Looking over the horizon

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Now that the dreaded exams are history, youngsters can look forward to a new chapter in their lives. College time! Touted as the ‘best time of your life’, the anticipation of college is the expectation of freedom from authority — the much-hyped freedom to hang out late, meet new people, college fests….
But amidst the excitement of growing up, is nostalgia for the time spent at school… and the innocence of childhood friendships.
For 17-year-old Salmaan Siddiqui, the first day of school would have been scary if it hadn’t been for his twin brother. “I did my schooling from Auxilium High School. And like any other nervous kid with an oversized school bag, my heart was in my chest. Thanks to my twin brother who was enrolled in the same school, I didn’t end up crying. On the other hand, we came to be known as the cute twin brothers. I miss school, since I studied there from LKG. The teachers and students were like family. During the farewell, I was like a bride crying my head-off,” he says.
Fifteen-year-old Rachael Rego is not filled with dread at all. “I am very excited about college, and not at all nervous. In fact, even during my first day of school I was extremely excited and eager. But there are certain things that I am going to miss about school. Like there was this time when my classmate sprayed Pepsi all over the teacher because I had shaken the bottle very hard. I don’t know whether I will be able to have such fun in college too,” says Rachael.
For 18-year-old Merlyn, who studied in St Andrews High School, it is time to grow up and learn from the mistakes of the past. “At this point, my life is going to take a turn and I feel more responsible and anxious at the same time. It’s overwhelming. Even my first day at school was terrifying. I spent the whole day crying the loudest.”
On the threshold of adulthood, the search is for a mantra that will settle all uncertainties, so that everything eventually turns out for the best.