Letter to the Freshman

Imprint article #2 - Letter to the freshman

I guess this is redundant after my post "My First Year at SASTRA". Nevertheless, I'm publishing it here! :)

Dear faccha,

Welcome to SASTRA University, one of the most student-friendly campuses around. Rest assured, it is one of the few places away from home that will actually make you feel at home. I remember my first day at SASTRA, or rather my first night, away from my parents. They had dropped me off at the hostel and I had 2 bags and a mattress to show that I wasn’t from somewhere close by. I tossed and turned and could hardly find sleep. I ended up dozing off during my first day at college, for the first time, though not for the last. Getting to know the layout of the campus might turn out to be a task to some of the freshers but I can assure you that it will take only a few walks around the campus and getting lost a few times to map it out. Personally, I think I will be able to connect to more hostel residents than to the day scholars of SASTRA but I guess since all of us share the same campus and the same classrooms the experiences will not be drastically different. Living with friends, having food at the mess (or at one of the canteens if it’s someone’s birthday) and basically having fun at this home away from home, all are a part and parcel of life as a student residing in the campus. You are probably reading this after having attended a few orientations and possibly after having attended a few of the clubs here. These extra-curricular clusters give all of us a chance to expose ourselves to the competitive world outside and also a chance to fraternize with peers. The professors and administration together contribute to an environment which is conducive towards extra-curricular and co-curricular pursuits of the students. The campus sees many cultural fests and extravaganzas during the course of the year, starting with Carpe Diem towards the end of the first semester and Kuruksastra towards the end of the second, besides the co-curricular fests. SASTRA also has facilities that provide for people whose cadre lies on the sports field. We have a great turf pitch, good quality amenities at the Maruthi Indoor Stadium and great basketball courts. The campus also hosts sports fests during the year. Besides the fests, student life in the first year involves many new acquaintances and friends, movie nights at the hostel and a whole load of fun you never could have had as a school student. Meetings at the canteens in SASTRA – Krishna Canteen and Canopy, over Gold Cup will become routine (Gold Cup is the substitute for soda brands available outside the campus). College life is radically different from the experience of going to school. You will have many free periods per week, different timings for lunch on different days and lecturers instead of teachers in class. The best part of college classes is that you need not lug around 5 kilograms of books to class every day. All hail the boon of 5 subject notebooks. A book or two would therefore suffice. On the whole, your first year at SASTRA promises to be a fun-filled, exciting and memorable year of your college life. So enjoy, and once again, welcome to SASTRA!

P.S. “faccha” is SASTRA colloquial for a freshman