College was a real bummer for me. For a person who in school, visualised high raised citadels (Too much to ask for, I know.) painted in Brown for a campus, a highly groomed version of myself sitting on the lawn, reading my favourite book and talking to a friend I made there, every time I thought about college, the college which I actually ended up in, was a bummer. Don't ask me how I ended up there, that one month was one of the phases in my life, whenever I think of which, I believe in fate. I.e. I blame fate whenever I brood over my mistakes. Just kidding, I put in my earnest efforts to own up to them, for I believe that faith can change fate.

At issue was not just the size of the campus, in fact that was a negligible grumbling that faded over time. What made me develop an aversion towards college, was the incorrigible laxity they had towards the curriculum. I’m a person who would rather be productive and not sleep with guilt and dissatisfaction at the end of a lousy useless day. My brain is always thirsty to learn new things, expects exceptional stimulations and challenges on a daily basis. But no, I had to end up in that place, which gave importance to the things that were absolutely irrelevant to me and my life. I still tried to learn from and cherish what was offered to me. Did I have a choice? Yes. Did I make use of it? Gradually, yes. As much as I was frustrated with everything, I tried to transform the environment around me. I failed a lot of times. But the few times I saw change, man that feeling was great. As soon as every day’s dose of depression (college) was over was when I considered my day began. At 1 PM everyday. I got to do lots of fun stuff which mattered to me, which evolved me as a person, challenged me and added value to the lives of the people around. It still gives me mountains of joy and satisfaction whenever I think about how I spent my time outside college.

Does that mean I struck balance in my life? May be.

I did a bachelors degree in Electronic Media, which is usually deduced to be related to ECE. Or every time someone asked me about the course, my reply would be "it is a course similar to Visual Communication, just that it doesn’t have much drawing to do". But It is a beautifully formulated course, if implemented properly, is a delightful one to take up. It is supposed to help us specialise in Directing, Script Writing, Designing to name a few. But the unfortunate beings like us were eaten up by the vagueness that the department instilled upon us about Media. Talking about that, most of the members of our society have a huge disaccord for media as a career. And they also have a feeling that any Tom, Dick and Harry can get his way in to media easily irrespective of his major. I remember my own faculty telling this to me during the first days of college. But doesn’t that mean that there is overwhelming competition in this field and there should be more efforts put in by the institutions to train the aspirers better? Why do they fail to realise that? Why were we taken for granted? How long will they let things function on a trial and error basis? I will not forget to add another galling elucidation people threw at me whenever I expressed my dissatisfaction with college to them. "All colleges function that way. At least yours is a well reputed one, be happy. At least you will have good placements. Stop complaining, yours is one of the best media schools in Chennai. Others are much worse."
Thanks people. In an attempt of consoling me, you just mentioned a problem much more acute and large when compared to mine.

Despite all of this, I must say college made me stronger, more patient and all that, but bleh. I did not take a student loan for just that. Worst things in life come at very high cost, apparently.

P.s. This is an attempt for getting closure over the last three years. I usually don’t rant this much.

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niranjana krishnakumar

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Environmentalist, Content Writer, Ultimate Frisbee Athlete.

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