July of 2018, classes commence for the first years. I was there standing in front of the octagonal establishment as the banner mentioning passed out and successful alumni stood right in front of me. I wondered, how hard must we be struggling to get there?

Contrary to our belief, the first year went smoothly than expected, thanks to the helpful faculty. (A special shout out to the amazing faculty we had because I know it is not easy to be a good teacher, employee, parent all in one).

We took our sports hour seriously and bonded over food in canteen. As Vignan is in the outskirts of the city, there was not one day that I have not seen pictures of greenery, the Vignan tree, the hills in the stories my mates posted. It was easier to interact with our seniors because of how they made us feel welcome. By the end of the first semester, we weren't awkward anymore (Ask the Canteen Bhaiyya how many onions have been consumed once we got comfortable eating there)

This is my 2nd year in Vignan and our Head of Department (Mr. Dinesh Kumar) of ECE is known for the exposure he provides to the students and that way I think we are lucky. My only expectation from the college when I joined was to learn, more than academics it was to learn surviving in a world with wider range of people and to learn from people around me. (I knew Happy Days was fiction way earlier in life)

And fortunately, in a room full of people, I am not the smartest one and it gives me a lot to learn from others. The fact that I get to learn new things, like handling the pressure, making dumbest mistakes and moving on, empathizing with my mates, having dissimilar views and not letting those affect our relationships on a personal level and so much more is what I think college is about when it comes to building ourselves into not shying from trying to reach for the stars.

College has given me space to explore myself and cope up easily if I made mistakes. Right from first year, I have been experimenting on (and making a joke out of) myself. From little things like not fearing to ask stupid doubts in the class to offering to volunteer for organisations I have admired (it is a big deal for a socially awkward people, okay!), I have been putting myself in vulnerable situations and all this has been possible because I knew I will be supported and guided by my mentors, both from college and personal life.

First year passed so soon and we are nearing the end of 3rd semester, yet it feels like we have just started our journey. Apart from the silly jokes my buddies crack, I remember the times they spoke of how they want to make it a memorable place for our juniors and how responsible we should be behaving to bring a discipline in the later batches too. (adorable, right?)

Looking forward to what more Vignan has got to offer us,

this is another student drowning in a pile of records signing off until next time ;D