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Colours and bustle of campus life move online, DU colleges welcome students virtually
Unlike the other years, when the academic session would begin either by July or August, this year, classes for around 67,000 first-year undergraduate students will begin on November 18 – after a delay of nearly four months brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
Eighteen-year-old Srijani Datta, who was looking forward to experiencing Delhi University’s “thriving student culture” on the North Campus, is now preparing to sit in front of her laptop from November 18 to begin her first year of college under DU.
The teenager, who graduated from a private school in Vasant Kunj this year and will be pursuing an undergraduate (UG) degree in sociology at the Hindu College, has even bought a new top for the occasion. “But it will be a classic zoom meeting outfit-- I will be pairing them with old trousers,” said Datta, laughing.
“My friends and I used to go out for “college shopping” during our pre-board exams to de-stress. At that time, we had no idea that this was how we would be starting our college life,” she said.
Unlike the other years, when the academic session would begin either by July or August, this year, classes for around 67,000 first-year undergraduate students will begin on November 18 – after a delay of nearly four months brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. Even the board exams results got delayed and that meant the start of the new academic session was also impeded.
Since colleges are still closed to undergraduate students, most of the institutes such as Hindu College, Miranda House, St Stephen’s College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Ramjas College and others have opted for an online orientation process --- the new students will be introduced to the campus virtually.
Class representative elections, college society functions, and other activities, too, have been moved online. “Official and unofficial” WhatsApp groups have also been formed by students. During the orientation ceremony of Hindu College last week, students said they were “texting on the group” about various matters of interest, including which college societies had seemed more appealing.
“The whole experience wasn’t the same as sitting with classmates in the auditorium, but it was something. I wanted to get into DU and explore other parts of the city along with meeting new people and joining different societies or sports teams. But now, we know these can’t happen anytime soon. So while talking to my classmates who are not from Delhi, I tell them that the city is beautiful in February and we will have more fun if they get to join the college at that time,” said Datta. So far, the university has not made any plans to reopen colleges for UG students.
From the delay in board exam results to soaring DU cutoffs, followed by the lengthy admission process, the year of the pandemic was particularly difficult for young students transitioning from school to college, especially for those who had to change cities.
Varanasi resident Chitransh Srivastava, 18, who will be pursuing BA programme in Shivaji College, said many of his friends were not allowed to move to Delhi for their graduation due to the pandemic. “Their parents insisted on getting them admitted to local universities; so I don’t really have a support system in Delhi. We had been excited about coming to Delhi because the culture is completely different here. But now I am a little concerned. Our semester exams are scheduled to take place in March and we will need some offline classes before that to understand the exam culture. Even if we join in December or late January, we will not have enough time to easily adjust and study. ”
Vanisha Meena, 18, a resident of Kota who will be pursuing an English degree at St Stephen’s College, however, viewed it differently. “We are sad about missing out on campus life. Outstation students, especially female students, often want to move out of their homes and explore different things which shape their identity. But we are also gaining a new experience -- of getting to know people through online platforms first and then meeting them in person, whenever the college reopens.”
Students also said college societies are “reinventing themselves” and creating events that can be done virtually. These events also allow freshers to speak to students of all batches instead of just their classmates. “We often have zoom meetings in the evening where students talk about various contemporary issues -- politics or our writing. We do rant about missing out on campus life and exploring a new city. But at least we can rant together,” said Meena.
While St Stephen’s College conducted a communion service and online assembly through YouTube streaming links on Monday, Shri Ram College of Commerce will also conduct a three-level orientation programme for its students. Principal Simrit Kaur said, “Each section of students, comprising around 50-60 students, has two mentor teachers who can be approached for queries. They will also be introduced to societies, alumni, and teachers through virtual platforms. It is a difficult time and we are trying to smoothen the transition for students. We have also introduced them to our psychological and career counsellors who will remain available online.”
After the recent death by suicide of an undergraduate student from Lady Shri Ram College, principals are also making efforts to ensure freshers are not left without any support system in their first year of college.
Anju Shrivastava, principal of Hindu College, said, “We had our orientation day with freshers on November 11 and did a long session with the college counsellor. She talked to students about when they should seek counselling as it is important for students to identify when they or their friends need help. We have also formed groups of first-year students along with second- and third-year students and teachers as part of a peer mentoring system. That way, students can be more comfortable in posing their queries either to seniors or teachers about courses, books, or anything else regarding the college.”
