Dear Freshies,
It took a lot of procrastination to bring myself to write a letter to the freshies (ask the Editor). Mainly because I do not believe that I have accumulated enough maturity and knowledge to tell the first years what to expect from the department and insti in general. So there you get your first point – it’s an ongoing process. The figuring out takes a lot of time, learning and unlearning. I would like to make this as un-preachy as possible. However, I am sure my communicative skills will betray me. When I was a freshie (yes, that’s the boomer in me speaking), things were different, of course. I was in a completely new city, new atmosphere, around new people and an education system that I am not used to. It was very overwhelming and scary. Gradually things eased down, and I realised that it is manageable and, to an extent, even enjoyable. If you’ve talked to more than two seniors, you will realize that the department is a mix of nonchalance and overt pessimism. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not fun. We thrive on self-deprecating humour. You are encouraged to bring a better coping mechanism that we can all collectively utilise (please do).
The second point I have is, it is absolutely necessary that you make good friends. Because one thing I realized is that the pandemic could have been the death of my mental health. If it weren’t for the companionship and care that I received virtually, I would have become a grumpy self-hating panda who sleeps all day. You can sleep all day, but don’t be a grumpy panda. Make sure that none of your classmates are feeling left out and alienated, which is probable since we all come from different backgrounds and some students might not be able to connect easily with others. Go on! Talk about your favourite book, movie, animal, season, food… anything under the sky that you are passionate about, even if it is chicken shawarma. Once you get to the campus, do not hesitate to go out and explore the city. I was a person who found comfort in staying in the room and watching movies. Outings were a rare affair and do I regret it now while being in my home living the same day over and over again? Hell yes. What was I thinking? I thought I could save money and buy shawarmas instead.
Coming to academics, if you pay attention to all the basic courses in the first year and put even half an ounce of effort to understand the concepts you won’t have to google terms like discourse, structuralism, postmodernity (still no clue), etc. every now and then. Finding the right balance between taking academics too seriously and too lightly is a daunting task. Although I personally fall under the latter and face the consequences of it in the form of C grades, I realize that it doesn’t matter in the long run. So fret not, if you are not a full A or S scoring student like you were in school. Eventually you will find an area or subject and it will take you to where you wanted to be.
To conclude, take care of yourself and others. It is indeed unfortunate that things are bleak and we are all connected only virtually. Hope to see you all in flesh and blood. Stay happy.
Love,
Amina Mehboob
Article 19 