Thursday, November 22, 2007

D U @ Memory corner…

Recently …one of my friends’ blog had a post dissecting the newly released movie Dil Dosti etc and its Delhi University connection. Throughout the post the emotional belongingness about a life much cherished and enjoyed was overflowing. I can connect to this because I have spent my three years struggling, rejoicing, winning, faltering and coming out clean in one of the deadliest subjects of our time BA (Hons.) in Economics in not so famous college (Read off campus…curse my pathetic scores in std 12th).In spite of doing really pathetic in my senior secondary I still had some faith on my bruised shoulders. The reason for choosing the course can also be partly assigned to my elders doing exceedingly well in the same. So, bang! I was there and after attending those form filling ceremonies in a very enthusiastic manner got through in this college in the second list. I was the fifth guy to take admission there. But I knew I won’t be fifth once the annual examination results are announced. Dekhiye kitna overconfidence tha …Rassi jal gayee lekin aithan baaki thi …hehehe .Before going any further with my story I would like to point out that unlike many newbies joining DU I landed up in a golden Lap amongst best of the best seniors /College toppers of various departments, some university toppers, some US heading people to guide me through the roller coaster of three years called Graduation, courtesy my elder brother. I was well aware of all the intricacies involved in being a DU student. Kaun se brand ki Jeans acchhi hai..shirt kaun si sahi hai…SALE kehan kehan kab lagta hai, kaun sa Bus route better hai,kaun se college ki gals blueline mein “Staff” chalati hain ,Log Pepsi /Coke chhod ke Bonta kyun pite hain ,FOSLA kya hai,Rikshaw pullers ladkiyon ko baitha kar rikshaw itni tej kyon chalate hain,Readings/Notes/Tutes kehan milte hain… etc. etc.In our days attendance rules were not that strict as long as you are performing well in once held mid term exam. I took seating (Seating in DU refers to attending classes in a different college from the one you are enrolled in) in one of the better colleges in the campus. Had a good time there, made some friends and was sailing smoothly through the year. Then in January mid terms in my home college were held and I was there to take the exams with vengeance …my classmates had not seen me earlier...so not much interaction happened during the exams. Results were announced and I was the topper…not only cumulative but in each of the four papers. So…I was started getting noticed...Meanwhile I made friends with two students belonging to my home state (they are happily settling now...Economics ke baad Fashion management karna pada unhe: D).Came the final exams and results…yeah I topped the chart in the college. But alas, only 13 of the 55 students could manage to pass(number reduced to 3 after third year).Tried for migration to better colleges in north campus and succeeded in the one I took seatings and the other one (considered best college in south campus).But to my surprise my college authorities were not willing to give me “No Objection Certificate” for migration. They said they are making some changes in the old system where every year toppers moved to better colleges and all their labour (supposedly) put in to making an otherwise dull guy glitter goes waste….and here I was…dreams shattered…future full of uncertainty. Now began the roller coasters of DU ….revaluations/university ke chakkar etc etc….Finally after much struggle managed to come out clean out of the system and hanged on to take admission in a decent sectoral B school.
The preponderance of the cobwebs in every sphere of my stint at DU has really been stern and yeah a life time experience of course!!!
PS- One post is never enough to assimilate all the fun we had during our college days ….even touching all the topics in a single post is difficult. Moreover each of them demands a full post or it would be a gross injustice. So more specific posts related to Train travels from Patna to Delhi in second class sleepers, Studying late night in DU students’ union reading room, DU elections and role of BABAs ,Attitude of Rikshaw wallahs carrying gals (read chicks),DTC /Blue line buses ,Park hunting, FOSLA, Weekend night shows etc . would follow in separate dedicated posts.