Is first year of under graduation a waste of time?

The rush. The excitement. The charm of a new place and meeting new people. You know what I am talking about. The first year of our college life. The young boys and girls are full of enthusiasm and have high expectations of what is to follow. But soon many students realize something. The entire syllabus of the first year is usually a revision of the concepts that we have learned previously with very less new elements. That is where many of the first year students ask this: Is first year of under graduation a waste of time?

The question is justified. We did not clear our board exams just to read the same concepts again and again. Many students have different backgrounds like mathematics, biology or even commerce. The introduction of other subjects that might seem completely irrelevant to the stream of your choice is bound to be frustrating. I had faced a similar issue in my first year and I was complaining about it myself.

We live in a fast paced world. There are students who graduate even before they reach twenty. That gives a great edge to your career when time is on your side. In such a situation it seems a complete waste of time when teachers go through the same things that seem irrelevant.

However, I disagree to the notion that the first year of graduation is a waste of time.

We do not need to ape the west in each and everything. I hold experience in high regard, higher than any certificate and qualification. And let me tell you my friends, there have been more than one instance where an experienced professional or person has told me the value of the first year of college life. The seemingly futile subjects act as a great buffer and foundation for a great career.

Let me elaborate.

Sure, as far as academics are concerned, there might be a few concepts in the first year that you may never use in your professional life. In fact, I will go out on a limb here and say that you are going to forget most of what you learn in your entire college life. In the corporate world, a knowledgeable person is highly regarded. But the truth remains that the people who actually succeed there the ones with exceptional people skills.

And even if you are ashamed to admit it, most of us had very different ideas of the world before college. It is college that gives us a first hand experience of freedom and the chance to interact/deal with new kinds of people. And that is what you do not forget even after your course has ended. That is, in my understanding, true knowledge.

That’s why I realize the importance of the first year. Especially when it comes to Manipal, where the things are completely alien for most of us when we first reached here. Not only do we get to know the place, understand new people and situations, we also get to keep a track of the fine concepts without losing any of it. And once we are acclimatized to the new town and completely thorough with the new and old concepts alike, we begin our actual professional course.

And I am certain most of you will agree to the fact that balance between academics and outside world is the key to a healthy mind. That is what first year teaches us: The art of balance!

I hope that you see the reason in my arguments and appreciate the beauty that the first year of college is. However if you have other views, please feel free to share on the comments. Cheers!