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College is your first taste of the real world. 

Yes, I spent the better half of my college at my house but this post needed to be here. While I didn’t have ‘the college experience’, there are still some things I learned that are essential. I am in my last year of college at Delhi University and I am sad to leave it next year. This part of my life didn’t go as expected at all. 

College is a scary place but it’s also a place with a myriad of opportunities. Here are some things you learn in college which make it a little less scary:

Inclusivity

I’ll be honest- before going to college, I was a bit homophobic. Given the town I grew up in, I wasn’t open-minded enough to accept anything except heterosexuality. But the openness of DU, rallies, events, societies- all gave me a chance to understand that the discrimination against same-sex partners is brutal and ultimately, love wins. The rights of the LGBTQ+ community are innate and essential. College allows you to accept and experience so many different aspects of society and that’s what it did for me.

Socializing

Whether you’re a peace-loving introvert or the center-of-attention extrovert, you’re bound to socialize. You might not have been able to find like-minded people previously in your life, but college crowds are so extensive that it’s inevitable. So try to come out of your shell and make an effort. Meet new people and have fun, because college friends will always hold a special place in your heart.

Keeping an Open Mind

As you meet like-minded people in college, you’ll also meet people that you don’t necessarily connect with. I have had my share of experience with that as a part of my society. The thing with DU is that no matter what society, college, or fest you are a part of, you’ll have to mingle and accept that not everyone will match your vibe. Whether it be a different culture, lifestyle, living standard, opinions, or fashion sense, you need to keep an open mind. You’ll get to meet so many diverse people and experience varied cultures that your college life will be full of color.

Taking risks

As mentioned, you’ll receive a myriad of opportunities during your college years. You might be reluctant to go through with them and participate in something new but trust me, do it. Unless you get out of your comfort zone, you’ll miss out on so much. At this stage of your life, you’ve nothing to lose. Be confident and take risks, because this is the best time to do it. Experiment, learn, participate, express yourself- try new things whenever you can- it’s worth it. 

Balance

Ah, this is something you’ll yearn to find during college. Between studying, friends, internships, societies- there will always be something that’ll overpower the other. And while you’ll panic and probably lose your shit for a moment, you’ll also learn the trick of balance. You’ll learn to see the big picture, your priorities, and how you can put everything together. This is a paramount skill to have in life. 

That concludes my list of lessons that I learned during this time. These are some things that will always be a part of me, including the trauma of online college (insert crying face emoji).

College is a time when your whole life is in front of you and it’s scary as f*ck. Between choosing your career, making friends, and freaking out about everything, we tend to forget the big picture. So, take a moment and think about your summit. And then, take a deep breath and see how your current experiences add to it. You might end up getting a new perspective. 

That’s it for today, folks! Thank you so much for reading, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below:)

Keep the fun vibes flowing, 

Pranjali 

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