The first few days of college could be an intimidating experience for many freshers. The harrows of going through a tedious admission process and facing unapproachable seniors soon after, could give anyone a hard time. Realising the need for resourceful seniors, a youth TV channel’s initiative Bindaas Buddies will scout for ‘buddies’ in different colleges in the city. These students will not only help freshers getting by in college but also routinely blog about campus happenings on the channel’s site.
“We realise that freshers have to work up a nerve to walk up to a senior and ask questions like ‘where’s the canteen?’ The idea is to find friendly seniors who can help the newcomers and make them feel welcomed,” says Keith Alphonso, business head, UTV Bindaas. A team from the channel will visit each college and organise activities. Five winning students who show exceptional knowledge about their college and are active in extra-curriculars will be selected from each college. The channel plans to reach out to 200 colleges across 10 cities and find the perfect senior students who will mentor freshers. Adds Alphonso, “We are happy to be trying to build not just a virtual community on our site and Facebook but also a real one, where freshers get to meet and interact the person they see on the site. There might be confident newcomers who can approach just about anyone, this initiative is for those who need to be guided.”
Rakhee Jain, an ex-student of NC College, who has been a buddy in the past, says its a worthwile experience. “As a buddy, I had my own page on the micro-site where I would post about anything that concerned the college. Freshers begin to recognize me and identified me as someone they could walk up to and ask anything,” she says. A member of the college’s Dance Club and Rotaract Club, Jain informs that the ‘buddy’ tag also fetched inevitable popularity on campus.
{{/usCountry}}Rakhee Jain, an ex-student of NC College, who has been a buddy in the past, says its a worthwile experience. “As a buddy, I had my own page on the micro-site where I would post about anything that concerned the college. Freshers begin to recognize me and identified me as someone they could walk up to and ask anything,” she says. A member of the college’s Dance Club and Rotaract Club, Jain informs that the ‘buddy’ tag also fetched inevitable popularity on campus.
{{/usCountry}}