College is where you learn, challenge yourself & enjoy: Divya Khandelwal

Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi

College life is something that every school student wishes to enjoy. Same was with me. Looking at my elder brothers and sisters, I also wanted to go to college, attend classes, bunk them too, go out with friends, and enjoy each moment. I knew I had to score good marks in order to get admitted to a good college. I worked hard for my Boards and scored above 95 percent. I tried my hands on BMS entrance exam and was not able to clear it. The simplest reason I would give for not clearing the exam was that I didn’t study, I didn’t prepare. And this was because I became over confident.

The subject choosing part was quite easy then. I always had an inclination towards Economics, so I went for that in graduation. A disheartening thing I faced was my inability to get admission in North Campus colleges. But rather than the college, I focused on the course and went ahead with Economics Honours from Delhi University. I got an off-campus girls’ college, Janki Devi Memorial College (JDMC). I got admission after the second cut-off list, and I did not change it after that.

How I cracked college admission

I learnt many things while taking admission in the college, although the realisation of these learnings came a little later. Most important of all was that I should have attempted more entrance exams. I was so confident after scoring good marks that I did not look for options of other colleges and courses. After committing this mistake, I can very confidently say that there are a lot of options out there, a lot of courses to choose from, numerous universities and colleges. No one should limit themselves to any one of the courses or colleges. Explore and gather knowledge before you choose.

Another mistake I made was not consulting my elder brothers and sisters. I did not ask them for their advice, nor did I tell them about my plans. Now I think, if I had talked to them, my situation could have been different. Because advice is always better.

While taking admission in JDMC, I was into such a rush that I did not do a background check of the college. I should have read information, asked friends and family, and looked for reviews before taking the step. One more fault of mine was to not look into other cut-off lists once I took the admission. I seriously did not think of changing. But that was actually where I feel I was absolutely wrong. A person should never stop looking for options. I might have got a better college. These mistakes taught me lessons for a lifetime. Now, what’s done is done. I am a JDMC student studying Economics. However, a coin has two faces, and so does a situation. In between all these mistakes, there were many good things too. Mentioning a few, I got admission in a course in wanted. I got a college that’s really beautiful and green. I also acknowledge the fact that the college or university doesn’t matter much when you have good marks and high knowledge of the subject you are studying.

My college life: classes, extra-curricular activities and more

In my first year, I was not worried about studies at all. It was all about friends, new clothes, roaming around the campus, and hanging out. Books did not bother that much. But yes, one important thing is, what you study in college is totally different from what you have studied in school.

Talking about Economics, we study 80 percent Mathematics and Statistics, and 20 percent Economics. So you can totally understand the difference of studies you are going to face. When we were in first year, CBCS (Choice Based Credit System) was introduced, in which, we are given grades rather than percentage. Personally, I do not like this grading system. It doesn’t allow you to assess your performance appropriately. I scored good marks in the first year with not much of a hassle. But the second year was not that easy. The number of subjects increased. The real higher education starts in the second year. At that time, you have to study from your textbooks and also decide upon what to do after graduation- take proper coaching and prepare for entrances and interviews.

The teachers and faculty members of my department are really helpful. They taught well and also motivated us to take up something different apart from just studies. Due to this motivation, I and four of my friends came up with the idea of Finance and Investment Cell (FIC) of our college. With some difficulties and efforts, we were able to establish the FIC of our college. We feel proud that we gave an opportunity to other students to improve and increase their knowledge in the field of finance.

Taking up Economics as my graduation subject was a nice decision. This subject has very limited seats and provides quality education. The demand for an economics specialist is high these days due to the volatile economic environment over the world.

The college offers you many opportunities, you only need the eye to see them. We can gather a lot of knowledge in that time period, if we seriously focus our energy on doing that. There are numerous events and competitions held on a regular basis, in which you can participate and challenge yourself. In a nutshell, it is the time when you can learn, expand your horizons, challenge yourself and enjoy at the same time.

About the Author:

I am an Economics Honours Student from Janki Devi Memorial College. Along with studies, I also run a blog where I publish book reviews and my thoughts. I love to read books, especially self-help books and thrillers. Other things that I like to do are dancing and craft.