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More than a piece of Plastic: Your ID Card

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Today morning, as I was walking past my college gate, a rusty structure with some green shades- the security guard threw an odd look towards me. Both of us knew what he was thinking and what his look asked for. I took out my purse and showed him something to which he responded with a deep smile and waved his hands signaling me to go ahead. The thing that I showed him was a card with a deep blue head border with the logo of Delhi University, made up of hard plastic. Identity card, as it is popularly known has turned into something very basic to every student across the country. It is regarded as something not so important in a student life, but the trivial role it plays in everyone’s life is something worth discussing about. Some students hang it around their necks as if a piece of valor. Then there are those like me, who store it in a purse like a currency note. There are some who go forward to pin the cards in their belts as well.

The same day, our teacher reminded us about a test that was going to take place the next week. One of my friends then realised that he had to borrow some books from the library and had to regret as he hadn’t brought his Identity card with him. In the college campus, I-cards play a very important role from letting students within the college campus to accessing books in the college library. Even the college Wi-Fi form mentions, ‘Attach a photocopy of your college I-Card with the form.’ They have the power to win you freebies if you possess them during an election day. Every DU student realizes their power while getting entry into a popular college fest.

Outside the college campus, they come to your aid while claiming great student discounts after a wholesome meal at various restaurants. Be it a bulk photocopy or an entry in one of the parties with student discounts, your I-Cards are always there to your rescue.

For all the years anyone spends in a college or in a university, his/her I-Card remains an integral part of his/her life. After passing out from college, the same I-card that was was once used to enter into the college campus turns into a souvenir. It turns into a piece of memory that all of us would be carrying. The memory of all the fun that we did with our classmates, the fun of bunking a class and the fun of enjoying a new recipe every weekend at different restaurants and then claiming a student discount with our I-cards.

Next time you look at that little piece of hard plastic, remember it’s small contributions to make your student life better.

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

If you are not making mistakes, you are not doing it right

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Having entered the final year of college life makes me feel old and lazy. Everyday is a new reflection yet the drudgery of the daily chores never seems to leave us, does it? While on one hand, it feels as if life is circling around the same metro stations, the same college canteen hangout spots, the never ending boredom of group projects, but, on the other hand, a constant thought of this time soon coming to an end strikes hard. This time has come as a strong realisation that I have just one more year to make mistakes, without being judged and you know what, one should utilise this time in making as many mistakes as possible. Let me explain you why.

Life will be unfair to you at so many junctures that you might want to give up, but don’t. Instead, fall, get bruised by the realities of life and continue playing the game of life. There will be times when you’ll question your choices, your decisions or even yourself, but that’s the beauty of inquisition. The mortal homo sapien never gets satisfied easily, so questioning is normal.

After breaking the cocoon of school life, when a young adult enters college, hopes are high and sky is the limit, but overtime, litmus tests come one after another, some sweet some bitter, but both equally important for the recipe called experience. Make your life notes, take things as they come and never hesitate to fall. If you never fall, how will you ever know if it hurts or not? Gather the courage and tread the road not taken, whether it is taking an important life decision or just a simple day to day function, try the unconventional and put the hesitation aside. Sometimes, the ache of sitting and waiting for things to happen to you is more than the pain caused from falling down, so be wise.

To quote the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’ by John Keats, “Some shape of beauty moves away the pall, From our dark spirits”, that is, there is beauty everywhere but the beauty of the inner soul is supreme, and that removes the pall of all negativity, therefore, strive for it and you’ll succeed.

I read somewhere, “If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room”, and this statement left an indelible imprint on my mind. All of us are in different rooms on this earth, but our address is never permanent. There is always scope for change and that’s what the room of life is all about- the unavoidable phenomenon called change. So let us work at changing our ideological addresses. For it is the fear of falling that makes us run harder, but this time, don’t run to win.

Riya Chhibber
[email protected]

Image Credits: pixhome.blogspot.com

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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

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
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

An Out-Stationed Fresher’s Guide to the ‘Unfamiliar’ Phase

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The definition of college life is almost different for all out-stationed students. While the unfamiliar path seems challenging and exciting, at the same time, a feeling of constant anxiety paves the way for confusion. Amidst the tiresome admission process, there’s a sudden realization that a completely distinct world awaits us for good. Thus, given below is a guide to help you step effectively out of your comfort zone, while preparing you for the same: 

1. Prepare yourself mentally

Not only school is over, but so is the ease and comfort of staying at home, pampered by the affection of your family members. Prepare your mind to accept the fact that life’s going to be different, in both good ways and bad. While you’ll no longer get to see your family everyday or get organized facilities exactly on time, you’ll get a chance to explore your being. Remember not to expect much out of the upcoming stage, yet be open enough to try, learn and develop new things.

