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The University of Delhi (DU) gives admission to students from not just India, but abroad as well. This article brings to you what international students feel about the University.

A lot of people talk about their perceptions of DU, but there is little mention of an international student’s perspective of the University. These are the students who have crossed miles just to be in a college of their choice. The motivation of coming to India for some is to experience cultural diversity, while for others is the ranking of the University.

After contacting a lot of students studying in various colleges of DU, belonging to countries all around the world, DU Beat found out about their mixed experiences. While some students praise the University for everything, others did not have their expectations met. What a student experiences might also depend on the college that they are studying in and the facilities they are provided with.

The problems that international students face are very different from the ones that the Indian students face. The issue of homesickness remains the most important issue. The fact that they do not find too many people belonging to the same place as them also becomes depressing at times. The language barrier also creates trouble. Culture differences constitute both advantage and disadvantage. While some people get to meet and be friends with people from different places and diverse cultural backgrounds, others feel excluded.

Naomie, a student at Miranda House shared her experience of being an international student. She said, “DU is a really good university and being a student at Miranda House has been very advantageous for me. I have seen a lot of professionalism here. The classes are well-arranged, and there are good teachers. Although, I was very scared in the beginning as I did not see many international students here. But, I have made many Indian friends here and have started feeling like home.”

She further added, “The administration staff is also very welcoming. However, I feel like not much is done for international students by the college. I haven’t seen any societies which involve international students. On events like freshers’ party, I have seen students dancing to the tune of Bollywood songs.”

Another student said, “In my college, a lot of professors deliver lectures mostly in Hindi which makes it very difficult for me. However, the University is good on an overall basis, but the language barrier is the biggest issue for me.”

Mohammad from the Gambia said, “My first experience in DU was that of cultural diversity. I met people and made friends from different cultures, different backgrounds, and different countries. when I joined the University, it was highly intriguing and fascinating for me to find people from such varied places and backgrounds.”

Another student from Kenya, Edwin Kipchirchir Kiptoo said, “After taking admission in DU, I have experienced meeting different types of friendly people and different type of Indian food. My best experience is being exposed to the vast cultural diversity among the students of the University.”

Thus, it can be said that the experiences of international students differ from person to person and college to college. The journey has its pros and cons. The inclusion of more and more international students is also important for making DU recognised globally. It is true that if the University wants to get more students from other countries, then it needs to start providing them with more and better facilities to make them feel included.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

 

Priya Chauhan.

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The adrenalin rush on the first day of college, to the jitters on the first day of fests, college gives you a taste of it all. But how different is the teacher-student equation in college from the equation in school? Let’s find out.

For most of us, the transition from school to colleges has been fascinating at the very least, as we learn to navigate through the freedom in the college corridors. After twelve years of getting discipline ingrained into every cell of our body, college sweeps in like fresh air. This evolution from schools to colleges impacts our relationships too- be it friendships, or teacher-student relationships. While our friendships also change as we enter the Delhi University (DU), there is a stark difference in the way our relationships build with professors in DU.

In schools, we were used to the everyday prayers and good morning greetings as soon as the teacher entered the class. In DU, though, the obligatory “good morning, ma’am/sir” rituals bid you farewell.

A prime characteristic of the teacher-student relationship in school life was the presence of this teachers’ pet, no matter the school or the subject. The child who would always butter up the teacher and volunteer for all the work (and who we all were secretly annoyed with) to get those extra two marks in exams. However, in college, barely any of that works. “Forget favouritism from professors, they teach and that’s it. That buttering doesn’t work here,” says Leha Biswas, a student at Lady Shri Ram College.

In schools, we always had this one teacher who would make it their mission to personally be updated with what is happening in their students’ lives. Through summons to the staff room to hushed conversations in the class, this teacher knew more about you than your classmates did. At the same time, you could somehow always count on them to get you out of those principal’s detentions. In college, though, the relationship cools down. “I have the coolest teachers, so we have a professor who would be leaving soon, we told him that we would miss him. His response was the best – “Oh come on, it’s too soon to miss me.”

