Why are College Fests Important ?

College life in today's dynamic world isn't just about getting a good GPA on your scorecard; it is about your personality's overall development, including inculcating confidence, a responsible attitude, and some beneficial soft skills that will be with you for life. And this is precisely why college fests have become a significant part of one's golden years. Fests are something that everyone looks forward to - from the fresher's looking to carve their place in their first experience to the seniors to the professors. Fests never get old. They just create a different level of energy and such a positive vibe in the campus. They provide the much-needed break from the monotonous academia. More than that, they can play a very significant role in shaping a student's career.

Fests are an amalgamation of a range of activities. Group events like music, dance and fashion competitions in which college societies from all over India showcase their talent in an attempt to win titles, solo events such as poetry, open mics etc., and other events such as treasure hunts, crosswords, choosing of the prestigious 'Mr. And Ms.' are some of the events that mark the joyous 3-4 days of college fests. Not just this, there are many cultural events too! Many renowned celebrities perform at fests. Some fests are technical, which helps you gain a fair share of practical knowledge and not to mention all the partying you get to do.

These fests are important because anyone can take part in them. The only two pre-requirements are confidence and dedication. Even if you are a fresher just starting out and have absolutely no knowledge of the event you want to take part in, you are as qualified to be a part of it as a senior provided you are willing to put in the work, learn and show. Fests are the platform you've been looking for to groom and showcase your talent. You work to organise and perform for the entire year, which really help you hone your skills to the finesse. If you are looking to jumpstart your career in music, dancing, fashion or anything else, performing on stage in the fests can give you the confidence you need to make your dreams a reality.

With all the people you get to interact with, you grow socially. You can only imagine the amount of knowledge you can gain from such a diverse crowd. Participation in these events is the cherry on the cake for your resume. Employers of big companies are always looking for management potential, which can be reflected by your performance in these events. The scale of competition is vast as you get to compete with students from all over India. The registration fee is minimal or sometimes even nil. Moreover, these competitions are often judged by eminent personalities so you can get a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses. These are some of the opportunities you definitely can't miss out on.

When it comes to fashion societies, there are many aspects that the students can benefit from. Activities ranging from ramp walk to ideating themes for fests and events to content writing help are a holistic fulfilment of one's personality. The models work on their confidence, posture and persona. The PR's work on their management and marketing skills. The backstage organisers learn how to work under pressure and organise an event successfully and down to the detail. Even the photographers get a first-hand chance at working on fashion photography.

The models in the fashion society are taught and groomed to polish every element of their role. Apart from how to walk boldly on the ramps and make a perfect balance of confidence and grace, they are taught to maintain their fashion sense on fleek, how to apply a flawless make-up that suits the theme and how to maintain their demeanour on stage even when the crowd can seem intimidating or unsupportive. Many collaborations with huge brands give them a sense of working outside their comfort zones and get a glimpse of the real professional world.

Not just this, models are also trained to work with limited resources, and this teaches them that creativity does not just stem from money. In the current trend, fashion is becoming more about creating camera-ready looks economically. The models of Nakshatra recently worked on creating diverse traditional looks from various states of India. Even when they were trapped in their houses during the lockdown with limited resources, they managed to create the best version of the looks. This helped them develop their presence of mind and innovation in fashion. They were given deadlines which taught them the lessons of punctuality and time management. Moreover, they are equally involved in running the Nakshatra society's magazine 'Elixir' and brainstorm ideas for its theme, the content, designing of the cover, coordination, and finally, marketing. The models feel that they grow with every project, and every time they ideate out-of-the-box ideas for the fests, they get more prolific.

Hence, we see that fests are what help you multitask and to stride ahead. They make you an expert in balancing your personal and professional life. College years are your years where you can brush up your old skills and add new ones, and fests are precisely the way to do that. After all, the future belongs to those who learn new skills and combine them in creative ways. There is no better way to go about it than to indulge yourself in work and fun at the same time.

-- Hridhima