FYUP? No FYUP? Wait, Dr. Dinesh Singh refuses to budge. FYUP. Well now, Ministry of Human Resource Development refuses to budge. No FYUP!

It was late June when (thanks to the media, and the DU Vice Chancellor, and UGC Chairperson, and the MHRD) the Four Year Undergraduate Program had bagged all headlines. It was the one thing that everyone, and especially experts, was talking about. Meanwhile, we, the current first year students were in a dilemma of our own. And at one point of time, FYUP or no FYUP ceased to matter. Could we just get into college already?

Amidst the highly ‘inflated’ first cut off and chaos about the course structure, the 2014-17 (yes, no FYUP!) batch joined with a disturbing uncertainty. The teachers too were waiting, hoping, expecting for a response from the University officials- as if not knowing where and how to begin wasn’t confusing enough.

While most of us spent this time bonding with new comrades or grabbing a bite at the newly-discovered canteens; there were others who questioned themselves if it was a wise decision to join India’s top-rated university. Finally, sanity returned after two weeks of the ‘going-to-college-and-not-knowing-what-to-do’ mode. Course meetings, department meetings, principal-staff meetings… College seemed just like that in the movies- going out with your friends as much as you want, other things could always wait!

But the ‘other things’ couldn’t wait anymore. With the course finally adopting back its original structure, students were seen rushing to stationery shops buying whatever readings/books they could get hold of. After a stumpy beginning, the course kick-started itself and things weren’t the same anymore. Back-to-back classes, tutorials, extra classes (which usually turned out to be mass bunks), -Internals-, mid-semester break, -Internals-, Diwali-break, -Internals- and then some more Internals.

And just when things in college had started to make sense, semester examinations stood staring right into our eyes. Wait, where did the semester go? More than that, are we ready to give the first examinations of the university? The struggle to catch up with attendance has turned into a battle for some, while the other minority of the population is all set for the examinations with the entire course done (and mind you, revised too!)
Irrespective of all turmoil in the beginning, the semester fared out to be a memorable one. With outstation students discovering a whole new world in Delhi, each of us realised the enigma of being in the top ranked university of India. And even though there are things to be bothered about (yes, exams!), just being a part of the University of Delhi brings a contentment of its own.

Arushi Pathak
[email protected]

After a two month internship for a content writing firm I had to ask myself how I could utilize the rest of my summer vacations. So I browsed through internship listings at Internshala. I stumbled upon another content writing internship; I was interested in it because it focused on social media marketing. I immediately sent them my CV and two days later I was called for an interview. After cracking the interview I ended up interning in this small Noida based social media marketing firm for 3 months.

Here are 5 reasons why I feel that internships in start -ups and smaller firms are as important as internships in big companies.

A new cup of tea: A first year student or a sophomore aiming to open his books should start as an intern in a start-up. This fresh cup of tea will be a piping hot experience as you will be a part of a new organisation. A new organisation is not only set to provide you with new opportunities but is sure to lay a patient ear to your ideas. If you are fairly dedicated you might end up being a permanent employee there.

A phenomenon called ‘Practical experience’ – The first thing an interviewer asks you after your ‘introduction’ is about the kind of experience you have in this field. Well it’s more than necessary and apt that you join a smaller firm to contribute to its daily proceedings. Why so? Well, at the end of the day this ‘practical experience’ makes you a better, more open and a mature human being who has the capability to adapt to situations in the most complex of situations.

Exploring new avenues when you are confused – After entering the social media/blogging market as an intern, I feel immense joy in the pleasure of writing and expressing myself in personal and commercial blogs. In a similar way you should explore different avenues and decide what you want to do in your future. Joining as an intern for various firms in various fields can bring the best out of you and make you aware of the possibilities in the line you are most interested working in.

Relaxed work culture– I remember the first internship I did, way back when I was in first year. I was being heckled and bombarded by peers who explained to me the importance of internships. However, I was more skeptic about the interviews. I was skeptic of how the internship would be and the nature of it. I sent a mail to an NGO offering research analyst internships. I was happy to see that it was a start-up NGO. It would not be wrong to say that the amount I have learnt from that NGO is incomparable owing to their capability of providing me with personal assistance and help whenever I needed it. There was more flexibility and the environment in general was relaxed. Plus you get to learn directly from founders and the main people running the organisation!

To ‘learn and earn’ simultaneously–While many think that start ups, due to lack of funds only provide unpaid internships, this is largely untrue. What is better than being able to learn new skill sets and earn at the same time? Rs. 5000– 10ooo stipend surely gets you a habit of earning. With this ‘money motivates me’ attitude you end up increasing the specifications in your internship. The more you earn the more established firm you end up joining. What is the most important part is that you learn along with such high monetary gain.