We all were also very used to the teachers scolding us for not finishing our classwork, for not submitting our assignments, for not faring well in exams, for not being quiet in class, for not… you get the point! School was indeed a second home where sometimes the only right way to behave was how your superiors wanted you to. Coming to college did make us all realise it is okay to let go sometimes. Moreover, the professors don’t mind a few mass bunks, which was a sin back in school. Harsh Singh, a first-year student at Shri Ram College of Commerce said, “In just the first week of college we bunked a class, casually walked our way to Hudson lane for lunch! I guess this sounds quite normal, but for people coming fresh from school where all sorts of fire alarms would go off and the school would come charging at you with tear gas bombs, lasers, and tranquillising darts, even if you step out of your classroom in a free period, I must say that there is definitely some contrast here”.

Teachers at DU have an ornamented CV, jewelled with achievements and degrees. Well, it would be tough to generalise them, but, if you love your course then they would make you sing. Nevertheless, they would make you yawn as well! They don’t restrict you to be glued to your books – they want you to participate (but not too much!). They address every taboo for which you were shush-ed in school. They know that their students are adults and dialogues form a part eventually. Be it the menace of the education system or random talks, casual to heated discussions are pretty usual.

And let’s address the elephant in the room; they do know your craze for the much-awaited fests. And hold on for a second, brushing off the dust from books ten days before semester examinations, well that is not a secret, professors know that deal! The attendance fiasco, although, remains a challenge as getting their sympathy over Extra Curricular Activities is a hard nut to crack.

Where school provided comfort, college provides novelty. Nighat, a first-year student at  Aryabhatta College says, “In school, we were attached to the teachers on an emotional level. In college, we can relate to our professors on a spiritual level.”

Both relationships have their own charms. Familiarising ourselves with the new environment should not make us forget our roots. And as students, it is for us to cherish our school teachers and look forward to our college professors!

 

Feature Image Credits: Saubhagya Saxena for DU Beat

 

Priyanshi Banerjee

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Satviki Sanjay

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On Wednesday, 14th August, 2019, a 19-year-old young adult was arrested for killing a University of Delhi (DU) student, Shubham Srivastav, during a confrontation between them in a park at Patel Nagar, New Delhi.

The two had been fighting over the girlfriend of the accused.

The childish banter turned into gruesome murder as was revealed by Aman Soni in his police investigation. Soni got infuriated with the victim, also aged 19, had thrashed him, and then in an attempt to exact revenge, had stabbed him.

Shubham Srivastav, the victim, is a B.A. student in University of Delhi. He was reportedly in a romantic relationship with a girl from his tuition class, and both were not talking due to an argument between the two earlier, resulting in Srivastav not meeting the girl.

The dispute started when on Monday, a classmate saw Srivastav’s former girlfriend with Soni outside the tuition class, and informed him about it.  When Soni was investigated, he gave a chronological order of what motivated him to take such a dire step. He said that Srivastav came to him outside the tuition, along with his friends, and intimidated him. He showed Soni a photograph of himself and the girl, and warned him to stay away from her. This statement by the victim led to a quarrel between the two and later Shubham Srivastav and his friends, Shubham Gupta and Lokesh Aggarwal had allegedly thrashed him (Soni).

This brought up a sense of vengeance in Soni, and he was looking for an opportunity to take revenge. The next day, on Tuesday, Srivastav also confronted the girl with the photograph followed by an argument between both. This aggravated Soni more, when the girl informed him about how Srivastav had been acting with her.

It was then and there, that Soni made up his mind to end the dispute completely, unfortunately with the murder of Shubham Srivastav.

Aman Soni and his friends deceived Shubham Srivastav into coming to the Rock Garden park in Patel Nagar in the name of “resolving and sorting the issue”, for once and for all.

Victim’s friend, Shubham Gupta told the police that on Wednesday, the victim received a call from Aman Soni to meet him to resolve the issue, and Srivastav even asked Shubham Gupta and Lokesh Agarwal to accompany him. The trio found some people waiting for them in the park.

When Soni confronted Srivastav, they got into an argument during which Soni pulled out a knife and stabbed Srivastav in the chest. Soni’s friends then tried to intervene to save their  friend, however , they were also hindered by Aman’s friends, resulting in injuries being inflicted on them as well.