2. Find a suitable accommodation

While you’re away from your loved ones, your new and temporary accommodation becomes your second home. Eventually, the roommates or new friends that you make prove to be your new family away from home. Be it a hostel, PG accommodation or rented flat, remember to choose wisely. Atmosphere matters more than space. The ambience should be secure, positive and welcoming, so that you don’t feel out of place at any point of time.

3. Pack wisely

One of the most important steps is to efficiently choose the most apt resources. Frequently used fancy stuff may lure you to an extent, but remember to carry only the important clothes, gadgets, utensils and equipment. Be extremely selective while analyzing your necessities. This will help reduce the weight of the luggage carried and also make your room seem less crowded. Casual clothing, basic gadgets and equipment should work well in this case.

4. Explore and Interact

This new life brings along with it a lot of freedom. It’s imperative to use it in a way that helps you develop. While you’re in a completely new place, free from old mistakes and judgments, give yourself another chance to do everything you wanted to. College is a perfect platform for showcasing and enhancing your skills. Initiate conversations with new friends and participate in the activities that interest you, as it will only help you achieve more confidence. Also, explore the places around and keep essential and day to day contacts handy. You’ll have ample time to discover places of necessity as well as those of enjoyment. Utilize it to the fullest.

5. Learn to adjust

The most important step is of learning how to settle and get used to the unfamiliar environment. Staying alone may seem to be hard at times, but is essential for your progress. There might be days when you would want to run back home, but it won’t last long. Be prepared for few penniless days, unexpected adventures and lifelong lessons. Patience and adjustment is the key to make these three years of your graduation the best ones in life!

Image Credits: www.thehindu.in

Lovleen Kaur

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Busted: The truth about life in college

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As rosy as the picture may seem, college life isn’t all about bunking, sleeping or partying. For all 12th grade graduates who are looking forward to this enthralling college life, here’s something to burst your bubble. Movies have painted a very misguiding image about college life where it seems to be just about  hanging out in canteens, going out with friends or sleeping if there’s nothing better to do. And since we believe that you have the right to know what it actually is like, we bring to you the truth about the much-hyped and much talked about life in college:

1. Studies don’t matter a bit!

This. Is. Not. True. There’s no more or no less to add to it. Whether you’ve enrolled yourself in an arts or science course, studies do need to stand in your priority list. Sadly, the fact is that competition doesn’t cease to exist in college either. So one does need to be in the game to sail through. Though whether you do these studies throughout the semester or towards the end is another issue (and choice) all together.

2. Bunk college, nobody is going to care.

Well, guess what, you’re going to care immensely when you’re required to sign a monetary bond in case of your attendance being short. Certain colleges are no less strict than schools when it comes to attendance. So, the next time you plan to bunk college to catch a movie or go out to your favourite restaurant with your friends, think about the money you’ll have to let go of towards the end of the semester.

3. Girls’ colleges and the stigmas attached

Okay, let’s get it straight. Girls’ colleges are no unending Lakmé Fashion Weeks. No, girls don’t dress up to colleges; no, there are no cat-fights and no, they definitely are no boring places with gossiping girls all around. Quite honestly, girls’ colleges are as fun as co-educational ones; with equal opportunities and avenues. One can witness girls in all sorts of apparels- from pyjamas to dresses. (Get over this myth, please!)

4. You’re all grown up and have it all figured out.

Apart from all the fun college has to offer, there certainly are times wherein you miss being younger. Taking decisions independently, working out your finances on your own (there are going to be lots of debts) and the idea of living alone does intimidate one. It’s natural to mess up a bit in the beginning but one does figure it all out eventually. You do grow up through the course of college.

5. The crowd college has to offer

It’s very easy to adjust; given that everyone is new, everyone is in the same boat as you are. You’re likely to meet multiple people before you belong yourself to that one group. With this, college has a very vibrant and dynamic cultural life to offer wherein you meet people from all across the country. So no, there are no snobs. People are quite friendly on the other hand! Also, since everyone is trying to fit in, there’s a rare chance for you to find that ‘someone’ within a few months of joining college. Try to not look, in fact. You’re likely to have better chances then!

