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Tech for Freshers – Part 2

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Last week, we came out with an article which laid out the most common base technologies, whether hardware or software, that you’ll essentially require to make your DU experience smoother and more exciting. While that list catered to the necessities, this one, ‘Tech for Freshers- Part 2’ caters to all your temptations.

We begin by mentioning the loner in the hardware side:

maxresdefault

1. Bluetooth Speaker

This invention purposefully solves the problem of frequent requirement of loud music at a cheap cost. Whether you are on a department trip or a birthday party of one of your friends, a Bluetooth Speaker can ensure that you never go out of the supply of loud music. Oh and did we forget to mention? You can force your choice of music on others too.

Source: i.ytimg.com

And the better part of the software side:

1. For Dating Needs:

Tinder, Badoo, TrulyMadly, Lovoo – Gone are the days when love in college life meant love in the college campus. Like many other things, finding love or dating has changed for the 21st century. If you don’t find connections in your college, the tech cupid will help you find one using these apps.

dating_logo

Sources: Tinder icon: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinder&hl=en
Badoo icon: https://badoo.com/
TrulyMadly icon: http://trulymadly.com/
Lovoo icon: http://www.appsforpc9.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/lovoo_logo.png

2. For Transportation Needs:

transportation_logo

Uber, Ola, Jugnu – Even though the Delhi Metro will serve as the main source of your transportation, there will be times when your actual destination won’t be a walking distance from your ‘nearest’ metro station or when you’re carrying luggage that you can’t drag in the metro, especially while visiting NCR. These apps will help you get around the city at affordable rates.

Sources:Uber icon: https://2q72xc49mze8bkcog2f01nlh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/New-Logo-Vertical-Dark.jpg
Ola icon: https://naushad.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ola_Cabs_Logo.png
Jugnoo icon: http://www.businessofapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/jugnoo_app-copy.png

3. For Shopping Needs:

Flipkart, Amazon – Local markets are where you’ll do most of your shopping but at times, you’ll need stuff that’s just not available there. These apps will help you get that stuff right at your doorstep.
Paytm – As we get more technologically equipped, exchange of paper money moves towards obsolescence. Paytm wallet is the largest e-wallet in the country and has recently started to root its way into local markets. The day is not far when you’ll paytm the local paan wala for a cigarette or a chewing gum. Paytm also lets you transfer Paytm cash to your bank account for a small fee.

shopping_logo

Sources: Flipkart icon: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Flipkart_logo.png
Amazon icon: http://cdn.wccftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/amazon.png
Paytm icon: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/Paytm_logo.png

4. For Event Needs:

bookmyshow

Bookmyshow – Cinema will have a very big space in your college life. Sitting in the canteen after bunking classes gets redundant and boring after a while. At one point you will want to move out of the college and go someplace else. This app will help you find the movie or play of your choice that you and your gang can go to.

Sources: Bookmyshow logo: https://in.bookmyshow.com/job-listings/wp-content/themes/bms-listings/images/logo.png

5. For Fashion and Styling Needs:

Wooplr & Roposo – The first impression you impart on your peers is made by the way you carry yourself and your clothes. There is no doubt that fashion and styles have their own social bonuses. These two apps will help you stay on top of all the latest trends and new ways to expand your wardrobe.

fashion_logo

Sources:
Wooplr logo:https://res.wooplr.com/image/upload/h_120/assets/website/icon/wooplr.png
Roposo logo: http://www.biifund.com/wp-content/uploads/roposo-transparent-500×250.png

6. For Food and Beverages Needs:

food_logo

Zomato and Swiggy – Someone has rightly said – “You are what you eat”.
Don’t take it literally. It doesn’t mean that you’ll turn into a potato if you eat one. Food and choice of food can really define your personality. Also, in your journey as an undergraduate, you’ll encounter many moments where you’ll find yourself wanting to eat at places different from your regular ‘addas’. Zomato will help come in handy at that time. Swiggy is for times when you’re hungry and lazy, and want your food delivered to your doorstep which is not served by a fast food chain such as McDonalds or Pizza Hut.

Sources: Zomato icon: http://logos-download.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Zomato_logo.png
Swiggy icon: https://2q72xc49mze8bkcog2f01nlh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/pune/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/09/swiggy-logo.png

Therefore, with this, we wrap up our list of a general tech guide for all students stepping into the university. Since every student is different, there are some apps which are better suited for some than others. Also, since the needs of a student are ever expanding, new techs are always emerging, both, on the hardware and the software/application fronts. Do let us know if there are some other essential technologies that we’ve missed out on.

