Apprehensions about the FYUP

While class 12 pass-outs sit wide eyed about the FYUP, current DU are students also anxious to see how the new system pans out. Amidst all this chaos we shall in the coming days try to bring you some reasonable goods, bads and uglies about the FYUP.

While we have already listed the positives, here are a few apprehensions that students, parents and teachers alike hold:

Employability: Will the FYUP actually lead to an increase in the overall employability of a student? Increasing the employability was one of the main arguments put forward for the main system. However, with the DUSU conducting large scale job fair, with a central as well as college specific placement cell is there a need for a system face lift just to increase employability?
Work Load: We all are aware how the workload almost doubled with the coming of the semester system. And given that a big apprehension is that with the FYUP the workload shall also balloon out of hand. Courses are being added- sometimes some courses being diluted (more on that in a bit) but given the overall increase in subjects and projects (1 per week in some places) will the students be left with decent amount of free time?
The Course: Adding courses, diluting the main (major) course, mind body and heart courses, WHAT is even happening on the academic front? While the syllabus that has been rolled out for most courses is decently structured, will someone help us understand the real deal, given that even the teachers are quite unaware?
Dropouts: While the University uses the euphemism of ‘mid- course multiple exits’ we all know they are talking about the majority of students who dropout each year without completing their course. The issue is that the dropouts do not have a degree to speak for their time spent in college. What our question is, is whether the degree given to dropouts (after completion of 2 or 3 years) be simply a confidence certificate to half knowledge, or not?
Post Graduation: Yes, once the FYUP is in place PG shall be of only one year, good, maybe, maybe not? It is feasible for those who stick on with DU, but for those, and most of us who turn to other universities for PG it means a total of 6 years to be spent in college- given that other universities still have a 2 (sometimes 3) year PG Programme.
Extra Curricular activities: DU has been an ECA inclined person’s delight, even in the face of the semester system. So, are compulsory ECA and Mind Body Heart courses really that necessary? Even if they are, will the FYUP calendar and work load mess with the sacrosanct fest season?
Infrastructure: How can a University that is already suffering from a crisis of room to take classes in afford to make itself fully technically equipped to live up to the FYUP’s benchmarks? We’re afraid that the dedication with which they approach the practical subjects shall be half hearted.
Teachers: It is an obvious fact that there is a shortage of academic staff, the number runs in the hundreds. And the staff members who are already part of the system is reluctant to embrace the FYUP, will the students suffer in this tug of war?