I know for sure that my lifestyle has been radically changed from what it was a year ago
A wise man once said that the only source of knowledge is experience. SCMC has been a wonderful experience for me. I entered the college with numerous thoughts in my mind; I was happy with the fact that I was taking a step towards my career, but on the other hand there was an apprehension about moving to a completely new city with new people. The first few days went by really smoothly with the orientation sessions from different professors and the administrative formalities that we had to complete. The sessions and assignments then started, and I realised it was not going to be as easy as I had thought it would be.
Change is something that I personally struggle with; comprehending it and adapting to it. As a result, Symbiosis definitely was very overwhelming for me. Now if I look back and think about whatever happened in these few months, I know for sure that my lifestyle has been radically changed from what it was a year ago. I have become busier and more productive than I ever was. The deadlines for assignments, the after college club sessions and event practices, the field trips and projects outside college, event after-parties, the silly (ground breaking) conversations everyday in the amphitheatre with classmates, the lectures with Professor Ashish Kulkarni’s perspective on education and Professor Milinda Natu’s fascinating insights into art and design, all these and many more contributed to make me into a different individual who is now more accepting of change. This change in my lifestyle has been the most important positive aspect of my journey in SCMC so far.
But If I had to write about one particular session or class or program that stands out for me in these few months, it would be the after college club sessions that we have with our seniors. These clubs cover various interests and skills from photography to dance to literature and debate. They inspired us on various levels; gave us a platform to showcase our skills and talents beyond academics and helped in easing the process of our fitting into the college and bonding with the seniors, who also had very interesting, strange and wonderful experiences that they shared with us. They also gave us a basic understanding of how these three years are going to play out and how we should be ready for everything; the good times and the bad times. Lastly, the clubs were almost treated as an informal gathering of passionate minds. Creating, sharing and talking about intriguing content developed a sense of collaborative learning amongst us, with everyone sharing their experience and their knowledge about their respective crafts.
Personally, I found the photography club really interesting. I knew I had a passion for photography but never did anything about it. This club with its early morning photo walk sessions and in campus competitions pushed me to go out there, discover the art of photography and my inclination towards it. I attended every session that was conducted. After a tiring day at college, the clubs kept our enthusiasm for our passions going. When we were burdened with overwhelming thoughts, these clubs gave us a sense of relief and re-creation.
To conclude, if there is one thing that I learnt from these clubs and the college at large, it is to never waste time in thinking about what you want to do but to just go out there and do it; there will be problems and you will be able to face them and overcome them, because at the end of the day that’s how we learn.
Article by: Akhil Krishna Reddy Pallipattu (Batch 2019)
Photograph by: Viraj Gaur (Batch 2019)
