ReadingAMyexperienceatIITRoorkeehastaughtmeonefundamentalthing—lifeisunpredictable.Itmightbegood,itmightbebad,itmightbeweird,anditmightnotinterestyou,butyoushouldexpectanythingtohappen.Forexample,youmighthaveawonderfuljobthismoment,andbefiredtheverynextmoment.Collegelifepreparesyouforallofthis.Itisaperfectblendofjoyandhardships.Youmeetdifferentpeople,youinteractwiththem,youlearnabouttheirculturesandyougrowasaperson.Youwillunderstandhowtotalktodifferentpeople,howtojudgetheirbehavior,thuslearningimportantlifeskills.2ReadingAYoulearntositthroughaboringlecture;youtrytocopewiththesurprisinglystrenuoussyllabus,andyouhavetheopportunitytolearnfromsomegreatresearchminds.Academia,astheysay,neverletsyougofree.Peoplemighttrytocomfortyoubysayingthatyouneedtostudyonlythroughyourschoolyearsandchillduringcollegelife,butthatisn’ttrue.3ReadingAAnotherlifelessonyouwillremember—learningneverends.Youfindcampusgroupsorstudentgroupswhereyoucanexploreyourco-curricularskillsalongwithmanyotherstudentslikeyou.Yousharecommoninterests,andthusyousharecommonideas.TheremighthavebeenatimewhereyouwouldhavehadtogiveupdrawingforyourJEEAdvancedpreparation.Trustme,onceyougetintoagoodcollege,youwillgetanopportunitytobetheartistyoualwayswantedtobethroughprobablyafineartscampusgroup.Youcouldbethatdirector,youcouldbethatvocalist,andyoucouldbethedancerofyourdreams—collegeistheSantaClausthatkeepsongivingallthesewonderfulopportunitieswhileyou’reinit.4ReadingATherearealsocampusfestivals,whichdrawalotoffuncrowdsfromothercollegesandletyoushowoffyourskills.Youcouldalsoenjoybeingwiththecelebritieswhoareinvitedtoperform,orevenshowoffyourtechnicalprowessinatechfestival.ReadingALifeatcollegeisatimewhenyoucandecideyourcareer.It’satimeofdreamsandinnumerablepaths.YoucanstillbeasgoodaprogrammerastheJEEAdvancedtopperwhomajorsinComputerScienceandhastheoptiontotakecoursesoutsideofyourmajor.Youcanworkforafitorganizationandevengainthesatisfactionofbeingahumanitarian.Thepointisthatyouarefreetotryoutthesenewthingsandnooneisgoingtoforcefullycontrolthedecisionsyoumake.Everynookandcornerofthecollegeyou’dfindapeacefulspotfullofnaturalsurroundings,whosevalueyouwillonlyrealizeonceyougraduatefromyourcollege.Youwillalwaysremembertheearlymorningfog,yourhostel’sadorable“puppy”orevenyourgrumpystationeryshopkeeper.5ReadingASo,rememberthattherewillbemomentsthatcarryalotofsentimentalvalueandyoucan’thelpbutmissthemevenyearslater.Thefriendshipsyoumakeincollegelifearethemostimportantaspect.Thesepeoplewillgiveyoustrengthandbeyourknightsinshiningarmorallyourlife.Thetimeyouspendwithyourfriends,playingMafia,Poker,orarguingaboutanyrandomtopic,yourregularlecture“bunking”towatchanewreleaseofyourfavoritestar,willalwaysstayinyourheart.Planningroadtrips,occasionaladventuresurges,andimpulsivejourneys—allthesethingsmakeyoumoreemotionalwhenyoubidadieutotheinstitution.6ReadingASo,onefinedaywhenyouseepicturesofyouandyourcollegefriendshavingagoodtime,you’lldefinitelylandupsmilingsilently.That’sthebeautyofcollegelife.Itstayswithyoulongafteryou’veclimbedthoseladdersofsuccessandforgottenthenameofthatcutecrushyouusedtodroolover.Lifeatcollegeisawildmishmashofexperiences,whatwithallsortsofhilariousstuffgoingdowninthehostels!78ReadingBYourbagsareunpacked,yourparentsareweeping(andmaybecheeringalittleontheinside),andyourheadisspinning.Youareatcollege,um,nowwhat?ADay-by-DayGuidetoYourFirstYearofCollegeLife1It’sclichéasanything,butknowthatthesewillbethebestyearsofyourlifesofar.Youwillmakelifelongfriendsandperhapsmeetyoursoulmate.Youwilltrynewthings,learnvaluableskills,andbechallengedtofigureoutwhoyoureallyareandwhatyoustandfor.Youwillfallinlovewithsomeofyourclasses(andperhapsclassmates),deeplydiscussseriousissueswithpeersandprofessors,andenjoymanymomentsofquietreflection.2ReadingBYou’llreadthousandsofpagesandprocessdenseinformationforclassdiscussionsandpresentations.You’llalsowritehundredsofpagesinessays,reports,andexams.Therewillbemoreconcerts,parties,andculturaleventsthanyouhavetimetoattend.Youwillhaveafullrangeofathleticstowatchorparticipatein,anewcommunitytoexplore,nearbyexercisefacilitiestoworkoutin,andperhapsevennaturalresourcessuchashikingtrails,beaches,orskimountainstoenjoy.Youwillmeetandlivewithinterestingpeople,somefromplacesyouhavenevervisited,withverydifferentbackgroundsandexperiencesthanyours.Bydevelopingthesenewfriendships,you’lllearnmoreaboutyourselfandwhatyouwantoutoflife.3ReadingBBythetimeyoufinishcollege,you’llbepreparedforajobinafieldthatmaybecomeacareer.You’llalsobepreparedtochangejobsifnecessary,andyouwillstillhavecollegeresourcesavailabletohelpyoumakethatchange.Youreducationintheclassroomwillberepresentedbyyourdegree,butyoureducationoutsideoftheclassroomwillshineonyourrésuméandinjobinterviews.Leadershipexperiences,internships,andsemestersspentabroadwillallhelpshapeyourapproachtolifeandyourcontributiontotheadultworld.4ReadingBWhatfollowsisaguideforyou,asanincomingcollegefreshman,totakeyouthroughyourfirstyearofcollegiatelife.Thetopicscoveredwillhelpyouthinkaboutandpreparefortheremarkableexperiencethatiscollege.EachdayfromSeptembertoMayisbrokendownintothemes:Mondays:BeSmarterYoumaythinkyouknowitall,butgetreadyforcollegetochangeyourmindprettyquickly.Theseentrieshavetipsandtechniquesyoucanadopttobeasmarter,moreattentive,andsuccessfulstudent—frommakinguseofofficehourstoresearchingtoacingthefinalexam.5ReadingB6Tuesdays:BeFinanciallySavvyUnlessyou’rerich,collegewillbeawonderfulwhirlwindoframennoodlesandpayingforthingswithpocketchange.Theseentrieswillhelpyoulearnwaystomakeextracash,makeyourmoneylast,andturnitintomoremoney—allwhilestayingoutofthedreadeddebtcycle.Wednesdays:BeHealthierPssh,forgettheFreshman15!Fromavoidingfattyfoodsinthedininghalltoexerciseandtakingcareofyourbody,theseentrieswillteachyoutobeahealthier,happier,andfittercollegestudent.7ReadingB8Thursdays:BeAwareAsawesomeascollegecanbe,itcanalsopresentsituationsthatcanbedangerous,awkward,ordifficult.Theseentrieswillprovidetipsonhowtostaysafe(onandoffcampus,atparties,andonthetown),makecarefuldecisions,spotwarningsignsoftrouble,andbeawell-rounded,responsible,andaccountablecollegestudent,roommate,andperson.9ReadingBFridays:BeActiveContrarytopopularbelief,friendsandactivitieswon’tcometoyou.Fridaysareforgettingup,gettingout,losingtheheadphonesandtheslouchywalk,andgettinginvolvedincampuslife.Fromhowtojoinclubstomakingfriendstowideningyoursocialhorizons,theseentriesofferwaystorisetothechallengeofyourcollegeexperience.Saturdays:BeAdventurousCollegeisaboutbreaking