Andhra Pradesh   

First day in college

Shubhra Tandon

EducationPlus Freshers have an opinion about everything -- from campus atmosphere to ragging to Hyderabad. Osmania University is apparently brimming with ideas... and ideals.

NEW BATCH: Students are all set to ride the wave of a new phase in their education. — Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Welcome! That seems to be the mood in Osmania University where admissions for postgraduate courses are already over. Colourful banners, green lawns and the alma mater for many are all set to receive yet another generation of budding scholars, administrators, economists etc. The good old campus is brimming with the excitement of students coming to a big city for the first time. They have lots to share from tough competition, facilities at the university, college environment, ragging to their opinions on Hyderabad.

Sudha from Nalgonda district has taken admission in MA English and finds the `city culture' different. "Here anywhere you have to go, you have buses. Communication skills are good. There is knowledge and learning here, you have computers, jobs..." her list doesn't seem to end. Sudha aspires to be a college lecturer and took 15 days' guidance before the entrance exam for the course.

`Nice and developing'

Most students coming from rural areas share the same opinion. C.H. Gnanadev, an MA Philosophy student, has come to Hyderabad for the first time and finds the city `nice and developing.' He belongs to Adilabad district and finds his experience an eye-opener. "You get to know here what competition is, when you have to compete with so many other people. You know how to study," he added. "Settled aur well-settled ka difference yahan pata chalta hain," (You get to know the difference between settled and well-settled once you are in Hyderabad) said Gnanadev with a smile.

While there are girls like Sudha who came all alone to seek admission from Nalgonda, there are girls like Vijyalakshmi and Arundhati from Hyderabad who describe their first experience of studying in a co-education college as difficult. Both from MA Public Administration course want to go for Civil Services and "provide service to the community."

Not for the money

Ask her what makes them choose a PG course, when most of their counterparts are going for professional courses and Arundhati replies, "We are not looking only for money. There is no time to pursue your hobbies if you are a doctor or an engineer."

However there are also some who had to give up the opportunity due to lack of funds. Some students, particularly from the science stream feel core sciences would be in great demand in future and they open up scope for research. "I wanted to pursue my line of interest rather than my parents' line of interst," said a student.

Bracing up for ragging

Beginning of a new session and no ragging? Well, freshers have fastened their belts for that too. "I am not afraid of ragging," said a MSc Computer Science student on condition of anonymity. Rajni Rai, MSc Physics student who hails from Uttar Pradesh smirks, "My seniors have asked me to give my full introduction in Telugu. Nothing to worry, I will ask my friend to write it for me in English."

But teachers feel ragging on the campus is minimal and not as in professional colleges like engineering or medicine.

The influence of student unions is quite strong on the seniors and as a policy none of them rag juniors. "This is one healthy sign on the OU campus," says a senior professor.

Might sound very `filmy' but the verbal duels between boys and girls are a common campus feature. While boys choose to be diplomatic about girls, there are girls who find boys to be `dumb.' "They are nothing compared to boys from north (India)," giggles a first year student.

As the campus activity picks up in full swing and more students start pouring in, we hope that all of them have a joyous and fun-filled academic year.

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