Thriving Through College & Beyond

I scored a solid 94.6% in class 10, ranked 10th in my school, and went on to score 92% in my 11th standard, topping the commerce department.

I think this gives you an idea of what kind of student I was - the topper, the one teachers loved, the one who fought over every mark.

When I concluded my 11th standard, I had just one goal - to get into SRCC, to be the kid in school that her juniors run after because she made it to the best college in the country.

But little did I know that something called COVID was eagerly waiting to crash not just the final year of my school life but also my dreams.

Boards got canceled, marks were allotted based on some mystical aggregate formula, and I, who had studied like a maniac to get into SRCC, got slapped with a 94%.

So not only SRCC, but I was also waving a dramatic goodbye to the entire DU North Campus.

(Dramatic because I went to North Campus a day before my college started, sat on the footpath, and cried)

Fast forward a few months, I got into Zakir Husain Delhi College (I won’t judge if you haven’t heard the name before), and within the first 6 weeks, I knew - I was going to have a terrible college life.

Yes, I made friends, joined every fancy college society (that were there just for show), but there was always a void. Not only had I left my beautiful home behind in Guwahati, but for the first time in my life, I felt like I was not good enough.

I was living on my parents' money, studying in a college that in no way was going to guarantee me a placement.

So I did what I do best - panic.

I was so scared that everyone would get ahead of me.

And after 20 breakdowns, I took action (the one decision that I am grateful for): I started freelancing, picking up every small content gig that came my way.

It let me pay my electricity and transport bills - and that was good, but I wanted more.

I joined an unpaid internship in a very early-stage startup and soon turned it into a paid gig - simply by taking the initiative.

(Fast forward to today, not only am I formally employed at the same startup, I am also a member of the core team)

I think what I am trying to tell you is that it is okay if you are stuck in a not-so-great college. There is still a way to make the most out of these 3 years.

> First, stop feeling sorry for yourself: A great college doesn’t guarantee success. Yes, it opens a lot of doors, but there is no single way to reach where you want to.

I know after scrolling Instagram and LinkedIn all day, you feel like everyone has it figured out but you.

But trust me - everyone is equally freaked out. Some people are just pretending they aren’t. And these are the people who give you FOMO/FOMOW.

With a little courage and a lot of hard work, you can do anything - achieve anything.

(Take it from someone who didn’t know the A of ghostwriting but now writes for many founders and even Sharks)

> Second, make the right friends: My friends in college weren’t the right people for me. No, I am not saying they are bad people, but they were not the ones who understood where I was coming from.

They say you are the sum of the 5 people you surround yourself with, and they say it rightly - make sure you keep yourself around ambitious thinkers and doers. People who want their life to be BIG.

> And most importantly, start saying “Yes” - I said yes to a random LinkedIn meetup and found my tribe there. I said yes to hosting an online webinar and found my boss there (or let’s say she found me :) ).

I have said yes to hundreds of things without thinking twice, and 50% of them have led to opening new doors for me.

The remaining 50%? Let’s just say they are great life lessons.

Don’t be overprotective of your time (You anyway spend half of it stalking your crush) - learn to embrace opportunities.

I can go on and on, telling you everything that I have learned in my journey from 1st sem to graduation, but I want you to figure things out for yourself.

Just remember, things are much worse in your head than in reality. 

And there will always be someone doing better and worse than you. You are doing just fine as long as you are trying.