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Myths About College Life Busted!

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When we have not experienced something first hand, we tend to believe anything that is a popular opinion regarding it. So, if you are a fresher then you tend to believe everything that into pop culture and select Instagram posts show about college. However, not all of what you see is true. Here are some of the myths about college. Let’s bust them!

1. You won’t have to study

Just get your school life done with. Do your class 12 well and that is about it. You don’t have to study at college, you’ll pass all exams!

Let us take this moment to call you out of this misconception. You must or should have been really worried about your class 12 results and you should have worked hard for them. And, just to make sure you give it your all, people tell you that the struggle ends after your school is over. Definitely, college is not as hard as that until the last year. However, it does not mean you don’t have to study at all. Your score from semester one to the last semester adds up to count the final percentage at the end of your college, which will not only stick to your CV for the rest of your life but also play a crucial role in getting you a job or further admissions.

2. Life will suddenly turn into a Karan Johar movie

When your college is about to begin, your parents will take you out for shopping and your friends at college will talk about the freedom and fun you’re about to throw yourself into. With all the amazing clothes and stories given to you, you might begin daydreaming about your college life as one of those KJo movies. Yes, a few moments might definitely be like you’re on the golden screen. However, it is important to remember and be prepared for the fact that not everything will be as glamorous. There will be failures, heartbreaks and god forbid, bad hair days!  But what do all the protagonists do when in trouble? Get back up and emerge out of it!

3. You will get friends for life

This is not true for everybody. You do get contacts for life. You will receive and give several calls to your college mates throughout your life, for work. However, you might not remain tight friends with them. While in college, you will definitely have a ‘gang’ of friends. However, people tend to get scattered and busy once college ends. Only lucky people are able to sustain these lifelong friendships. But, the good news is that you are living in the era of social media. Most of your friends might be just one tap away from you, therefore, you have a great possibility to remain in touch for a long while.

4. You have to defend yourself in this cold world

Your parents are seeing you grow as you enter the new college environment. They have seen and been in touch with your school, earlier. They used to trust the school, its people, and its rules well. However, they now are a little paranoid about college. They will tell you all sorts of precautions you have to take to defend yourself in the ‘cold world’ you’re about to enter. However, it is not true. Do not pull up your guards or over think about anything at college. It will just cause mistrust. College is as warm as a school if you want it to be. There will be well-wishers, there will be competitors like there always are at every place! Just remember to take sensible decisions and really know a person before relying on them. That done, you are good to go!

Feature Image Credit: Hindustan Times

Khyati Sanger

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

An Ode To You, Dear Reader

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From a time when student reporters had to run around to capture pictures of protests and then send them to their copy editor to ensure that it goes for the weekly print issue, to posting live stories on Instagram – our journalism has travelled a long way in the past 10 years. Amidst the chaos of getting quotes from people in various administrative hierarchies, student leaders, documenting the events and happenings around the campus, and raising crucial issues regarding gender and sexual health among students – we have played a major role in initiating conversations through our student journalism in the past decade.
In the words of Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, “Information is the first step towards liberation.” Be it through printed copies across colleges or reports on our social media handles, we have tried our best to keep you updated about what all happens in DU, while sincerely hoping that the experience has been as liberating for you as it has for us. Right from raising issues concerning women’s safety in the campus after the Nirbhaya case in 2012 and the haphazard introduction of the Four Year Undergraduate Program in 2013, to raising the issues regarding the right to dissent and debate post the violence at Ramjas College in February 2017 – we have represented students in media and given a voice to the unheard. As completely independent journalists, we have embraced our responsibility, sometimes even at the cost of our safety.
We are an entirely student-run platform – a badge of honour we wear with pride. From ideating stories, writing, investigating, raising funds to print copies, to regular managerial work, every little thing in our organisation is handled solely by undergraduate students. We recruit students, train them to excel in their various fields, and prepare them to work in professional settings. In the past 10 years, students who have worked at DU Beat in various capacities have gone ahead to lead major teams at Google, pursued journalism in globally influential outlets like The New York Times and Huffington Post, excelled in academics as Commonwealth Scholars, and begun their own media initiatives.

