How I chose my course and college: Rohini Singh

Goenka College of Commerce and Business Administration, Kolkata

It was in the year 2013 when I started my higher secondary (class XI and XII) education in Commerce stream. In my family, I was the only one who chose to pursue a different field. Perhaps I thought that it would be a totally different profile for me. I had no idea about how it was going to be, though.

My school days were amazing. I gave my final HSC board exams in the year 2015, and was waiting for the results. Till then, I came across many other acquaintances who said, “Oh! Exams are over, so utilise your time and do something good. This is not the end yet, so search for good colleges. Life will be easy, etc.”

Is it really easy? Yes, I guess that would be it, but only for those who say it, not for those who are actually going through it.

I must say that those phases of life are the crucial ones where you need to think a lot before doing anything.

Result day

I woke up early that day, feeling really tense. I started counting my marks again and again, because it was the day of the announcement of my result.

I am sure everyone has the idea how it feels like when everything is dependent on you on your marks. “If you score well, you are going to lead. But if not, then trust me, you will never get a second chance.”

Finally, when the clock struck 2 PM, my results were out. I couldn't believe what I saw, and neither did my family. Being a State Board student, I scored 90.4% and also scored above 90 in all my subjects except Hindi and English, where I scored more than 85. No one in my entire family could believe themselves (maybe because I wasn’t a bookworm), and rather they all were happy and enjoying, especially my brother and my parents.

Now, the most difficult part came, and that was whether I would be getting a good college or not. While my preference was my own dream college i.e. Goenka College, I was still not sure whether I would be getting a chance there or not. But later on, my name appeared in their cut-off list and it was the happiest moment ever, as I had got what I wanted.

But yes, that was a tough time for my parents as we are financially not that strong. But my father, being a great person, gave us all the happiness that we ever sought. He applied for loan and told me only one thing, “You wanted to be there, and now you got it. Just remember, you are the first and only girl who got such an opportunity, and you are going to stay away from home, so just make sure that whatever you do in life, it should have a great impact.”

Then came July 25, 2016. I shifted to Kolkata, leaving my parents and everyone out there, towards a new beginning, a new place, a new people and new faces, all by myself.

I must add one line here which I have learnt from my journey and that is, “No matter what, it doesn’t matter where you are. In the end, you have to be your own hero.”

My dream college was not like what I ever expected. No big campus, no playground, not an amazing building, etc. But still, what mattered was the faculty and the education system. As for the rest, I came across so many different types of people who were so close to me. Such amazing seniors and later, juniors too.

My college life groomed me a lot.

I won’t say that I haven’t faced any difficulties either regarding studies or anything. I did face a lot of issues in life but those problems always made me stronger and more patient, and I became more mature day by day. Things I learnt were staying away from my parents and the need to always adjust oneself according to the changing situation, because here, you are alone and you have to take care of yourself.

Now, my 3^rd year of college life is about to end, as it’s a 3-year course and I haven’t realized how fast time has flown, but yes, everything has an end date, and it shall happen for this course too.

Currently, I am working as an HR intern at IDBI Federal.

My journey till now has been a mixture of every sort of spice, and I believe that everyone has to face these phases where people are confused about what to do and what not, and how and where to do it.

Always remember that if you are not sure about anything, at least go for a try, then only you will have a good knowledge of it. Plus, you have amazing opportunities through internships. There, you can go for any field and gain knowledge and a certificate. Thereafter, decide about career and whether to pursue this field or not.

It’s never too late.

About the Author:

My name is Rohini Singh and I am in the final year of B Com (H), Goenka College, Calcutta University.