No matter what anyone says, college life is genuinely the best time of one’s life. Explore your possibilities and opportunities. You’ll go places. And even though it may seem than college has no rules at all, there certainly are a few which one should adhere too. Also, things might go a little rough on your pockets at times, but friends are the best debtors after all, aren’t they?

Feature image: campus.ie

Arushi Pathak

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Life after school : The nitty gritty of college life

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After 14 yrs of schooling, every student hallucinates about a fanciful college life, full of fun and frolic! While the transition from being a school kid to a college goer is an indescribable experience, however, just like a mountain, this experience has its own peaks and valleys. Read along as we try to give words to this adventurous expedition by taking a timely peek-a-boo into the reality of college life.

The new found freedom

Before delving deep into the realities of the adult world, give yourself a pat on the back for surviving the laborious journey of schooling in a regressive system of education in India. Having aced this long yet memorable journey, you are now set to embark upon a completely unprecedented ride of college life. From fantasies of having a hike in pocket money, travelling alone, living in a new city to the far-fetched ideas of trying all sorts of whacky things and making lots of friends, college opens a pandora’s box for a student. The month of May becomes that time of the year where every 12thie realises that they were living without good clothes all this while and urgently need a wardrobe makeover. Hopes of finding the perfect match/true love for oneself too becomes a priority. The ‘college main sab chalta hai’ ideology keeps a student busy in his or her little bubble. But honestly, all play and no work is a mantra that sadly doesn’t work in college.

Within no time you’ll start cribbing about how the metro is so crowded and it has become your second home as you end up spending a crucial amount of time, each day, in commuting from home to college and vise-versa. The idea of going to new places every time also goes out of the window as you realise you don’t have money by the end of the month. The myth that college is an easy road is broken the moment you have to sign a bond for short attendance and also face the wrath of the teachers who give you nothing but sadistic looks.

Image credits: eljtheelf.deviantart.com
Image credits: eljtheelf.deviantart.com

The struggle and rise of the ‘Relatives’

If you think CBSE result is the last time you’ll see the rise of the relatives, you are mistaken my friend. After witnessing a gamut of emotions from elation to dejection during college admissions, relatives leave no stones unturned to unlock the next level of ‘intrusive behavior’ as their new jingle becomes ‘Iske baad age kya plan hai?’. We talked to a few students from some off-beat courses to know more.

Gairik Ghosh from Institute of Hotel Management, Ahmedabad, who is now specialising in Food Production told us, “I had frankly told my parents that I won’t be able to excel in any regular course and I won’t be able to do justice to any random course they choose for me. Cooking is what I like and I told them about the same. I had to make them understand that this field was promising enough. It was tough, but I ended up doing what I like best.”

Yamini Gupta, who is pursuing Music Honours from Miranda House College too has a similar story to share as she says, “I wanted to do something in music since the very beginning while my family wanted me to opt for a conventional course. It is sad when I have to explain to my friends and relatives that the course I am enrolled in is different and not an easy one and unlike them, during our exams and practicals, we can’t even cheat! Relatives have always been quick to question the scope of my course, what papers do I have and what benefits I’ll derive from such a degree after 3 yrs, but I am happy and content with what I have as this is what I wanted to pursue.”

 

Image credits: twitter.com
Image credits: twitter.com

College life : Level unlocked, you may resume play! 

After being through a regimented system of schooling, college life does end up making you look like a lost puppy in the initial days. Unaware of the nuances of college life, you’ll take weeks to figure out how to read your time table and end up chilling the entire semester until you realise that you have exams to give in the month of November! It won’t be long once you start liking memes on Facebook about how you love your sleep and hate getting up for morning lectures. Friendships too don’t last longer than any GoT character, unless you are lucky enough to find people who stick by you through thick and thin. There also comes a time when you realise how you’ve become a guinea pig to DU’s experiments and why the world is at Sharda University after all!

 

Image credits: www.pinterest.com
Image credits: www.pinterest.com

Somewhere between making plans to hang out with friends to sleep becoming your best friend, college life happens. It teaches you patience, perseverance and that you’ll be judged by anybody and everybody. It is a whole new experience that no other place can offer. So shed all the inhibitions, believe in yourself and remember, in the real world, toil never ends.

