Going with the Flow.

The short semester finally came to an end last week, after possibly the least stressful final exams I've ever experienced throughout my life in university. That had mostly to do with this being a short semester and I only took two straightforward subjects with straightforward exams set by my generous lecturers, but an easy ride on the studies front did not mean that it'd been an easy semester. Far from it.

Things started out rough at the beginning, but, thankfully, time heals all things. Everything either sorted itself out or I just learned to deal with the predicaments I'd found myself in. As I read somewhere, life isn't about what happens to you, but about how you respond to what happens to you. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

I realize I am being very vague regarding the details of what has transpired over the past few months. I've never really been the type to discuss every single nuance of my life, but I've noticed that I seem to provide even less details these days than I used to. Perhaps nothing has just struck a chord with me strongly enough to prompt me to properly write about it.

It all has to do with experience, I suppose. The first time you experience something, it's just so new and exciting and you want to tell everyone all about it. I remember the first time my roommate let me drive his brand new Mini Cooper - I was so excited that I was literally giggling and bouncing about. Over time, though, I got so used to driving that car that it became nothing more than routine. And such is life.

I will be starting my final semester before going for internship in mid-September - I should be excited, but I'm not. It just feels like yet another semester, only with different subjects, different lecturers and, of course, different challenges. It could just be the fact that I've only just started sem break and I really don't want to be thinking about next semester right now, but well.

The other day my classmate was talking about how she couldn't believe that we'd be graduating soon. I, on the other hand, could believe it. We'd sat for our first semester together about two years ago, and, for me at least, two years are two years. As our degree was a three-year program, it was only logical that our time at Manipal was almost up. The clock was running out, and our lives as university students would soon be over.

I'm guessing what she meant to say was that she doesn't want it to be over. She doesn't want to escape the easy life of being a student and go out into the cold, cruel world. She doesn't want to be one of those people who are forced to put their jobs ahead of their family and friends because they need the money to survive. She doesn't want to have to be responsible for her own life and livelihood. Not just yet, anyway.

Those are all very common, yet very understandable fears. I would be lying if I said, if given the choice, I would choose a hard life over a relatively easier one. At the same time, though, I understand that it's all a part of life and everyone's gotta go through it sometime. You can't be a kid all your life, after all. Furthermore, by choosing a degree program that's a year shorter than usual, I knew the consequences of my decision and that, no matter what, I'd have to go along with whatever happened.

Just like my previous semester, what is to come for me is bound to be rough at first, before getting better over time. Whatever happens, I'll take it as it comes.