By Harshini Manthri and Bhavitha Sri Devarakonda
The day you graduate, someone’s bound to ask, “What are your biggest takeaways from college?”
It won’t be the grades—definitely not.
It’s about learning how to live, how to lead, and sometimes, how to simply let go.
There’s a side of college that no one talks about, yet every student experiences it in their own way. College isn’t like Happy Days, or the movies that glamorize engineering life. It’s different. It’s real. Every student here is juggling grades, assignments, exams, and internal battles.
Engineering, more than anything, is about struggle—and how we learn to rise through it. Every one of us is facing challenges, often silently. Many try to handle everything on their own, and in doing so, some things inevitably slip out of their hands.
But then comes the moment when friends step in, offering a helping hand and saying, “You’re not alone—talk to us.” They try to bring back your smile, cheer you up, and sometimes, they become as close as family—understanding you in ways even you might not.
This is the part of college that’s not written in textbooks or included in any syllabus. It’s the part you learn through experience. Through falling down, standing up again, and giving your best no matter what. We learn to fight back, to stand tall, and to discover who we are.
We’ve always been told that college is about lectures, assignments, gaining skills, and finally landing a good job with a great package. All of that matters, yes—but the real, lasting lessons come from living through the chaos. Late-night chats, last-minute event planning, failed group projects, unexpected setbacks, and stepping out of our comfort zones—all of this is what college really teaches us.
The Unseen Curriculum
There’s an unwritten curriculum in college—one that’s never mentioned in the prospectus. It teaches us how to lead, how to fall and rise, how to deal with all kinds of people, how to handle hardships, and most importantly, how to understand ourselves: our strengths, our limits, and our growth.
I still remember one peaceful evening, sitting in the college garden. No books, no notes, no deadlines—just the breeze, soft music, and my thoughts. In that moment, I realized how much I was learning—not about subjects, but about people, about life, and about myself.
Books taught me algorithms.
But it was the late-night chaos of group projects in ACE that taught me teamwork.
College taught me how to live.
That it’s okay to cry.
It’s okay to not have all the answers.
It’s okay to dream, to fail, and to still hope—with all your heart.
Learning Through Life
College is the first time most of us begin to make our own decisions and start navigating adulthood. In this process, we learn who we are beyond our academic labels. Time management, self-motivation, handling pressure, and emotional resilience are all learned through living—not through any lecture.
Balancing classes, hobbies, friendships, family, and mental health teaches us how to prioritize and grow in ways we never expected. These are the kinds of lessons that shape who we become as adults.
I’ll admit, I made mistakes—especially in choosing friends during my first semester. But that didn’t stop me from growing. With time, and with the support of the most amazing people around me, I learned to move on from what didn’t serve me and open up to new, better connections.
Beyond the Classroom
While classrooms teach theory, it’s campus life that teaches communication, collaboration, and how to resolve conflicts. Be it roommates, classmates, or club teams—we learn how to interact with people from different backgrounds, opinions, and personalities. These are the relationships and lessons that stay with us long after graduation.
Whether it’s organizing fests, managing budgets, juggling internships, completing certifications, or even stumbling upon surprising opportunities—college constantly prepares us for the real world.
The unwritten curriculum teaches us things that no book ever can:
How to hustle.
How to accept failure.
And how to keep going, with our heads held high.
More Than a Syllabus
College teaches us far more than what’s on the syllabus. The biggest lessons come from daily experiences—about life, about people, and about ourselves. These are the lessons that truly matter. And these are the ones we carry with us, long after we close the books.
