Those were the best days of my life

My college gave me friends for life and the best of faculty members who built my confidence and empowered me at  every step of the way

For most people, a home is an  abode that makes them feel secure; for me, home is a place where I studied for five years near the Himalayan foothills in the scenic city of Dehradun.                                                                      

I was born and brought up in Bareilly. When I first moved to Dehradun, I badly missed my hometown. Today, I often reminisce about the days when I yearned to go back to Bareilly. As time passed, I fell in love with Dun, so much so that I did not mind staying back even during festivals. Initially, the sudden changes in weather and unexpected rainfall in Dehradun irritated me. But now, I keep on telling people how awesome the weather is here.

I vividly remember my mother crying continuously for two hours before I boarded the train for Dehradun. I gave my last board exam on April 6, 2015, and left for Dehradun the very next day. I still remember her telling me that it kills her to let me go, but she was doing it so that I become something in life. I come from a business family. Almost all my friends decided to join their family business, but my parents gave me the choice to follow my heart. After a couple of career counselling sessions, I chose to be a lawyer like my sister and from the same law school – the School of Law, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun.

These five years have been the best years of my life. It seems to be God’s best plan for me.

I made a five-year commitment to get the degree. When I joined UPES, I rarely referred to it as my university because I had my sister in the same college and for everyone who already knew me it was my sister’s university where I was studying. However, five years down the line, I can proudly call it mine, because I have crafted my journey here. There were moments when the faculty compared me with my sister. Those comparisons were inevitable as they had already taught her and had known her. There is no denying that she is one of her kind and a brilliant student (there are medals at home to give me a reality check). However, I was more inclined towards extra-curricular activities (my parents are kind enough to display my trophies and certificates as well).

These five years gave me an opportunity to grow as a person by being a key member of committees in college, representing my institution at national events and becoming a merit holder at such competitions. However, I believe, my true win has been the people I have met in UPES.

The first set of friends I made were from the Career Launcher (CLAT coaching). They are amazing. Even after five years of not seeing each other, we are still in touch. Then there were friends I made in college. It would be hard to not be able to see them every day from now onwards.

My college not only gave me friends for life, but also gave me the best of faculty members who have guided me all along. This post is dedicated to all those people who made this place home for me by showering their love and support constantly.  

This pandemic made my college life end abruptly. I cannot even express how sad this situation is, not just for me, but for every final year student I know. We have spent five wonderful years here and all of us had our plans for concluding it in a certain way. I am ready to give away everything to re-live those days again (even attend the classes at 8:30 am).

(The writer is a 5^th-year BA LL.B. (Hons) student, with specialization in Energy Laws)