Life as an adult is essentially about one thing – learning to deal with things and situations (and even people) that you would rather not deal with. That first year of your college life is your ticket to a restrictions-free life. But, as a great man once said – “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
So, as eagerly awaited as adulthood is – it comes with its own set of mundane tasks and responsibilities that you would rather avoid. Here are a few of the many things that you will have to learn how to handle!
- Washing your own clothes
Remember how impeccably clean and well-ironed your school dress used to be every morning? And remember when getting ready to go out with friends, the pile of clothes you left rumpled in your wake while trying to find that perfect dress for the occasion? Well, as the saying goes – karma always finds a way.
For all those times you took your mom’s efforts at clothing you in well-maintained dresses for granted – welcome to the world of college life!
We regret to inform you that those days of luxury living are gone for good. You will wake up every morning wondering if you have a single pair of clean clothes for college and curse the pile of dirty laundry mocking you from “the chair” (You will get acquainted with the concept. All in good time, kiddo) You will procrastinate cleaning clothes till you realize you are left with nothing but a pile of stinking, dirty laundry. Your weekends will suddenly turn into dhobi ghat days and you will find yourself worrying about all the things your mom screamed at you about. From timing your washing chores to ensure that your clothes dry up on time, to managing options of hanging them inside during those dreadful monsoon days.
You will soon learn how to recycle clothes to ensure that you have enough pairs for the week, at least. Unexplained stains will give you nightmares and you will call up your mother in a state of utter panic, only to have her rescue the day, without even breaking a sweat.
But, at the same time, the feel of smelling those freshly cleaned clothes will give you a very pleasant sense of satisfaction. And as time passes, you will eventually make peace with the process and accept it as a part and parcel of your new life.
- Good food – The forbidden fruit in the Eden of college life.
You must have heard from almost everyone around you, or at least the “real adults” around you, about how terribly you will miss homemade food. Well, my dear child, unlike in the case of “how good life will be, if only you top in your Xth board exams”, they are actually not lying about this one.
College life will make you miss everything about your mom’s cooking – even the dreadful tinde ki sabzi will turn into mouth-watering ambrosia for you. Your college canteen might serve delicious street food, but you can’t survive on just that, all year around. The food served in your mess – well, there is really no delicate way to put this – it will be inedible, at its best.
You might order take out occasionally but even that eventually loses its charm. Also, you can’t eat out too often, not with the limited budget of an eternally broke college student.
The first year of college will feel nothing short of an episode of “Man v/s Wild”. You will count the days till your next visit back home, only to finally gorge on all the delicacies your mother makes. And, by delicacies we mean – daal chawal. Trust me, you will exclusively ask for it when you get back home. And what’s more – your friends and roommates will await your return even more eagerly than your girlfriend/boyfriend. Reason being – homemade food that your mother will send packed with you. You will hate sharing even a morsel of it but of course, no one really cares about what you want. So, my dear fuchchas – enjoy your time at home, while you can. Because it’s a jungle out there – and you don’t know how to hunt.
- Broke and how!
Regardless of how much money you hoarded during your school years (and still whined about being broke), you will only realize the true meaning of being absolutely broke, in college.
College life comes with the awful realization that neither you nor your friends have any money. Wanna know what’s worse? You will try and fail at savings, every time. Each month will start with the hope of a better expenditure plan but come the last week of the month and you’re back to square one.
Your meals will mostly constitute of asking your mess wale bhaiya to add the bill to your existing khaata, and failing to pay him on time – every time!
But despite all your monetary issues, you will have the time of your life. From sneaking out past curfews for those late night drives with your friends to managing entry into the various Annual fests all over the town – you will somehow manage to do it all. Your favorite paranthe wali dukaan will leave you with unforgettable memories and be an eternal part of your life. As much of a struggle, it is going to be – college is still going to teach you a lot about handling your expenses. You will learn all the ways in which you can jugado-fy and cut back on unnecessary expenses. You will learn the value of money, deal with the real world problems, and be better for it.
- Breaking the ice – making friends and dealing with frenemies
Your college memories are going to be all about the things you did with your friends, both in and outside the classroom. So, it goes without saying that finding the right group of friends is going to be a priority on your to-do list as a freshman.
Leaving your school friends behind and getting used to their absence sucks, big time. Especially because, as a newly hatched duckling you will feel a little socially awkward and crave the comfort of your old friendships and connections. The first few weeks will be the hardest, and you will end up making a number of sad phone calls to your friends and even your mom. These calls will make you nostalgic and bring you even closer to all your loved ones – Absence, indeed makes the heart grow fonder.
But with the passage of time, you will break out of your shell, make new acquaintances which will eventually turn into lifelong friendships. Your college mates will, down the line, know more about your habits than anybody else because they’ll grow into themselves, alongside you. They will live through the most cherished memories made, right by your side.
But even your college mates won’t be able to hold the candle to your hostel / PG roommates. The equation with a roommate is a tricky one. You start as awkward strangers brought together by a chance of fate and end up being each other’s biggest ally or the worst enemy. Initially, there is a lot of hesitation and walking on eggshells around each other but soon enough, you will be sharing Maggi from the same bowl and casually using each other’ stuff – no permission required.
Your roommate will be the one trying and failing to wake you up on time for lectures, feeding you crappy but miraculously healing chicken soup on days when you fall sick and feel like dying. They are the first ones to know about your secret “relationship”, and also the ones with the worst dating advice – ever. They are also, usually the ones holding your hair back while you puke your guts out after a night of too much partying. They are the ones who will literally spend every night with you and be the first person you deal with, every morning.
Over the years, you will hate them, love them, fight with them but more importantly – fight for them. A good roommate can turn even the crappiest hostel life into a fun-filled ride and a bad one can, well, we’ll let you imagine this one yourself.
Needless to say, you should pray to end up with a good one and if you’re one of the unlucky ones, you can always change rooms or even the accommodation.
Wondering how to go about the process of finding a place to call your own ( albeit temporarily) – let us help you with that.
Timings, safety and other concerns tend to mess with the wishes of our childish souls. Don’t wallow about your stay during these brilliant academic years, our young readers. We come bearing good news. CoHo understands the predicament you might be in when you’re stuck looking for an affordable, homely and luxurious accommodation. You don’t have to look too far, little one. We promise you your best university life and your comfortable beds along with a security of a home. Pack your bags and let us help you adjust to this colorful world called university life.
Transforming the way the young reside in India, CoHo offers luxurious and comforting villas and dorms to students and working professionals at affordable prices. From fully furnished apartments to high-end services like health care, recreational spaces, housekeeping and maintenance, a formidable Coho community helps you experience your novice years the best way you could imagine.