You can also check out some other apps in this article which would help you sail through your college life and make it much more memorable.

Image Credits: Featured image- natashascrazylife.blogspot.com
Others- As cited above, respectively.

Kavach chandra
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Srivedant Kar
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Hans Raj College

For Food lovers – The Culinary Arts Society, Hans Raj College

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The ingenious commerce students of Hans Raj College bring to DU a first of its kind Culinary Arts Society!

A society refers to a group of people who come together on the basis of certain shared interests. Understood in this context, a college society plays a vital role in the life of a student. It not just provides a retreat from mundane academic pursuits, but also gives an individual a perfect platform to exhibit his talents, engage in meaningful interactions, form everlasting friendships and further explore his field of interest and specialty.

Small wonder then, that we at Delhi University take our societies very seriously! In fact, DU colleges are full of all kinds of societies: from the traditional to the extremely whacky, we’ve got them all! Keeping this culture alive,this year, two second year BCom Honours students from Hans Raj College, Aseem Jain and Ananya Gupta , co-founded the ‘Culinary Arts Society’(CAS). The drive to start such a society came from identifying the burgeoning craze for food and food lovers in DU, along with the increasing inclination of students to work in the hospitality and food industry after graduation. The scope of this society is multi-fold: a) to provide a forum for foodies to express their love for food, b) to promote healthy eating among GenY, c) to encourage students to look at and take up lucrative food-related careers, and d) to monitor, control and correct the standard of food served at the college cafeteria.

The CAS became a registered society on 21st July 2016. It is under the charge of Mr. Animesh Nasker, a professor from the Economics Department. At the helm are the two co-founders, followed by a team of eight core-members. The society is open to recruiting students from all courses from the first and second year. Interestingly, the society also has collaboration with the NGO ‘AHAAR Foundation’.  The NGO, another initiative of the co-founders of CAS, aims to provide ‘food for all’. Aseem Jain shares, “The modus operandi of ‘AHAAR Foundation’ is simple, yet effective. We take the surplus food from restaurants and distribute it among the needy.” To this, Ananya Gupta adds, “So we are essentially making optimum use of resources, because restaurants tend to throw away unutilised food at the end of the day. By creating a link between the surplus and deficit, we are helping both the commercial food establishments and the underfed and underprivileged.”

The Culinary Arts Society is planning its first official event, a charity bake sale, in the last week of August, at Lover’s Point, Hans Raj College. After this, they plan to hold a food festival in the first week of October, at the sports ground of Hans Raj College, where Indian Cuisine and popular World Cuisine will be displayed. To supplement these mega events, CAS intends on holding year round seminars and conclaves, where topics under discussion would range from informative, like ‘Merits of Eating a balanced and healthy diet’ to fun and frivolous, like talks by renowned chefs, food entrepreneurs and food critics and bloggers.

To keep up with the activities of CAS, keep watching this space!

Featured Image Credits: Ananya Gupta, Hans Raj College

Kriti Sharma
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DUB Speak

The Pros and Cons of Joining a College Society

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Delhi University provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities for its students. Each college has its own societies, which compete with the societies of other colleges, time and again, across the academic session, especially during the fest season. After having spent two years in college, I can safely conclude that one of the most common queries of every fresher is usually about the societies of their college. Apart from being utterly fascinated by a plethora of societies to choose from, they also get vulnerable to various other confusions, such as:
Which society to join? How important is it to join a society? How many to join? If at all, should one even consider joining a society?

Therefore, following is a summary of some first-hand experiences of those students who have been, either extremely active, subtly active, left the society or never been a part of one at all during their college years.

