I believe myself to be a fairly realistic and practical kind of person, who while loving the world of fantasy also knows where to draw the line between fiction and the real world. So when I was applying to colleges I had no hopes for Karan Johar-esque type of colleges with sprawling lawns, imposing buildings and immaculate classrooms.
I knew it was DU… didn’t have that high hopes really.
However, at the same time, I also did not expect to completely pass over my college 3 times on the day of my orientation thinking it was an under-construction building.
And that my friends, is how I met my college, DCAC or the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce.
Now do let me clarify that while I had gone over there to submit my application and fees, at the time I was so nervous and distressed, hoping against hope that I’d finally get into the course I loved, that I sort of blacked out on the way there and only remember standing in front of our HOD and handing in my papers.
But, I have to say that from the very first moment, DCAC really showed its true colours of being a wacky and unique place that would always have a special place in my heart.
Let me tell you, how, even after that terrible and horrifying first impression I still believe that DCAC is a place full of life, spunk and a damn good college for anyone:
1. The Mini Market:
I’m telling you, the mini market that is literally a few feet from the college has saved us, fed us and provided an excellent spot to just chill out after a long day of classes.
The photo-copy wala and the recharge shop were a boon to me and several other students who wanted immediate photo-copies of notes, chapters or even assignments in order to do their own.
Usually, the in-college photocopy person was occupied with a long line of students and no one has that much time to waste.
But the crowning jewel of that mini market would be the small little shop that served a wide range of eatables from the typical patty and chips to Maggi (a must try and at the time was barely mere change) and their delicious chicken sandwiches.
There have been many afternoons when this broke student has had her stomach filled with those sandwiches especially during the cold cold winters. The summers brought their masala banta.
2. The Small Little Nooks and Crannies:
There were several little nooks and crannies around the college that really made my time there so memorable. Whether it be the courtyard in front of the canteen, with the big trees and the perfect spot to get some much-needed sun during the winter months, or whether it be that classroom on the 2nd floor where I could work in peace.
It could even be the music room (don’t know if it’s still there) right before the canteen where a few of my classmates would generally jam or just play some songs.
Special mentions would be Yashwant Place and even the Leela Palace about which while crossing it, we would often dream and wish that that building was our class.
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3. The Teachers:
Of course, we had a few bad eggs as teachers but we also had some pretty amazing teachers whose teachings always stuck by me. Jeremiah sir or as he asked us to call him Jerry sir or Dr. Neelam Yadav were few teachers that come to mind who were helpful, approachable and frankly I didn’t really have to study that much for their tests since their classes made sure that I had a good grasp of their subjects.
4. The Animals, So Many Animals:
Being an animal lover the compounds of DCAC were heaven with loads of dogs roaming around and of course, the frequent visits by peacocks added a nice hint of exoticness to it all.
I still remember hearing the peacock’s calls while giving my exams, it provided a nice distraction from me pulling out my hair while writing long af answers.
The dogs were really really friendly and after a senior showed us how he brought milk and biscuits for the new pups, even I got in the habit of carrying a few simple digestive or glucose biscuits to give to them.
5. The Seniors:
I have to say that I am not the most people-friendly person, it takes me a whole lot of time to even remember someone’s name. But my seniors at DCAC really helped me get comfortable, case in point the incident mentioned above.
A particular incident that really proved how good our seniors were during our first few days is when a few people came to rag us but a senior of ours came in and citing urgent business brought us over to the canteen. Not only it showed us what kind of people our seniors were but also allowed us, freshmen, to finally get over our shyness and interact.
Image Credits: Google Images, Siddarth Das FB, Saurabh Manji FB
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