Things I learned in College, the hard way

My college is FINALLY coming to an end. Only one more semester to go. And if you are an Indian student , you can completely relate to my ecstasy — No more stupid exams, mindless filling of pages for the an assignment. But a lot of thing will be missed too-Late night watching UEFA champions league, being a daredevil and going to an exam unprepared and many more countless memories.

If I could describe my college life in one word, it would be-Terrible. I know, I know, a lot of you people would be thinking it was a learning experience, you had some of the best time of your life. I did too. But being very frank, college was hard for me. Being an average kid with some radical thoughts(Thank you so much, Peter Thiel) and with an urge to dropout of college every week, I always hoped for a better experience. And most of the things I learned, were the hard way. So today, let me share the things I learned, mostly the hard way.

1. Heartbreaks suck. Big time. But you will soon get over it.

I had my first heartbreak when I was in my first semester. And the experience was terrible. I thought I would never get over that girl.The world had no meaning left. 3 years down the lane, I could not care less about that person. The only thing I regret is the time I wasted thinking and feeling miserable. Had a breakup? Go. Join a Gym. Play your favorite sport. Learn something new. Breakups are really cliche. The world does not stop, just because you are suffering. Time will heal everything, you just need to have the determination to get over it. And you will come out of it as a more mature and awesome person.

2. Read a lot.

Nowadays you come across a lot of these self transformation blogs-about how you changed your life by reading 100 books in a year. Personally, I find them really uninteresting. Read books because it makes you an interesting person. Just think about it-If you read Angels And Demons by Dan Brown, you can talk about the illuminati, anti-matter, new world order, conspiracy theory. All because you read one book.Reading books of different genre diversifies you as a person and make you a deep thinker. And always, you can strike up a conversation with someone reading a book you have already read.

3. Have your own views.

I have been torn by some really awesome people who made me question my believes-or wait, Were they really mine? The only reason they were actually able to made me question my belief was because they weren’t really mine . They were of someone I respected. So I decided to question most of the things I believed in. Fast forward, I truly believe that I am an athiest( Read Why am I an athiest by Bhagat Singh), complete supporter of capitalism, and I can really explain why Apple iPhone is better than any Android phone, because they have been built on sound ideologies.

4. Find these 3 Hobbies.

We are the first generation in India who haven’t been born in uncertainity of survival unlike our parents and grandparents. I think we really have the time and resource to explore things other than studies. So during your college life, explore and find out these three hobbies -

1. That keeps you fit.For me it is football.
2. That sharpens your brain. Reading and writing.
3. something that will earn you a livelihood. Programming.

5. Travel. But do not fall for the wanderlust bullshit.

This is one thing I truly regret- I should have travelled more. While I have done my fair bit of travelling- only on the last trip of mine to Madhugiri I realised this trip has impacted me in ways unimaginable. But to all those people sharing their love for travelling on social media and creating a hysteria around it- get over it. There are really better things to do in life, and it is surely impossible to travel if you aren’t earning well.

6. Work at a startup.

I was lucky enough to get a chance to work at Artifacia and PlayYourSport. At both the startups, I did something completely unrelated to my domain. I can safely say, before I interned at playyousport,I thought I was good for nothing, but after screwing up there(a lot), and finally delivering something, I had gained some real confidence. (Supriya Mamgain, thank you so much).Also, you get exposed to the industry the startup is working in. In my case, it was Artificial intelligence(Artifacia) and Sports(playyoursport).

7. Be there for your friends.

I cannot emphasize on this enough. If your friend needs you, be there for him, no matter what. Nothing is more priceless than a loyal friend. Don’t be that asshole who never shows up. Be the Harvey to someone’s Mike.

8. When people leave, they make space for someone new and better.

I have lost countless number of friends, and it sucks every time. But everytime life takes away someone special, it essentially opens space for someone better. Things we lose have a way of coming back to us, if not always in the way we expect. I have experienced this. The only thing you have to do is wait for it and keep doing your shit in life. Also, never beg anyone to stay in your life. Sponsor an Uber for them to leave.

9. Learn from other people success,Jealous is a waste of energy.

There will come across a time where everyone around you will be kicking asses, and you will still be figuring out your next move, it is really okay. Not everyone is a Zuckerberg. Learn from the people around you, and believe in yourself.

10. Be insanely ambitious.

Not all ambition can be realised. But does that mean we should stop dreaming? No way. Aim for the goddamn stars. You have to be crazy enough to think you can change the world. Even if you don’t it is fine. Atleast you had the courage to dream.