Dear Class of 2011

Dear Class of 2011,

You must be preparing to come to Hyderabad soon. I suppose you are excited. If you’ve been to campus earlier, you probably fell in love with the place at first sight. The class of 2010 is getting ready to bid adieu. They have been telling us for over two months now that we get kicked out on April 4th. Those mails somehow reminded us that we needed to have more fun. And so we have – party after party. We don’t need much, you know – give us a quad with music on a comp, food and drink – we’ll party till dawn breaks.

A few of us will get to spend time with you. That should be fun – please look forward to your orientation with bated breaths. Don’t panic when you get here. For a few days you won’t understand any of the abbreviations. You won’t be able to get from point A to point B without a map. All the symmetry about this place will drive you nuts. And then there will be the people – your classmates. Each one of you more scared yet more confident than the other. All of you eager to prove yourself.

As people begin to introduce themselves, you may notice a sinking feeling sometimes – ‘what on earth am I doing here? What have I been doing all my life? Why don’t I sound half as interesting as A, B or C?’. Completely normal, I assure you. Learn not to take things at face value. Let every single person prove him\herself. That said, there will be amazing people. There will be deep and interesting conversations waiting to happen. You will meet your study group – a bunch of crazy people you’ll have to work with for the first four terms. Pray that you get along with them. I almost forgot about the queues. Expect long queues everywhere till your regular classes start. Expect complete strangers to grin at you and begin conversations in those queues. Networking, they call it. Don’t fret too much over it – you won’t remember any of the first introductions anyway. Be nice. Be yourself.

I could give you advice forever. ‘Gyaan’ is the term – we can’t help it. Everyone here feels we ought to help you in every way possible. It’s going to be a scary ride and we’re just getting off the roller coaster. A bit shaky, still feeling queasy and yet, looking at the drop with something akin to affection.

The campus is being scrubbed clean in order to welcome you. The graduation venue is being prepared. We are going around clicking pics like crazy. Everything is being polished and cleaned and painted and repaired. When you get here, the smell of paint would have worn out. But everything will be so new and nice that it’ll feel like the place came into existence just then – just for your batch.

For us though, we end with the smell of fresh paint all around us. As if it were a beginning.

Best wishes,

Malavika Thiagaraja, Class of 2010

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