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(Below is the campus farewell article written by Raunak Kalra (final yr Mining). Views expressed are his own. Email: raunakalra@gmail.com)

Yeah, yeah…”it was only yesterday that we kids walked into this campus and today, we leave as adults with a part of our soul wrenched behind.”; and all that crap. We will get to it later. Right now, I will preach. As a doddering, aged tech-great-grandfather, I jumped at the chance the Editor offered me to pass on some lessons learnt and some knowledge gained (I won’t call it wisdom) to the IT-junta. After all, how will I showcase before the younger generation that I am there, done that and then some?

(Raunak Kalra with friends)

Okay, jokes apart: How do I even begin to encapsulate four years of despair, hope, agony and ecstasy in a 500 words rambling? I will try by dividing my favorite quote into neat little compartments and building on them. “Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to work, to play, to love and to look up at the stars.” – Henry van Dyke.

Work: Work on what you enjoy. Are passionate about. Take the first three years to discover that passion and not more. Give everything a shot till then. Do NOT stay a competitor in the rat race. Do NOT vie for a 9-5 job. Do NOT join an ‘MBA coaching’ (It is not an MBA and it is not coaching. Trust me), just because everybody in your year is doing so. And don’t blame your teachers, your department or especially your non-IIT college for your lack of knowledge or grades. Discover for yourself. Learn for yourself. Choose your path. This is the last time you can do that easily. Explore.

Play: Not computer games for sure. But the gamers are not reading this anyway so it is okay. It is never too late or too little to speak up as much as possible, act and sing without caring a hoot.  Go reckless. Don’t be afraid of making a fool of yourself. It makes you smarter. Compete everywhere and give your best. Read. Learn to talk. Party. Travel as much and as far as you can. Break rules. Don’t get caught. Explore.

Love: Fall in it because college romances stay special for life. And have the guts to declare it. And have the guts to declare it to The One. And there would be many The Ones. Accept rejection, failure and heart break. Please take the phone out of the relationship. Go for your dream yet date as much as you can. Explore.

Stars: Try taking a night flight. Or an IT terrace at night with no nearby light sources. You will realize how utterly insignificant we are. And your purpose in your life should be to prove the last statement as wrong as possible.

I guess that covers it. Oh, by the way: It was only yesterday that we kids walked into this campus and today, we leave as adults with a part of our soul wrenched behind. Ciao.

-Raunak Kalra

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