To college, nervous & excited

With a majority of PU colleges starting their new academic year this week, students look forward to a new phase.

They anticipate teachers who won’t nag as much, and expect to enjoy college fests and making new friends. “College, I expect, would be quite different. I have been calling old friends to see who is joining where. It will be nice to make new friends. I’m going to St Joseph’s PU College,” says Mario Joshua.

Preethi K, a former student of Carmel Convent, believes that college would bring out the best in her. “I am confident that college will prove the best part of my life.

I never give up, and I am determined to do well. For the past few years, I have been going to the same place, and there are fond memories associated with school.

However, I look forward now to entering college, and I feel both nervous and excited,” she says, as she gets ready to join the Christ PU College.

The freedom to get out of uniform and dress as one pleases is also another high for many students. “I want a comfy environment and good teachers. I like playing foot ball, so I hope the college has good trainers. It is a relief that I don’t have to wear white and grey any more,” says Amitav Halditur, headed to Presidency PU College.

Yukthi Suresh looks forward to greater independence. “Regular classes have not started till now. We are attending bridge courses that offer us a chance to brush up areas that we are weak in. School does not offer the opportunity to choose subjects. I am glad that I can now drop some subjects that I don’t like,” she says, as she prepares for her first day at Vijaya PU College.

However, there are even some students who look with some apprehension at the freedom they expect in college. “There will be students from different schools, and I hope I can find some good friends, without getting into company that might not be so great,” says Ajay Kiran, a student of St Joseph’s PU College, adding that he has seniors from school at that college, and so expects he won’t be completely at sea.

“None of my school friends will be in the college that I am going to attend, so I am keeping my fingers crossed,” says  Tunga R, 16.

For students of colleges providing pre-university classes integrated with entrance coaching, this will just be the beginning of another academic year. “My college gives a lot of importance to IIT-JEE coaching. That is the reason I have opted for it. It will be more like a school, says Bhavana BM, an IIT-JEE aspirant.

Parents too are jittery about the new stage in the children’s lives. “I can’t believe that my daughter has grown so much. I am rather more anxious than she is. Everything will be new, but I hope she can cope. Her classes start next week. I have given her some tips on ragging. She is a shy and fun-loving kid, and I hope she’ll get by alright,” says Sandhya Kiran, parent of a teenager.

Colleges are all set to welcome the new batch of students and their parents. “We have a welcome address as well as an induction session. Parents also need orientation, as teenagers go through lot of changes. And we feel a great need for careful mentoring and counselling, so students don’t get lost in the crowd,” says Sridhar G, principal, Deeksha Centre for Learning.