3 years in Delhi University, would I do it all over again?

last updated: jul 3, 2021

3 glorious glorious years at one of the most "sought after" colleges in India has left me with a handful of life lessons, experiences, skills & rules. If you're a fresher or a 2nd year UG, it isn't too late for you to make things right. Read on!

One enters DU only after a crazy good 12th grade score - a score that is good enough for your entire locality to know about. We all usually come from schools where we've always been the biggest fish in the pond. And by biggest, I actually mean the biggest. You were probably the most admired senior with A1 grades, head-boy/girl tag, sports captain, football team and essentially everything you can imagine in a rockstar of one particular school. You've always made it big, and you think DU is going to be yet another battleground you're set to conquer. But it isn't as easy, because you see, there are 800 odd kids from your very same batch with the same mentality to make it big.

But what happens when 800 odd people with the same level of pride, ego & demeanour cross paths?

Reality checks. Envy. Cut-throat competition. Pulling ranks on each other. Dirty, dirty politics to march to the top. And sadly, this is only the tip of the iceberg. So, if you’re coming in with the mindset to conquer (initially, a lot of us do), get ready to steer hard turns, re-discover yourself and take criticism on a day-to-day basis.

Standing through the test of time

"Graduation blues" - the overwhelming gush of emotions every graduating senior feels before stepping into the real world!

The first year will be full of confusion. But at the same time, this is when your motivation level will also be at its pinnacle. You’ll find yourself auditioning for the theatre society of your college (even though you've never been on a stage before), the debating society (even though the only argument you've ever had has been in the comment section of a Facebook post) and even the dance society (because you think dancing on your cousin’s sangeet has given you enough practice). Be part of societies that help you grow as individuals. A few metrics you could look at is the involvement of soft-skills, fieldwork, intellectual stimulation, a good brand & the genre, obviously. In retrospect, I would've loved to be a part of social ETP projects (they are a big, big ++), debating or theatre.

Then comes the pressure of finding the perfect friend circle. You don't want to seem like a loner so you stick around with the first person you interact with on the first day of college. Make sure you talk to a lot of strangers everyday - eventually by the year ends you would've found your tribe. PSA: Don't send Instagram requests to seniors you don't know. Respect everyone right from the first day (you don't know who's going to reach where) and try to not get off on a bad foot with anyone. In case you already have, look for ways to mend it. 3 years of time is too short to stay pissed at someone or hold grudges. Don’t let problems & misunderstanding age unnecessarily, you won’t get anything out of it.

Above all, you now have to deal with an endless array of internals, assignments & before you know it, you’re a week away from your end semester exams.. Amidst trying to keep up with lectures, aiming for at least 75% attendance, taking down your own notes and eventually diligently preparing for finals, you’ll realise that the first year has already gone by. If I could, I would’ve paid more attention to my academics, because you really need the right GPA in your first year, it gives you a lot of confidence and acts as a soft cushion because now, you can focus more on everything other than your exams while maintaining your GPA by studying consistently. Trust me, it is almost impossible to get satisfied with your final GPA if you are eyeing a comeback, because after the first year, things only get intense.

Then comes the second year. Things will start falling into place. You’ll realise what truly gives you satisfaction, and find friends that you actually like. You’ll be trying to keep up with class notes (by copying them from the class nerd), start relying on proxies for attendance (never let go of those friends) and become a little more comfortable with the examination system.

Attendance is not an issue in DU - in most of the colleges at least. There are some faces that are seen for the first time in exams. I remember asking one of my classmates in the first year, “Are we from the same class?” He mockingly said, “Yes, it’s my first day.” He should have said ‘exam’ instead of ‘day’.

A popular opinion would suggest that it is the year of mania - you’re hunting for internships right from the first month, you’re possibly leading a society or two or 3 or 4, your circle keeps getting smaller & to make things worse, the curriculum in the 2nd year is a nightmare. There is no way one sails through by only studying the last 2 weeks. Trust me, I talk from experience. All-in-all, it is undoubtedly the most crucial year of college.

This is the year that moulds you, makes you, breaks you, hits you, but most importantly, this is the year that shapes your next few years. Your schedule will be jam packed from 8am-12am if you are doing things right. Ideally, everyone would ask you to attend classes, society meetings, build a network, give internals diligently, hunt for internships right from the start & also participate in global/national/collegiate level competitions. This is the year to thrive, 0 jokes. But it’s also alright if you don’t do all of it. Funny enough, I’ve seen people excel who didn’t do any of those, or picked up one of these and went all in.

But again in retrospect, if it were me, I would’ve probably given more time to work, academics & thinking through decisions more thoroughly, with everything around you, your mind palace finds itself lost in a cloud of confusion, there seems to be no clarity. So this is the year to focus on your career, get serious, get the momentum early in, and don’t lose it.

And so, the second year passes.

And now, you're a senior. Adulthood hits you, and so do your parents and relatives with the question “what next, beta?” You may dodge their questions for a while, but shit gets real when you start asking yourself the same question. You contemplate, you take a nap, and then you take another nap, and just like that, voila, you’re graduating, fam!

