[article] When My Graduation Went Viral

It was 3 AM and I had just gotten off a two-and-a-half-hour video call with my college friends. Visions from the past five years at IIT Madras swished past me in the next few minutes, lighting up my drowsy eyes with a smile. This was a couple of days ago. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted our final semester - compelling us to leave the institute in a hurry to our respective hometowns. It has been three months, and as we know, the pandemic is still wreaking havoc in many states across the country - Chennai being a heavily affected area. So, we now resort to social media, online Catan, and the occasional video calls, to experience some semblance of the closure of college life. However, not having had the normal last few days before graduation or a proper farewell will always be something that raises a lament in me. 

These years were not without their own ups and downs. But after due reflection, I would have to say that the downs were worth the ups. There were three things that college taught me:

1. Every decision you make can affect your life in mammoth aspects. 

2. Sometimes, life must not be taken seriously. 

3. The people that keep your company influence you more than you think.

Every course that you take, every responsibility that you take up, every project, every career decision - they all lead you somewhere. Every night that you decide to study rather than sleep (or the vice versa, sometimes) matters. Realizing, accepting and adapting to this was the first step in my transition to adulthood. However, this sort of power can pose quite a mental pressure and become a source of burden rather than control. It is at this point does the second lesson come in. When things get too serious, laugh. Laugh at yourself and the world. I took my second step in becoming an adult when I learnt to exercise the trade-off between seriousness and humour. As much as I would like to believe otherwise, that one is free is to choose one’s path irrespective of the people around you, college proved me wrong. My perspectives on the world, in terms of academics and career, as well as politics, popular culture and fashion, have all been influenced by the perspectives held by my circle of friends to some extent.

Life lessons aside, college life has given me both the best and worst moments to keep. The tiny little successes and failures that are part of college life - right from courses to projects to internships - they all move you in some way or the other. No matter how you do in college, you come out it a saner person (usually :p). While most days were normal enough, there were some days when I was overcome with inspiration and energy, and these are the days that I believe will finally lead me to a fulfilled and motivated life. College gave me those days. These days were of two types - days when I could clearly see what I wanted career-wise, and then days when I believed I could do anything and everything if I put my heart into it. Of course, there were also days when giving up seemed to be the best option, but that’s where the support system of my friend circle came in - I got through those days thanks to them.

I like to think that I have had a well-rounded life at college, although I would have rather liked to engage better in sports and classical dance - I only found time for them in the last couple of years. If there was one takeaway though, it would be the memories. The one-day trips to Pondicherry, the weekend trip to Kodaikanal in the final semester, hostel celebration nights, going out for dinner (the whole process begins with mess-trashing, followed by a hectic restaurant-choosing process, followed by chaotic cross-hostel coordination and cab booking and finally a fun-filled meal), cycling around at night with the warm wind against your face, dressing up on weekends (and sometimes, even weekdays, because remember the second lesson!) for merry night-outs, wandering through the yearly college fest huts, and wing gatherings - are some of the things that will stay with me forever. But the simplest of them all is when I would sit at one of the institute eateries or lawns with my friends and laugh my heart out - it was moments like those, when, just like that, all the stress in my mind would leave on a temporary vacation. When I think back, it was these moments when the world seemed to make sense to me.