I still remember my first day at college, I remember as I entered my classroom; the smell of chalk and freshly polished furniture alone were more than enough to overwhelm young minds with a feeling of professionalism. So I walked and sat on my chair like a Gora Sahib, legs crossed chest inflated with pride. Why shouldn’t have I been proud? I had made it into one of the most well reputed colleges of the city. It was a time to rejoice I thought.
A middle aged man elegantly walked into the classroom his gown flowing behind him with a scholarly grace, a typical college professor I thought. The class was abuzz with chitter-chatter which came to an immediate halt as soon as the professor placed his books on the dais with a faint bang. He began to speak with a low volume which made it almost impossible to discern what he was trying to say as I was sitting on one of the last benches. My eyes were fixated on his, mind fully focused but still I could barely discern what he was trying to say and soon my mind drifted away into a dream. A dream for the future a dream which I would to some extent materialize, a dream about all the stuff one dreams about doing in college; bunking on the top of the list followed by earning a ‘reputation’ for myself, earning my way into a blacklist I had imagined in my mind.
The following few months were like a blur. I tried to keep up with the pace of the college but found it incredibly hard. A point when I could bear the burdens no more ‘enough is enough’, I said, when I proclaimed that I would live by the principles of Hakuna Matata (there are no worries) and Que Sera Sera (What will be, will be). I went on a bunking spree and became a proud member of the BBA (Back Benchers Association), studying I thought was for nerds and geeks with thick glasses. I began to earn a reputation for myself which got me into hot water a lot but fortunately I was a good swimmer and could easily navigate the treacherous straits of the college’s discipline committee. Time went on and my stunts became more and more reckless.
My college life can be compared to a wall. Each incomplete assignment contributed a brick in making it higher and higher, I tried to cling on desperately but eventually gravity took its toll on me I could hold out no longer against mother nature’s brute force and my long fall down began. I realized I was falling when I opened my books about 2 months prior to my exams so consequently I went underground an began to devote the majority of my time to my studies but it was too little too late, my parachute failed to deploy.
Cloudy it was an unwelcoming Monday which later turned out to be one of the worst days of my life. I remember a feeling of regret and remorse as I entered the examination hall with my back arched with burden and shame. I sat on my bench uneasily, and then the paper came before me BANG! I knew I was done for. I couldn’t focus and soon became oblivious to my surroundings as I drifted into a dream once more, my whole college life flashed before my eyes but this dream was quite different. At that very moment I experienced what Stephen R. Covey called a “Paradigm Shift”. BANG! My long fall had finished and I finally hit the hard coarse ground.
“Experience is a rare commodity if gained second-hand”. Once you start falling it’s very difficult to climb back up but then again it’s certainly not impossible. If you find yourself falling from “The Wall” don’t panic! Stop, and devise a strategy, get yourself a jetpack or two (tutors) to help you in tackling this behemoth If that doesn’t work devote more time to studying, seclude yourself your active social circle. What once seemed impossible would just become just another brick in a much greater and brighter wall (Your life). Take the bull by the horns, because you sure as hell can’t outrun it, it might seem hard at first but once you get the hang of it the world’s (well at least college) your oyster, It’s all fun and games until your fall completes and you finally hit the ground. One has to come at peace with the fact that the principles of Que Sera Sera and Hakuna Mata aren’t applicable anymore.
Even if you have fallen remember what Alfred said to Bruce Wayne, “Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves back up”.
