Jun 25 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
`University painted a rosy picture but first year was a mess'
Anahita Sagar
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People reading this might call it overly critical, but studying for a year un der the FY UP pro gramme has been nothing but a waste of time. After successfully making it through a highly unproductive first year of college, I haven't a clue as to what degree I am pursuing. When I enrolled for a degree in journalism and mass communication a year back, FYUP was talked up as this great new idea. Students were made to believe this was the programme that could change our lives. It has, but not for the better.The idea, we were told, was to align DU with the American system of education. Officials painted a rosy picture of how it would be so simple to get into a university abroad (read: the US), and how we'd have a double degree, which obviously has more value than a simple honours degree. The idea behind the foundation courses was to make our college-level education more holistic. All this sounded so promising on pa per that, despite my scepticism, I decided to accept this new system with bucketloads of enthusiasm. However, there seemed to be a vast difference between what was promised and what ensued. I remember the first two months of college as utterly chaotic. Not only did the new system lack direction, its structure would also keep changing every two weeks. I think I finally lost faith in it once I started studying the foundation courses. Weeks went by with all of us struggling to complete gazillion assignments, projects and presentations for these courses.
However, if someone would ask me what exactly I learnt from these subsidiary courses, it would seem like a cat has bitten my tongue.
All right, maybe I brushed up my mathematical skills by learning about prime numbers for at least four hours every week. Oh, and I may also have learnt I must never write an email without a `subject'.
Sounds ridiculous? At 18 years of age, when the Constitution deems me capable of voting and driving, I am studying about ways to integrate my mind, body and heart. It probably sounds amusing when I describe the situation, but in reality it was far from funny . It was disappointing to see a university of this calibre and reputation making a fool of itself and of the 60,000-odd first-year students.
The only aspect of the programme that most students got attracted to was the prospect of studying a minor subject, that is, the discipline course-II. For students like me, it was a boon because it let us study a second subject of our choice. This meant I could study political science alongside my journalism degree.
Now, we were told we had the freedom to study any subject we wanted. Little did we know there was a catch. To wards the end of the first year, the university randomly announced that we would get our DC-II subjects on the basis of our FC marks of the first semester.
Obviously , we were stunned. Simply because we couldn't fathom how our knowledge of internet etiquette or polymers decided whether we had the ability to study English or political science or even economics. The UGC is now talking about FYUP being a hasty move. The only question on my mind is: where were these so-called academics when teachers and students had vehemently opposed this system? All this makes me wonder if there will ever be any accountability in our education system. Our policymakers are taking haphazard decisions and here we are, wondering about our future. Amid all this cacophony , the only reassuring thing is that someone has finally woken up to the reality--even if a year too late. I sincerely hope FYUP is scrapped. Having spent an entire year wandering around like a headless chicken, it would be nice to have some clarity on what I am actually supposed to be studying.
(A second-year DU student offers a student's perspective on the furore over FYUP)
However, if someone would ask me what exactly I learnt from these subsidiary courses, it would seem like a cat has bitten my tongue.
All right, maybe I brushed up my mathematical skills by learning about prime numbers for at least four hours every week. Oh, and I may also have learnt I must never write an email without a `subject'.
Sounds ridiculous? At 18 years of age, when the Constitution deems me capable of voting and driving, I am studying about ways to integrate my mind, body and heart. It probably sounds amusing when I describe the situation, but in reality it was far from funny . It was disappointing to see a university of this calibre and reputation making a fool of itself and of the 60,000-odd first-year students.
The only aspect of the programme that most students got attracted to was the prospect of studying a minor subject, that is, the discipline course-II. For students like me, it was a boon because it let us study a second subject of our choice. This meant I could study political science alongside my journalism degree.
Now, we were told we had the freedom to study any subject we wanted. Little did we know there was a catch. To wards the end of the first year, the university randomly announced that we would get our DC-II subjects on the basis of our FC marks of the first semester.
Obviously , we were stunned. Simply because we couldn't fathom how our knowledge of internet etiquette or polymers decided whether we had the ability to study English or political science or even economics. The UGC is now talking about FYUP being a hasty move. The only question on my mind is: where were these so-called academics when teachers and students had vehemently opposed this system? All this makes me wonder if there will ever be any accountability in our education system. Our policymakers are taking haphazard decisions and here we are, wondering about our future. Amid all this cacophony , the only reassuring thing is that someone has finally woken up to the reality--even if a year too late. I sincerely hope FYUP is scrapped. Having spent an entire year wandering around like a headless chicken, it would be nice to have some clarity on what I am actually supposed to be studying.
(A second-year DU student offers a student's perspective on the furore over FYUP)
