The first-year students of CMR PU College looked very confident as they entered the college premises on Wednesday. They were quite sure of what they wanted to do, thanks to the support given to them by their parents and the college management.
The students were asked to come to the college a day before the re-opening date just to get acclimatised to the new environment.
There was an orientation programme, for which the students and parents participated in full strength. During the morning assembly, Nandini Nagraj, the college principal, gave them an insight into the various courses that the college offered, the discipline of the institution and the campus culture.
Nandini points out that the first day is very crucial not only for the students but for the college as well. "As a first step, we give the students a feel of what the college believes in, its philosophy and its uncompromising attitude towards discipline.This not only helps the students understand the college and its functioning better but makes our job easier. It's always better to let the students understand the ethos of the college, right at the beginning of the academic year," she explains.
Nandini also says that she had spent time with the students and parents before the college re-opened. "It's a tedious process. But this is our culture and it is intended to impart confidence to students and parents. The talk also motivates the students," she observes.
She says that the staff was asked to come a month before the college reopened and workshops were conducted just to get the teachers prepared for the academic year.
CMR PU College offers science and commerce streams and most of the students, who were selected, are toppers or achievers in their own right.
The like-minded students gelled almost instantly while the happy-go-lucky ones had a look at the campus. Some of the freshers said they were anticipating an eventful two years ahead and found the teachers and the college atmosphere really warm. Meghana from the commerce stream wanted to do MBA in Logistics. "In addition to having fun, I also intend to work towards building my career. People here are warm and friendly," she says.
Tanya from the commerce stream also wants to do an MBA. "I will, in addition to studying well, enroll for sporting and other activities offered by the college. These things always help refresh one's mind," she says. Rohan from the science category wants to do engineering. "I know these two years are going to be pretty tough but I intend to make as many friends as I can and have fun too. I am impressed by the discipline here and it's good to have a uniform as I don't have to worry about what I have to wear everyday," he beams.
About her first impressions of the college, Sneha J, a science student says, "It's a small building with a big heart".
Yashas, who is also from the science stream, finds a lot of optimism in the air. "The teachers have done well to make us comfortable on the first day," he sums up.