LATER!

I have been reading some blogs related to the graduation blues. There was this one specifically which has been so far shared by so many of the class of 2013 authored by Kim Quindlen. The blog, emotional and summarizing most of our experiences in words that fit and made absolute sense, still was missing the key element of relevancy to the NUST class of 2013. I thus decided to write one for the class of 2013. I don’t know if people will agree to my point of view, some might find it irrelevant but I really hope one way or the other, you find some relevancy in these words, and that at-least my close friends would understand the most of it.

As I left through Gate-10 for one last time, I was sure of one thing, and that was I will definitely not miss my time as an academic at NUST. I will definitely not miss most of my teachers, and lab staff (although this might be slightly different for SEECS and SMME who have been blessed with relatively better faculty). I did not learn a lot of substance as a chemical engineer to be specific, a sentiment shared by most of my class-mates I suppose. I will not cherish the lectures, because they were boring, mundane and not up-to the mark by most of the teachers. But I am sure all of us would want to hold dear the nights before every ESEs, Mids and OHTs. The countless nights spent in a combination of rote learning, prayer, and chugging coffee and cigarettes with hopes to get an A, or not to get an F (well different aims for students of either end of the spectrum.) I am sure we will remember the grueling task to get food after 11 PM in the hostels, to clambering over walls to get by, bribing guards with an extra share of the food and what not. The latest upgrades of vending machines, microwaves and kettles are just too little too late. But didn’t we all, or some of us have snuck in kettles and other electric equipment in the hostels in these 4 years? It’s not official but kettles and microwaves tou pehlay bhi chupa kar rakhay hoye thay hamnay!

What I am sure all of us will miss though, was the bonds forged in these very class-rooms, in the hostels and on the futsal, basketball and cricket fields. All of us have changed one way or the other, either for the good or the bad, but I am sure the hostelites, had a more pro-founding effect on each other. I remember how the article mentioned that people will drift apart, but I don’t think so this will be the case with us. Sure in a western society, once you get into professional life, then one barely gets time for visits and get together, but I believe the Pakistani society is quite different. Yes we will always meet each other on Eid, on someone’s birthday, and other festivals. I am sure if we pass by each other in a mall or a coffee shop, we will always take out the time to sit and talk and share a few laughs. Yes it is true, we will not be together 24/7, there will not be 5-6 people sleeping in a room in the summer months because of the presence of a room cooler, but if this would have continued for too long, I guess we would have grown tired of the monotony of life. I think change is important and now we can meet new people, explore our career options, yet I am sure I will always have 7-8 close friends from NUST whenever I want to re-call some past experiences.

We will all get married soon enough, hopefully! And despite the contrary belief, the bond between any two of you will not diminish over the time. If you departed on good terms, without ill-feelings in your hearts and minds, I am sure you will always find ways to remain in touch. You can even plan your family vacations together, so many of my elder cousins do, and if anything, your bond will strengthen over the time. Yes your contact with your female friends, and for females, your male friends might diminish or get restricted over time because this is how our society is, married male and females, who are not together are so hard to remain together as friends. Many of you might disagree, but this is true in most of the cases. 

.

We all had each other’s back before and I am sure we will be able to better support of each other, even financially now as we dink into professional jobs and money making. I remember how by the end of each month, we all resorted to mess food because we had over ran our budgets. Back then, we only shared our clothes, cigarettes, food and the little money we had. Now with more resources, we can always count on sharing our cars, our rooms in our own houses in case any of us decides to drop-by, I am sure this is how it will all pan it to be. And the distances between us, the difficulties of professional life, will only help you realize how important, genuine and heart-felt our friendships are and how each one of your close friend will all of a sudden have so much more value in your life.

There’s so much more to be said but that I believe is better off to be confessed and addressed on an individual scale. The strong sentiments we experienced before departing are testament to the fact that how greatly we value each other.

So to the class of 2013, all is not gloomy as these posts and blogs portray it to be. Take heart from the fact that if you actually had genuine friends back in NUST, they will always remain with you, close to your heart, with a bond stronger than ever. I think we are blessed to think that now we have friends in different cities across Pakistan, and across the globe. Wherever, life takes you, I am sure you will find a familiar face close-by!

Good-luck, and until then,
Au Revior!

Photo credits:
Mohib-ur Rehman
Saad bin Shahbaz
Haroon Ahmed Butt
Hamza Arshad