Thank you @nainaztengra for reminding me to participate.
I would like to answer this question from the @ladiesofhive contest.
Explain the most beneficial experience you have encountered producing results that satisfy you or your lifestyle. Let us know what it was and how it affected you.
Every moment you live, every second you breathe, it's a new experience, it's new learning. It's on you how you take it. You can choose to embody it or choose to ignore it. But yes, good or bad, experiences are worth living.
Let me share with you all a beautiful experience of my life that has kind of made me who I am, that has helped me build my character by exposing me to so many different things and then letting me choose what I really want and who I really want to be.
I'm talking about those 2 years of my hostel life. I decided to pursue MBA after my graduation and for that, I had to move to Pune. MBA is a 2-year master's program. It was a 20-hour train journey from my city. It has a very tough decision to make, parting ways with your parents, siblings, and friends, going to a new city where you don't know anyone, you have no idea of the place and you are going to be exposed to a lot of pressure and stress. But I went ahead, took the experience, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Obviously, there were lows and highs, there were days when I cried like a baby, and there were days when I didn't have a single rupee to spend on myself. But those days made me stronger and gave birth to who I always wanted to be. Mentioning my most beneficial experiences here.
- I always thought the Delhi is my place and I cannot live anywhere else. But going to Pune, experiencing an altogether new place, new culture, and new people made me realize there is a life and a better life that might exist for me outside of Delhi. I don't have to restrict myself to a place to enjoy and live my life the way I want. I am who I am and I can make any place suit my needs and wants.
- I loved my mom's handmade food. While in a hostel, set aside mom's made food, you don't even get basic good food. They make food in bulk for 1000s of students and it hardly ever tastes good. But to fill yourself, to keep yourself energized, you have to eat what they offer and that makes you stronger in mind.
- MBA is known for the pressure they put you under. There are early morning and late-night lectures, short notice presentations, team exercises and then, you work among students most of who are more experienced than you. So the challange is a lot more than one expects. All of this, combined with the fact that you are away from your loved ones, creates a tremendous amount of pressure on you. But I survived and that too, beautifully. I was a rank holder in my batch, I has the highest stipend earning student (for the summer intern) and I was placed on the first day of placements season. That not only gave me confidence but also made me understand that I can perform really well under pressure and it doesn't hurt at all.
- I never liked to drink or could not appreciate people who did. While in a hostel, people drink smoke and take drugs even. Staying in a hostel made me realize that it was not anyone who was pushing me away from these things. As a person, I didn't like it and didn't want it for myself. So I became crystal clear on this. It was not a parental or societal control. On the other hand, I started respecting other people's choices regarding their consumption habits. I kind of normalized to people drinking and smoking around me as it used to be a daily affair. It helps me socialize better now because I have learned to accept people like how and who they are.
- The most important one, it made me a more independent person. I have always been someone who loves independence not only for myself but for people around me. I like to have and give space to people around me. Staying in a hostel developed that personality trait in me to a greater extent.
These are some of the pictures of my hostel room and the view outside the window.
I strongly believe each one of us should experience hostel life atleast once in our life. It exposes you to things that your parents cannot and it gives you life experiences that your comfortable home cannot.
I invite @anggreklestari to participate in this contest and share her insights.