 

Feature image credits: forums.soompi.com  

Riya Chhibber

[email protected] 

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DUB Speak

Experience of a second year student on being halfway through college

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There always comes a time when amidst all the good and bad college experiences strikes a dooming realisation that you’re already half way through college. When the beginning seems just close but the end also doesn’t seem far away. When you know you’ve learned so much but there’s still so much more to come your way. With graduation pressure knocking at your door and real responsibilities hitting your mind, I feel that sophomore year is the most crucial phase of one’s journey of college.

Flashing back to the freshmen year, expectations were on peak and hopes were too high. New friends, independent life, amazing opportunities and unlimited exposure among other hopes crashed to an indefinite limit while I struggled to cope up with the changing time and a completely new place. That’s when reality struck and acceptance occured. I realised that things aren’t as fancy and appealing as they seemed when I first entered college. And today, when I spend time recollecting my experiences I feel that there’s so much more to college than its luring image I had initially set in my mind. I realised that smart studying fetches more marks than studying each day. I realised that college does provide exposure, but with a lot of struggle and conditions attached. The expectation of doing ‘everything’ possible has eventually transformed into an attempt of doing ‘somethings’ in a satisfactory way and each day, I’m gearing up for more such lessons.

Now that the shapeless energies of the first year have moulded into a more experienced form, its easier to deal with challenges. From time management to comfort and consistency, sophomore year unavoidably has its fair share of boons. As the end is close, and the decisions to be made are quite intense, I’m filled with mixed feelings of nostalgia and anxiety. But somewhere between gruelling nights and stressful days, I’ve now realised that may be I don’t want time to fly so fast. College definitely has something different in store for each year, and making the best of it is all that will count at the end.

 

Lovleen Kaur

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Third year blues: Where did these three years go?

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It’s the third year of college, with the last few days left. It’s the time when you are flooded with questions like, “So what are you doing after college” or “Placements ho gayi”?  Days fly by and you still can’t seem to find  an answer to such questions.


This is how college life goes. You enter first year, with ideas afresh and goals set. Second year comes with rejections, low marks and assignment deadlines. By third year, all you care about is getting your favourite spot in the canteen or in deciding how to maximize your enjoyment constraint to the attendance limits.


College, college, college. Where did these three years go? Did it go in practicing in ECA for the upcoming college fests? Did it go in deciding how to study ‘smartly’ for the exam? Did it go in waiting for magi in the Nescafe rush? Did it go in waiting for maggi to come back? Did it go in helping a friend get over a bad break-up? Did it go in the DUSU election buzz? Did it go in planning late night parties in Hauz Khas or did it go in deciding where to buy booze from? Did it go in copying assignments or running behind teachers for attendance woes? College happened and all of this happened too.


It’s strange how everything seems to have ended so fast. It still feels like 2013 when all of us were busy checking cut-offs, rushing to Delhi, standing in those long queues for submitting the fees. It still feels like yesterday when adjusting in a new city and environment seemed like the toughest task ever. It still feels like the time when managing your own budget made you seem like an adult.


There’s a lot of nostalgia but you are forced to look forward. To decide what to do,  where and why to go.  Take a step back before you get a panic attack. Everything will be fine like it always was. You’ve got to decide your future but you don’t have to lose your mind. Didn’t your favourite actor AKA SRK once say, “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.”  You are still left to do wonders which you will. You just have to be a little more organized.  And hey, in these last few days, enjoy a little more. Laugh a little harder because soon this would be history.
Ishita Sharma

[email protected]

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DUB News

A platform by Delhi University for its students to seek free counselling via email/telephone

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College life is often described as the best phase of life. But each student faces several problems in college. Delhi University has finally decided to pay heed to this issue. The Mind Body Centre of the University has launched free student counselling through email/telephone to help students cope with issues such as low self-esteem, family discord, anxiety, etc. MBC is a centre inaugurated on 13th February 2014 by the Vice-Chancellor of DU, Prof. Dinesh Singh with the objective of promoting wellness of girl students at the University. With its budding popularity and a need for expansion, its services can now be availed by all the students of the University. It is moving forward with the motto, ‘Health beyond Healthcare’.

And in order to seek help, there are three ways- phone-based, email-based and face-to-face counselling. For the phone based counselling, the toll free number is 1800-3000-7303. One may also seek their expertise by dropping in an email at [email protected]. Face-to-face counselling is only available for female students.

For further details one can log in on www.mbc.du.ac.in and get a better view of the assistance the centre can provide you with.

Image Credits- MBC’s official website

Nishita Agarwa

[email protected]

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