After four eventful years of university life, Arun graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Primary) degree. As he prepared to teach his first class at a newly built primary school, he found himself reminiscing about his college years.
He remembered his first day at university, standing before the magnificent gate, feeling a mix of awe and nervousness. I can't believe I'm finally here. Will I be able to keep up? Will I make any friends? His first time in a lecture theatre was equally overwhelming; the room felt incredibly large, and the sheer number of students left him feeling insignificant. Arun found a remote corner to sit in, hoping to blend into the background. Please don't let anyone notice me. I just want to get through this quietly.
The lecture theatre buzzed with activity. Cliques of students from different faculties sat together, some laughing and discussing the latest gossip, others pointing at the front of the room and commenting. A few were already poring over their textbooks, trying to get a head start. Amidst the chaos, a particularly stunning young lady made her way to the only open seat left in the room—right beside him. Arun blushed as she asked if she could sit next to him, and he awkwardly responded with a "yes." Why is she sitting next to me? I hope I don't embarrass myself.
As he reflected, he remembered the pranks his classmates pulled on the teachers and each other. Having finally gotten over his fear of cockroaches after dissecting countless critters in preparation for his biology practicals, Arun also joined in on the mischief. One day before dissection lab, all the students had caught their own cockroaches except for one distraught girl named Kelly. She had scoured the school but found none. Arun, having been fortunate enough to catch two cockroaches, thought it would be funny to drop his extra one down the back of Kelly’s blouse. This was completely unlike his usual behavior, but something about that day triggered him to act impulsively. What am I doing? This is so out of character for me!
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Kelly screamed as she felt the cockroach slip down her back, ran into the toilet, and after a few minutes, returned with the cockroach in her hand. She politely thanked Arun for the "gift," leaving him stunned with his jaw hanging open. The rest of the classmates exploded into laughter. Did she just thank me for that? I can't believe she actually thanked me!
Arun remembered other notable pranks, such as the flash mob inside the library after exams, the time when a group of guys physically moved the car of a particularly obnoxious teacher to a no-parking zone, and the classic case of students putting soap powder into the school’s main fountain. These incidents happened a few times during Arun's college years, and the perpetrators were never found. Those were some wild times. I'm going to miss the spontaneity of college life. And, of course, there was the tradition of hanging toilet paper on trees after every major sports competition. Always a sight to behold. Who knew toilet paper could be so festive?
There were also late-night cram sessions as his dorm mates struggled with last-minute preparations. These sessions grew more intense as the subject matter became increasingly difficult. Those nights were brutal, but we got through it together.
Arun particularly cherished the memory of mustering up the courage to ask Anna to be his girlfriend in his last year of college. They had been going out for a few months now. I can't believe she said yes. She's been such a wonderful part of my life.
As Arun was lost in his reminiscence, students jostled past him in their rush to enter the classroom. He woke from his daze and looked on at the 40 children who would be his students for the next year. He couldn't help but smile, ready to embark on this new chapter of his life with optimism and excitement. This is it. A new beginning. I hope I can make a positive difference in their lives.