The Start of Something New - Personal Essay

A new world

                It’s said that “every end is a new beginning”. New beginnings can be scary for most of us. But instead of asking why, ask why not? Every new start is a door opening to new possibilities. They are what make us who we are in the future. Because every new step we take, every new door we choose to walk through is another experience, another chance. If mistakes are made, learn from them and dare to make some more mistakes to learn even more life lessons. So when I saw a new way in front of me, I took it.

             As the car drove closer to the college, I had the strong urge to go back home, where I have to worry about absolutely nothing. But there was a part of me that wanted to grow and explore new worlds. That part of me which wanted to grab every opportunity, which wanted to take risks and push myself to see what I was capable of, held me still and encouraged me to not give up before it even started. Fear, is something that is built in for humans. Everyone gets afraid, of one thing or another. It doesn’t matter how big or small that fear is. It’s still there. But if our desire for success is greater than our fear, that success will be within our own reach. As I first walked through the gates of MIIM, a mix of emotions passed through my head. I was anxious, cautious, feeling uneasy and concerned about myself. The surroundings and the environment itself were welcoming. The green grass spread over the entire campus like carpet, the management building standing tall and proud at the hilltop, and the most unique feature, the mist surrounding everything and everyone.  The whole atmosphere screamed out “welcome”. The seniors in uniforms aided us in everything, tending to our every need. What I felt towards them was respect, not intimidation. Everywhere I looked I saw unfamiliar faces. Most of these faces showed off emotions familiar to mine. But there were those that already had friends at this new place and were already in groups. Their expressions were that of pure excitement. Maybe that is what I needed as well, to find new friends here. My train of thoughts was interrupted when I felt a tug at my hand. It was my cousin telling me it’s time to get inside. With another deep breath and a simple nod, I proceeded through the large glass doors. The hall was filled by the time I got inside. I found a seat and listened to the endless speeches and welcomes by different faculties. Within that span of 2 hours, it was clear that MBA at MIIM was not going to be a piece of cake. Time has an ironic way of playing with us. When we want time to go by fast, it will move in slow motion. When we want it to slow down, it will fast forward. In my case, I wanted time to freeze up, so that I wouldn’t have to be left here by myself. So, as usual, time played its prank and 5 hours felt like 5 minutes. My hostel room was ready, I met my roommates, who seemed nice enough, we had lunch and at last, it was time for my family to leave. As much as my heart wanted to leave with them, I knew I had to stay back. So I did, and they left. As I waved at the moving car, a small part of me kept pushing me to run after them. Already I was feeling homesick. I could hear my own heart beating. I could hear the wind clearly, and I could hear the silence and that feeling of loneliness that surrounded me. Despite all this, I decided to embrace all these factors. I pushed that small part down and walked back inside into my hostel, my home for the next 2 years.

                       I felt the cold morning air hit my skin. This was not the environment I was used to. Although I did love the cold atmosphere, it was still strange and new to me. It was as if I was on a vacation, but I very well knew that it was the opposite. The room was extremely silent. Both my roommates were still sleeping. I don’t know what I was expecting from the first day of training. As I washed my face, and the ice cold water hit my skin, anticipation engulfed me as a whole. Getting ready and walking out the hostel with my fellow inmates, the fog covered all of us. Climbing up the “mini-hill” to reach the college could be considered a challenge itself. We once again walked through the glass doors and into the conference room. This time the faces I saw around me were a bit more familiar, easing my worries. We were soon divided into 2 batches and there started the training. Although the activities introduced were helpful, fun and entertaining, my heart would jump every time one of the faculties picked up the microphone to call upon the next name. I could hear heartbeats beside me. Almost everyone’s faces screamed nervousness. But even in between these faces, there were some that showed complete calmness and confidence. I suddenly felt a sense of envy towards them. The icebreaker activities conducted helped us get to know each other a lot more. The following days dared us for more challenging activities, pushing us to the center stage and working on getting rid of our stage fear. Throughout the induction period, I could feel myself and the people around me improving on all factors like their language, public speaking, confidence, etc. One of the activities which really impressed me was when we were asked to design costumes with just paper, scissors, glue and staples. It was an activity that really taught us about teamwork. I can still remember the crumbling of paper, scissors working, and people shouting to go good and finish on time. A lot of creative thinking from each person was put forward and it was truly a group effort.

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