Status update... - Hindustan Times
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Status update...

Hindustan Times | ByVritti Gandhi, New Delhi
Jul 09, 2013 03:16 PM IST

With the University of Delhi declaring the second and the third cut-offs, different aspirants are stationed on different platforms, while some have already made it to their destination. In today’s edition, the campus journalists reveal their present status and their stand on the admission process.

Amidst all the havoc caused by the horrifying first cut-off list was declared the second list by the Delhi University which, many hoped, would rescue them from their bouts of despair. But did it?

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With the first list displaying exceptionally high cut-offs, even a whopping 97% was not enough for students to be admitted into a college of their liking. Let alone a decent 94 or 95. Moreover, with CJET scrapped off and admissions depending solely on the board results, the first list was a huge blow for those interested in pursuing journalism. Consequently, many resorted to social networking sites to vent their angst. Nevertheless, no hope was lost before the disclosure of the second list, wherein a pragmatic dip was expected. This too, however, proved to be a downer for some with colleges bringing down the cut-off by 0.5 or 0.25 percentages, or even closing down the admission for courses such as political science. Soon, the third list was made public (and by the time you read, so will be the fourth).

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Coming back to the present — most of us have now decided upon a college, a course and have been admitted. We still ponder though: Is it worth it? Admission to a decent college in the University of Delhi (DU) is perhaps harder than getting a ticket to the moon! Or at least that is how difficult it has become, what with the sky-high cut-offs year after year. The cause behind its shooting up this year, some believe, could be the new admission process which requires the aspirants to fill up a course of their choice in the common OMR form rather than going to different colleges, the consequence of which is the huge number of applications received by all the colleges. Perhaps this is one drawback of this new process.

In today’s edition, the campus journalists talk about their present status and the road that led them here. Criss-crossing and jumping over the various hurdles, some have made it to Hindu, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Kamala Nehru or a varsity in a foreign land. Some are still searching, hoping to find what is it that they are destined to do. As they pen down what they feel and where they stand, we hope that you, our readers, can relate to their status quo.

Kritika Narula, having secured admission through the second list in a decent college in the varsity, still confronts a dilemma that the third list has thrown her way and is now ‘spoilt for choice’. She might ultimately land up in Indraprastha college for women, for which she is all praises. Tarana Faroqi and Jasmine Bhalla, like so many other aspirants, are on the campus rounds, visiting colleges and competing in their extra-curricular activities trials. We have our fingers crossed for them! And then there is Ummang Sharma Bajpai who is now officially a Hindu student, but points out how the flaws in the admission process persist. Premanshu Tripathi is still on the lookout, exploring options. Geetika Ahuja is now a proud student of LSR and excitedly looks forward to starting with college. Chaudhary Ali, on the other hand, has none of this to face, what with having secured admission in a university in Japan. Yet, he empathizes. And then there’s me, Vritti Gandhi. Having got myself a seat in SRCC, I talk about the same.

In today’s world, where competition in every field is immense, maybe we can find solace in the fact that we still have a long way to go, to explore ourselves further and that our lives do not end after these four years. So let’s all perk up and get ready to head forward wherever the road leads us. Because at the end of every tunnel, no matter how long it might seem to stretch, there is always a shining light.

Editor’s list

It was deja vu, sitting in the same office, the same attire, convening the edit meet

1. Setting up the edit meet
This week was a difficult one. What with the ongoing admissions and everyone rushing off to DU every other day, fixing a suitable date was indeed hard. We took to WhatsApp to debate upon the timings. But I got to chair the meeting!

2. Theme of the week
After racking our brains for almost an hour and grieving over the soaring cut-offs, we came up with status quo, wherein we let the readers know about our current status and what, we think, are the flaws of the admission process (if any)

3. Tasks set out
Asking the CJs to figure out their present status, stuffing up food from the Hindustan Times canteen and ordering timely submission of articles and updation of blogs, consequently turning into an insomniac of sorts

4. The most disciplined journo
The most disciplined journo has to be Jasmine, closely beating Tarana and Kritika by submitting her write up a mere half hour before the other two. The others were not far behind, handing in their articles right before the deadline

5. Work I did this week
Setting deadlines, setting up a time for the edit meet, begging my fellow CJs to submit their write-ups, pestering them every other day, and still more pestering. And oh! Editing the articles as the clock struck 12 at night

6. ...and next week’s editor is
Premanshu Tripathi, telling us to pack up our bags and get ready to venture ahead, now that we are a step closer to a new phase of our life

Vritti Gandhi, Holy Child Auxilium School

Having missed out on getting admission into SRCC through the first list by a mark, I secured a seat in Hans Raj College, all the while hoping that SRCC would come out with a second list for economics (hons). And surprisingly, it did. However, before its disclosure, losing out by one mark sure felt disappointing. But that’s all past now. The entire process has had many aspirants pop up anti-depression pills.Nonetheless, most of us have, by now, successfully been admitted into a college. It’s college life for us now. And no matter how scary this entire process has been, maybe it was all worth it. We all have something to look forward to. Our transition from school students to college goers is almost complete. So to all the readers, hearty congratulations and all the best for your future endeavours!

