Past the Benchmark

Shrushti Tripathi, B.Com

College - a place where they mould you to be adults and you resist, in vain. A place where your choices knead your future. A place where infinite doors wait for you to open them. Out of the blue, I found myself in a similar setting. I knew I'd have to trust my intuition to navigate me through the maze of unfamiliar.

A crisp white shirt, a pair of makeshift black trousers and I’m ready for Orientation day. Somehow, using the well-worn black jeans in place of formal trousers felt like something I was doing with myself. A kid who was still shaken from the boards, entering the University gate for a new start. I felt like a square peg in a round hole. The day was an array of motivational speeches. Suddenly, I wanted to reach out to all the facilities this one of the top multidisciplinary private universities in North India, The NorthCap University had to offer and to make the best of everything at my disposal. Addresses were given by everyone in key positions, including the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and the Dean of the School of Management (SOM). Initially, the gathering consisted of students of SOM as well as the School of Law (SOL). But after the chief addresses, only the students of SOM remained in the auditorium and a more intimate discussion followed with the Head, SOM and the faculty. Amidst all this, a small voice told me to initiate small talk with the people in the vicinity. After all, I was surrounded by people I’d see everyday for six semesters. I soon discovered, one “Hi” goes a long way!

A mountain is as insurmountable only as much as we make it to be and college is no exception. Orientation helped me break my mental barrier of being insufficient. One day at a time, and soon I am a week into college. Every day something new to do, something new to learn about a field I am immensely passionate about. My new friends don’t feel so, it’s as if I have known them all my life. The faculty teach with a zeal unheard of in school, they have the skill of infusing a practical essence to even the most dry concepts.

This newfound freedom is mine to invest, or ruin. I couldn’t afford to do the latter. I intend to learn about investing. I know I have new pages in my life to fill, and I want them to be beautiful, something I’ll cherish late into my eighties.