This year you lose friends, cry over the corporates leading you for rounds & rounds, while you sit there questioning every move you make, there are blunders & think you’ve hit the deadend every weekend in, but hey don’t give up - 3rd year is also very very arbitrary. You never know what’s next, every new day comes with opportunities and before you know it, you’ll shrug off some weight off your shoulders by figuring out what you would be even remotely interested about. There’s no winning or losing here, this just shapes you up for what lies ahead. Remember there’s life outside interviews, college preps & placements, promise yourself you’re never giving up.

And that is exactly how 3 years at DU just go by in a breeze -- was it 3 minutes, 3 years, or a lifetime? Who knows.

You spend a lot of time in phases like these worrying about your future, sure, but remind yourself to live in the present! It’s insane to think that I am currently living the life that my future self will fondly reminisce about one day.

Also, here are a few (too many) life hacks for acing DU:

• Don't forget to look at the previous 10 years’ question papers

• Don't attend classes tbh, if you've made it to DU, chances are a good month before exams will be enough

• PLAY THE STUDENT CARD when you network & meet new people, this gives you the leeway to act dumb, stupid & curious at the same time - works best when you’re exploring out of your comfort zones

• 67% attendance is almost impossible, so just spend your time outside the classroom

• INTERN and VOLUNTEER as much as you can

• Attend at least two college fests every year (Crossroads & Mecca for the win in North Campus)

• Don't get pressured into smoking/doing drugs

• Take a trip with your friends once a year (all the iconic landscapes are usually just an overnight train journey away, so make the best of it!)

• Try not to spend all your money on food

• Be fluid in your approach, don't constrain your friends group/network to your particular course. There are plenty of disciplines, so make sure you network across colleges & batches!

• National/Global level competitions! There's no dearth of A-grade competitions, they're a big + on your resume, and help you tons with visibility & credentials. So go all-in on them, whenever you can.

• First impressions go a long long way in DU. With incredibly brilliant people everywhere, people often don't have time to give second chances - so make the move when you're sure it's not going to misfire. This is especially true when reaching out to alumnis/seniors

And now after all, let me answer the question that intrigued you in the first place, would I do it all over again? On the emotional front, everyone would say yes, absolutely. But I’m also sure that one would’ve made memories at any college for that matter, right? So apart from friends, memories and all that jazz, on the practicality front, I would still say yes, a thousand times over!

Delhi University is not only spread over a sprawling 69 acres blooming with greenery, scenic beauty, and youthful gusto, all while housing few of the top ranked colleges in India. The numbers don’t lie, and being part of the Tier-1 DU colleges tag brings pedigree to the table & acts as a leverage for the next 5-7 years at least - Why this unfair advantage you ask?

Probably because there are 100s of student societies for almost any skill you can think of. Social sciences, arts, entrepreneurship, finance, theatre, history and the list just goes on; And amidst this intense rivalry between all, the competitive atmosphere exposes them to a way of living they probably weren’t expecting at all - sometimes, you thrive & go global, it brings the best out of that lot. And at times, people give in to the rat race, probably get distracted and don’t make the best of that moment (at least that’s what it seems like from the outset) But the kind of life you're living, is all that gives you the leverage.

You will also find students from all 28 states, and possibly a lot from abroad too! It has to be the most diverse university in India, DU is like this cosmopolitan town where everyone is either thriving, wants to thrive, or has made peace with life. If you are ready to build no walls in your head & be fluid, there’s no better place for you.

Next up, the ROI is possibly the best in the country - for an average fee of INR 1,00,000 for 3 years, the average placement in north campus is around INR 5-5,25,000, with a select few kids making it to the 6 figures club. You have placement opportunities from global leaders like McKinsey, BCG, Bain for all the consulting aspirants, J.P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Nomura for all the bankers & you have AbInBev, HUL, P&G visiting for FMCGs. So go all-in on interview prep, CV prep, learning the basics (or beyond) of Finance, or consulting, or just be fluid and learn about them all. Don't give up, remember, even if nothing is working for you, just be at it man. One fine day, you shall reap the fruits. Don't question progress, consistently pushing your mental and physical boundaries is all you need to do every day you show up.


In these 3 years, you will find a lot of people who think like you, a few people who will go all the way to rebel against the wrong, people supporting all sorts of political ideologies, schools of thought & However, I can’t discount the obvious negatives, the curriculum was ancient & more rigorous, all courses & readings were being updated regularly, there was consistency amongst the faculty, it would’ve made me better-equipped for what’s next. Though we were subject to a burn out time and again, it could’ve been more academically gruelling. Personally, I’m glad there wasn’t a lot of academic burden (thanks to the pandemic I guess), I got a LOT of time to figure out a lot of why’s & how’s. If I could go back in time, there’s little I would change about these 3 years!

To summarise it, take your first year to figure out what you want to do, and what you don’t want to do, second year is grinding left, right and centre, while the 3 year is all about reaping the fruits for all the hard work you’ve put in so far.

You will eventually end up making a LOT of memories in DU. I still remember my first class at SRCC, it was Mathematical Methods of Economics 1 at 8:30 a.m. on the 20th of July, and as a ton of my friends would agree, this was probably my first and last 8:30 ever. Folks, document everything, take pictures, make memories, party hard, socialise well & stay hungry. Be a wolf and pounce on every opportunity DU brings to you. Don't regret anything. Just do whatever you love, and stay at it long enough. Delhi University can change your life, and if you don't do it right once, fret not, a 1000 new opportunities await.

If you liked this piece, feel free to reach out to me with comments & criticism!