Pros of Joining a Society:

1. Societies can be very helpful in many respects. You might join a society because of a certain skill you possess or something you like to do very much, for instance, dancing, debating, singing, writing and the like. It helps you keep in touch with your passion and even to further enhances it. Delhi University societies compete on a very well-trained level. As a result, they add plenty of exposure to your skill and experience. A lot of societies also encourage untrained students to be a part of them.
2. Societies are extremely competitive which helps one chisel out the best. Most of the growth that one experiences is because of such challenging and competitive environments.
3. Exposure along with interaction is also a plus for joining societies. One gets to meet students from other colleges, make friends and learn many new things. Fests, which are jam packed with competitions, also bring together different people and facilitate interactions. Outstation fests, in particular, are an absolute delight for most.
4. If you plan to take up some activity as a career option later, one must certainly look out for the college society of the same.
5. These societies also keep you busy after bursting the bubble of an exciting college life. In fact, they also help bring in the missing charm of a college, which one often anticipates.
6. They also add to the grace of your resume. People who have participated in extra-curricular activities are seen as competitive, efficient and disciplined individuals. This not only gives one an edge in interviews, internships and jobs, but is also an expected and welcomed improvement in one’s personal growth.

Cons of Joining a Society:
Where joining a college society may prove to be extremely beneficial, even then, a lot of people end up quitting a certain society. This is because of many reasons:

1. If you are not genuinely interested in a society, you might end up loathing your decision because of the intense competition. However, that also really depends on how much you can struggle from your side.
2. In addition to this, college societies take up a lot of your time. The practice sessions are mostly rigorous, especially for dance and theater societies. This can also affect your studies and ultimately your academic scores. During the fest season, society members hardly find any time to attend their classes. They juggle between a lot of different fests and competitions and often miss out on important lectures.
3. One of the most common reasons for people to quit societies is because of some form of ‘politics‘ as it is called, that goes on among them. Juniors often accuse seniors of their misbehavior and partiality, if any. However, this is not entirely true. Usually, each society (mainly, dance, music or drama) prepares only one composition per year. After some time, performing the same dance, music or play gets rather monotonous and boring. People thus also, complain about losing out on creativity in the process of focusing on only one composition.

What to do?

1. Experience gives me an authority to claim that one must avoid joining two active college societies simultaneously. In most of the cases, practice timings would clash and one will have to make a choice between them, eventually.

2. There are some students who have not joined any societies at all and have done incredibly well in their respective fields. Therefore, joining a society is definitely not necessary.

3. When solving the dilemma of joining a society or not, ask the right questions while thinking about this:
How active is the society? How is the work environment? Is it going to help me grow? Am I passionate about it? Will I be able to cope up? Is it relevant to my career? Is my passion enough to help me go for it?

4. Do not worry about society politics. Most of the freshers find it difficult to get along in the beginning, but after a while, society members end up being extremely close. The team almost becomes your family in most cases.

5. It is okay to avoid joining a society if you are not sure about it. College is full of opportunities and you will never run out of things to do. Interning during summer or any holidays can be a great alternative that you can choose. If you are extremely passionate about a certain activity, know that your love for it is enough for you to hold on.

6. Know thy priorities. Do not make your priorities suffer. Keep in mind that because your college life has just begun, everything will seem fancy at first. Remind yourself then, that nothing is really fancy. In fact, it will only get tougher with time. Do not get over excited.
Clam down! And now, you can choose what you want to choose.

Image credits: Vegh Daswani for DU Beat

Tooba Towfiq
[email protected]

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Admissions 2016

DU Freshers- What to expect from college?

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First of all, you made it. Congratulations. That’s bright enough! Second of all, Delhi University is going to be everything you imagined. Okay not everything, but it’s going to be nothing less than three maddening, crazy and heartening years for you! But before you stop reading and start texting with anticipation and excitement, let us (your humble seniors) clear some of your misconceptions.

What to look out for:

  1. Jam Packed Social Calendar: Of the many things students will need to sacrifice this year, their social life is not one of them. With the new found freedom, the newbies can now go have a ball with their new found friends!
  2. Better societies and awesomer fests: As ECA and sports activities are as important marks, fests and societies will get a boost and improve drastically. With the fucchas working even harder to prove their mettle, it’s safe to expect each college putting up a grand show!
  3. College protests: As the hand of the ABVP and NSUI still looms large over DU, most freshers will be witness to their spectacularly conducted and overly dramatized protests. With political connections, there students will definitely try to bring the house down.

