What I Thought College Life Would Be Like, And How It Actually Is

Every student dreams of going to college and living their best life, thanks to the expectations built up by Bollywood films. I anticipated so much about what my college life would be like. Will there be a competition like the one in the film, will there be a beautiful campus at my college, with a well-equipped gym and lush green lawns, and will there be so much drama? The bitter-sweet truth, as I have learned now, is that life can't be a Karan Johar film. And that actually isn't a bad thing.

Some takeaways:

• We expect a lot from our college life. We expect to find friends for life at colleges. 
• The second expectation is that college students party a lot. Also, students expect that college students dress like celebrities.
• But are all these expectations met in real life?
• Is the focus on fashion and competitions all the time on a campus?

Read Also: College Life Gives Us Independence, Make The Best Use Of It

The first expectation all of us have from our college life is to find friends for life. But the reality is that friendships in college don't happen instantly. It takes time to find the right kind of people who have things common with you, or with whom you just feel a connection. The second expectation is that college students party a lot. They go out every weekend and party hard, be it a big occasion or a small one. The reality is that you don't party that much. Most of the time students are busy with studies and projects and other times students are just broke! Most students live on a monthly budget, which means that you have to save up for special occasions, to be able to have a blast with your friends. In fact, having money to spare at the end of the month is in itself an occasion that calls for a party.

Students have so much anticipation when it comes to what their college life would be like . Will there be a competition like the one in the film, will there be such a beautiful campus and will there be so much drama?

The third expectation is that you get to explore the city, mostly with those new friends that you intend to make. In reality, it depends on your friend circle. If you have a circle of people who are already from the city then they wouldn't have much interest in exploring it again with you, unless they are very proud of it, or are interested in showing you around. If you have a circle of friends who are not from the city and love to walk around, instead of chilling at the dorm, then you will have a really fun time exploring.

The fourth expectation is that students dress up in college like celebrities. This is something a lot of students look forward too, being freshly liberated from the strict dress code followed at schools all over the country. Finally, you get to wear clothes of your choice rather than a uniform! In reality, most students don't dress like celebrities or social media influencers. The lucky ones who study in colleges where there is no dress code, can wear anything and come to college. You will find people turning up at colleges in their pajamas while some will dress like Ranveer Singh. Well, others will just pull something up. However in most professional colleges, casual dressing is forbidden, and you have to turn up in formal attire or dress code assigned by the college.

Read also: Seven Must-Haves That Every College Student Needs

The fifth expectation is that college students don't get homework, it is a chill life and teachers don't bother you. Who wants tons of homework? Well in reality homework is hurled at you under a new name: assignments.  You have to prepare presentations and turn in assignments, which leads to quite a frenzy, especially when the deadline looms overhead.

But don't worry, college life, despite not being as glamorous as shown in films, is a fun experience, that'll stay with you for a lifetime. You may not go to pubs or take trips to Goa, but hanging out with your friends at the college canteen, eating samosa and drinking chai, or spending a night out gossiping endlessly, while finishing your assignments is much more fulfilling than what you'll ever see in films.

Mansi is an Intern at SheThePeople.TV