Gaurav Singh

After the first day at Srishti's old campus

2013 was a year of new experiences. From attending the first design workshop in Bangalore to my eventual enrollment at Srishti, the year brought new experiences. I was eager to join a design school after dropping a year to prepare for it, and I imagined an open-ended program, giving me the responsibility to make decisions about my projects and courses. The reality was a bit different, as mandatory core courses blocked my time and left me busy for other projects.

However, I began to appreciate that these courses were designed to help us understand the different schools of thought. Despite this, given the program's pace, it took me more time. Nevertheless, I quickly realized the immense amount of resources and knowledge available at Srishti. One year or maybe even two years wouldn't be sufficient to grasp the essence of designing.

Although the year went by quickly, I had my fair share of challenges. I struggled to find the level of depth I hoped for in some aspects of our learning. However, I found the people at Srishti to be much gentler in their approach, and it was inspiring to see the diverse range of interests and projects my peers were engaged in.

One thing that stood out was the opportunity for independent learning, where students took charge of what they wanted to study. This new perspective opened my view to opportunities to grow and improve. Reflecting on my experiences in 2013, I realized I had developed. I gained new perspectives and skills and learned to be more open.