Plan Your Career: ‘Analyse both weakness and strength to set list of rules for yourself’

We discussed dos in our previous column. I hope it helped you to prepare yourself mentally. In this column, we shall discuss don’ts. They are as important as dos.

Don’t give into undue peer pressure: It is something you need to be extra careful about. Peer pressure comes in different forms. It is good to have friends, but when it becomes a burden that is the beginning of pressure. There are many students in the college who have lost their balance and taken to wrong ways including smoking, bunking, midnight racing and even drugs due to peer pressure. 

Don’t be pretentious: Some students, when they reach a new environment like college, pretend to be what they are not. We have had students coming from moderate family background acting like rich ones. It ruins not just you but also your family. 

Don’t dress for college as you do for a party: A lot of students don’t know how to present themselves in college. Your choice of dressing speaks volume about you. Don’t wear anything that you are not comfortable in and which is less modest. 

Don’t get yourself in trouble: Get to know the rules of the college and hostel. The hostels run on strict rules from wakeing up to canteen timings. Observe the rules. 

Don’t be an introvert: Shyness has nothing to do with being an introvert. The latter is a harmful attitude as it can turn one into being rude and restricting oneself to a very few friends. It might even lead to people disliking you. You cannot afford that in a college or a hostel environment

Don’t be over-smart: There are students who try to show their smartness by coming up with umpteen questions. It leads to numerous interruptions and irritates everyone. 

Say a big NO to bunking: Bunking classes is the first temptation one has to overcome. It will land you in a lot of trouble including getting lower grades and appearing for arrears. While you try to cope up it might lead to stress and depression. 

Don’t go home every week: If you are staying in the hostel don’t go home every weekend. You have to learn to live in the hostel and adjust yourself to the new atmosphere. Get used to it or else you will find it difficult to adapt. Surviving on your own will make you stronger and help manage your activities better. 

Don’t sleep through lectures: This problem should not be ignored as it is a sleeping disorder. It will send wrong signals to the lecturer. To keep yourself active, start your day with exercise and don’t skip breakfast. Taking notes can keep you awake or seek permission to go out and splash water on your face. 

Don’t forget the essentials: When you are set to go to college, check whether you have everything. 

Don’t take the things you don’t need: As much as packing essentials is important, one need not take things that are not needed in the college. Don’t always hide in your room: You just need to go out and make friends and play and walk around.  

Don’t disturb the neighbours: There are so many students living around you who are serious and studious. Neither your boredom or enthusiasm should disturb other students. There are other don’ts like signing up for every single activity in the college and leaving everything until the last hour. You can add your own depending on your weakness and work towards converting them into your strength.