Changes in a Student’s Life: A Reflection
I have always thought of the leaves changing colour as a great metaphor. It has a striking resemblance to the life we live — one with all its basics and bargains and its hustle and bustle; the life in which change is a dear friend.
The Ambiguous Yet Impactful Changes in a Student’s Life
For me, the past few months have come with the revelation that the changes in a student’s life are perhaps the most ambiguous yet, the most impactful.
Striving for Academic Excellence
This time last year, I was in school, uncertain, anguished and working my way towards a kind of “tomorrow” that every student aspires to wake up to. Ours is a country with one of the largest pool of students in the world. Ours is a country home to the first scientists, the first mathematicians, physicians, social reformers, scholars. Today, ours is a country that is one of the youngest in the world, with millions who dream of etching their name in the choicest of specialisations. Each year lakhs of these youngsters sit for some of the most coveted examinations — and I was one amongst many.
Lessons Learned in School
Hailing from the majestic highlands of Northeast India, I have always nurtured a longing to represent my homeland amongst the rest of my countrypeople. Like hundreds of other students across the country, I too wanted all the knowledge I gained at home to come with me to the heart of the nation’s academic cradle, at the University of Delhi.
But to step into this premier institution meant withstanding the storm that boards and entrances were. I had the privilege of completing my schooling at Don Bosco School, Guwahati, the institution that has shaped me into the person that I am today. My 13-year-long stay at the school taught me lessons in grit, grace, and gratitude; ones that are crucial in every student’s life. It taught me to not back down in the face of challenging situations, to always tackle them gracefully and to imbibe the art of appreciating the little things.
Preparing for the Next Chapter
Before our preparatory leave for boards began, we had to come to terms with the end of this beautiful journey at school. It was bittersweet, evoked nostalgia, it moved me deeply — but what I did not realise at the time was that this was one of the many changes coming our way.
Board examinations were over within a couple of months and so were the Common University Entrance Test (CUET). The myriad experiences during that time are conceivable only to students. It may seem daunting, overwhelming, and sometimes, not even worthwhile. But in the end, every minute’s labour bears fruit. This is another lesson that this, most crucial, stage of my student life has taught me: To be steadfast and have unwavering faith in one’s effort and ability.
The Importance of Critical Thinking
Renowned philosopher C E M Joad once said, “Books are the chief carriers of this civilisation”. Growing up, every student has learnt how to find the best of friends in their books. But the real meaning of his words gets lost in our everyday interpretation. We, the youth, are the edifice on which a nation takes a proud stand and in books must we find spaces to expand our horizons and that of the nation. As students, we need to inculcate this habit of reading, analysing and questioning every detail. Only in the last few months of preparing to begin a new chapter of my academic life did I realise the importance of critical thinking and of unlearning if I am to learn and grow.
The Transition to College Life
On my first day of college, I was compelled, quite literally, to enter a critical analysis of the world and unlearn everything I knew about it. Lessons learnt on how to deal with life were thrown out in the open, 15-minute tiffin breaks were ancient history and my presumptions of many concepts were scorching in the heat of a completely different world.
It was, after all, my first day at DU. It was my first day as a college student. It was my first day of unlearning much of my past and learning for the life that awaits me. From watching my father carry my school bag to watching him carry my luggage up my hostel room; from buying textbooks on the first day of class to looking for readings in the library; from practising for class assemblies at a friend’s house to not seeing them at all for months on end. This is the change we as students work towards.
Embracing Change and Striving for a Better Tomorrow
Not initially, transitioning from a sheltered space to being on my own was a distressing process. But this is the phase of a student’s life where they learn not only to score on paper but to live life as a sensible, rational human.
So, now that I pen down these thoughts, the ordeals of the past few months are fresh in my mind. The “tomorrow” I had hoped for must have been here today, but is it really here yet? It’s only human to keep hoping for an even better tomorrow, isn’t it? I believe it is, as we are not unlike the sunflowers which are mellow at night but back again full of hope for a new morning; a better and brighter tomorrow.
Summary:
- The changes in a student’s life are ambiguous yet impactful.
- Transitioning from school to college is a challenging process.
- Lessons learned in school shape a student’s character.
- Preparing for exams requires perseverance and faith.
- Critical thinking and unlearning are essential for growth.
- Entering college means unlearning and adapting to a new environment.
- Students must embrace change and strive for a better tomorrow.
The writer is from Guwahati and is currently pursuing her Bachelors from Miranda House, Delhi University
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