University Diary by Rashi

Ever felt like you could go into hibernation and only pop back up when you can finally see a flower or a ray of sunshine. That’s exactly how it is surviving New England weather, you want to go into hibernation till May but exams and presentations quash your fantasies.  I know what you’re thinking, it can’t be that bad and you’re right, it’s so much worse and it’s not even the weather itself that’s the problem, it’s how inconsistent it is. I remember stepping out of my dorm room in a thick winter coat in the middle of February and get strange looks. I assumed there was probably ketchup on my t-shirt or something in my teeth and honestly I couldn’t be bothered. It wasn’t until I stepped out of my building that the sun’s blinding rays hit me and I finally understood the weird glances I received. What was even more shocking to me was that the day before not only was it snowing heavily, but there was a wind storm. I assumed that everyone around me had made the same mistake and they w...

Now that freshman year is over, I can finally reflect on it thoroughly and have drawn some comparisons between high school and college. While I have enjoyed freshman year, learnt a lot and have definitely grown as a person, I miss high school. Life was definitely simpler and somehow everything I was working for and towards had a purpose that was more definitive. In high school, everyone was striving towards a common goal: college. However, in college, with the vast variety of concentrations and options of grad school, an internship, job or staying at home after college, everyone seems to have a different goal and purpose. Sometimes everything can seem confusing and like it has no purpose. In school, we needed good grades to get into a good college but there doesn’t seem any definitive reason to do well in college and it can be demotivating sometimes. In addition, there were more rules and regulations and expectations in school. Everyone knew what you could or couldn’t do and where...

I would be lying if I said this year has been easy. From freshman 15 to late night studying for exams that greatly deflate grades to sleepless nights and unnecessary drama, it’s been an eventful year. I would also be lying if I said I had no regrets. It’s upsetting but I actually have quite a few. I regret going out and partying when I should instead be studying; not visiting the gym as often as I’d like and eating trash food and not speaking up in class as much as I should.  Most of these things I practiced in my freshman year, however, and I believe I’ve come a long way since then. I realized the main reason I’m at college and my entire focus shifted. I started eating better, working out more often, studying more, communicating more and not going out as much. As time progressed, I also learnt how to handle money better and make wiser decisions. Of course my semester wasn’t perfect, I could have handled many things better but for me some progress is better than none. Som...