Student life is hands-down the most enjoyable phase of a person. Why? Because there is no constant stress of making money in order to survive in the real world, no day-to-day negotiations with various people for payments, and no trying to wake up every Morning knowing that this is just another day where you have to prepare yourself to face the life in all its ugliness. Till you are a student, you do not have to worry about money for food, shelter, and clothing since all these are taken care of by your parents/guardians. The only thing that affects your mental being is the stress of exams but trust me, this stress is nothing compared to the stress offered by the real world once you step into it. Still, due to the tough competition that exists in the academia, many college-going students go through illnesses- both physical as well as mental. The main reasons for this are:

• The constant pressure from parents who keep high expectations from their children, and keep comparing them to the ones with better GPA.
• The constant competition offered by the classmates in the academia.
• The desire to ‘prove’ themselves to the crowd is huge to the point of desperation.
• The students get bored of the monotonous life they lead in the college premises.
• The students develop self-doubt when they are not able to score as per their expectations.
• The students, at times, wonder if they have chosen the right stream or not that leads to further self-doubt, and in some cases, growing anxiety issues.
• The constant tension of what will happen in the future.
• The hectic schedule of classes that causes mental and physical exhaustion.
• In some cases, the bullying from students (read: seniors) can also result in physical and mental abuse.

If you are a student who is going through all these situations, then ask yourself if all these things will matter five years down the lane. If I am to speak from my personal experience, then no, none of the above mentioned points will matter in the near future once you get your degree and step into the real world.

Let’s talk about perspective- Basic googling will tell you that:

• Around 70 million children in India do not even have the access to primary education. So, consider yourself lucky to have been able to attend the college in the first place.
• 3 billion people on this planet cannot afford to have mobiles and laptops, and here you are privileged enough to hold a lot more expensive gadgets than these two.
• 4 billion people on this planet cannot afford to learn second language, and here you are reading this post in English which clearly is not your mother tongue (not counting the exceptions here).

I understand that college life can be hectic at times. I have personally experienced it. Sometimes, professors make it boring, while other times, friends and internal politics make it hectic. So, what can be done to kick off this monotony and spice up your college experience? Read on the following pointers:

• Think about yourself as a machine. Whenever you read something or have to study something which sounds boring, imagine yourself as a computer who is reading that particular material to grasp knowledge that would upgrade you, hence making you work faster, better and stronger than other machines. I use this while reading difficult economy-based books.
• Focus on maintaining your routine rather than searching for pleasure on Social Media beyond a point. Everything on sites like, Instagramand Snapchatis an exaggeration of normal life. Your friends ‘having fun’ through travels, weekend parties and/or coffee dates is nothing but an exaggeration done for attention and social validation. If you feel temptations rising in your head by these things, then your college life will become a living hell because it life demands the maintenance of routine and order. So, mentally prepare yourself to follow a strict schedule if you aim to score good CGPA. Parties are not going anywhere!
• Instead of trying to look for ‘fun’ in the weekend parties, participate in the co-curricular activities and sports events in your college. They help in maintaining good grades and the validation you get from professors and teachers motivates you to work harder.
• Avoid the bunkers, the party-goers, the gossip-mongers, the ones who attend the college for ‘timepass,’ and the bullies. You do not need this kind of negativity in your life. Hangout with people who have got some goals in life. These negative people will drag you down. They can’t see your grow.
• If you feel that you have opted for the wrong course, for instance, you desired to learn photography but are stuck with engineering due to parental pressure, then do not be disheartened. The best plan that you can adopt is to keep pursuing your degree for the sake of attaining it, while giving a bit of your time to learn about your passion. Keep the ratio to 70/30 in order to stay on the safer side. After your college, you can pursue your passion full-time. I would suggest, do not think about dropping out of the college to follow your passion since it is risky.
• College life is an affair of a mere 3-5 years. College life is not the only criteria of your happiness and your future income or stability. Work hard. Be consistent. Be in order. But don’t let anything harm you physically or otherwise.
• Focus on what you eat. A good and balanced protein diet always helps to keep you going physically as well as mentally.
• Always keep your room clean and systematic. A clean room makes your mind clean.
• Do not indulge in stupid activities like over-drinking, smoking and weed. These things are risky and might get you suspension from college. Avoid.
• Love life: This can happen after college also. If you are falling in love during college life, remember it will take time and energy out of you. Your grades will suffer. Avoid indulging in flings or serious relationships. Focus on your goals first!
• Learn to apologise to professors and teachers. Respect them. Respect anyone who is teaching you things. Never try to outshine your master(s) in any way.

College life can be a lot of fun. You just need to live it with a positive attitude. Read good books, engage in conversations with decent people, keep in good company. Try to perform well in the academia, drop the shyness and be bold and assertive in your personality. Experiment with various things both socially and academically. And never compromise with your goals!

These articles shall help you more: Principles of Life and Books which helped me