Busting Some Myths:

  1. Ragging: Contrary to the common belief of – ‘Tu kyu kar rha hai? Fucche se karwa lenge!’ DU isn’t exactly a frame out of 3 idiots and you will definitely not have to perform crazy stunts or walk around pretending to be James Bond just because a senior told you to do so. With strict anti-ragging laws, your worst nightmare should be cranky teachers and definitely not your seniors!
  2. The Ladies/ The Studs: For all those who stayed single to find their soul mates in DU, you’ll be waiting some more time. Contrary to popular beliefs, the girl’s colleges are not a pond of budding super models. And not all boys look like they were ripped off magazine covers. They too are humans, give them some credit for looking perfectly human and not like porcelain dolls.
  3. Equality Among Colleges: Okay so you’ve probably been expecting this all the way, but suddenly your best friend from the other college will become ‘them’ and your newly found united college buddies will be ‘us’.
  4. Completely Fudged up Timelines: If you had been cursing your friends, family, associates etc. for not being punctual all this time, you are about to experience a whole new level of procrastination. The University declares results exactly a month after its due date, if you’re lucky. Be glad that’s the only thing the university does. And if you have any other issues to sought with the administrative department, then god save you!

By Raghav Chopra ([email protected]) and Akriti Gupta ([email protected])

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DUB Speak

CBCS Poll: After FYUP, has CBCS too missed the mark with students? Find out!

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Delhi University has been famous for changing the academic systems very often. DU introduced the Four Year Under graduation Programme (FYUP) in 2013 which was subsequently rolled back in 2014, leaving the second year students under a semester system. DU introduced the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in 2015. 

The system, just a year old has invited both criticism and appreciation from all directions.

The system which was implemented in a hurry has a few loopholes to it. The introduction of CBCS has led to the liquidation of Honours course as papers under Honour courses were cut down to accommodate the Generic and AECC papers. The purpose of introducing CBCS was to provide a plethora of choices for students to choose from and study. However many colleges, don’t follow any such rule. A number of colleges have completely eliminated the ‘choice’ in the choice based credit system and only provide either a limited number of subjects to choose from or don’t provide a choice at all, thus defying the whole purpose of the system.

The papers too have polarised difficulty levels. 47.5% of the respondents who took a poll regarding CBCS admitted to not being fully satisfied with the difficulty levels of their Generic papers- which were either too easy or too difficult. Many colleges haven’t been able to adjudge the faculty requirements, which have led to less qualified faculty teaching the generic subjects and making it more burdensome on the students. 53.8% of the respondents felt that the faculty needed improvement.


There is also a general lack of seriousness and understanding of the system. There were no clear guidelines to help guide the professors and students through the syllabus and the changed curriculum leading to confusion. 49.4% respondents admitted to not taking the Generic paper as seriously as their core papers and spent less time studying for it. “The idea of studying something other than the core subject would be great if only the GE was taught properly. Vague syllabus taught half-heartedly ruins it.” says Kriti Kaur from SGTB Khalsa College


Despite having being criticized, it has its own share of positives. Some of the most significant advantages of CBCS are that it provides a well-rounded by giving students access to a more holistic approach to education with the introduction of Generic and AECC papers. In an increasingly globalized economy, employers are often on the lookout for individuals who have relatively specialized knowledge of more than one field. It also allows students to study subjects of their preference as many students are unable to pursue the course of their choice for a number of reasons, such as unrealistic cutoffs or parental pressure. In this scenario, a GE acts as a saviour for students who can finally study the subject of their preference.

College is perhaps the most crucial time of a student’s life during which he or she finally becomes a well-adjusted adult (or so we hope.) All professional settings require a basic understanding of time management and prioritisation. The addition of the GE and AECC courses therefore propels students into an environment in which they must balance three different fields of study. “I think it offers great opportunities with expansion of a holistic education. It’s a great option for people who wanted to study more than one subject in university, and my experience has been almost entirely positive with it.” says a student from Daulat Ram College

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

According to the poll, the most relevant concern of the respondents was the inadequacy and non transparency of the evaluation system, with an overwhelming majority of 88.2% claiming that the evaluation system is confusing with regard to SGPA’s and grades and has left them unhappy. “It doesn’t matter how good your internal marks were as compared to other students, you get the same grade in the subject. I think the internal marks were not taken into consideration while evaluating the grades. I would prefer the old percentage system any day as one gets to know how he/she performed in the respective subjects.” said a student from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.

“My college offers only 2 options for GE. Most students are not able to study the subjects they want to. Though there is nothing wrong with the grading system but I feel we need to understand the system better. Both the teachers and students have no idea what the grades stand for.” says Bhavya Mehta from JMC. A large number of students have rejected the system with 65.9 % respondents wanting the system to be discontinued as opposed to the 34.1% who want CBCS to continue but with rectifications.

