Rega Jha

Rega Jha

Tonight’s Senior Wisdom: Rega Jha, writer, editor, and all-around enthusiast of being well-adjusted.

Name, Hometown, School: Rega Jha. Chennai (India) and Muscat (Oman). Columbia College (and BC wannabe).

Claim to fame? Writer, editor, all-round cheerleader of Columbia’s undergraduate writing/publishing community. Notorious for shamelessly over-sharing feelings on the Internet. The R.A. who gave you the benefit of the doubt even when you were playing beer pong in the floor lounge. Also, I’ve probably Instagrammed Low/Butler/Alma more times than the rest of the student body combined (#claimtoshame #cantstopwontstop).

Where are you going? Nowhere. Literally. Unless someone offers me a high-paying entry-level writing job (psych, no such thing!), I will be a member of Columbia Journalism School’s class of 2014.

Three things you learned at Columbia:

  • It’s easy and comfortable to befriend people whose views are aligned with yours, but the most exciting opportunity we’re given at Columbia is the opportunity to seek out and engage with those whose aren’t. If you approach them with curiosity and humility, these relationships will be your strongest forces of growth and joy.
  • We’ve been told since we got here that “it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know.” But, really, it isn’t even just who you know, it is how sincerely, respectfully and lovingly you treat who you know. Be kind. There is no surer path to happiness.
  • I met a Columbia alum once who told me something along the lines of: “Columbia students grew up being told they’re hot shit, but they are not hot shit. You all just got very lucky.” It hurt to hear but it’s true. For every one of us that made it to Columbia, there are hundreds who deserved to but didn’t. It has served me well to remember that often. Additionally, I’ve met so many profoundly good and terrifyingly intelligent people here that, more than anything, I am graduating with the unshakeable knowledge that I am really, truly, indubitably not hot shit.

Back in my day…Bwog’s Senior Wisdoms were dispensed by wise, mature seniors who had seen the world, gotten their shit together, and equipped themselves to dole out life advice. Now you’re stuck with a girl who plays Temple Run in class, buys Ramen with quarters, and needs help shopping for toothpaste.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I have the best family and friends in the world and I am always happy to share.

Write a CU Admirers post to anyone or anything at Columbia: Class of 2012, thank you for leaving us such large and beautiful shoes to fill; it’s been an honor growing into them. Class of 2013, it has been surprising and challenging and incredibly fun learning how to walk with you; you’ve been life-changing and we will be friends forever. Class of 2014, your intelligence, thoughtfulness, and ambition blows me away everyday. This next year of your lives will be a big one and, whatever hurdles come your way, I have no doubt that you will gracefully knock ’em down.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? I’ve dreaded this moment terribly because, hard as it is, I need to answer in a way that doesn’t make my parents and future employers hate me. So, mom, dad, powerful magazine editors, since I’d like for you all to know that I am a well-adjusted and reasonable human being: bye, cheese.

One thing to do before graduating: Every time someone makes you even a little bit curious–whether you walk by them on College Walk and like their laugh, or you’re in a lecture with them and you think they asked an interesting question, or they wrote a Spec op-ed that offended you–hit them up immediately. Seriously, email/Facebook/text/Tweet/find them in person and ask them to get coffee with you. This school’s greatest and most exciting resource is its students and you would be foolish to graduate without getting to know as many of them as possible. Being unselfconscious and brazen about making friends here has been the best decision I’ve ever made.

Any regrets? I took some classes I shouldn’t have taken, pulled some all-nighters I shouldn’t have pulled, had crushes on boys I shouldn’t have crushed on, signed up for some listservs that I shouldn’t have signed up for, gave heed to some Spec/Bwog comments that I shouldn’t have given heed to, did some internships I shouldn’t have done, spent some money that I shouldn’t have spent, and generally made more mistakes than I can count. But that is all to say: no regrets. Here’s to several more years of fucking up and growing from it.