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Writer's pictureNikita Ojha - 2022 Scholar

A Year of firsts: - reflecting on the lessons learnt in my freshman year



This seven-letter word ‘COLLEGE’ made me run with my imagination whenever I thought about it. The first year of college life is always the integration our imagination: excitement, fun, new resolutions, set of goals, and the endless list. It marks a significant transition from dependence to independence. Now, there is less sternness from the parents. Leaving our comfort behind, we become more motivated and energized to embark on our new journey with a lot of excitement and expectations. It lays the foundation in us and prepares us for our future endeavours. Reflecting on my fresher year journey all I remember is as follows: -

My first-year journey of 247 days has been worth cherishing, learning and memorable. Those 5928 hrs, 355,680 minutes and 21,340,800 seconds were truly amazing where each day added new experiences to the journey of my life. Meeting and greeting new people was a one-of-a-kind experience for me. I always enjoyed talking with people and learning about them: their hobbies, interests, and culture is something I can't get enough of. I knew I was about to start college and that everything would change. When I found out that I would have to share a room with one other person at the hostel, I was both excited and sacred because I didn't know how my roommate would be, but I was fortunate to have a roommate who was somewhat like me. She was the one who treated me like her little younger sister and has taught me the importance of time management and to love and care for each and everybody around us. Embrace everything around you with a great smile and always be satisfied with what you have. We should be thankful and grateful for the all the little things we have or have got in our life. Self-care is another feather added to my first-year cap. When we are kids, we are being looked after by our elders and they are there to care for us. But as we grow up, we are expected to look after ourselves on our own and be independent. I often didn't care about my eating habits and wasn't at all worried about my health. But one fine day while I was out for my morning walk after a long time, I fainted which was totally unexpected as I was feeling fresh and energised when I stepped out that morning. That was the day after which I started eating all the vegetables and rarely skipped any meals which I did not bother at all about prior to this.


Time Management is an important key to unlock doors to become successful and achieve our goals. Along with studies I was able to take part in extra-curricular activities and join societies before which I had to go through inductions and it was a great learning opportunity for me. Managing time has helped me to be punctual and disciplined at my work. I was able to prioritize my work and establish objectives accordingly. It provided me a platform to showcase my skills and hone them. Connecting with new people: mentors, friends and seniors has been an entirely new experience. Hearing from them and learning from them was very helpful to me. It helped me in building wide network. One of my mentors shared with me one of the mantras of socialising and told me that maintaining connections is an important component of both personal and professional development, which indeed have provided me the new opportunities and new areas to explore. Travelling to Delhi and going back to my home during vacations alone did not only allow me to explore my surroundings but also exposed me to an outside world. Along with travelling to few places in Delhi and capturing the mesmerizing beauty of India I could acclimatise myself to new environment and people. I was also lucky enough to have got 2 internships in my first year both of

which were provided by Vahani. And to be very honest they taught me to be consistent, diligent and disciplined.



Though it was full of challenges but a great fun too because that’s what kept me going and kept the curiosity in me alive to know and try new things out. Life full of struggles and challenges is what makes it interesting and worth living as we all know even the straight line in ECG means we are not alive. When I look back, though I cannot get back to the time I spent in first but will surely abide all the lessons learnt. I feel so blessed and thankful for all the opportunities I was being offered. I am sure it will always help me in my future endeavours too.

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