The SMS That Gave Me Another First Day at College

20th July 2013

It was evening. And I was kind of tired from the long BRTS route that I had to take to reach my new college. It was just my 3rd day and I started thinking how I would be able to travel so far. It was Ahmedabad, a large enough city, assuming you have to go from one opposite end to the other.

It took more than an hour to reach there. Well I don’t want to compare with Mumbai citizens, for them 1 hour is too less, but for me it’s too much. Especially because from the past 7 years I have been living in a place where you could even walk from one end of the city to the other.

Ya, so there I was at my home, in the evening maybe enjoying a glass of Rasna. Then my mobile beeped. For a message.

As I walked to my cell phone to check the new message, I was almost sure it would be nothing but a promotional message.. only it wasn’t. And that message changed the environment where I am now. Changed the things I have now.

2 days earlier… 18th July 2013

It was my first day at college. Ah. My very first day of B.Tech. I was eager to reach there, to attend my orientation program, to meet my going to be friends, my class, my teachers.. in short I was eager to greet my college life.

Things could never have been better. A chilling breeze, cool temperature, everything as I wished. It took me 2 hours to reach my college that day. I wished it could reduce to an hour at least, I just had to find another better route. The new BRTS services by Ahmedabad were awesome according to me. Fast, clean, affordable. It didn’t bother me as long as I reached on time which I did, at least on my first day.

It wasn’t much surprising that the college environment was Gujarati language based, (for those not from India – it’s the regional language of my state and in India, every state has a super regional language.) And as I wasn’t much happy about it, I felt a bit awkward. Also it seemed that a lot of my going to be college mates already came in bunches. Well I always thought it was strange how school friends managed to come in such large bunches. That didn’t bother me even. I thought I could mix well.

The orientation program wasn’t a program, it was just a small lecture by the head of department in our respective classes… in Gujarati again almost. It’s not that I don’t know Gujarati but being an outsider I thought colleges are meant to be thinking and working on a national standard to become better and the rule of regional languages in forms, notices, even orientation lectures, made me feel that there is still a lot that this college can do to match the standards of better colleges. But I wasn’t disappointed yet.

The lecture lasted for about 30 minutes after which the first day ended. I was speechless and I still am. No words to say.

We got the time table of our first few days. The first 3 days, we had some exams (let me explain, let me explain. Don’t curse exams on 1st day haha.) that were a part of the university’s new course for the first semester, which would help us get more out of our first semester, our college and was meant to enhance our team working skills. Because based on the tests, we were going to be assigned into teams and each team would also have a team leader. The idea seemed awesome. I gave the best in my tests.

The second day passed with tests and the 3rd day too. That’s 20th July. Oh and I forgot to mention that I being a serious case on introvert, could manage to make only 1 and half friends. The half friend, well if I meet him again maybe he would not recognize me, so.. you got it I guess. And the 1 friend I had was from another branch. So.. well you got it I guess.

It was 3rd day, 20th July and I returned home tired.. And…In the evening, I got a message on my phone…

A few more days earlier

Those were the days when our admission results were going to be announced. I was excited. And nervous. When I read the name of that college.. and that branch.. Half of my heart was delighted to see the result. While the other half didn’t say anything but you can imagine how it felt.. To get the college which was assigned the 3rd number in my priority list. The other half of my heart desired for the 1st 2 colleges but then the brain came in and taught my heart a lesson.

Then came the day when I had to go to the college and confirm my admission and pay my first semester’s fees. As a matter of co-incidence… it rained heavily.. unexpected.. and we didn’t go with an umbrella. My mother was with me. It was the first time both of us were entering that college, I had never seen it from even outside too. The rain burst while we were on bus before even reaching the college. And by our return the local Ahmedabad streets were flooding. Somehow we managed to get back without any serious issues of wet important documents.

The fees was Rs.1500 for one semester. Glad to say the government colleges fees are too less. And the college I got was one of the best government colleges of the state. Not certainly the best according to my experiences, but it was meant to be good… if I had attended it for any more days…

20th July 2013

As I walked to my cell phone to check the new message, I was almost sure it would be nothing but a promotional message.. only it wasn’t. And that message changed the environment where I am now. Changed the things I have now.

The message said…

You have been admitted to Electronics & Communication branch in 3rd round of admission process. – Nirma University

The rest of my first college life is history… while the second college life which started with this SMS… is present. Not just by the grammatical tense but also by the meaning of a gift.

I know I left Rs.1500 fees for Rs.54800 fees, I left the branch (Computer Science) I wanted since childhood, I know I had to leave the easy life of a government college student – bunks, canteen hours everything without any issue but I also knew I would pay back every rupee spent in my fees, I would never leave my passion for computer science, I would still enjoy without the ease of bunking classes.

First day at Nirma? I can say it was Hindi/English, a college bus, 2-3 friends and a dozen names, a feeling of not being alone and a smile that I missed on my previous college’s first day. Smile not only on me, but my family. The smile which guaranteed a better future for me…

More: My first 60 days in Nirma

When I read that SMS, it surely did change the environment I am in, the things I have..