Disclaimer: Originally published in March 2019. It is being republished since it still remains an interesting topic till today.
‘Bas boards dedo fir toh life chill hai’
Okay, kids, you may have heard this line about a zillion times in your life but if you’re a 12th grader, then I’m sorry, but this dialogue wasn’t made for you. And if you still believe in it as you did in class 10th, well, good luck.
Now by this, I don’t mean that you shouldn’t celebrate your freedom and start gearing up for college right away, but yes there are a few things you should consider if you’re planning to land up in a decent college and especially, if that college happens to be situated out of your city, for instance, the Delhi University.
Delhi University (DU) receives over thousands of student applications every year but there are only a lucky few who make it through the end of the race.
So if you’re an outstation kid who’s also aiming to come to DU, this article is a sort of a guide to help you figure out your way in your new city and college before you actually become a Delhiite.
Yes, it’s much more than meeting just the cut-offs and making various to and fro trips from your respective cities.
(Also, if you require information about the admission process and how to battle your stress before you actually step in, here’s another article that may help you – How To Get Admission In DU – From An Outstation Student’s Point Of View )
Accommodation
Whether you rent up a flat or get yourself enrolled in a PG (paying-guest accommodation), do make sure that your house is within a range of 500 meters to 1 km of your college.
Trust me, this helps a lot. Firstly, you save on the transportation fee. Secondly, it’s highly convenient. Let me tell you how.
If on some days, you sleep late and wake up just 5 minutes before the first period, you’d still reach on time unlike that poor guy who woke up at 7:30 am in the morning, boarded a metro and still got late to the class.
So no matter how great a house you get, always choose distance over facilities. It’ll help you save a lot of time, something that you really need in a fast city like Delhi.
You can contact brokers in your area who’ll help you find a good flat with all the basic amenities. There are also various sites such as Coho and Nestaway that provide PG accommodation for students at affordable prices.
Food
It doesn’t matter whether you end up in North Campus or South Campus, there are plenty of food joints in the campus that’ll help you survive the wrath of Delhi University.
Be it the famous Tom Uncle’s Maggi Point or QD’s, students love it equally. If you’re in South Campus, you have Satya Niketan to look forward to.
Right from street food and momos to posh restaurants such as the Big Yellow Door and Cafeteria and Co, Satya will not disappoint you.
Whereas if you’re in North Campus, the famous Hudson Lane will come to your rescue. Popular eating joints such as the Woodbox Café and Majnu ka Tilla have become the student’s hub.
Apart from that, there are a variety of fast food stalls that you can find in here. From Russian Maggi to Hong Kong Momos, Hudson Lane has everything.
Nearest metro station to Satya Niketan: Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Station (Pink Line)
Nearest metro station to Hudson Lane: GTB Nagar (Yellow Line)
Also Read: The Most Common Stereotypes About Delhi University
Cheap Books
If you’re an outstation student, it sometimes gets really lonely in Delhi. No matter how many friends you make, you’re bound to miss home and your folks alike.
So for these troubled times, you need to keep your reading shelf fully occupied. I remember during my first month here, I got a pile of really good novels to help myself cope up with the sudden pangs of loneliness and homesickness.
So for this, you don’t have to rush to the next Crossword store and spend your month’s rent on like 4 books. Instead, you can visit the Daryaganj market in old Delhi and get ANY novel you want for prices as low as 30 bucks.
Books are also sold here according to kilograms. So if you buy 1 kg of books (weird, right?), you just pay 50/100 rupees for your stock.
Nearest Metro Station: Chawri Bazar
Extra Curricular Activities And DU Societies
If you’ve been dreaming about stepping into Delhi University since class 11th like I was, you must be aware of the different kinds of societies that exist in DU.
From cultural societies such as dance, drama, and music to social societies such as Enactus and NSS, DU provides a range of opportunities to students to help them grow and become good citizens of the country.
There are also a bunch of activities taking place in different colleges almost every day, so make sure you fully make use of such events to help build your resume.
There are events such as internship fairs and inter-departmental competitions organized by college cells that are a must-visit for every fresher.
Fest Season
I bet you were waiting for this one, right? So if you’re tired of seeing your seniors put up multiple Instagram stories of DJ nights and concerts, it’s time for you to visit them yourself and that too, free of cost.
So whether its Aayushman Khurana or Vishal-Shekhar, you get perks for making it to Delhi University as your ID card gets you free entry in any college during the dazzling fest time of DU!
Some of the best-organized fests of the university include Mecca (Hindu college), Crossroads (SRCC), Nexus (Sri Venkateshwara College), Tarang (Lady Sri Ram College) and Reverie (Gargi College).
Work that CV
Never miss out on opportunities to build your resume. Take part in societies, work hard to get yourself into the core team, help organize and conduct events. Do whatever it takes to help build your personality.
Also, do not wait for the second year to get yourself a good internship, trust me, the first year is the best time for this work. You have a lot of time on your hands and the experience that you’ll gain through this will help you get better job prospects in the future. You’ll be able to set yourself apart from your peers.
So these were some of the things that I thought a fresher should be aware about before he/she steps into Delhi University. College sure can be tough, but your college life doesn’t have to be.
So here’s wishing you all the best to make the most of your time in DU. Enjoy, make friends and have a great college life ahead!
Image Credits: Google Images
Find the blogger at @MoulshreeS
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