Do's & Dont's from the first to last day in college

"The only permanent thing in this world is change"

From the cosy comfort of your house to bunking up with strangers in a hostel room is one of the most adventurous yet uneasy feeling in the world. If you are amongst a lucky few whose parents came to drop you in college, to help you get settled in hostel by buying various day to day hostel amenities like cots, bed sheets, pillow, bucket, soaps, hangers etc., consider yourself extremely lucky if they don't get overwhelmed while leaving you behind just to ensure that you don't get weak in your commitments. 

But if they are not able to control their emotions and give you that blissful teary Good-Bye hug, don't look down upon them, don't get embarrassed that so many guys/girls/faculties are watching, Embrace them, tightly, like you have never done before. And trust me when I say this, the walk from the place where your parents left to your hostel/class, will be the longest walk you will ever walk. Wave of emotions are bound to strike you where your whole life with your parents & family will flash in front of your eyes. At that point be thankful to your parents and the almighty for making you what you are, Be humble and promise yourself that you will work twice as hard to be remarkable in every field. 

Initial days may be a bit rough as getting acclimatized with local weather, pathetic mess food, room & hostel mates etc will be challenging for a few. But within a week or two once you start going to classes, make new friends you will embark on your journey which in all sense will be.. Legendary! 

You will also understand that some impulsive promises are meant to be broken ;) 

For your all round development & future career possibilities I have listed a few DO's and DONT's for your 3-4 years of college life :-

DO's

1. Learn atleast one new language

You can prefer any of the local-language unknown to you to start with. e.g. Learn "Tamil" if your college is located in Tamil Nadu. 

2. Play atleast one new sport

If you don't think you are going to make into a college team, try different sports which you never played before. In my case, I chose swimming because of my love for water. In case you are lucky enough to have a swimming pool in your college, do use a Swimming Cap to avoid severe hairfall due to Chlorinated water. Some people with sensitive eyes also use Anti Fog Swimming Goggles but I personally don't like to wear them until I am playing "throw and fetch" in the pool i.e. during under water swimming.

3. Subscribe to a daily newspaper like "The Hindu" or "The Indian Express"
You will find them hard to read in the beginning but as your vocabulary will develop you will find a taste in them. You will not enjoy any other newspaper after that. Also, mighty Internet is enough for your eye-candy needs. ;)

4. Improve your English
Irrespective of your level of English education in school, you will be amazed to know the various intricacies of English Language. I will highly recommend Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis for every individual seeking to improve their English comprehension & vocabulary.This book is a piece of art and a must read for any student. It teaches how to frame new words & to understand an unknown word by breaking it into syllables which will be helpful in campus placements and other competitive exams. This one book should definitely be in your bag even before leaving for college.

5. Travel exhaustively
You should visit all nearby adventurous, historical & cultural places. Make memories, click pictures, Talk to strangers/foreigners. One visit to GOA with friends is a must ! Take long bike rides (>300 Kms atleast) with friends but don't repeat my mistake of riding without proper Bike Knee & Elbow Guards because trust me it hurts when you fall and slide. Do carry a lot of band aids, dry fruits and basic medicines. Get hurt, get up, wash your wounds and even then enjoy the pain & hunger. You will remember this ride forever. Also, just in case if you want to appear for Civil Services Examination after graduation, the visual memory will help you better than the textual memory in objective type option elimination ;)

6. Make Mistakes & Take Risks
College experience will be incomplete without them. Take risks, make mistakes, Get hurt & then RISE! Learn from them, even repeat them but in a better way.

7. Practice Arithmetic & Reasoning for only 2 hours per week. 
This will help you immensely in aptitude exams during First round of both in & off-campus placements, will lay foundation for CAT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and will also pave way for various government services competitive exams like UPSC-CSAT, SSC- Combined Graduated Level, Banks and other PSU's. You can practice shortcuts needed in campus placements aptitude exams from Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Rajesh Verma (CLASSY BOOK!) or Magical Book on Quicker Maths by M Tyra or Quantitative Aptitude by RS Agarwal.