The victim fell unconscious on the floor of the park as the assailants left the park.

Lokesh Agarwal managed to drag his friends Gupta and Srivastav from the park onto an E-rickshaw and took them to BLK Hospital. While Srivastav died a few hours later, his injured friends are now being treated in Ram Manohar Lohiya hospital.

According to a senior officer, police received information about the scuffle around 9 pm on Tuesday, following which a team was dispatched to the spot.

“Srivastav was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and police are trying to nab the accused, who are absconding. The body has been sent to RML Hospital for autopsy,” the officer said.

On Wednesday night, cops traced the accused after Srivastav’s friends recorded their statements, blaming him for the attack. Police also recovered the CCTV footage from the area near the park, in which Soni can be seen fleeing with his friends. A search has been launched to nab Soni’s friends too. However, the police have found the murder weapon, the knife, used to stab Shubham Srivastav.

The grieved family is under shock and the father says that he wasn’t aware of any relationship that Shubham had.

With inputs from Times of India, India Today, and Press Trust of India.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

 

Chhavi Bahmba

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Studying at Delhi University is a dream for every Indian student.

Students from all parts of the country come together to spend some of the best years of their lives together, meet new people, and gain new-fangled experiences. While stepping out of the protected environment of your house brings a large number of perks, it brings with itself a plethora of problems too. Here are a few issues that every outstation student can relate to:
Home sickness

Nobody is the tough guy they imagined themselves to be. Yes, it is emotionally frustrating and sad to be away from home. This feeling escalates especially when you are sick and have no one to look after you. You may get an excellent friend circle to have all the fun with, but you wouldn’t be a part of the Sunday family dinners or your dog’s birthday celebration. Being away from family will always create a void that can’t be filled by anyone else.
The Real Homesickness: Awful food

The homesickness gets real when you eat your hostel/flat/PG food. No matter how fancy or exorbitantly priced your accommodation is, the milk will always going to be diluted and you will always breathe a sigh of sadness after looking at your dinner sabzi. This crisis may cause you to put your cooking and culinary skills to test. Time and again, you would come with ideas of opening a start-up to relieve your fellow comrades of this suffering.
Above all, you realise how good a cook your mom is.
Being perpetually broke

The cash always seems enough in the beginning of the month but you can never figure out where it all went in between. You realise what a brat you are, when after fulfilling the cost of your monthly basic necessities, you barely make both ends meet. Now your favourite biscuit packet which you wolfed down ungratefully at home is actually a fetched luxury! Nevertheless, this perpetual state of being broke will end up improving your bargaining skills. Being away from home, you learn the value of each hard-earned penny.
Sharing accommodations

Once upon a time, we all thought sharing rooms with our friends would be so cool. But, we never thought how overwhelming it could be. All the fights regarding splitting bills, AC temperatures, maintaining silence and sharing washrooms can get to you pretty quick, especially if you don’t have patience. Words like privacy and personal space seize to exist and all you crave for is a moment all by yourself in your room.
Trying to fit in

Every new small town student trying to adjust in the big metropolitan city knows how hostile Delhi can be sometimes. The commotion of vehicles, congested roads, travel time, and pollution levels are much worse in comparison to home. There is a constant fear of mispronouncing words, thanks to the accent your local language gave you, and not being aptly dressed according to the fashionable Delhiites. While this complex does surface time and again, you gradually realise your peers are more accepting and open than you thought them to be, and so is the cosmopolitan city of Delhi which will become your second home in no time.

Feature Image Credits: Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat.
Bhavika Behal
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The student community in the University of Delhi (DU) transcends state borders and every year welcomes lacs of students from all over the country. This dynamism has over time allowed rampant exploitation of students by political parties.

In one of the premier universities of India, every discipline teaches us to be more aware, opinionated and accepting. What no discipline teaches us is political correctness. Politics in DU is a facade of Red Ford Mustangs and bribery; an avenue for the rich. Money is power. If you are a returning wanderer to this political front of DU, well and good. But if you are another impulsive fresher, you need to be wary. For our sake of safety, I shall endeavor to advise you about the complexities of politics in DU.