Q. Did you find last semester's evaluation confusing?
Q. Did you find last semester’s evaluation confusing?
Q. Should grading in CBCS be replaced by percentage system?
Q. Should grading in CBCS be replaced by percentage system?
Q. Do you want CBCS to continue?
Q. Do you want CBCS to continue?

While the system was introduced with a lot of promises, students often find themselves at a slippery slope when it comes to evaluating their performance in CBCS. “The idea of integrating courses, college and universities is great but implementation was not at all upto the mark, affecting the students under this system. Thus the system seems to be a floundering one with a bleak future. The evaluation of this system is just another blunder leaving no scope for students to reevaluate their performances.”  Says Gerush Bahal from Aryabhatta College.

Feature image credits : indiatoday.intoday.in 

Akshara Srivastava

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Vineeta Rana

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Top Picks

Struggles of being an outstation student

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Outstation students are said to be the ones who enjoy freedom at its best—people who don’t have to travel too much to reach their accommodation and those who have all their time to themselves. However, there is struggle involved in living a life away from home. It isn’t easy to be your own friend, your own family, your own helper and your sole support.

There are innumerable challenges that come along with being an outstation student. Trivial or serious, here they are:

1. Food

Image credits: Indian Express
Image credits: Indian Express

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a hostel resident with lots of wishes and no money is hungry.

If you live in a PG hostel, a government hostel, or in your own flat you know the struggle. Food in hostels range from extremely soupy to extremely burnt. There are times when you look at a dish, and wonder, “Wait, are these potatoes?” Even if you are put up in a fancy accommodation, you will still complain about food. There are times when you awaken your inner chef to cook food for yourself and use all your time to create a master piece. You promise yourself to continue cooking on your own only to break the promise later. Instagram, Facebook, Game of Thrones and sometimes assignments come in the way of being a master chef. And then there are times when you break down and complain about how you miss chicken.

2. School/Old Friends

Image credits: clipartpanda.com
Image credits: clipartpanda.com

College is usually welcoming to most of us. This is particularly true in Delhi University, where people from all walks of life and places come together. However, there are moments where you end up missing your school friends. Not many outstation students are lucky enough to be able to spare a day and meet their friends. Friends are far away in most cases. You might not be able to reach them. They are not a few blocks away. However, you have WhatsApp and WhatsApp emojis to convey your feelings to those who understand.

3. Family

Image credits: lgrc.us
Image credits: lgrc.us

Yes, outstation people are cool and so they have a lot of friends. However, the huge circle is also because they have too much of their emotional space to fill and offer. Living away from family leaves a big void in you. You crave company. Time is miserably long without family. Yes, outstation students have a lot of time to enjoy. But there is always a lack of people even if they have hundreds around.

4. Exams

Image credits: contextualfeed.com
Image credits: contextualfeed.com

Outstation kids don’t have to travel from Gurgaon or Noida during the exams. They also get extra time to study on the morning of an exam. But they have to manage everything on their own. Food seems worse when you have exam fever. So you have a choice of either remaining hungry or ordering something for yourself, or even cooking on your own. There are times during summers when you get up for a glass of water and realise that there is no water. It is at times like these that you wish you had the comfort of your home.

5. Money

Image credits: cashthechecks.com
Image credits: cashthechecks.com

You can be rich back home but when you are not home, you are not rich. You will always thank god for the money you have at the beginning of the month. It seems enough till the last days of the month strike. Remember those days in school when a coin would fall off your pocket and you wouldn’t want to pick it up as you thought that would be embarrassing? Well, that isn’t happening here. At the end of the month, coins are gold. They can buy you a packet of bread, some samosas and hopefully a plate of momos too.

All in all, life isn’t easy for an outstation student. There is every reason they should be proud of themselves. Yes, there are moments when they slack off or break down, and times when they feel that they are too tired to pursue their dreams. If you are one, give yourself that necessary appreciation. You are doing good because you are doing it all on your own!

Image credits: theodysseyonline.com

Tooba Towfiq

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DUB Speak

5 College lessons to learn at the start of your first year

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College life initially feels like a slow brutal transition from a cushioned environment of importance to an equal platform and everyone’s ready to dive. It’s important that you know that everyone around you is feeling the same way, watching everyone else’s steps and calculating how they’re handling it.

Here are some lessons that you can probably learn before you take that first step into campus unlike a lot of other people who only had these epiphanies once they were done with their first year.

