“Those were the days my friend
We thought they’d never end…”
Alas! They did…
5 years ago, I thought the same thoughts as I bid farewell to those glorious school years. From being a perpetually confused, underconfident, frequently bullied 4 year old, I grew up to be an outspoken & confident teen. It was my school which taught me the importance of believing in myself.
I then stepped into Narsee Monjee college, certain that my ICSE 90% and an impressive list of school achievements meant that I had an edge over most others.
Lesson # 1: - I was wrong!
With not more than 120 in a batch in school, here I was in a classroom of 120 students! I also had the fortune of making it to the high cut-off ‘I.T.’ division where a 90% score was considered ‘Average’. From day one I knew I was pitted against the best. And I’m so thankful for that because there was no better incentive to improve myself than comparing myself with the very best. Junior college is perhaps the only aspect of college life where I have a few regrets. For the first two years, I was plain overwhelmed! It took a while just to ‘fit in’. Besides, those were the days when studies were the be-all and end-all of an academic institution. At least, thats what I used to think.
Lesson # 2:- Studies are only a tiny aspect of college life.
I write this well aware that my T.Y. exams are fast approaching with little efforts on my part. Yet, only in First Year Degree College did it hit me that there’s more to college life than just studies. Ironically, it was in Degree College that I decided to take up Chartered Accountancy. That’s when the juggling act began. With CA class & articleship and constant tension of PCC studies, I wanted to do something more- as a hobby, as a diversion, at times, as a backup profession! And college provided loads of avenues for experimenting. From excelling at speaking events to hosting functions to finally winning at Umang in my last year of college to going for dance competitions (knowing that I had no chances of winning with certain fabulous dancers like
Krishna Patel participating) to making a fool of myself at an inter-college RJ Hunt to winning the ‘Best Speaker’ college award for 2 years consecutively and finally to winning the prestigious Forum of Free Enterprise elocution, I had done it all & most importantly, truly enjoyed what I did. None of the co-currics were forced. There was never any pressure to succeed. And there was always infinite support from professors, friends and family. It is this little part of college memories that are the most important to me.
Lesson #3:- Respecting my seniors- Age is almost always a reflection of wisdom.
Our college has a very supportive group of professors who provide just the right kind of guidance, knowledge, expertise and encouragement. Our professors were the guiding force behind the various clubs and societies ( special mention to the Planning Forum, for
Dylan; and the Wildlife and Nature Club, in appreciation of the peacock dance performed by
Priyanka &
Dhaval). The college professors have a major contribution to N.M.’s victory at numerous fests. A big ‘thank you’ to some of the professors who I have had the opportunity of interacting with: -
1. Prof. Ami Vora- whose house was the hangout spot for numerous rehearsals and whose bungalow terrace was our party place for celebrating the Umang win. A big ‘thank you’ to her for being so passionate about Youth Fest and sharing her enormous talent by taking out the time to train amateurs like us [read:
Dylan, Harsh, Srishti, Rohan, Kailash & Yours truly ]
2. Prof. Sneh Choithani- Her Economics lectures had sleeping stray dogs and
Afroz Dairkee as the only student. Yet Sneh Ma’am is the reason the Young Endeavour became a Somebody from a Nobody in the last 2 years. A big ‘Thank You’ to her for having so much faith in the editorial team[read:
Supriya, Krishna, Radha, Arati & Yours Truly] and giving us a fair degree of autonomy with the mag.
3. Prof. B.K. Nair- for being a powerhouse of knowledge. For being able to provide talking points on a wide range of topics and for encouraging reading & thinking habits among the students.
Enough said about the professors- The praises would be never ending...
Time for the icing on the cake- The last but not the least, in fact, the most crucial part of college for me- F.R.I.E.N.D.S.!
Lesson #4:- Friends can make or break you, so choose wisely.
As a fresher, my perception of college was largely defined by Karan Johan movies. I must admit however, that there were no
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai moments out here. Or even if there were, I was probably playing Kajol. Nevertheless, friends are my sweetest memory about college. This post is dedicated to all my college pals.
[Disclaimer- The names are in alphabetical order so as to avoid speculation about my love interest/ best friend/ frenemy/ whatever]
Afroz- The original ‘Chandler’. He has the wittiest sense of humour and could probably make a fortune out of writing joke books. One of the most intelligent people in the group and in a group full of geeks, that’s an achievement!
Akanksha- This kiddo plays the perfect hostess whenever we decide to drop in to her place. Her giggling, bubbly demeanor can change just as quickly to the serious, studious person she really is.
Anirudh- This non- CA student is most envied by us for his spare time, awesome college campus, creative curriculum and the list goes on. What’s great is that despite being in our class for only 2 years, he is still in touch with the whole group. Calling him ‘Popular’ would be an understatement.
Dhaval- The ultimate 'Good Boy' would also be the ideal student if only it wasn't for his filthy handwriting and 'overconfidence' :) He also has the amazing skill of putting up with all our teasing and 'peacock dance' jokes. Yet, he continues to remain loyal to the Nature Club and frequently wears the colour green in support of the 'Forests'.
Dylan- 'Dielllluuuunn' as his favourite senior fondly calls him (hehe!) has gradually transformed from the dude to the ranker. A friend who you can always rely on, his 'passion' for Economics is what really sets him apart. Also possesses the art of talking non-stop on the phone at lightning fast speed without managing to bore you.
Krishna- This gutsy gal adds the ‘IT’ factor to the group. Blessed with immense talent, especially in the field of dance, she is conspicuous by her absence, always! Her chirpy, high-pitched voice never fails to brighten your day. (Or that of your colleagues sitting nearby who can hear her from the other end of the phone!)
Kshemu- This ‘Weirdo’ is committed to the computer and the internet till death does them apart! He’s a powerhouse of knowledge with varied interests. As nice as he is weird, ‘Crazy Genius’ is an apt description for him.
Monal- This 'Depressed Prani' is quite the hardworking soul. Ever-helpful & knowledgeable, he's another one of those intellegent, studious people that are the trademark of NM college.
Nikita- The most outgoing girl in the group, she’s always Been there, Done that. Always game for anything- Movies, Shopping or Random TP, a Friend in need is a Friend indeed, and thats Niki! Also one of the coolest people what with her fantastic fashion sense.
Priyanka- By far, the most dominating person in the group, she knows how to get her work done. Towering above all others you cant ignore her. Another popular PR person, there's loads to learn from her chilled out approach to life.
Shriram- The PR guy. He should get an award for his social networking skills. Loads of people think our group is pretty ‘cool & happening’. Well, the credit goes to the PR guy for that! He is also the chief source of entertainment because of his antics and I will not go into details.
Supriya- This ‘Little Girl’ is not quite inconspicuous. One of my closest friends in the group, she claims ‘Big things come in small packages’. Quite true, her loud voice has managed to scare away many-a- beggar(Hehe!). The chirpy kiddo is the ideal giggle companion and is 'Fun' & 'Friendship' redefined.
Phew! That was one long post. But its very difficult to document every little memory of the last 5 years. What I'm hoping for, however, is that somewhere down the line, when we're all grown up, maybe we could meet at a coffee shop to reminiscence about the good ol' days ...
“Those were the days my friend We thought they’d never end…”P.S. #1 - I couldn't possibly write about everyone. Saving it for later, k?
P.S. #2- Return the favour & write nice stuff about me in the comments section please. Thanks! :)
