We all know how fun college fests can be. From an attendee’s point of view, it is the perfect way to hang out with your friends and have a gala of a time watching and judging other people doing singing, dancing, mime and every other art under the sun. From the participants’ point of view too, it is a great chance to hob-nob with equally talented people from various colleges and pit yourself against them to see how good you are.

(For representational purpose only. Photo by Shubam Jain)

But the biggest gainers from this party are undoubtedly the organizers – the Core Heads, the Committee Heads, and the Committee members. Their roles may not seem the most fun at the outset – having to manage all activities and workday in-day out, flitting from one place to another thus forfeiting a chance to actually sit and watch the festivities themselves. But as they say, “No pain, No Gain” - which is precisely the case with the organizing committees. The pain of missing out on the “glorious” parts is more than compensated by the gains they get from doing what they do. Don’t understand how? Read on to find out how they, in fact, are the real winners –

• Networking

Those celebrities judging the dance competition who you were fangirling/fanboying over…  that millionaire businessman inspiring you and a hundred other budding entrepreneurs in the conclave events… the cheesy treat chains whopping up delights for you from their 2×2 stall… they don’t just walk in by themselves, do they? It takes a lot of networking from the end of committee members to convince them to grace the occasion. There is nothing better than a college committee to give you this experience! You learn how to reach out to people, connect with them, interacting in different ways for each individual, as also constantly following-up for different activities. This trick can come handy later on in life not only when you have to bag deals and contracts for your own business, but also when you need help and support from the individuals you had networked within the course of your fest. Check out the interesting tale of a young boy who made it big with his fests, and much more at The College Fever.

• Time Management

College fests may last only 3-4 days, but for the organizers, it is more than 3-4 months’ ordeal, coupled with regular college. In a span of 5-6 months, not only are you supposed to plan and implement the fest to 100% perfection levels, but you are also un-exempted from the rituals of tests, exams, project submissions, vivas, etc. ‘Hectic’ is a word not sufficiently hectic enough to do justice to how really hectic your life becomes. Amidst all this frenzy, it is inevitable you will learn how to manage time. Handling all spheres of your life – academic, non-academic, social, family – and doing justice to them all, is a trick of the trade you will be forced to learn.

• Resource Management

Let’s face it – committee members are no S.S. Rajamouli to be able to afford spending 250 crore Rupees on creating masterpieces. They have to do that in less than 1% of that budget – and that is just Mood Indigo, the biggest college fest of India, organized by the IIT-ian geniuses. Most fests, on an average, have to make do with less than 50 lakh rupees’ budget. This crunch teaches you budget management lessons like no economics class ever will! Plus, you get to learn how to attract and manage sponsors – something that will be invaluable when you try entering entrepreneurship later in your life!

(Talking of sponsors, don’t forget to head to The one-stop shop to ensure maximum sponsors!)

• Handling People

All throughout school and college years, we deal with many people. The only thing is, they are all friends, well-meaning people who you like to spend time with. You don’t have to be the mother to them and take their responsibilities and handle their whims and fancies – it’s all cool and chilled out. If only the real world was like that though! Step into the domain of handling real-world problems, and you would realize just how many types of people there really are. Each fits into their own mold, and you have to be a different self with each to handle them. There will be good-for-nothing idiots constantly pestering you and asking you a hundred questions; there will be assistants who you have to guide at every step because they look up to you; there will be selfish people; arrogant people who pay no heed to whatever you say… the list is inexhaustible. Nothing can prepare you to handle such a diversity of people under one roof more than a college fest!

• Keeping Emotions Under Check

If there’s one thing we can guarantee you, it is this – Virat Kohli will be proud of you by the end of any college fest you organize! For, there is no way you will ever come out of a college fest without having blurted expletives at least 10 times a day. Managing a hundred things every day; errors and accidents spoiling your efforts; last minute panic attacks… there can be a plethora of ways things could go wrong. There will be times you will want to go all-out Mike Tyson on a poor punching bag; you will want to cry like Satan just shoved a dozen onions in your eyeballs; you will want to “scream and shout and let it all out”! But, YOU WILL LEARN. You will eventually learn how to keep a cool mind and manage all s*** like a boss! You will be prepared for all of life’s contingencies, be it personal or professional. Never under-estimate the power of a cool mind! Always remember – a cool mind is what took Indian Cricket from the debacle of 2007 to the glory of 2011.

(you know what else can help you keep a cool mind during fests? Delights at a discount!)

So, even as you enjoy those 3 days, frolicking around and head-banging to the pulsating EDM music blaring at the fiesta, ask yourself – is it really you having the last laugh? Who is benefiting in life eventually? This is not even an MCQ anymore, there are just one answer – the committee members and organizers! The biggest gainers from any college fests! So go, head out and get that event cracking under your leadership. And do not forget to reach out to The College Fever Event Management for maximum success!