1. Can’t win ’em all, my friend:

Image credits: Indian Express
Image credits: Indian Express

School and College are too very different institutions of education (unless you went from a Christian girls school to a Christian girls college), so attacking exams is not going to be the same. About three months into college you’re going to be very confused about course structure and sadly the professors’ jaded monologue will not give you closure. If you were some inconceivably thorough kid in school, those days are over. Studying for exams in DU is concise and precise. The professors will scare you about an array of topics (do not lose sleep over it). When you find yourself fairly acquainted with the subject, search for past year papers, go through about three papers for the subject, pick the common four or five questions and target them as your syllabus (trust me, with all the chilling, you won’t even have time to reach out for the 6th question).

FYI: A Delhi University paper usually offer you a lot of choice – attempting 4-6 out of 8-10 questions.

2. Present:

Image credits: huntercuny.edu
Image credits: huntercuny.edu

Most of the times we get so caught up keeping up with all the partying after school that we kind of carry it with us to college too. (Never a bad thing!) However, a lot of us take a bullet at the end of the year when we get our mark sheet and there is this beautiful column of loops under our attendance or well our internal exam marks. In colleges where attendance carries marks, it’s crucial to assert that 5 additional marks in each subject can really turn that frown upside down. Calculate what constitutes 85% in your college and then limit your weekly holidays accordingly. This way you don’t fall short and you also don’t compromise on those much needed holidays to just sleep in.

 3. Compulsory what?:

Image credits: cliparts.co
Image credits: cliparts.co

There is this ominous period at the end of the year in college where literally every student runs around campus like there’s a clearance sale and their favourite Zara top is going for 200 bucks. This grief is brought by a college clearance slip that calls for signatures, approvals, a lot of pleading and it also really gets your creative juices flowing. At the beginning of the year, students are asked to pick a compulsory society (DO IT!). Go and register yourself with whichever society interests you or brings out the philanthropist in you because when the clouds are overhead and everyone’s begging for clearance, you want to be the one that gets a straight signature. Most of these societies involve NGOs and very modest work. Pick a day in the week, stay back for an extra hour and do the work. Bee very smart when you’re picking a society. Do not go for complicated societies which require you to work outside college and also require more than 10 hours per semester for clearance. At the end of the day, this is gratifying, feel-good work and you get a shiny certificate at the end of the semester.

FYI: Incase you don’t complete the requisite 10 hours you can make up for it next semester, if you’re a few hours up or actually more likely to be down, then be a likeable person so that society convenors do you some favours.

4. Societal Pressure:

Image credits: Divik Gupta
Image credits: Divik Gupta

When you first enter college, there are waves of students being swayed from one society’s auditions to another. It’s great to try out all your options but if you’re actually looking to join an additional society to showcase your talents, make sure it’s really what you want to do. Society Members tend to attract quite a lot of grief from professors (Don’t fight back). Your professors are looking out for you because you’re going to be missing a whole load of classes. Just make sure it’s worth it. If you choose well, it can be one of the most enterprising decisions you make in college and can really shape your growth but entering societies or external organizations because you think you can get to higher levels in a shorter time is not worth the effort. All societies have wacky culture, you have to make sure you keep your personality separate from it and not merge the two. You don’t want to try and fit in; you need the society or organisation to fit you.

5. Communicate and Elucidate:

Image credits: Hindustan Times
Image credits: Hindustan Times

One very important aspect of college is the part where you actually build a database for life. Make yourself open to conversation if you aren’t because these people that you associate with are the ones you want to keep in a lifelong contact book. Our generation tends to find people with common interests and form interest groups that have issue or topic related discussions and we have a separate group of friends for our affectionate rendezvous’. This is a great quality to have because people with the same interests will help each reach greater heights within their field. Always keep one eye on their endeavours and seek to be inspired by the people around you. A lot of people were stars in school but everyone you meet in college worked just as hard as you, so toss that ‘know it all’ attitude and seek to be inspired. Fellow students might be involved in projects you never knew existed. It’s a two-way street so surge to inspire as well, help people grow and don’t be afraid of giving other people opportunities that you might have turned down. It definitely makes you look pretty damn good!