Premanshu Tripathi, Kendriya Vidyalaya, JNU

As I had already mentioned in my last article, cut-offs are extravaganza for the spectacular entertainment it provides. Like there are sequels to movies and serials, DU also announces sequel to its first cut-off. The first list brought a seismic shockwave among students, touching the skies. And the marks were no rocket to get through these soaring cut-offs. However, when DU announced its second cut-off, students heaved a sigh a relief as, in most of the colleges, there was a big dip in cut-offs and it dipped as low as 18% in a college for some course. Talking about myself, I am an average student and was not looking forward to getting into a college through the first cut-off much. But the dip in second list got my hopes going and I got few good colleges my way. I am still exploring other options, though

Kritika Narula, St Margaret Senior Secondary School

My status quo is a cliff-hanger. Having been a meritorious student all throughout my school life (no exaggeration intended), I never imagined that one day I would be striving to get into a decent college. After toiling hard for so many years, scoring 95 above without tuitions, you land up nowhere near to the college of your choice. That was my condition after the second cut-off list was announced. I secured admission in a reputable college, albeit off-campus. Just as I was beginning to adore the college for, inter alia, the management, infrastructure, library, the third cut-off list handed me a dilemma. One of the colleges offers me the best subject combinations I might ever wish for. I have chosen the course over college, I might go for the new choice. But, until then the suspense continues

Ummang Sharma Bajpai, The Indian School

I’ve heard a lot about this college, seen its pictures and I know that it’s one of the best colleges in Delhi. Now that I’m a part of the Hindu College, all of that suddenly comes into one frame. All the hard work paid off — the Boards’ preparation, the standing in that queue for admission, missing out on the CJs’ meeting, the countless minutes of hanging in mid-air wondering where I’ll go for college. Yet, I’m critical of the admission process. As we wait for the dust to settle, many of my friends are still confused. I believe that a lot of mayhem that has been happening could have been avoided if these processes were shifted online completely. I hope the students next year have a more systematic method of admissions, and also have access to help lines that actually work! But for me, status quo is excitement!

Geetika Ahuja, Summer Fields School

‘There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyages of their life are bound up in sorrows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves or lose our ventures’ said William Shakespeare and is the quintessence of how we all are feeling right now. While most of us find ourselves precariously perched, this is not the time to wallow in self pity but to reach out and grab whatever life throws our way. Having lost all hope of making it into LSR, it was pretty unbelievable when I found my mom jumping with joy at the stroke of 12, glee writ large on her face after seeing the cut-off. Having got the course and college of my choice, I really couldn’t have asked for more. Yes, dreams do come true

Jasmine Bhalla, St Thomas’ School

Another round of the admission process commences. Some had to change the course of their career paths, while for some it was a smooth ride. I have received countless setbacks along the way. However, I always knew what my true calling was. I don’t mind pursuing English honours or journalism despite being a commerce student (not the perfect combination for a number of prestigious institutions). The impending ECA results and cut-off lists offer some hope. If there is one thing I learned this past week, it’s that sometimes you get dealt a hard hand in life. But what we fail to realize is that this might just be for the best. So let’s wipe out that frown and make way for better things to fall into place!

Chaudhary Ali Mardan Khan, DPS, Indirapuram

The admission process certainly resembles a war. Listening to an account of a DU Admission survivor and victor, who stood in the scorching sun amidst hundreds of others, just to pay the college fees, is enough to laud his fortitude. And now, with the new cut-off list, he might have to go through the same process, again! Find a flaw here, anyone? DU offers the most sought after colleges in the country. Sanity says collecting fees and verifying documents physically, in this age of technology is a humungous, exasperating task. Also, with numbers of applicants vaulting each year, I am sure this flaw certainly needs to be rectified. Lest, DU wants to combine the success stories of warriors in this Great Admission War

Tarana Faroqi, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya

Before the first cut-off was out, my hopes were low. However, I got history and philosophy in most colleges after the list was disclosed. But I had my mind set on political science or sociology. So after all permutations and combinations, I chose Kamala Nehru for political science. Even though I am happy with this college, I am relying on the yet-to-be revealed lists and my extra-curricular activities trials. The ECA trials give a pathway to those who are talented in a particular field like dance, drama et al. As the seats are less, the competition is tremendous. It is pretty useful for the aspirants who cannot make it just by a mark or two. As of now, my status isn’t very clear. Nevertheless, my hopes are not shattered. I am yet to see where destiny takes me

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