My transition from High School to College: A Story

The transition from high school to college might be a scary thought for many, due to the change in atmosphere, choosing the right major and minor, and choosing the right college. Here is my story on how I slacked off while choosing my major and college after 12th, and how it affected me.

Career choice is one of the biggest decisions, a student has to make. This decision shapes your future; it decides your domain of expertise. One must be really careful and must explore all the possible options while choosing a degree. My case was also very similar. I had the mammoth task of choosing the college degree I want to pursue, after 12th. I didn’t give much attention to my career choice during 12th. Therefore, I was really confused after my board exams. I didn’t know what my passion was, or what I wanted to pursue. I initially thought of doing a Bachelor’s course in Video Editing and Design (BSc Animation/Video Design) and had applied to a premier Institute in the country. But I didn’t get selected. Now, I was really confused as to what I had to do next. It was as if I had reached a dead end.

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Just as a safety measure, I applied for the state Engineering entrance exams, and also for the entrance exams for some private universities. After hours of discussions with my family members and teachers, I decided to go for engineering. After my state entrance exam results came out, I applied for BTech Computer Science at a private institution at Karnataka. Initially, I was a bit worried because everything was new to me: the ambience and atmosphere, people, etc. But gradually, I got used to the course and the college. We had a 15 days induction programme at the college. This course familiarised us with the college and the program (BTech). We also had a couple of fun activities and made friends. Once the classes started, I really started liking the course.

On the academic front, our college is excellent. Since ours is an autonomous college, it updates the course syllabus every year. The syllabus is up to date, with more emphasis on practical and application-based knowledge. Our college labs are well equipped. We also have an online portal to give our assignments, tasks and online tests. This online portal also shows our attendance and grades. All this was new to me. I was impressed by the efficiency of the online portal. Our college also hosted various technical competitions such as the SAE Formula Car race and hackathons.

One of the key features of a student’s college life is her/her participation in the various clubs/societies. The college gave me ample opportunities to grow as a person, both academically and socially. There are many Technical and non-Technical clubs in my college, which gave me a platform to showcase my skills. I joined the college Drama Club and the college Literary Club, which gave me exposure to the various aspects of drama and literature. We also have many different competitions, hosted by the clubs during the weekends to keep us entertained and enhance our skills.

The best part about college life is the annual fest, which is held in February every year. The fest is a time to loosen up. There are a plethora of competitions conducted during the fest. Hackathons, The Hogathon, Treasure Hunt and Fashion show (couture) are some of the popular competitions. The Pro Nights are the jewel to the crown. Various celebrities, DJ’s and stand-up comedians are called to the college to entertain us the whole night.

Now that we have to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I really started missing college and friends, the conversations we had at the canteen, the laughs, etc. College life really helped me grow in all aspects and sharpen my academic and co-curricular skills. I also made some really good friends at college, whom I can count on.

My transition from high school to college was a bit rough in the beginning since I was undecided on my career choice. But the later stages were pretty smooth, and college helped me to be self-reliant. Choosing the right college and the right major is very important since it shapes the future. one must spend ample time in deciding what major to take in college, considering all the available options. One must not worry too much about college life. Making good friends and connections helps a lot in college.