The Hindu : New Delhi News : Course first, college second

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 03, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Course first, college second

THE ADMISSION season in the Capital officially gets going this Thursday, with Delhi University colleges accepting application forms for various courses from students. And between the rush for the forms and the confusion on the right mode of submission, the question that will probably continue to baffle students is the choice between the right college and right course.

The cut-off percentages of last year may be on every student's mind while applying, but students invariably end up applying to many colleges not because they want to get admission to a particular course but because being part of the `in' college is important. North Campus students may continue to be the ruling class of the Capital's campus, but they clearly no longer make for all the intelligent kids on the academic block.

Often ignored by students during admission time is the possibility of migration in the second year, a chance that allows them to gain entry into the college of their choice through a good performance in the first year. It may mean hard work in the first year of college - a not so popular habit to be inherited in this University - but offers bright students one more chance for a berth among the top colleges.

Almost all colleges, including the top ones, advise students to go for the course and not college, since a mistake in selecting the right course could mean a complete change in career opportunities. Remembering a classic case, Sri Venkateswara College Principal A.S.Reddy cites the example of Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal who topped the 1996 Civil Service Examination.

"He was not eligible for Economics (Honours) in our college and took admission in Motilal Nehru College in the first year. He scored brilliantly in his exams and migrated to our college in the second year and later went on to top the Civil Services Examination!'' While pointing out that if a student has the aptitude for a certain course he must go for it irrespective of the college, Dr. Reddy adds that ``the name of the college does help in a getting good placements later on, but those keen on a particular course or area should remember that they have the choice of migration as long as they are sure about the course.''

Sri Venkateswara College alone, incidentally, takes in seven to ten students in subjects like Economics with English, Physics and Electronics being some of the other courses that see a sizable number of migrations. Considering specialisation is the key word in education today, students who are in the fray this year would do good to keep the option of migration open when they finally decide on the first step towards a graduate degree.

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THURSDAY WILL also marks the launch of Delhi University's much talked about ICR forms that will be up for sale to give students the chance to apply to different colleges through a single centre as well as the first day of online admission process by net-savvy Delhi University colleges

Although many colleges like Ramjas, St. Stephen's and Kirori Mal claim a good response to their online admissions procedure, students are clearly not ready to completely rely on it. Many say the chance to visit the campus and get a feel of the colleges is unmatched. And though opportunity does ensure that outstation students can cut down on the number of rounds to colleges, most students continue to apply by both modes. Techno-savvy they may be, but when it comes to one of the most important decisions of their lives, traditional ways clearly continue to rule.

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FOR THOSE interested in pursuing a career in the media, the Gautam Nagar-based NRAI School of Mass Communication has now launched a new courses for Journalism and Mass Communication. This includes a Masters of Arts in Mass Communication and Bachelors of Journalism.

While the Masters course is a two-year-long one, the Bachelors' course offers the choice between a one-year course for graduates and a three-year course for school pass-outs.

Affiliated to Makhan Lal National University of Journalism, Bhopal, the courses will be available in both Hindi and English medium.

Lakshmi B. Ghosh

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