Movie and TV stars relive their wonder years

As colleges across the country reopen for the new academic year, we invite you to share your most memorable college memories. They could be something silly you did in class or something funny that happened to you in the canteen.

Tell us about your first crush, your first heartbreak and the first movie you went for with your classmates.

Tell us about your first day at college and the best thing that happened to you as a student along with a message for those who will be soon in the first year of their college.

Write in to getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'My college memories') with your name, your photograph, name of the college you went to and the city/town/place where it is located. We'll publish the best ones right here!

There's something about life in college that's simply unforgettable. Here celluloid stars look back at their first day in college and most memorable times ever.

Claim to fame: Aap ka Surror

Whenever I think about my first day of college I just can't stop laughing. I entered my classroom and I was expecting to see all my school friends who had taken admission in same college but unfortunately they all were in one division and I was left without them.

After college that day, my friends decided to go to the principal and request him to shift me to their division. When asked why they wanted me in their class, my friends told him that I faint most of the time because of weakness so they drop me home everyday as they all know me from childhood and they are well acquainted with my medicines.

From then every time when the principal used to meet me he would ask me about my health and console me warmly. And whenever we wanted to bunk a lecture I used my acting skills and me along with all my friends were out enjoying and hanging out outside college.

Hansika's message

Enjoy college and have real fun but be focused on your education and always work on it because at the end of the day life outside the college gate once we pass out is really competitive and we have to be better than most.

Claim to fame: Malayalam movie Kadaksham.

Sweta is an ex-Miss India Earth (2003) and recently acted in the critically acclaimed Malayalam movie Kadaksham. An accomplished singer (she has sung for Acid Factory, Dus Kahaniya and many other films).

My first day in college turned out to be quite petrifying. I was brought up in Dubai and did my schooling there.

However, my father decided to put me in college in India, so I can adjust to the culture and way of life. I joined St Teresa College in Cochin and on the very first day my seniors picked me on. I was told not to turn the seniors down.

Also at that time, I was an introvert and was quite overwhelmed by the situation. The surroundings were new and I was asked to sing and dance in front of close to 1,000 people at the campus.

I was on the verge of breaking into tears, when a building neighbour, who was also a senior, rescued me. She understood my predicament and whisked me away. My neighbour incidentally went on to marry my cousin and we are relatives now.

Sweta's message

Believe in yourself and don't let others set goals for you. Chalk out your path and work hard to achieve it. Others should not plan your destiny; it should be in your control because you have only one life.

Claim to fame Na Aana Iss Des Laado

I did my schooling from Kolhapur and college in Pune. I was new to a city like Pune and had taken admission in a co-ed college. As I entered the college campus on my first day I saw some pretty girls walking around. I wanted to go and talk to them but I didn't know how to make friends with them.

But I managed to speak to them later. I made lots of friends in college and we were a group of 40. We would hangout together, go for picnics and movies together. Ours was the biggest group in college.

Now after 12 years the number of friends has come down to 11. We all are still good friends and meet up whenever we are free.

A funny incident happened during our college festival. Some of my friends and I wanted to put a stall. We needed Rs 4,000 for the stall and I requested some of my friends to shell out their pocket money. We all got very little pocket money and nobody wanted to take any chances.

But I convinced them that we would work and will make a profit. Finally we put up a game stall -- fishing the bottle.

Due to some fight in the college we had to stop the fete after half day. In spite of that we managed to make Rs 60 profit. All of us were very happy that we didn't lose money, went out to favourite restaurant and hogged.

Aditya's message

College is an important period of life. So don't miss the fun. It doesn't mean that you have to be naughty; have a healthy fun.

Claim to fame: Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

My first day in college was in Delhi. I was nervous because I was away from my parents, and staying as a paying guest in a new place.

Like in any other college even my seniors ragged me. They were very sweet. I was just asked to sing. After that we all became friends and did lot of masti. Once during Diwali, I and some of my friends managed to put long crackers from the principal' chamber to the gate. We disappeared after we lit the fuse.

Next day we got to know that there was a lot of chaos in the college and the principal was very angry. He suspended us for a week, but we all went up to him and pleaded, did little bit of drama and convinced him to cancel our suspension.

He stuck to his decision but agreed to suspend us only for two days.

Hina's message

Have lots of fun in college because they are the golden moments of your life. Do not miss an opportunity to bunk classes. There is so much fun in bunking classes and going out with friends. But don't bunk so much that you run short of attendance.

Claim to fame: Laagi Tujhse Lagan

When I joined HR College, Mumbai, I already had many friends from the senior group. We heard a lot about ragging and we were wary of the seniors but I made the best of it. I asked the senior guys to rag me to get the telephone numbers of girls.

I would go to the most beautiful girl and say, 'Ma'am can I please have your name and telephone number. Those guys have asked me to get it or else they will...'

And the girls would willingly give it to me to avoid my sad plight. In this way I got a chance to approach the good-looking girls and got their contacts.

I never attended lectures but always took part in ramp shows, dramatics and other activities. Fortunately, I never had an eventful ramp walk. There were no wardrobe malfunctions.

Mishal's message

Have fun in college, bunk college and ensure you don't have a wardrobe malfunction while doing ramp shows.

Claim to fame: Bidaai

I can never forget this particular day in college in Punjab.

I was a very shy guy and was very nervous on my first day. My seniors called me and asked me to talk and walk like a girl for five minutes. I refused but they insisted.

For the first time in my life I had to act like a girl. With lots of courage I managed to do it but all the students around me started laughing. I was so embarrassed that I started crying. They all were actually very sweet and told me to stop crying. After that everything went on well till I finished my college.

Angad's message

People who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all have accomplished Most of the important things in the world. Hard work spotlights the character of people. Some turn up their sleeves. Some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.