Politics conventionally is supposed to represent concerns of the general public. But in recent times, politics has been attached with a more morbid connotation consisting of blame game and dark plays. In DU, the election season is around the corner. While the campaigns are yet to gain the requisite fervor, more apparent are the posters on Wall(s) of Democracy in North Campus. The misspelled names convey the message of the mystery related to the candidacy. As per the section in the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act 2007, such posters are unacceptable. Not only that, they are also punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which may amount to INR 50,000, or both. But laws are bothersome, why fret?

Expressing alarm over the momentum gained by caste politics, an Indian news and media website had stated, “The Political front is increasingly becoming the battle of Jats versus the Gujjars.” While the success of a student-party is attributed to the money it spends on polls, Independent candidates are generally beaten and downtrodden. According to the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, a candidate can spend up to INR 5,000 during polls. But it is known that during election campaigns, lavish parties and visits to water parks are funded while free movie tickets, pizzas, cosmetics, and alcohol are distributed to buy favors of the student voters. More desperate measures are not unheard of, as bribery takes the front seat. Justice is promised, not delivered. A platform for simulation becomes one that is stigmatised.

The Ramjas College incident of last year offers us lessons. Here are some ideas to guide you through the election season:

  • Stay cautious. Do not hesitate with your interactions, but be on your guard.
  • Do not fall for fancy promises. Judge the candidacy wisely.
  • Stay well-informed about the events happening around.
  • Practice diplomacy. Since your views are your own, express them. But learn to hold them back too (if need be).

Protests and campaigns will begin soon with the hurling of stones, soap-bars and blame on each other. Remain true to yourself. If you are intrigued by politics, seek some reliable guidance before you enter it. The ideas of sedition, nationalism and patriotism cannot be set for you by anyone. This independence day, break free from the unnecessary indulgence. Your will is your own, so long as you are true to yourself.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express

 

Kartik Chauhan

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The University of Delhi is a hub of opportunities for the ones who are willing to take the chances. 

In a recent release of a circular, the Dean of Academic Activities and Projects mentioned that from the upcoming session, students will be taken abroad on an educational international trip, fully funded by the University, and accompanied by professors.

The selection of students will be on the basis of an exam. Since it will be pan DU, undergraduate students from any course can apply. The exam will have elective subjects, English, and Logic. According to sources, if the students who have applied have previously worked on any research papers or projects, their selection chances are heightened. “We want our university scholars to get the best of the opportunities to explore places, find their passion, and work efficiently. This plan was proposed earlier but never managed to come into existence. We are now ready to cater to the students who have the will and the potential to become global leaders”, quoted the Dean of Planning, DU. The plan is to take the students out for international conferences, global summits, and organisational meets. Many colleges and universities abroad run student exchange programmes which are also to be accepted by DU. The students selected through the exams will be sent in the exchange programmes to universities like Yeshiva University, Columbia University, etc.

“Being a centralised government institution, Delhi University has achieved milestones and the students have never failed to bring glories to their beloved colleges in the name of DU. This will be another platform for the deserving candidates to showcase what they have learnt and discovered. We are hoping to hear about more such steps taken by the university” said the Principal of Lady Shri Ram College for Women. Shahjadi Rahman, a student of Zakir Husain Delhi College commented “This chance given to the students of DU will increase the prospects of acquiring practical knowledge, exposure, and experience – rewards of days of attending classes, taking notes, and studying. The skilled students will definitely get through it, and also have the most adept training for the future.” Few other students collectively said that this was not a good idea because there are students who may have potential but won’t be able to crack the selection exam. Mass participation is expected, but the students are wishing that the selection process be unbiased.

*Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is a humorous, light-hearted column that should only be appreciated and not accepted.

 

Feature Image Credits: Mecanica

Radhika Boruah
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The Union Budget for this fiscal year was announced on 1st February 2018. Here is a look at all the aspects concerning the student varsity of India.

Economists and critics have had their opinions about the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s last budget before the 2019 elections. Let us look at how education fared in Arun Jaitley’s last budget which mainly focuses on the agricultural sector.