Joining an internship at a smaller business not only motivates you mentally but monetarily as well. It increases your capability and adaptability and as a result makes you a more open human being. Therefore interning for small scale firms, are as important and credible as tech giants and businesses.

Looking for an internship? Browse through our Internship Updates section here.

Feature Image Credits: LinkedIn

Ishaan Sengupta
[email protected]

So you are very interested in studying human behaviour; psychology is your obvious choice. Knowing the widening scope of this subject, you decide to pursue your interest and take up psychology in your undergraduate level. The options that lay in front include clinical psychologist, school counsellor, organisational psychologist, researcher, and so on. What if you don’t want to go with the obvious options?
If this dilemma sounds familiar, it’s time we explore some other jobs that would not allow your degree and your initial interest to go to waste. Here are a few alternative career options related to psychology:

Sounds too unreal? Considering the high rates of crimes in the country as well as around the world, this job is exactly the need of the hour. If crimes are a bit too overboard for you, there are other areas as well. Usually detectives are hired in case of a divorce battle to spy and collect evidence against a partner, or gather information about a prospective groom/bride in case of an arranged marriage (or maybe even a love marriage if the parents are a suspicious lot), and during property battles and will rights.

A Human Resource Manager understands the employers’ needs, analyses the resumes and job applications of various candidates and helps choose a suitable candidate for the job through interviews and tests. They also help companies formulate polices for the employees and aims at increasing their productivity and performance and because it takes skills like understanding of mind and behaviour, problem solving skills, etc., psychology majors are well-equipped for this job.

Now this is one career that will take care of your superego. A highly challenging yet rewarding career, social workers help society to overcome their problems and improve their lives. After a Bachelors Degree in Psychology, one can go for Masters of Social Work (MSW), which will enable them to provide therapies to distressed people.

Maybe your mind is a bit inclined towards business and the market. A Market Research Analyst helps the company or organisation to study consumer preferences. They study trends and use statistical tools to research and analyse them. A Marketing Manager, on the other hand, is responsible for developing the company’s marketing strategy. They decide the target audience and how the product should be sold. Since psychology majors have good problem solving, critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills, these high paying jobs seem apt for them.

Remember the times when colours and crafts used to give you joy? Creating something new led to ‘peak experiences’? Art like drawing, painting, sculpting, etc. can be a useful therapeutic technique to treat stress, anxiety, psychological disorders as well as learning disabilities (Remember, Taare Zameen Par?), behavioural and social problems in children, adults, and the elderly. To start a career in this, however, one must be a licensed councellor, social worker or clinical psychologist.

Ever dreamt of working with (or for) actors like Hritik Roshan, Deepika Padukone? Or maybe politicians? Well! How about being their Public Relations Agent? PR Agents are required to maintain a certain strategic image of their clients in front of the public. The clients can be individuals or big corporates. Needless to say, psychology has a major role to play in analysing public choices and opinions.

Did you know that if windows in a room are too small or the ceiling too low, people may actually feel cramped up? This is a basic introduction to the work of an environment psychologist. Work of an environment psychologist may include creating suitable interiors or maybe soothing outdoor setups, making it more fun. They study human reaction to their environment, how different settings affect their behaviour and emotions and make changes to suit the people better.

International relations is the study of relationship among countries, International Governemental Organistions, International Non-Governmental Organisations, Multinational Corporationss, etc. It is a multidisciplinary subject, with psychology as a major aspect. So after a Bachelors degree in Psychology, one can go for a degree in International Relations. Jobs? Well, not much. You get to be part of Foreign Services, Government Agencies or can even join United Nations!

It is a well known fact that media plays a key role in shaping people’s behaviour and attitudes. Hence, psychology and media simply go hand in hand. Media psychology studies the affect of media on human perceptions, emotions, etc. They use the modes of media to improve human psychology and communications. Moreover, if certain portrayals of media are false, media psychologist help to correct it by providing the correct versions.

Slurp! This branch of psychology is as interesting as food itself. Food psychologist deal with understanding the relationship of food with people. Their main concerns is the food consumption pattern of individuals and its impact on their biological pattern and self perception. It also studies the impact of environment, culture and society on food preferences. Dealing with eating disorders like anaeroxia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating, obesity and others are also a part of this branch.

So you see, taking up Psychology actually opens up more fields than you can imagine. Every aspect of life has some psychology involved. And hence, it is needed everywhere. Good Luck, Folks! May you pick up what’s best for you!

Mitakshara Medhi
[email protected]