#OhThePlacesYouWillGo- Even If You Start with Doubt

“Some days, I still half-expect to wake up and find the acceptance letter freshly delivered, as if time has folded in on itself.”

Walking through the gates of Ashoka on my first day, I knew life would be different. I had spent months mentally preparing for the “college life” everyone talked about- yet nothing could have fully readied me for the reality of it. The atmosphere was daunting, but my excitement to meet new people and learn real lessons-the kind not bound by textbooks but woven into conversations, debates, and late-night dorm talks- drowned out any fear of this new chapter.

For the first time, I was encouraged- no, expected- to challenge assumptions, including my own. My peers and I weren’t just memorising answers; we were unlearning old habits and discovering what we truly aspired to become.

Admittedly, the transition wasn’t easy. With every stumble, I learned to articulate ideas more clearly, defend my stance with evidence, and embrace feedback as fuel. The professors didn’t just teach subjects- they reshaped how I saw them. History became a lens to analyse power; literature, a mirror to hold up to society.

Yet the greatest lessons came from the people around me. My friends pushed me to grow in ways I hadn’t imagined. Through their eyes, I’ve become more confident in my voice, more assertive in my choices, and more open to perspectives that once seemed foreign.

It’s only been eight months, but Ashoka already feels like home. Some days, I still half-expect to wake up and find the acceptance letter freshly delivered, as if time has folded in on itself. But the clock ticks forward, and with it, my resolve: to fall, to fight, and to rise stronger.

Ishaan Suri