22 July 2010.

A year and week before, on 16th July 2009 I had the first taste of college life. Like most of the fuchaas (for those whose white hairs have started showing, fuchaas means college freshers ie the first year students), I was excited, having loads of expectations and at the same time nervous too. The college atmosphere was completely new to me. I remember how frustrated I was when no teachers were showing up for the lectures and being among new people, I had no clue what to do. Day 1 was so damm boring. It was so peculiar looking at seniors sitting around at various corners of the college or at metro station, or the teachers being so casual in their approach. It took me some time to adjust to the freedom that college life provides.

But today, it was completely different- I was no more a fachaa! On the first day of the II year, there wasn’t any expectation or nervousness, just some excitement of meeting up friends. Looking at the new freshers, I realized how much things have changed and it kinda made me laugh. I mean how they were all so properly dressed up, taking their each step with so much care. It’s going to take them few days to realize college is actually about being carefree. Nobody cares what you do or how you do. Its all about just being yourself. And they will realize it soon.

I came to college with full knowledge that there is not going to be any lecture, (afterall they are the teachers of Delhi University) but freshers, well they were just sitting in their classes waiting for anything to happen. You may infer that its because of the fear of ragging that they are not moving out. But in actual they don’t know what to do. (The most important thing that they will learn, and which I also did, a year ago is- How to do NOTHING). Infect, this is the very purpose (ie to do nothing) for which I went to college today.

At around 10, I reached the vishvidyalaya metro station. Apart from newly laid down footpath (thanks to Common wealth Games), everything was same- people running for the escalator, line on the exit, hoard of rikshewallas outside the station and of course, the hot chics! At college though, there were significant changes (again thanks to the Common wealth Funds which college received), the main entrance has been shifted, there was new administration and staff block, the canteen area was blocked, construction work was going everywhere and most significantly, there were ACs in our rooms (though I doubt if they will work).

Even at 10, there were only 2-3 of my classmates. (But I am sure, most of the freshers would have been sitting in their rooms right from 8:40!). Gradually others also arrived and for next three hours we did what we have mastered in doing during the first year- We did nothing! We roamed around from one place to another (the same way one surf the channels of TV!). We were sitting at the same place, often referred as “Jannat”, where we used to see our seniors sitting. And some freshers would pass from front of us, so anxious and perplexed. Then we had Maggie and Banta from the Maggie Point (I really don’t know what makes these two things so popular in north campus)

For fuchaas, this might be such a special day but for us, it was just another day at college minus the smsing and sleeping sessions (yes, that’s what a normal college person does during lectures!). In the next few days, they will learn so many things, like how important is the word attendance, how to use your cell during lectures, how to make excuses for being late, how to live with freedom and how not to be displaced from your career goal. (Actually, this is the time of the life to enjoy the most but this is also the most crucial time to make or break your career).

For us, the ex-freshers, the second year will hopefully make us more familiar with college life, with us finding more ways of doing Nothing!!

Disclaimer: The above mentioned views are purely of mine. Individual experiences may vary!

P.S.: Talking about ragging, I think with so much vigilance over it, in next few years the word ragging will be even stroked off from dictionary.