If you don't keep yourself in touch with basic arithmetic & reasoning concepts you will sweat during campus placements and the time which should be used in polishing technical concepts and improving interview skills will be wasted in practicing aptitude questions. Reasoning concepts are lucidly explained Analytical Reasoning by MK PANDEY. I have mentioned these things in Detailed strategy to ace in & off-campus placements.

8. Participate in College clubs, Student chapters, Technical teams, National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), NGOs etc.

This will improve your techno-managerial skills and you will start paying attention to details which in-turn will lead to an overall personality development.

9. Develop Reading Habit

Try to finish 1 book in every 2-3 months depending on your spare time. This will make you a better learner. Read something completely unrelated to your field of study. One book which I really enjoyed during my college days was Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book blown me away by rationalizing "assets" & "liabilities" for better financial planning. You can read about any of your favorite subjects during school days.

10. Watch epic TV Series

College life is incomplete without Game of Thrones, Friends, Prison Break, Breaking Bad, 24 (not Anil Kapoor one :D ), Sherlock, Suits and many more. Sleeping in hostel after watching a series will give you peace ! Binge watching an entire Season will give you satisfaction !

11. Regular Exercise/Yoga

Burn the unwanted calories by regular exercise or by yoga. But don't sweat on the hostel floor or on your roommates bed. Do those push-ups, crunches, leg-lifts or even yoga on Exercise/Yoga Mat to avoid embarrassment when your roommates walk barefoot and asks why the floor is sticky :P

If you are an outdoor type person, Grab proper running shoes in place of your casual shoes and go for regular run. Prefer grounds instead of roads as running on roads exerts unnecessary pressure on the knees & joints. Also, if you are an avid runner, choose the sole of your running shoes smartly since too hard and too soft soles can be dangerous for your posture in long run.

12. Use LinkedIn

Explore professional contacts outside regular social networking sites and make an account on LinkedIn. Connect with all seniors & juniors of your Alma Mater, expand your network and then start contacting people relevant to your field. It's a professional networking site and can be used for job opportunities, Summer Internships, Final year projects and what not. I was lucky enough to get a paid internship during my college days through LinkedIn.

13. Inculcate habit of investing rather than saving

Start investing from the pocket money. Even a small contribution of Rs. 1000/month in an equity linked product will yield Rs. 81,670 in 5 years & Rs. 2,30,039 in 10 years at a minimum return of 12%. Use this power of compounding. The mighty Warren Buffett started his first investments at the age of 11. You are already late! :D

DON'Ts

1. Don't Drink (& get caught) 

In the worst scenario, if you get caught by a college authority don't try to prove you are sober by walking in a straight line. Trust me, it will re-assure the authority that you are drunk and to be clear, you are not walking straight. Don't give your ID Cards even when you are drunk. Come on, you are smart enough to figure out a way to escape or plead your way out. Always keep a handy Mouth Freshener in your pockets before such nights. Dedicated to Engineering students.

2. Don't use Drugs

Having fun & being stupid are two different things. Don't be the latter else you may get expelled from college. Warden may come for surprise visits and can even inspect Cigarette joints just to check ;)

3. Avoid Fights & Arguments that you can't win

Messing with professors, staff & college administration can make your life and grades miserable.

4. Don't waste your summer/winter vacations.

Do Internships, Summer/Winter Industrial training, Courses in all your vacations >20 days.

5. Don't neglect your Friends

Be with your special someone but not at the cost of your friends & not all the time. Value them as they will be the ones whose hostel doors you will knock in the late nights or early morning after getting drunk following a breakup.This picture pretty much explains everything about hostel life and friends -

Somewhere in my College's Hostel

In the end, enjoy the stay and the life. Fill each day with cherishing memories. You will be a better person after graduating. You will hate your college everyday but will love it in the end.

I wish you good fortunes in the wars to come !