Moving from high school to college might be an exciting transition, but it is also a very tough and stressful one. It is like a challenge that a student will struggle with initially but eventually, adjust to it over time.
Being a college student brings about a lot of freedom but at the same time requires immense responsibility, lots more than what was required in high school, especially for outstation students who come from regions located far away and live all by themselves in hostels, rented accommodations or as paying guests.
Initially, there is a honeymoon stage that new students go through, as the newfound freedom takes over their minds; since they are able to get up and go to bed as they please and eat whatever they want, whenever they want. However, at the same time, the huge burden of responsibilities is also forced onto their shoulders. Hence, it would be apt here to modify the popular Spiderman quote and say that, “with great freedom, comes great responsibility.“
The responsibilities an outstation student may confront could range from financial responsibilities like utilizing money efficiently and controlling one’s desires or temptations, to daily responsibilities like laundry, ironing clothes and arranging clothes, as well as academic responsibilities to name a few.
Most students would have already experienced financial or academic responsibilities in school and would be used to handling them, but the daily responsibilities which were usually taken care of by their families, would appear to be a daunting task as they would have no one to depend on.
“After shifting to a hostel, you won’t be asking ‘Mom where is my xyz.’ You will have to manage things on your own.” says Amit, an outstation second-year student from West Bengal, studying at Hansraj College.
Hence, it will be beneficial for new students if they adapt, learn and get accustomed to their situations. Learning from seniors is a great way for freshers to face the rapid challenges they see occurring around them during the transitionary period between school and college as well as, to get hold of the responsibilities they have been burdened with. The advent of the internet and social media has further made it easier for outstation students to adapt.
“As an outstation student, accepting the very fact that I won’t live anymore with my parents is in itself quite difficult. Before moving out, I didn’t know a single thing that would help me survive independently. But eventually, I learned almost everything with the help of my fellow seniors, although cooking still remains something in which I’m a rookie!” opined Kuber Batla, an outstation first-year student from Rajasthan pursuing BA Programme at St. Stephen’s College.
These responsibilities may seem to be unnerving or intimidating, but they do teach one many things like taking independent decisions and being responsible for their outcomes; which end up being great memories that one cherishes after leaving college.
“Looking back at the time I was in college, I realized that dealing with the challenges that resulted due to my responsibilities were actually fun and I always remember them as some of my best times! There were times when my hostel mates and I ran short on funds and hence shared food, soaps, dresses and many other things,” says Sushmit, an ex-History honours student from Ramjas College.
Hence, outstation students may face a tough time initially, however, one must realise that, ultimately it’s a part of growing up and learning life lessons in university which prepare them for facing their future and confronting any roadblocks which they might face during this journey called life!