Externally, our journalism has also allowed our readers to succeed in their lives post their time at Delhi University. Many students still write to us, detailing how our news about admissions helped them bag a seat in the college of their choice. Inspired by our journalism, many of our readers have gone ahead to pursue a career in journalism, while others have benefited from our humble initiative of an independent student-run media outlet.

After successfully organising Mushaira, the Literature festival of Hindu College on 30th and 31st January with the Hindu College Parliament, to commemorate 10 years of independent student journalism, our team would like to raise a toast to our long-standing relationship with you, dear reader. Let the University and these printed words stand witness to our effort of making our University a more efficient, democratic, and liberating space.

 

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

How to Win DUSU Elections

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The Delhi University Students’ Union elections are just around the corner and the election fever is in full swing. In this context, we analyse the finer nuances of what sways the DUSU election results.

  • The name game

While campaigning, candidates often change how their name is spelt. Posters and hoardings will often bear the names of candidates with one or more letters misspelt. This leads to the following benefit – if there are any pending cases or FIRs against them, it would be harder for the average Joe to look it up. The second benefit allows them to manipulate the ballot number they received by adding “A” at the beginning of their name as a prefix. For example, the 2015 DUSU President Mohit Nagar filed his nomination as “AAA Mohit Nagar” which resulted in him getting ballot number 1. The ballot list is made in alphabetical order which means that the candidates with the maximum number of As at the beginning of their name would get 1 as their ballot number. Since a lot of people in DUSU elections vote just for the sake of it, the probability of them voting for the first candidate on the list is considerably higher. To combat this, in 2015 the Delhi High Court described this practise as “flawed” and finally put an end to it.

  • Money matters

Freebies ranging from movie tickets, chocolates, t-shirts, pens, notebooks, water park tickets, and what not are distributed during the election season. But it does not stop there. Major student political parties also go to large PGs to promote and campaign for their candidates. An anonymous resident of Aparna Girls Hostel, a private PG that houses around 300 girls, says, “Last year both the ABVP and NSUI came to our PG to campaign. They spent around 20-30 minutes there and also sponsored special food for the day”. These freebies are aggressively thrown around as the election day comes closer in order to sway the maximum number of voters until the very end.

  • Graffiti

Without any regard to either public and private property or to aesthetics, candidates spray paint their names over walls, buildings, pavements, hoardings, and any flat surface which catches the eye. The idea is to familiarise the maximum number of people with a certain name before election day. If the rival party has already put up their logo on a particular wall, instances have shown that political candidates are not above throwing black paint all over it. Every year, in the name of elections, these walls are besmirched with black spray paint and posters.

  • Personal touch

Any politician worth the salt knows how important personal touch is. Vox populi vox dei is an ancient Latin phrase which means that the voice of people is the voice of God. Candidates in DUSU elections are more than aware of this philosophy.  Once people want a particular candidate to win because they think he/she deserves it, there is little that can stop them. As soon as the logistics are dealt with, door-to-door campaigning begins. Personally helping people, reaching out to them, acquiring  goodwill, and building up a network of loyal friends are keys to unlocking the puzzle that is DUSU elections. On the day of the elections it is this goodwill acquired across months of rigorous campaigning and a band of loyal supporters and friends that ensures victory.

  • Party lines

Contrary to what most of us would like to believe, student politics does sync with national politics. DUSU elections are a playground for major national political parties. Most DUSU presidents acquire a certain degree of political relevance and end up with successful careers working with their parent organisations or parties. Delhi University is also a recruitment pool for these parties. A considerable number of today’s political leaders started their careers in Delhi University itself.

As far as the DUSU election results are concerned, the stakes are extremely high. It is a matter of immense pride to win the student elections in one of the largest universities in the country. The pivotal driving force in these elections – perhaps the sole factor that makes it so very grand – is the involvement of national parties. When Delhi University becomes the battle ground for the biggest political parties in the country, one can expect a magnificent showdown.

