In my time at Manipal, there have been some memories which just can’t be put into words. However, as my mother always taught me, the essence of a new experience lies in your own emotions. So I’ve tried to find a few words, which capture the essence of my own experiences at Manipal.
Exciting new beginnings
When I entered into the gates of MIT six months ago, I was experiencing many different emotions. Excitement, anxiety, happiness, sadness, you name it and I felt it.
In fact, it felt like the words of English dictionary were falling short to express my experience, and then I finally found these
Monachopsis : The subtle, but persistent feeling of being out of place.
My first day at MIT was like being struck by a whirlwind! There were so many new people to meet and so many new places to visit. And of course, the keys to my hostel room clinking in my pocket were a constant reminder that I wasn’t living at home anymore. I realised that I had to make MIT my home away from home.
Zenosyne : The sense that time keeps going faster.
Also, things were happening at such a breakneck speed! College life just warps you straight into the wormhole of classes, assignments, labs, and fests.
However, there were two important lessons I realised then. That when you are busy, all those problems of settling in take a backseat. Perhaps this is the best way to settle in – by taking up new work and meeting new people. The second lesson? Two words: Time management!
Settling down, slowly and steadily
As days went by, the MIT vibe started growing on me. I got to meet friendly new people, and began participating in a lot of activities. A new home was being found, and here are some words which can describe my process of settling in.
Rubatosis : The unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat.
College brought about a rather strange sense of self-awareness; a tendency to introspect. From looking at the pink and purple sky at End Point or sitting in a yellow plastic chair in the midst of the lively buzzing of the food court, I had a lot of time to understand myself.
However, want to know what truly made me feel relaxed? Listening to my own heartbeat amidst all the frenzy!
Occhiolism : The awareness of the smallness of your perspective.
College life makes you understand your responsibilities. The independence that I had now, made me realise that my perspective had to grow. However, it was beyond that comfort zone where I actually began to settle.
Also, with each stimulating conversation, each emerging sunrise, each frantic auto ride, and each fleeting glimpse of the places I’ve visited, Manipal grew on me, and I began to feel the warmth.
Looking at the future
Change is the only constant. I’ve learned to live by this saying now! Life at MIT has been great so far. The changes that come and go are as pleasant as they can be, so I am starting to feel at home here.
And here is one final word which describes this feeling of thinking about the future:
Énouement : The bittersweet feeling of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out.
By the way, if I do look into my future at MIT, it seems like the perfect place to be at!
*all words are taken from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows and are not official words of the English language.
