Mumbai: Events are a big part of college life. For many students, events are fun experiences that expose them to a whole new side of their colleges. College, being an institution of learning, brings a welcoming change of pace with events for students.
In this article, final year students reminisce on their experiences and share the things they have gained from college events.
Steve Sebastian, a third year student of Mass communication at Amity University, said he participated in many sports events and even danced at some events. “It helped me showcase my talent and helped me enhance my skills, I got practice dancing more and I got better at it,” he said.
Sebastian also mentioned how these events can become a social affair, stating, “Obviously you get to meet other people participating in the same event, get to understand different perspectives, and build a strong network. They (events) act as a stress buster from constant college work, studies, and day to day responsibilities for college students.”
Kabir Deshpande, who is also a third year student at Amity University, stated that he has done a multitude of activities at events, including acting, dancing, dressing as the mascot at the flagship event, beatboxing, anchoring, event management, guest handling, and social media marketing. “Sometimes these events can be stressful, but your hard work pays off in the end. These events also helped me work on my stage fright,” Deshpande said.
He also pointed out that he gets to experience different cultures during these events. “Our college would have an Onam celebration and I got to experience an Onam Sadhya, something I have never experienced as a Maharashtrian,” he said.
Uttham Prakash A, a final year student of gaming and multimedia, mentioned how he enjoyed watching people dance and sing, and found a “new avenue of entertainment”. He says, “They (events) are probably the second most important thing apart from studying and these events expose people to different cultures, especially those who are from different states.”
Events are important part of college life: Professor
Prof. Gallipally Srishailam, an assistant professor at Amity University, who himself was into singing, dancing, and an array of sports events while he was in college, said, “That teamwork is a great part of any college event and bring cognitive skills and interactive skills to event management.”
Srishailam also mentioned the benefits of cultural events saying, "I also understand the sustenance of cultural heritage through these events conducted during college festivals.” He further elaborated, "By participating in events, they (the students) get a better understanding of working through challenges in their lives and it helps in cultivating real life skills."
“Apart from academics, many students also like to look into the flagship events of colleges before deciding on taking admission there,” Srishailam added.
Colleges, afterall, are not just a place for academics, and they can also provide learning as well as entertainment through these events. There are many events held by colleges which students participate in. These can range from simple quizzes, department-specific events, and sports events, to cultural festival events and even flagship events of colleges.
(The author of this article is a Campus Reporter at The Free Press Journal)
