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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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DUB Speak

Money Matters: Budgeting your college expenditure

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For most of us, the first thing which comes to our mind in planning our four year stay in the capital is the budget. Even for those who already reside here, college is a huge turning point. What pesters us are the daily expenses because that is something within our domain. Since our parents are usually unaware of the daily requirements of a college student, we feel responsible for keeping our “pocket money” enough to sustain us and at the same time not act as a burden on our parents. Here is a quick look at how much college life and not education can cost you at Delhi University:

Accommodation
To begin with we must make our peace with the fact that studying out is expensive even if comfort isn’t our first priority. Most of the outstation students prefer privately owned PGs and hostels for that give them more freedom as also comfort. In North Campus, finding a high end PG which provides all the imaginable services is easy if you are ready to shell out 14000 to 20000 monthly. If you want to save up on this front then college hostels and even private PGs are available which will cost you maximum 10000 per month.

Travel and coaching classes
For students, travelling expenses are inevitable. Thanks to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited, you don’t need to spend an unreasonable amount for making a daily trip to your coaching centers or just “hanging out” with friends in cafes or movies, although I can’t promise you how much either movies or cafes or coaching centers might charge you. All you need is a metro card which is much more convenient than buying a token every time you travel, a 10% discount is an added benefit. Bus fares are fair with something between Rs. 5 -15 for Non-AC and Rs. 10-25 for an AC ride. One can also opt for an all route DTC pass that costs Rs. 100 for Non-A/C travel with student concession. For an all route A/C  DTC pass, you might have to shell out Rs. 1000. (Also see: Delhi University Colleges Metro routes)

Talking about coaching classes, some of the “elite” centers do charge exorbitantly but then they are “necessary evil” and you’ll rather want to pay more now than repent later.

Food
Food in either north or south campus is not an issue at all. College takes more than half of your day and naturally you can’t starve in that duration. There are uncountable food joints in and around the college campus which are not only delicious but also cheap. Bhel puri walas and Maggi stalls can be found in abundance, with the college canteen always being an option. If you care more about health then you can rely on fruits and juices as well.

On an average, with everything included you can expect to spend something between Rs. 100- 200 per day. If thinking about these expenses sends a chill down your spine, let me assure you that it’s not as bad as it sounds and you can always cut down on unnecessary expenditure. What you must care about now is enjoying these golden four years even if that means exceeding a little on your budget.

Image credit: freedigitalphotos.net

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Features

Delhi University at a Glance: Evolution of a Student

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First Year

First year in college is, as some already know and some of you will eventually get to know, unlike any other. You can feel it on your first day, when you realise that the first division your school was so proud of is shared by fifty other people in your class.
Also, unless you’re in Stephens’ or Miranda and the like, you can’t help but notice that your college is definitely less glossy than had been shown in the national daily. And hereon you know you’re on your way to busting a few good myths about college life by the end of the year. Your mind constantly oscillates between a “Look at me!” and “What next?” which in a few month boils down to “So this is how it’s really like? Gulp!” And don’t be surprised if you soon find yourself discussing philosophical nothings with your lecturers in class and on facebook alike.

First year is all about whirlwind evolution, where in one year you go from being a restless juvenile to being comfortable in your skin; the means to that end consisting of real workload, attendance blues, societies, new discoveries and meeting people from all spheres to teach you a new thing or two along the way.

Second Year

First year turns out to be a year of unexpected surprises, unmet expectations, new-found freedom and acclimatization to all of this. Come second year, everyone looks back at the year that was, and are proud of some things and regret some others. Everyone resolves that this year is going to be different. This year, we will study more. This year we will do something we should have done last year, for sure. And it turns out to be like one of those typical New Year Resolutions, made to be broken. So for a few days, things do look a little different, but then most people move down that slippery slope of first year.
Second year is still very different from first year in several ways. By this time, most people find their niche in their classes and in the college and become much more comfortable. Also, now you move up the pecking order as you become seniors and have juniors who can bossed around. It’s a big break from first year, when everyone is trying very hard to remember everyone’s name and at being amicable to everyone. People now approach you about advice on which college or course to choose, which subsidiary to opt for, which texts to follow; you know: the works.
It turns out, without exception, to be a whirlwind of a year. But before you know it, it’s over.

Third Year

Strike final year and you know your third year passes you by before you utter the word graduate. You suddenly realize how many unfinished things still remain to be ticked off your to-do list before college ends. It also means you barely find the time to complete it or study your course because you are too busy preparing for your entrances all year round. It’s a tough act to balance but you don’t have a choice because you know it’s your last year to pass off as a kid in a grown up’s body. And when reality hits a home run, you can’t help but wisen up.

Teachers become friends. Friends become teachers. Your increasing fondness for college makes you want to be more regular and you start missing it months before it’s actually over. It’s but natural, since the constant research on post graduation options, search for new universities, scholarship queries et al keeps you quite ahead of yourself.

You can’t help but wonder and be amazed at the magnitude of change and potential that has become a part of you in three years and this year helps you to channelise it all in the right direction. And when it is almost over and everyone has bid farewell, you know that college was never just about a degree. It was about growing up and facing life head on. And you learnt it all here in these three years of college.

–
Devika Dutt and Kritika Kushwaha

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