Campus, camaraderie, community

Students describe bittersweet moments as they stepped into delhi university colleges yesterday after a two-year hiatus
Students at Hansraj College on the first day of du reopening (Photo | EPS)
Students at Hansraj College on the first day of du reopening (Photo | EPS)

On Thursday morning, Vasundhra Vishwakarma (21), a third-year student of the BA Programme at Maitreyi College, Chanakyapuri, woke up earlier than usual. Thrilled about her day ahead, she was all spiffy in black jeans and a pink cardigan. By 9 am, Vasundhra reached the nearest station and boarded a metro, ready to commute to a place she refers to as college.

This excitement has dawned on her after two years, during which Vasundhra (or her friends) has seldom been on campus. In another part of Delhi, Raiyna Chandra (20), a first-year student at St Stephen’s College, North Campus, started her day figuring out her daily travel plan along with metro routes. A look at the big red building of St Stephen’s—where Chandra will spend her collegiate days—for the first time brought with it feelings of nervousness and excitement. Students are back to college after what seemed like an unending hiatus.

As Delhi University finally reopened on Thursday after the closure that lasted almost two years due to the pandemic, the students were back on campus experiencing mixed feelings. From the joy of donning their best outfits to college to being face-to-face with batchmates and friends without engaging in video calls, one can sense that a bittersweet changeover is underway.

Students meeting each other at
Indraprastha College For Women

First-day jitters

First-year student Baawa Sayan Bajaj (18) was welcomed to Hansraj College, Malka Ganj, with a flash mob presented by the dance society at the infamous Lover’s Point. “That was an eventful introduction to college,” he said. Baawa spent the rest of his day meeting people he had interacted with only through Google meet calls and text messages. “There are many people I know because I have spoken to them virtually. So there wasn’t any pressure to make friends. We just met, greeted each other, and spoke about things. It was good,” shared Baawa.

Similarly, Anubhav Panwar (19)—a second-year student at Kirori Mal College, north campus—who formally went to college for the first time after one-and-a-half years, shared, “We have attended college for three semesters but I still felt the anxiety and nervousness that one usually feels on the first day. There are people you have met in class, spoken to, but you don’t really know them. So, it felt slightly confusing too.” Panwar further mentioned that while COVID protocols are in place, infrastructural challenges made it difficult for students to socially distance themselves in a classroom.

Wistful transitions

With only a month before exams, getting back to college felt strange to many third-year students. Pooja Khandelwal (20), a third-year student of Philosophy Honours at Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW), Civil Lines, provided a college tour to the first-year students of her department. “It felt nostalgic. It was like yesterday that my seniors were showing me around, familiarising us with the building and classrooms. I am obviously happy, but there is this weird feeling too,” she said.

On the other hand, Niv (20), a third-year student at IPCW, was elated to finally be on campus. “It [the day] felt a tad bit exhausting because we are not used to attending classes like this anymore but I enjoyed it a lot. I met my friends that I hadn’t seen in years, and it was surreal,” concluded Niv, who followed the ultimate college ritual of visiting a cafe once classes were over.

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