 

Image Credits: Kinjal Pandey for DU Beat

Kinjal Pandey
[email protected]

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Admissions 2017

Dear Freshers: Admissions Special Article

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Dear Freshers,

Welcome to the University of Delhi. Take a moment to feel the joy of having achieved a massive milestone of your life – making it into DU. This might be an accident of circumstances or a culmination of your endless efforts, but for simplicity’s sake, let’s just say that the whole world conspired to help you achieve your dreams. Now that you’ve successfully taken admission in the most prestigious educational institute in the country, it’s time to comprehend the gravity of this stage in your life. Delhi University will give you all that a college experience possibly can – education, amusement, friends, and most importantly, an identity.

Be ready to expect the unexpected. Every notion that you currently hold will be challenged in this campus, where every fleeting moment of idleness is filled with the urge to achieve something. The people you are going to meet, the ideas you are going to encounter, the academic environment which used to be a mark-milking tool for you until now, are all going to change, even as this University continues to be well-known for its almost meme-worthy standards of education. Stereotypes of how DU kids carry jholas and never actually study are hilarious in themselves, but they function as badges of honour for students in their time here. Popular for harbouring, or at least generating, a liberal and culturally aware generation of students, DU allows you to push yourself, whether that be through academics or extracurriculars. Well-rounded and up-to-date syllabi, along with the general elective under the Choice Based Credit System, come together to provide students a holistic education. The numerous societies within colleges, as well as university-wide associations further allow students to expand their horizons and develop their talents. Portraying ideas, thoughts, and injustices through dance, music, and theatre, is no small feat, and you’ll get your moment of glory throughout the much-publicised fest season. We guarantee that being part of a society or student association will give you the experience of a lifetime.

It’s no secret that the varsity has produced a variety of individuals – scholars, athletes, and even numerous Miss Indias. The opportunities that DU offers, coupled with its cultural and ideological diversity, produce a distinctively unique environment. Three years in this place changes you – undoubtedly for the better.

The age-old traditions of skipping classes to chill in the lawns of your college, or to run outside for a quick bite of Tom Uncle’s Maggi in North Campus are just as crucial to the DU experience as the education. You will create an entire bank of memories from this period of your life, such as begging your class representative to mark your proxy and photocopying notes for the entire semester a week before your final exam. But the most significant change in your life will not be learning how to navigate the Delhi metro or how to bargain most effectively for junk jewellery. It will be learning about yourself.

Some people believe that this University thrives on its past glory. We beg to differ. We believe it draws its glory from you. We believe that as you embark on this journey of your college life with a nervous, excited, and hopeful state of mind, you’ll end up with many achievements, but the most noteworthy of these would be your identity. As you steer your life for the next three years among classes, societies, and this mad city, remember that it’s up to you to become a part of the collective pride of this University.

You may leave DU as a completely new person than when you entered, or you may leave as merely a more refined version of your teenage self. But what’s undeniable is that you will be a truer version of yourself after having gone through all that DU has to offer. So sit tight, because you’re in for the ride of a lifetime at the place you’ll soon call home – Delhi University.

We wish you all the best!

 

With love on behalf of the DU Beat Team,

Vineeta Rana

Srivedant Kar

 

Feature Image Credits: The Odyssey Online

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DUB News

Saying Goodbye to Family – Arushi Pathak (Associate Editor Web 2016-17)

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The most difficult goodbye you ever say is to your family: the family that moulds you into a person that is ready to face any obstacle head on. No matter how hard you try to prepare yourself, you just cannot come around to say it to them. And when the moment is finally there, all you can do is stand and admire how beautiful your family is, reminiscing all the beautiful memories you’ve gathered with them.

My three years in DU Beat have been the most awarding and inspiring years in life. The slightly scared enthu-cutlet, as called by her seniors, who begged the HRs to let her be a part of her dream team at DU Beat within the first month of joining college; is now graduating as a proud Associate Editor of the same. My college life has been all about DUB- the source of all of my happy memories. From coping with deadlines to drinking games at DUB parties, DU Beat has been every happy memory I have of college life. I’ve seen my mentors becoming my friends, my friends becoming my guides and my juniors becoming family. If given a chance, I’d redo all of it with as much affection and effort, if not more.

