How my course changed my life in a year: Ruchika Verma

Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi

I was a commerce student. But more than Accountancy or Economics (despite them being so interesting and scoring) I always liked English more. English Honors is one of the most coveted courses. Every year, it has the highest number of applicants at University of Delhi, as the newspapers reports. Many even termed it as the ‘it’ course too. However, those were not the reasons why I chose this course.

My interest in English goes back to class 7^th when I first tried to read the classic Jane Austen’s novel, ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ Honestly, I didn’t understand it but it instilled my interest in English as a language and not just as a subject. As I grew up, the interest only increased and I ended up deciding that English Honors would be the course that I would pursue.

It was not easy though. The cut-offs for this course are sky-high. But that’s not the only obstacle. The number of students from all over the country who want to pursue this course is even higher. In Delhi University (DU), there are no entrance tests for this course. The admission is only merit-based. This only adds to the pressure of performing well in Class 12^th.

In all honesty, I just gave my best and it worked for me. I got into the college I wanted. Why I wanted my college is quite simple to answer – because of the faculty. More than the name of the college, the faculty for the course matters. Every college website has a list of faculty members of each department; you can always check it. However, it is no guarantee that you will land in a college with great faculty, but it helps. Other than that, I checked reviews and experiences of the alumni, and the most important thing I did was to follow my instinct. It always helps!

My college life: My course & how it changed my life

I’m just done with my first year and honestly, I am not the same person that I was a year ago. My college life and the course changed me a lot. I won’t talk much about my college life because it is what it is- normal. It is not what is being shown in Karan Johar’s movies. There are no boys flexing their muscles or girls in miniskirts. There is no group dancing happening in the corridors too. Neither do canteens serve food better than Vivanta. It is normal but it is a lot of fun.

As for my course, first I would like to clear a stereotype. English Honors students don’t just read novels and pass exams! In this course, we study so many other disciplines like history, philosophy, etc. that you may sometimes even doubt if your course is actually English Honors or something else. There is a lot to learn, not only about the language and its history but also about life. This may sound really fancy but it is true.

During my first year itself, many things that I read and learnt changed my perspective towards life. There were new ways of thinking which were introduced to my mindset. Apart from that, my critical and analytical skills improved as well. It enriched both my mind and my brain.

However, this course is nothing like I thought it to be initially, it is much more profound. Apart from literature in English, one reads a lot from Greek, Roman, and even Sanskrit and Tamil literature too! And one of the most important things I learnt is, reading is not enough. It is important to think and analyse. To know more than just ‘what’ happened. It all about knowing ‘why’ and ‘how’ something happens and what were its implications and history. It is all about seeing things from many perspectives.

The course teaches a lot about life but is it viable for a career? The answer is complicated. It is an academic degree and not a professional one, so chances of landing a job just after the 3^rd year gets over are really slim. But it opens a plethora of options for post-graduation level. And there is no dearth of employment too. It just takes more time. You can be a writer, go into HR or PR, be a freelancer, a teacher, a researcher, or you can just completely change you field. The options are endless. English Honors makes you capable of taking up anything you may want to. It nurtures both your left and right brain.

My experience with this course has been simply marvelous. It has made me more profound and has given me a new perspective on many things, which I was ignorant about in the past. More than this course, I am really thankful to the faculty members who teach me. The teachers are the ones who make a classroom a platform for learning, discussing and enjoying. My choice of course, which stemed out from simply an interest in language, has been perfect for me because of the way it is enriching my life and helping me improve my skills at writing.

About the Author:

I’m Ruchika and I pursuing BA (Hons) English from Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi. I love to read, write and do everything and anything which seems interesting. I love to communicate with different people and more than that, I love to let my thoughts out. I am just a normal girl, trying to write her life away.