Feature Image credits: Vibhana Kanwar for DU Beat ([email protected])

Baani Kashyap
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DUB Speak

Perks Of Being An Outstation Student

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Delhi University has a vast majority of outstation students and we see a lot of them doing exceedingly well in various fields and making the best of their college lives. Of course, not being a local surely does have some drawbacks such as missing home-cooked food but once the homesickness subsides and university life becomes more exciting, many obvious perks of being an outstation kid begin to surface:

1. Living on Campus

The most obvious perk is being given the opportunity to apply to college and university hostels even if you don’t live in them (most students prefer apartments and PGs in close proximity to their respective colleges). Not only do they not have to waste their time in a metro to reach college, but staying on campus ensures a more wholesome university experience. As the years pass on, they become experts on university hotspots, whether it be knowing the best golgappa waala in the area or the cheapest bookstore around.

2. Journey back home is no less than a holiday

The beautiful train journeys across lush green agricultural fields, morning faces of industrial towns with workers returning from night shifts, hopeful faces at every crossing- your journey back home is an exclusive holiday experience that you enjoy at least twice every year.

3. Getting to be a part of regional societies in college

Most colleges have regional societies which consist of all the students of your home state under a single roof. Joining them gives you exclusive access to seniors and even teachers who are from your region. Be it a hunt for your regional delicacy in the capital, celebration of regional festivals or gossip about local politics back home, these friends are always like your second family in college. Visiting a state bhavan with them to munch on your favourite dishes is a must.

4. Studying/ Vacationing

For many outstation students, coming to Delhi for college also means a chance to explore a buzzing metropolis. With numerous monuments, shopping malls, restaurants and nightclubs, most weekends are usually always packed with plans. Whether it’s trying ice-paan in Connaught Place or shopping in Dilli Haat, there is always something new to try and some new place to visit. This is refreshing, as hometown sights have begun to grow on you over the years, and your eyes have wanted more.

5. Your First Hand experience enriches classroom discussions

Every time a topic related to your state pops up, you are always there to offer a realistic and regional opinion which would enrich the discussions as well. It is also a nice means of letting others know how people of your state think and what they believe in. No doubt whenever someone from your class or PG travels to your state for the first time, he/she comes to you for expert advice before the trip.

6. Being independent

Setting off to a new place to study obviously means taking charge of your own life. Starting small by learning how to cook or do your laundry, you also have to take charge of your finances and use them judiciously. For every scared parent with their “Delhi isn’t safe, beta” views, you also have to ensure your safety while trying to enjoy responsibly. Being independent brings forth your maturity and at the end of your DU tenure, most of you will definitely be Life Smart!
All in all, at the end of three years, you end up having two homes. Albeit only a three year stop for most outstation kids, Delhi will always feel like a welcoming abode filled with college memories.

Featured Image Credits: mhhmagazine.wordpress.com

Srivedant Kar

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Swareena Gurung

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Admissions 2016

DU Admissions: A closer look required?

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With Delhi University cutoffs set to take over newspaper headlines across the country, become the punch line of corny jokes and contribute significantly to the Internet meme industry as it does every year, one has to wonder what impact these sky-high cutoffs have on aspirants and students of the university alike. Do students in the eleventh and twelfth get driven with ambition to get that 98% or just simply throw in the towel and resort to private universities or foreign education if they can afford it? On the other hand do students on the other side of the cutoff look back on their time in DU and feel that all the hard work was worth it in the end or that DU has failed to meet their expectations on every note? The answers to both of these questions may be subjective but they do help one to decide whether DU is indeed the ‘number 1 university of the country’ as they used to so proudly declare on their official website, and is implied by their rising cutoffs every year.

With the exception of some, it is pretty well known that most of the colleges still promote an archaic era of education whether it is the outdated material they teach in certain courses or the state of their classrooms and campuses. Most colleges do not provide any exposure to students in terms of encouraging extra curricular activities, foreign exchange programs or research work but instead penalise them in Internal Assessments giving them a flat zero out of five for lack of attendance or not scheduling retests on any grounds whatsoever.

There are always students in DU who are seen in college once in a blue moon who cite these very reasons for hating college life and wishing they were elsewhere but every college society or friend circle has an equal (if not larger) number of individuals whose love for the university and pride to be a part of it increases every year. These optimists embrace the freedom given to them by joining new societies every year in order to explore different fields and develop their skill sets, set realistic expectations of what the education offers and as a result find themselves performing a lot better than others. The fact that they study in classes filled with school toppers and academic over-achievers further motivates these individuals to study harder and do better. Furthermore they constantly remind themselves of the brand value that the university and its colleges carry which is what causes them to believe that the hard work and effort they put in one, two or even three years ago was indeed worth it.