I have always boasted about being the oldest member of the DU Beat Editorial team. And very proudly so. But being the oldest member comes with its own responsibilities- people look up to you for everything, everyone expects you to be the know-it-all. I have, not once, felt these expectations to be a burden and responsibilities to be unrealistic. DU Beat has pushed me to challenge my limits and strive for the best performance I can bring out of me.

I walked into this organisation as a fresher looking for a purpose. I couldn’t be happier that I chose DU Beat, more importantly, DU Beat chose me; to design my college life into the enigma that it is today. I have made friends I know will last a lifetime, I’ve learned from people and experiences. The perks, you bet, have been nothing less than a plate full of Vanilla Oreos. Standing inside the barricades with a press card hanging around my neck has to certainly be the best incentive DU Beat gave me. From getting all close up to star performers to being pushed and shoved and stomped upon in stampedes, it’s been a pleasure.

There are a lot of emotions I am experiencing right now. Knowing that I won’t have a 100 messages in my phone from DU Beat groups, leaving 60+ WhatsApp DUB Groups, not getting to make the Web Layout every week, not having to reprimand correspondents and copy-editors to adhere to the deadline and most importantly, not having DU Beat next to my name.

Will I get through this? I’m not sure. But DU Beat has made me into a person who sure can deal with these emotions amidst all possible challenges life decides to throw at me. And to cope, I certainly have some informal DUB WhatsApp groups to hold on to and I am willing to be the creepy stalker of DU Beat on Facebook. Whatever keeps me close to this family.

Words will fall short in explaining the gravity of DUB in my life. And so, is it a goodbye yet? Well, it will never be. DU Beat shall always occupy the most comforting spot in my heart.

 

Signing off,

For the last time,

Arushi Pathak,

Associate Editor Web (2016-17)

DU Beat

 

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DUB Speak

Is it too late to roll back the FYUP?

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With the new party taking over the Human Resource Development ministry, chances are that the controversial four year undergraduate program installed by the University of Delhi might be scrapped. Sources have it, that the HRD ministry is already working out a way so as to incorporate the 4 year program into a 3 year one. BJP had already given hints last year that it might rollback the controversial programme as soon as it comes to power at the centre and it had been included in their manifesto as well.

Last year, there had been much protest when the program set in and it could have been easily removed if such an action would have been brought at the same time. But if FYUP would be scrapped now, it will pose a major threat to students currently enrolled in the existing Four Year batch. Not only will they have to do away with the Foundation courses, which they have already studied in their 1st year, additional disciplinary courses would also have to be incorporated into their syllabus for the next 2 years. Which would in turn mean that a student currently enrolled under FYUP would have to study 6 DC courses per semester. That’s a 3 time increase when compared to the existing burden.

It should also be noted that during the pre poll time period, the BJP had promised that if FYUP wouldn’t be scrapped, they’ll incorporate training and internships in the last year so that it might not go wasted.  Another proposal which may bring down the burden on students has been given by Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA), in which, by doing away with the 2 Foundation Courses, 2 more Disciplinary Courses (DCs) will be added along with the existing DCs in the 3rd and 4th semester. Such a move will incorporate the whole program into 3 years. Seeing the scenario, it seems a better option than scrapping the whole program since a year has already passed.

De Facto, if one may recall, the protests against FYUP were not due to its 4 year term but due to the hurriedly introduced Foundation Courses which many termed as ‘elementary school level’ subjects. But since the new ministry is planning to scrap the whole program, it seems that students will have to suffer the consequential burden. But there are other reasons which might pose a problem in the scrapping of FYUP. The Bachelors of Science (B.Sc.) program which had been changed into Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech.) requires a minimum of 4 years to serve a B.Tech. degree. If the whole program is scrapped, then the above course will also have to be reverted back into its original form, which would simply mean playing with the future of the students currently studying for a degree in Bachelors of Technology.

To top it all, the University Grants Commission is already putting pressure on the university to either scrap the FYUP programme or the Honours degree it is giving under the old 3 year semester mode through the School of Open Learning. Since the UGC’s rules require a university to give only 1 type of degree, either SOL will have to start giving degrees for only certificate courses or DU will have to do away with the FYUP programme.

Whatever happens next would be significantly life changing for the students currently enrolled under FYUP. I hope the new government takes a step which might not hamper the future prospects of these students.

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