good grades but grades will never reflect how much you will earn or achieve. grades won’t take you far if you’ve only memorized. you need to learn “how to learn” or you fail. this skill becomes one of the most important in the real world. i realized recently that you can quickly become an expert in any discipline if you have ambition and the ability to learn and if you don’t know something, ask questions. too many people think asking questions makes you look dumb. the exact opposite is true.learn how to network and never stop doing it.
networking doesn’t just mean going to conferences. it means being helpful so others think of you when opportunities arise. networking gets you access to old tests, helpful hints, professors to avoid, internship opportunities, etc. start by hanging out with fellow students, seniors, and professors. networking is about giving and taking: don’t just be a leech. when you’re in a position to help, go help.work for startups.
i was lucky enough to work with a few startups: swapcard, typeset and scapic. before i interned at scapic, i thought i knew things but was good for nothing. working at startups teaches you how companies work, helps you build contacts and gives you real responsibilities.be aspiring, insanely aspiring.
this is my hardest learned lesson. don’t ever think you cannot achieve something. work hard for it, and mark my words — you’ll get it.find something you love apart from studies.
during college, find something you love and pursue it. for me, it was traveling and football. before coming to college, i never traveled. after 3+ years, i’ve been to 8 countries and the experience has been mind blowing. traveling and meeting people changes you in ways you can’t imagine.heartbreaks will happen and you’ll get over them.
i had mine in second semester. it was terrible and i thought i’d never get over it. 3 years later, i’m happy it happened. had a breakup? go learn something new. read a book. play your favorite sport. time heals everything.choose your friends carefully and be there for them.
be the messi to someone’s suárez. if your friend needs you, be there. don’t be that guy who never shows up.