Why Are Festivals Important in College Life?

Right now, your world is a mix of VMC modules, mock tests and rank predictions. You are working non-stop for that one goal: cracking JEE and getting into a top-tier college. And you’re probably dreaming about what “college life” is really like.

Is it all academics? Let me tell you, as a second-year student: academics are just the beginning.

My first few weeks at IIT felt like walking into a movie. There are posters for everything: the robotics club is building a bot, the drama society is holding auditions, there is shooting for the fresher’s video and a career guidance workshop next week. This is where the real growth happens.

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Why are Festivals Important in College?

The first big change is being away from home. This is where your campus friends become your second family. So, why are festivals important in college? Because there is nothing that builds a bond like celebrating Holi with your entire hostel wing or decorating your floor for Diwali. These moments are what turn a building full of strangers into a community.

Clubs and Fests: The Other College Curriculum

Then you have the clubs and the big college “Fests”. It is easy to think they are just a distraction. But this is where you learn all the skills that JEE doesn’t teach you.

This is where you learn teamwork. You learn leadership. You learn how to communicate, how to manage a budget, how to deal with failure and how to build something from nothing, surrounded by a team that becomes your family.

I remember my recruitment for a technical club. I had to create a complex presentation for my interview. I had no idea how to do it. I had to step out of my comfort zone and ask a friend for help. When I finally got that “selected” message, the feeling was unreal.

My first fest was just as memorable. A senior asked if I wanted to volunteer. I was excited—I thought I’d get a certificate and be a big shot. It turned out to be unofficial grunt work, selling t-shirts and counting stock. But it ended with me and the other volunteers sharing 5 AM chai and litti-chokha with the 4th year seniors. I learned more about teamwork (and humility) in that one night than in any lecture.

The Real Skill: The Balancing Act

But the “fest and club” life teaches you the most critical skill of all: time management. You learn to work smart. You learn to finish a lab report on Tuesday because you know you have to spend all of Wednesday organizing a workshop or practicing for a competition.

From the second year on, you have to prioritize: your CGPA, your skills and your club responsibilities. It means pulling all-nighters. But the satisfaction you feel the next day, when it’s all done, is a feeling you’ll only understand when you get here.

So, to everyone grinding it out at VMC: keep going. You’re not just working for an engineering degree. You’re working for the late-night maggi sessions with your club, the thrill of seeing an event you planned come to life, and the person you’ll become because of those experiences.

That’s the real campus life. And trust me, it’s worth every single rank you’re fighting for.

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