If you ask anyone from Lucknow University whether the University is “good enough,” I’m quite sure that seven out of ten people would say no. Even I can point out dozens of shortcomings. But I can’t deny the simple truth that three months ago, LU was the only option I had.
I still remember coming here from my village for document verification. It was one of the most embarrassing, confusing, and self-doubting days of my life. I kept questioning my presence here. Can a campus really be this big? Do foreigners actually study in Lucknow? Do I belong here? Do I even deserve this?
Because at that moment, this place felt like an entirely new world.
And today, I laugh while writing this article. What has changed in just a few months? The same vastness that once scared me has become nothing more than a choice-another part of my everyday life. Maybe it’s because I have now lived in this world long enough for it to become my new normal.
I call this University a world because that’s exactly what it is for me.
Things that once felt embarrassing, out of reach, or demotivating are now simply a part of my environment. I’m discovering new ideas-not ideas that will change the world, but ideas that are definitely changing my world. There is a new confidence, not loud or visible, but a confidence in just being myself.
I can’t say, “If I had this, then I would have achieved that,” because everything I need is already here. Not in a grand or luxurious way, but in a way that still has presence. And it’s my responsibility to make that “presence” bigger, more meaningful, and valuable.
Today, I may point out the flaws of this place, but I also have to admit one thing honestly-this University has played a crucial role in my life. It has shaped a boy who once didn’t even feel like he belonged here into someone who now points out the shortcomings so he can help make things better.
I agree that Lucknow University has many issues-its campus is old, many of its faculty members are not supportive, the toilets are rarely clean, and corruption is certainly there. But in the middle of all these shortcomings, the University has shaped me. It has pushed me to become better, to raise my voice for the common good, and to prepare myself for the world outside.
So maybe one day, when I walk into some place that is “bigger” or “better,” the question “Do I belong here?” will no longer haunt me. Because Lucknow University has already taught me how to belong anywhere.