As admissions get done with and colleges get finalised, students across the city are in a mixed euphoria. They’re finally ‘grown up’, going away to college and what-not, yet the bottom line is it’s the start of a different kind of life, one with more responsibility and in an unfamiliar space. The most common fear is the thought of leaving a familiar place --- most students would probably be going out of town for the first time on their own. Having to create a new home base and start from scratch in terms of finding friends, discovering a new city, and in many instances, understanding and learning a new language can be very daunting to most 16 or 17 year-olds. Says Aman Shah, an engineering aspirant who plans on shifting to Mumbai, “I am definitely excited about the move, but I am not sure if I will be able to manage everything on my own. Moreover I don’t know a thing about doing laundry or cooking.” Justifying his thoughts Kruthika Mathihalli, another city girl who shifted to Bengaluru last year to pursue her B.A in Christ University, says, “I was scared that I would not fit in or find likeminded people and it actually came true. But I finally found friends after two months. I was also scared I wouldn’t get good food, and that came true too.” Staying away from home can be initially emotionally taxing and you might miss home and family a lot when you have to endure an environment that isn’t like home. However, it is the stepping out of the comfort zone that actually makes the experience worthwhile. While the blues seem very natural for people shifting out of the city, it holds good even for students shifting institutions within the city. As Archana Basavarsu, who plans to join St Francis College for Women, says, “I am sure it will just be filled with groups of girls who come together from their school. But how does one decide which group of people to hang out with? Moreover, academics are going to get tougher, so coping with is also an issue.” However, there’s always a brighter side to things, and Bhargav Goud, an engineering aspirant from Narayana Junior College cannot look at things otherwise. He says, “All these years I have been pressurised due to academics, so I am just looking forward to the freedom that college life will offer. ” While moving to a different place of learning is the top most inhibition, another major reason that leaves students anxious at this stage is the prospect of being ragged. Although many laws and amendments have been passed to control ragging in the educational institutions, it still exists in some form or other, especially in engineering colleges in the city. There has however been a sea of change and things are lot more different. As Vijay Krishan, a first year undergraduate student explains, “When I started college, I was extremely scared that a senior would bully me as I did not reach on time for a meeting. But the moment he saw me, he put his hand on my shoulder and acted all casual about it. I haven’t been scared since that day. ” However, just the thought of being the centre of cruel jokes and name calling can be frightening. To avoid such a situation, Dr Shobhana Srivastav, a psychologist in the city says, “Students should be aware of the strong laws against ragging in the country and make a strong group of friends in order to avoid being victimised.” Well whether it’s the thought of leaving your comfortable bedroom behind, those wonderfully cooked hot piping meals on rainy days or the familiar circle of faces that you’ve literally grown up with that gives you the pangs, going to college is an inevitable process, which if taken in stride, opens up a whole new chapter in one’s life with a new set of friends and many more memories. Besides, haven’t you been waiting all your life to go to college?
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