1 lakh Crore will be invested in RISE (Revitalisating of Infrastructure and System of Education) till 2022 aiming to improve the state of quality education and infrastructure of such institutions. Similarly, Eklavya schools will be opened in areas of more than 50% tribal citizens. The real question is whether this money will be fully utilized in these missions or will the future generation of India still grapple with low standards of education in its government schools. According to studies, the quality of education in the already established government schools is abysmal and students often drop out.

18 autonomous Schools of Planning and Architecture will be made in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and National Institute of Technology (NIT) across the country. In the latest Prime Minister Fellows Scheme, 1000 B.Tech students of premier institutions will be selected to pursue their PhDs from IITs and IISs. They would be provided with handsome fellowships and be expected to teach in high schools for a couple of hours every week. This scheme would help scholars having  limited means improve their job and future prospects. A Railway University will also be set up at Vadodara, Gujarat.

12.56 Crore rupees have been allocated for scholarships for students with disability. Government teacher training will also be provided to improve the quality of education in government. schools. The focus and benefits for startups are likely to create more jobs in the economy.

The government’s decision to reduce Employees’ Provident Fund from 12% to 8% is not an intelligent move as it decreases the employee’s retirement money as well as interest that could have been earned. No focus has been paid to construction of more medical colleges and availability of easy student loans.

The budget is not inclusive of all students and does not benefit them equally. The students’ votes would depend on how well the government performed during these past four years overall and how well it helped boost our economy. The economy is a vital tool in the functioning of any country, considering the fact that approximately 50% of the population is below the age of 25, the economy must cater to students due to abundance in numbers.

Feature Image Credits: The Financial Express

Prachi Mehra

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New Year resolutions often end up being made with a lot of hope and promise, but end up being discarded about halfway through January.

New Year’s resolutions are very hard to keep. What starts off as an extension of the idealistic “New Year, New Me” ideas is then supposed to carry onto a whole year, which sounds just impractical. The idea that we can instantly, magically transform ourselves only at a particular time of the year defeats the purpose of self-improvement. Sure, for those who are able to accomplish these self-defined goals might see their value, but for most of the general population they seem unattainable.

Maybe, it has to do with the fact that the motivation for resolutions comes only once a year. After that initial push and flurry of excitement towards accomplishing a newly put forward goal wears off, we lack the motivation towards fulfilling that task. However, what must be understood is that instead of seeking constant motivation towards achieving something, we should instead look for discipline. On days when we don’t find the motivation to do things, we needn’t stop and hope for it to arrive by itself. We should continue preparation towards it constantly, even when we don’t feel like. So that, on the days we have the motivation, we are prepared to utilise it the best way possible. Even keeping realistic, easily achievable resolutions becomes difficult when we wait for things to just go our way. Instead, let’s work in a way so that we progress daily, little by little, by keeping our discipline, and not running after motivation. That way, we won’t need the push of “New Year, New Me” or other catchy slogans to remind ourselves of the fact that we hold the power to change, any time we want.

 

Feature Image Credits: Beyond Entertainment Blog

Rishika Singh
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Bingeing means having a period of excessive indulgence towards an activity. Today, the term is most frequently used in terms of eating and watching shows or movies continuously for a period of time. Let’s explore why we binge…

Till recently, the term “bingeing” had little use in daily life. It is psychologically associated with Binge eating disorder, where the patient eats excessively in order to cope with negative feelings. However, the word has gained currency after being used in the context of excessive T.V. watching, brought about by the rise of streaming services like Netflix.

T.V. shows that are downloaded via torrents or streamed, allow users to watch episodes without waiting another day or week. There is continuous consumption, much like with binge eating. But why does either take place? Or any kinds of excessive behaviour, like shopping needlessly? Bingeing takes place with activities like eating or watching a show one likes, which leads to happiness. This releases dopamine and serotonin, which are chemicals that result in a high feeling. By continuously watching a show or eating junk, there is a simulation of being joyous. Often, just as Binge eating disorder patients run towards food upon feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious, T.V. show watchers or compulsive shoppers run to their familial place of comfort upon the onslaught of negative emotions. Bingeing of any form is basically a kind of avoidance, a delusion of happiness. With easy access to T.V. shows, food delivery at our doorsteps, and the lack of restrictions for most of us encounter as we enter the supervision-lacking world of college, it comes down to us to develop self-control. While people generally report feeling happy while indulging in bingeing, the end of the whole episode (pun intend) leads to feelings of guilt and shame. Not just that, but overindulgence of anything is harmful to one’s physical and mental well-being.

