Staylites' Resumption and the Tide of Time

 

Photo Credit: S-TEE Schools

Four weeks into the sessional break, resumption felt like a mirage and you swore it would not look you straight in the eyes before you ran into the arms of Youhigh. Now, resumption is here, brought in on the wings of a wickedly hot weather, increment here and there and freshers who would not stop asking if you are one of them. Then, you wonder if this is the same resumption you swore would not look you in the eye. Betrayal does not feel this real, does it? it was supposed to be your escape from strict home curfews, compulsory babysitting and unending piles of dishes but, it turned out different from what you had envisioned. On the contrary, life can only be as real as you make it. So, indulge in a little therapeutic massage of your heart and check the little of the butterflies left in your belly for school. Just maybe, you would find the motivation to keep pushing.

For you, a staylite, school must have been dethroned from that fleeting seat of “the best thing ever”, and as a finalist, you just want to graduate. However, the thought  of writing your project will make you rethink your 'just graduate already' attitude. Especially when you realize how much weight the result will pull on your CGPA. This editorial is not set out on a journey to dissect your emotions at this critical time, but to remind you that this phase is transient.

First semesters are  supposed to be quiet with serious freshers, fired-up staylites and easy going finalists but the silence is now deafening. School fees increment? Check. Staylites without accommodation? Check. Incredibly rising cost of basic needs? Check. This 'quiet' semester just got a whole lot louder in the worst way.

Kabi opened his students' portal to check how much he would be paying this time around; without warning, he realized that his fees had increased again. Just like Kabi, you must have felt the same shock. It's almost as if an extra layer of hardship is added with every new session but, you have tried to console yourself because this is your final or penultimate year. Still, you're burdened with  running around to settle your school bills, working many shifts and greeting your rich uncles every three working days. You would have obtained NELFUND but, you're not exactly comfortable with the idea of being indebted to a government that never forgives or forgets. Your parents have tried their best to support you through school but, the mere cost of feeding is enough to stretch them thin. Unbothered by your peers whose parents can afford even, tripled fees, you're focused on your side-hustle, hoping for that one big break. 

While this is on, timetables will run in;  7am-7pm classes non-stop. You're left with just enough time to eat and grab 4 hours of sleep each day. However, it's nothing new. You've been running on this grind for years, and the school's expectation barely fazes you again. Amidst this turbulence, you would still find a means to make friends with freshers, just to increase your  business network and make more sales because your goods and services won't sell themselves. Reading for tests and completing your assignment will come in earnest, meeting deadlines and writing different projects at once will prove a task. At it, you discover that your money has been finishing earlier than usual. Perhaps, you're not cutting your coat according to your cloth but, it's not about you, whether or not you spend wisely, your money will still run into the abyss of nothingness. In other words, it will finish. You'd be occasionally tempted to ignore school and roll with those chasing the bag: cryptocurrency, forex trading and other high stake side hustles but it is only a matter of time that you'd run back to your books because you're not the one to fail. Moving with the flow will present itself as a better option than chasing the bag or reading your books. In reality, moving with the flow is the worst option to pick, it doesn't exactly help you conquer the anxiety of not chasing the bag or reading your books. 

By the 10th week of resumption, you will no longer be trodden or troubled about the fee increment or what UI'SU executives discussed with the school management, you will only think about how you to sail across the ocean of slides you have to understand before exams come knocking, this is UI: nobody cares if you’re carried away. The boat doesn’t wait; it simply moves on, with or without you. GES exams, as always, will come before faculty and department exams. It gives you a feel of the examinations you have not written. It either leaves you with a good resolve and motivation or empty and dreading further examinations. While your main exams will be the true test of your will, it doesn't render GES courses trivial. Especially if you're looking to boost your CGPA. At the end of the first semester, the door will be flung open, in anticipation for the bustle of the second semester, fully sponsored by unending social activities, Jawwar, campus tour by artists and many other distractions. These moments, no matter how overwhelming, will pass. They'll fade into the past, leaving behind only the meaningful lessons you picked while at it. Your convocation will happen in the blink of an eye, in that moment, your focus is redirected. How to entertain your guests and take pictures with them all will be your next things to worry about, you would forget how undergraduate years were. Resumptions tell the story of life's transience: a sophomore today, a graduate tomorrow. 

Just like sandcastles, no matter how grand, they'll eventually be washed away by the tides of time, pushed into the hazy and foggy memories of life. 

Away from it all, we are nothing but pencils in the hands of this semester, until you take the bull by the horns and decide not to be an instrument. Pay attention to the journey ahead of you and make the most of it. Happy Resumption!