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