It is one thing to feel pride in being a part of the ‘number 1 University of the country’ but it is quite another matter when it comes to the university preparing its students for the challenges of life after college. It is important for the educationists behind DU to think more pragmatically in terms of how global and relevant an education is being provided to the students and how well-rounded the individual who passes out of DU after three years of college actually is. If that is achieved then more and more students will be motivated to work towards securing that 98% and the students who constantly criticise and complain about the system cannot deny that three years of DU did not have a positive impact on their growth and development as individuals.

 

Image credits: www.hindustantimes.com

Shraman Ghosh

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Admissions 2016

A Guide for Fuss-Free & Fun-Filled Pre-Admission Chills

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With the Delhi University admissions having begun, millions of students with their hopeful hearts and fearful mind sit glued to their computer screens, switching from one college website to another just to get a hint of the life they’re soon going to lead. Whether having seen nightmares or frequent fantasies, driven over by excitement or drowning anxiety, these are just a few common symptoms of a perfectly normal (at least until then) DU aspirant.

However, after the release of a first few cut-offs, while it may seem that the worst is over (and for a larger part, it is) there will still be one grueling hell of a final ride expecting you to climb on and roll with the punches. Now you can either succumb to the inevitable waves of stress and make it a bouncy one or with our help, transform it into an enjoyable and memorable admission process.

The More, The Merrier

To ease yourself from the hassles of running around the photocopy place, never, EVER forget to bring extra copies of all your official documents ranging from birth certificates, Class 10th and 12th mark sheets to passing, migration, provisional and character certificates. Carry ample amount of passport sized photographs (black and white or coloured) with essential stationary items like blue and black ball-pens, pencils, erasers, glue stick, paper clips and stapler with enough pins. Speaking of more, you might just really have to ‘speak a lot more’ to each other or others, so recharge your cell phone with extra balance to prevent missing out on anything.

Eat, Drink, Burp, Repeat

The fact is- you won’t really be given any special treatment out of sympathy or fall into the arms of some hot, single guy behind you in a Karan Johar styled romantic movie pose. If you faint out of exhaustion from standing in the queue for a long time, chances are you’ll have to go right back at the end of it and waste a few more hours again. Save yourself some trouble and keep yourself hydrated at all times by carrying adequate bottles of cold water or small juice cartons. Apply world’s favorite stress buster and satisfy your cravings with some biscuits, fruits or packets of chips which you shouldn’t think twice to bring along as well.

Look Chillin’ Like the Sun’s Foe

Don’t go all dressy. You’ll get plenty of opportunities to reveal the fashionista in you once college begins. Wearing heavy clothes or too many accessories will only add on to the excessive heat in your body, all thanks to the high humidity. Beat the summer heat and look stunningly cool by wearing loose-fitting clothes or those made out of cotton fabrics with colourful scarves (for girls) and funky hats (for guys), paired with your exceptionally unique glares to show off your college swag!

Take an adult or your most jugaadu friend with you

No matter how much you deny it, you cannot survive this alone. Even if you do make it out alive, you’re not going to enjoy it one bit without having one of your most supportive parents or your coolest friend around. An adult not only brings you a sense of warmth and care but also, a unique sense of safety and the feeling that despite hurdles, everything will be alright. If not them, bring along your most fun friend to keep you entertained throughout the process and who’d know exactly how to get things done quickly and swiftly without letting you get into any sort of trouble.

Party toh banti hai, bro!

Who doesn’t get irritated while roaming around the college premises for hours, losing/asking directions after every few minutes and moving from one slow queue to another? This coupled with the scorching summer heat of Delhi would only end up making you more irritated at the smallest and meaningless of things. When this happens, remember to take a deep breath and relax. Acknowledge where you are- at one of the best Universities of the country. Stop cribbing and start enjoying while you’re at it. Try everything- from the refreshing Banta to flavorful Chuskis and college specialities ranging from yummy Chhole Bhature to spicy Chowmein in canteens. Explore the nearby markets by doing some affordable shopping from campus street vendors. Click some selfies and make some memories. Most importantly, celebrate your admission because you deserve it. Be proud of where you are and what you have achieved!

Image Credits: www.flickr.com

Shagun Marwah

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