Since I had a blameless percentage of marks in my 10th standard, I got admission into a very good college for my pre-degree. If I say very good, you will think its just good. But not just good, it was too good a college to study. I was very happy when I got admission there. It was a very old college. Once you enter the campus the trees, the wind, the sand and every thing start talking to you about its glory. You will find calmness and peace everywhere. On my first visit itself, I started loving my new college and I still love it. I just wished my classes to start soon. But my happiness did not last long.
This college was very far from my home. So I had to stay in hostel. I got admission in one of college's hostels. Students were given the choice to choose which hostel to stay. As we were not aware which is good and which is bad, we opted for a random one. And while joining I got a new companion too. She too was coming from a place near to mine. So our parents got acquainted with each other and wished if we could stay in the same room. But we were informed that as per hostel rule, each room consists of one PG/Degree student, one second year pre-degree student and one first year pre-degree student. And we managed to get two nearby rooms. Our parents went back with relief and we started our stay at the hostel. We met our room mates and I liked one of them. And the happiest thing to know was that the so called ragging was not there in that hostel. I enjoyed the canteen food. After food all of us can sit at the corridor and chat till 8.30 PM. And from 8.30-10 PM, its study time. After 10 PM sleeping time. Everything seemed perfect for me. I was staying away from home for the first time and I felt no homesickness on the first day.
Woke up the next day with great hope of studying in such a great college. Got ready and left for college with my new friend. The college is at walking distance from hostel. As we moved out of college hostel, we could see students from other hostels also coming the same way. At college, there was going to be a meeting with the principal. So we all gathered at the auditorium. The principal welcomed all of us to the college and wished us a very good future. After that he explained where our classes would be. Students in each group (First group, second group etc) were divided into three divisions. Me and my new friend were into the same division. With great expectations we entered our class room. And to our surprise, it was a huge class room which can accommodate more than 150 students. And there were around 150 students. Since we two were seeing such a setup for the first time and also since we both were little bit shy, we decided to find a place in the middle rows. But all of them were occupied and we got a seat only in the last row. We sat down and the first hour we had was physics. One lecturer came into the class and she took attendance. After that she started teaching something. Since we were sitting at the back row, we were not able to follow what she was teaching. I remember she was so fast that she finished one chapter that same day itself. And we did not understand anything. We saw some students asking her doubts and she was clarifying them. It was a shock for me because I use to be the pet of my teachers while school. And here I was like nothing. I felt very sad after the first class. Then we had maths hour. And for me maths was my favorite subject. But to my distress, maths class also went on like the previous one. It was irresistible for me. Tears filled my eyes. I tried hard to hide it from others. I thought once I reach hostel, I would learn them by my own. One more hour went on. I looked at my friend and found her in the same condition. And in the last benches we met some more girls who were in the same dilemma. One of them was quite friendly to me and me too felt relieved on talking to her. We all were victims of very professional teaching and our lack of familiarity with such an environment. We had classes only till afternoon since it was our first day. So we all left to hostels with worries about lectures and joys of getting new friends.
At hostel, we finished tea fast and started learning the chapters taught that day. With greater difficulty we could manage to understand something. And by sleeping time we both completed our lessons of the day. And were happy. The next day we set out for college and met our new friends on the way. We tried to get a middle row seat and since it was occupied by some of the students who were sitting there the previous day, they did not allow us to sit there. We had to return to our last row seats since none of us were good in fighting. Classes started as usual and all of us were depressed again. Some of my friends started crying. We all discussed, what would be our future if this continues. The lecturers were teaching at lightning speed and were covering chapters one by one. We understood that if we could not follow classes properly, it is going to be trouble. Because by end of day, we even dont know which all chapters they have taught. And once the record assignments start, we will not get much time to understand and learn those portions at hostel. Then somebody explained about private tuitions. We all planned to join the tuition. The tuition was Entrance exam oriented. So we guessed it would be useful. We all joined for tuition. And to our shock, there also the same thing repeated. There were lot of students and the lecturers were flying. And we ended up with nothing. One week passed like this. Meanwhile I found out that my friend at hostel is not matching my views. She had a different kind of behaviour which I found difficult to cope up with. This again added to my grief. But at the same time I was getting more closer to the other girl in my class. I felt she would be a perfect friend to me. I never felt a friend to be this closer. She was so kind and sweet. She also liked me the way I liked her. Our thoughts and imaginations matched a lot. She was staying in another hostel. We wished if we could stay in the same hostel. We both tried for a hostel change. But since we had opted for our hostel initially itself, we could not change it. I became hopeless again.
In the weekend my brother came to visit me at college. On seeing him I could not control my tears. He asked me what the problem is. I explained him. He took me home and said by staying at home for 2 days everything would be alright. At home, I explained the whole thing to my parents. They were worried. They put a suggestion to me. There is a college near to my home. I have applied for admission there also. And I got selected too. They advised me that if I find it that difficult to manage in the other college, we could get a T.C from there and join the college near to my home. It was just like a new hope for me. People would think I am mad. But the thing was that, if I study there for more, I would get mad. I asked my parents to proceed with this plan. And I did not return to college after weekend. In the nearby college we enquired about the admission, they needed T.C from the old college. Also the classes were getting started the next week only. I was so happy to know this because I would not lose any classes in the new college.
We went to my old college to complete the procedures for transfer. I met my friends there and informed them about this. They were stunned on hearing it. They said they are very sad to miss me. But nobody stopped me. They all understood at what stage I was. On leaving the hostel, my room mate told me that she had been studying in that college for 4 years. And she was like fond of the college campus. She said I would not find another college campus like this. She asked me to be proud of being a part of such a great campus. Ofcourse I understood what she meant but I was helpless. More than the campus, I was worried about my future. So I remained in my decision to move. I bid good-bye to my friends and left that great campus. At that time the thought in my mind was that probaby I would be the first person to leave the campus like this. Let there be some memory added to the college campus by me too.
Years after, when I think back about that decision of leaving the college, I still feel I was right. I never felt how silly I was. I was correct from my view point because my new college helped me a lot to fulfill my dreams. If I had remained in the old college, I would have become something else in life. But one thing still worries me on thinking about that college. It is my friend whom I lost there. I still dont know why I am such an idiot who did not even ask her phone number or address on leaving. She also did not enquire me about it. May be we both were in a world of grief and completely forgotten mood when we parted. I never met such a wonderful friend again in my whole life. She remains as my best friend ever.
