One of the aspects (not sure positive or negative) about venturing into professional world is how we feel about revisiting our college days. I recently revisited my college days when we went to see A’s Alma-Mater - University of Southern California - and obviously those nostalgic moments did make me want to go back to that life. Although a Saturday, there were a lot of activities happening around campus. Guess the term weekend exists only outside of campus life! The atmosphere provided all the freedom any James Dean could ask for and yet it proved to be the strongest restrainer! While some students were basking in the summer sun, others were busy working their way out through assignments and deadlines. The campus shared a sense of belonging and yet in all the camaraderie, there also appeared to be a deep sense of isolation. Exploring vast structures of USC including the Library, the Silent Chapel and the Computer Centers and hearing wacky instances of students staying overnight at these facilities to create amazing things was fun and can imagine it to be an essential part of the college experience.
This made me go back to the first day of my university life and reflecting on the same reminded me that while at college, you get to ‘know about’ many but you ‘know’ very few. Guess it is realizing a thin line between an acquaintance and a friend, which often you think you have crossed it when you really haven’t. And that, what any MBA professor would teach you about human relations, time management and effective spending, college life lets you evolve it practically.
One of the most intriguing concepts I learnt about was the entire world of Fraternity and Sorority (totally alien to me!). While all institutions have a ‘group’ culture, this by-far beats them all! Right from the names they have – Phi Beta, Alpha Kappa, Delta and so on – they ceremonize their existence, some have an anthem and represent virtues with apparent history to their ‘past’! They were formed to provide community initiative and create social responsibility but down the years, this has filtered to become more sophisticated and there exists a lot of peer pressure…wherein group members are discouraged from interacting with those who are deemed ‘uncool’ by their set ‘standards’! Not sure how this would dampen the overall spirit of the university, my guess is those who can’t be bothered with this would anyways have the time of their lives! While am sure being part of such a group would change one's life, it may not necessarily be the life for all!
As we drove away from USC with a nascent haze of nostalgia, I look back at all that my University did for me – and understand!
