When you distance yourself from the chaos of the outside world and gaze deep—deeeep—within, you realize how those four years of college life as a grad student filled the pages of your story with soooo much. Call it a throwback session or a moment of reminiscence, but every time you think of those fun-filled undergrad days, you’re flooded with mixed emotions.
I can hardly believe it’s been this long—about four years since I stepped out of the heaven where I spent my eight-semester stay at the Department of Biotechnology, K.S. Rangasamy College of Technology. How I wish I could reverse time and relive some of the best moments there! My memories include an abundance of pleasant experiences, a fair share of scoldings (for my mischief!), numerous leaves (for health reasons!), a string of mini-projects, a double string of conferences and awards, endless assignments (no escape!), countless internals and retests, a dozen symposiums, and too many guest lectures to emcee.
Despite the time that’s passed, I vividly recall the first day I walked into the college to check out the facilities. There was this glimmer of pride as I set foot in the biotech department, where I met our then-Director, Dr. Kannan—a man in his 60s but practically radiating youth. He welcomed me with a gentle smile and immediately began talking about my passion: Biotechnology. It was a thrilling experience, especially when he introduced me to the faculty. Everything felt great!
During those initial, ice-breaking moments, certain people stuck in my mind—especially Prof. Dr. Punieetha Ma’am and AsP. Mohan G., who were introduced to me as senior faculty members. I remember offering them a shy smile, all the while thinking about how I’d soon be attending their lectures. Then, as I toured the labs, marveling at the equipment and possibilities, I thought, Yes, this is it. I’m going to be a graduate student here!
Before joining, I barely knew the institution, but from the very minute I stepped into the School of Biotechnology, I felt a strong sense of ownership and pride—like I truly belonged. I realized I was entering a campus brimming with people who would form my community for the next four years, a community steeped in academics and research. Sure, I was nervous and had a “butterflies in the stomach” feeling, but I also sensed I’d grow, stumble, prune, and eventually flourish in this environment.
Many individuals tolerated my silly pranks, patiently guided me, or even lost their cool when I pushed them too far. Yet I always felt cherished, never once feeling away from home. Back then, Facebook was still somewhat new, Orkut was our go-to social platform, we used to scrap each other’s profiles, and group texting was made cheaper by rate-cutter recharges. We had the freedom to share entire lesson summaries via SMS, plus random meetups with conference friends, batchmates, college mates, and hostel roommates. Looking back, I’m so grateful for all of it—life would’ve been harder otherwise.
Personally, I had some truly spectacular times, and I also had my share of miserable flops. Along the way, I crossed paths with many people: some became good friends, a few led to pointless clashes, some came with fleeting crushes, others for random connections, and a handful grew into deep, lasting friendships. More than once, I got in trouble for being “the naughtiest of the naughty,” pulling off stunts that were “the craziest of the crazy.” But that was my life—a medley of everyday adventures and mischief.
(…to be continued…)
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