Page 35

MY FIRST DAY AT COLLEGE

Pat Green in his poem ‘College Song’ wrote:

“There’s a time and place,

For just about everything,
It’s called college.”
College is a place of independence, education and enjoyment. It is a foundation preparing the
youth for the practical knowledge. Students rise from the shyness of boyhood to the confidence of
maturity. It is a mould shaping the future builders of a country. It means a lot to the students who are
new to it. They feel free throwing away the shadows of burdensome brunt of school life. It is also said
that school provides base and college builds the building of knowledge on it.

“There is no knowledge without college.”

College is considered to be a time for permanent felicity. Knowledge with continuous relish is
the chief feature of college life. I can still remember my first day at college. Monday, September 01,
2014 was a beautiful day. The morning sky was blue, the sun was shining bright, and the birds were
chirping. I had looked forward to this day from my school days. Life at college meant for me a new life. I
was not more a young boy but a young man. I had begun to think myself to be a gentleman with a sense
of freedom.

Dan Indante said well:

“College is the longest vacation you will ever takes.”

When I entered my college for the first day, I looked around with a mixed feeling of confusion
and joy. The grand building with massive pillars made a deep impression on my mind. I was puzzled as it
was a strange feeling for me. The students were moving up and down the corridors for their classes. The
professors were coming smilingly and were exchanging greetings with the students in a friendly manner.
Some senor students were also standing there. They were in a jolly mood and wanted to befool the
new-comers. They were large in number and were making the new comers act according to their wishes.
They asked us to do strange things like singing funny songs and doing monkey-pranks. Meanwhile, a
senior professor named Prof. Hassan Akhtar Nisar came and rescued us from this problem. Every
moment of that cherished day is still fresh in the photographic camera of my mind.

It has been rightly said by Seneca”

“Things that were hard to bear are sweet to remember.”

I joined my class in room number 01. The first lecture was of English. The professor came with
the attendance register. After taking roll-call, he delivered a short lecture on college0life. He motivated
us to come up with our full zeal and zest to achieve some distinction in the final examination. He advised
us to take maximum advantage of college-life. All the other professors advised us in the same way and
introduced their subjects to us. The teaching methodology of my new teachers impressed me a lot. Their
approach was based on concepts not cramming. They encouraged us to learn the facts and their
applications in life the effort of understanding into the deep nature of facts was a new and wonderful
thing for me. It lightened me with delightful knowledge.

HADI’S LANGUAGE LAB (F.A) (B.A) (M.A) (SPOKEN ENGLISH)

HASSAN AKHTAR NISAR M.A. English, B.Ed
0301-4220466 Subject Specialist (Eng)
 Page 36
Plato has said well:
”Education is the turning of the inner eye towards light.”

Consulting my day’s timetable, I found that the last period was an off-period. This gave me a
chance to make a tour round the college premises. I with one friend went to the Common Room. It was
a big hall with plenty of noise. There were facilities of table-tennis and carom boards. There were
newspapers and journals. On the first day, I was of course a mere spectator. The senior students were
there, playing games, reading newspapers or discussing things.
Thomas Ehrlich remarks regarding college education:
“A college education should equip one to entertain
Three things: a friend, an idea and oneself.”
The next place of attraction was the library. There were many elegant shelves containing books.
Books were class-wise arranged in huge cupboards. The room was full of students who were absorbed in
reading or writing. I sat next to my friend and started studying a book. The essential purpose of college is
education and re-education. This purpose can only be achieved through the study of books.

Aristotle remarks regarding education:

“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.”

Then we both left the library and came to the ground. We discussed the lectures of our teachers and
decided to work hard from the beginning to get through the examinations with flying colors. I bade
good-bye to my friend and came out of the college.

I found a considerable difference between the school life and that of college life. I concluded
that freedom that is present at college level should not be misused. It is an opportunity that enables a
student to learn in his own way. Thus my first day at college ended happily. It was a fabulous day that
made me discover scores of new and crucial horizons of life’s sky.

Dave DiCello appreciates college:

“College is like a fountain of knowledge – and the students are there to think.”

HADI’S LANGUAGE LAB (F.A) (B.A) (M.A) (SPOKEN ENGLISH)

HASSAN AKHTAR NISAR M.A. English, B.Ed
0301-4220466 Subject Specialist (Eng)