"The Last Semester" - A Narrative By D. Haripriya, BSC, BZC, Final Year

Picture Credit : Deepshikha Patangay

THE LAST SEMESTER

                                Today, as I entered the college a strange mix of feelings started to hit me from the very first step. "What is this?", I asked myself - just to realize that it is going to be my last semester in this wonderful place. The main gate welcomed me with the same nervousness as it had, on my first day of college. My close friends were waving at me from a distance, "Hi bro!", My inner self thinking about how I got through three years so quickly; my mind settled a bit and switched on the rewind button. All of us started a journey on the same day, as strangers. We joined the class, made friends, made best friends and as everything fell into place, we started to collaborate with seniors, helped the management during special events; we started to create our own space and mark our own niche here. Everything went on perfectly, until the unexpected cameo of an event occurred. You know what I'm talking about, we are the (un)privileged batch to have our childhood dream come true; to have our exams cancelled and postponed. Little did we know that it was not just the exams, but one of the most beautiful phases of our lives that was being held up.

                              As quickly as we made acquaintances, so did we lose them all, as everything in the college became online. More than the names of our friends, we remember hearing the words ‘Am I audible?’. Cut the narrative to about six months later, news broke about the college reopening, everyone was excited to meet their pals, finish their trips, click good pictures…. Again, another bombshell and another wave; cut the narrative to final year of graduation, after all of us successfully completed two semesters online and are ready to be graduated.

                             What did these three years teach me? A self-doubt again!

                             Well, I came to know how important education is and how hard our lecturers work to keep us engaged while we banter in the last bench. How important mental health is, how I have neglected it all my life; I became a better person by recognizing my strengths and weaknesses; how important it is to have financial independence and will power. How important relationships are and how unpredictable life can be. I have discovered my interests and my inner personality. I was able to delete all the negativity around me and most importantly I have made best friends for life, though the bonds took ground online, they have been saviours in most situations that slipped out of my hand. Now as I recall everything, I feel that it was not an ordinary journey that anyone could randomly experience. I will definitely miss the labs, the canteen, the parking lot, the auditorium, the quadrangle - where I have spent most time in college. I will miss the feeling of being an under-graduate being carefree about the adulthood ahead. But now, here I am, just trying to tackle the toughest challenge that life has in store for me. Walking alongside my best friend, towards the class, while she asks me if our lecturer has come to college.

                                                                                                 ~ D. Haripriya (BSC, BZC)