MY FIRST DAY IN COLLEGE
By Narendra kumar Soni
(1st sem. I.T. 2007)

My first day in college was a learning experience that I will never forget. This experience has changed my thoughts and perception towards life in a more logical form. As soon as I stepped in the Campus of Rungta College of engineering and technology at Bhilai, my whole world changed. Everything around me seemed so unreal. The buildings were so big, the people were so nice, and what got my attention the most was that the number of students in very clean, smart looking uniform. Anxious, happy, and curiosity are the words that describe my first day in college. During the ride on the bus I was thinking, how will I make it through college? How is it really going to be like? How will I survive? I got off the bus, wondering what the college was all about.
I was finally here; my first day of college. I did not get enough sleep the night before due to all the anxiety to see what college was all about. I remember hearing rumors from my high school teachers saying me that college days are the best year of your life. I thought they were right. It was the moment that I was waiting for and then I was ready to take action on my very first day of class. My first class was in senior Building. Sitting in the lobby waiting for the time to pass, to go into my first class, which was basic electrical engineering. My professor was Mr. Anil Brahmin; I thought for a second that he was going to be the toughest professor of all time. I looked around my surrounding and saw some of the nervous freshers. This experience was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I got to my class.
I walked through doors I felt butterflies in my stomach. Where shall I sit?, I asked to myself. I walked in and it was a huge room sophisticated with electronic gadgets such as projector, tablet p.c.,wi-fi network that looked like I just walked into a movie theater. Most of the seats were occupied. so I had to sit at the back.. The same thing happened with the rest of my classes. I had trouble looking for a good seat and my thoughts of having a bad professor diminished the moment I met my professors. My first semester in college was a learning experience that I would never forget. This day I met many different kinds of people who are very supportive especially when it deals with academics.

You are crossing a milestone and it's natural to feel
overwhelmed. But help is round the corner and it is up to you to seek it.
Narendra Kumar Soni tells you how


●Significant event
Freshers usually face many challenges when they first enter college.
This happens because attending college is "the major turning point in young adults life. It is as significant as facing an interview or getting a job for the first time".

●Orienting students
Adapting to the new college life is clearly not easy, which is why colleges hold an orientation day for freshers to help get them acquainted with the institution’s rules, services, faculty and staff."
During orientation students are given information about college life, they learn their rights and responsibilities meet the faculty and staff and find out where to go for help. In other words, they learn all about the college's social and academic aspects,. .

Freshers meet the college's dean and faculty, learned about the clubs and extracurricular activities at the college and may be meet with senior students or orientation leaders.



●Where to go for help
Seniors
Professors , faculties ,staff members
Student counsellor

●Seniors to juniors
"It all depends on the person; the most important thing is to be yourself."

"Take the college experience to the maximum, no matter how stressful it gets. In the end it's these four years of college you will remember and all the hard work will pay off."

"Interact with seniors and don't be afraid to mingle. Be yourself."

●Missing home
But what is it that students encounter when they first enter college? The most common challenges students face are anxiety, stress, loneliness and homesickness.
"Stress is also common because of the pressure to learn how to adapt to a new educational system - if you come from a segregated system or vice-versa - get accustomed to instructors, make new friends and live in a diverse school environment."
Struggling with new-found independence, responsibility and homesickness is also expected.
●Low self-esteem
Students who don't have friends and suffered loneliness and isolation in high school usually face problems in college.
Most students with low self-esteem experience more hardships than students with high self confidence. Students with dependent personalities and dysfunctional support systems suffer more than those with strong support.
●How to enjoy college life
▪ Eat healthy
▪ Drink a lot of water
▪ Sleep well
▪ Walk daily
▪ Smile always
▪ Laugh whenever you can
▪ Share your feelings with your close friends
▪ Learn how to be positive
▪ Trust yourself
▪ Call your family and friends weekly
▪ Seek help whenever you feel the need
-Look at college as a phase you will pass no matter what happens, so why not enjoy it and get the best out of it!
●Last words
Enjoying college life is a combination of many elements: choosing the right major, making friends, enjoying independence and learning new things.
"We need to succeed in college because the correlation is high between happiness and success. Happiness is a mental decision we make, followed by some actions we take and some bad habits we break. So enjoy your college life as much as you