It has been suggested that bingeing can be controlled by setting strict limits on consumption and getting better at self-monitoring. If you understand why you’re running to something and find out its root cause, then maybe you can work on eradicating the cause, rather than continuing on with the vicious cycle of bingeing and feeling low. It’s necessary to gain control because only that can save us from the attractive world of delusion.

 

Image Credits: Herb

Rishika Singh

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7:30 am:  My eyes open most reluctantly as the alarm goes off. I hit the ‘Snooze Button’ and pretend like it never even went off in the first place. I promptly go back to sleep.

8:15 am: My mother forces me to wake up by shaking me rather violently. I realise what time it is and panic for 2 minutes before I remind myself that I go through the same process every day, and hence have no reason to worry.

8:45 am: After getting ready quite hastily I drag myself to the Metro Station near my house and sleepily enter the Ladies’ Compartment.  I head off towards Noida where I’m interning this summer.

9:40 am: I finally reach the office and I’m only 10 minutes late. I make an expression like the ‘Not bad meme’ and sit down at my cubicle after greeting the other interns and my boss.

10:30 am: I’ve basically been going through a pile of paperwork and articles online, highlighting the information relevant to the project I’m supposed to research on. I look around to see what the other interns are up to and find all of them texting away at their phones. I pull my phone out to do the same.

11:15 am:  I feel (a little) guilty about being on my phone for such a long time and close all my chat and social networking site apps. I go through some more documents.

11:50 am: I decide to get myself a cup of coffee.

12:30 pm: Still going through documents and making entries in an Excel sheet. Lunch is just half an hour away, I realise happily.

1:00 pm:  Bring out the food! The interns and I head off to the canteen and sit at our usual table. The lunch thaali looks tasty today and we each buy one. Lunch hour is spent teasing each other and discussing trivial tales of our respective colleges. We also talk extensively of what would we would be doing right now if we were not interning – watching the latest movies and TV show seasons  are popular responses.

2:00 pm: Now that my stomach is full, I’m already feeling sleepy. My eyes threaten to close and my brain wants nothing more than to just doze off at the moment. But that is definitely not possible since the team has a meeting with the boss in about an hour.

2:45 pm: No one seems too pleased about the meeting. We’re all frantically finishing off our work and keeping an anxious eye on the clock.

3:30 pm: Well, I suppose it wasn’t that bad. In fact, the boss seemed happy with our progress! We spend the next hour brainstorming ideas on how to go about the next part of the project. I’m unusually alert right now.

3:50 pm: Time for another cup of coffee. Hmm, maybe some snacks too.

4:15 pm: Little more than hour to go.

4:30 pm: I strike up a conversation with the guy in the next cubicle about the latest Khaled Hosseini book. We both end up placing an order for it on Flipkart.

5:00 pm: I’m tempted to drink another cup of coffee but I manage to control myself by Googling ‘Health hazards of too much caffeine’ and convince myself that coffee is an evil addiction that must be curbed. For now, that is. I type out the weekly report I’m supposed to submit.

5:25 pm: I’m done with my work for the day but I can’t leave yet. I try to beat my Temple Run 2 high score-followed by Fruit Ninja and Paper Toss. I also list out all the things I’m going to buy with my stipend once I get it.

5:45 pm: FREEDOM AT LAST! I leave the building super-fast, as though I’ve been possessed by Flash’s spirit.

6:45 pm: I wake into my house, exhausted. I WhatsApp a few friends and sip some cold coffee.
Then I just lie down for a while. If nothing else, my internship has at least taught me to appreciate the beauty of coming back from a day’s work and doing absolutely…nothing!