AHMEDABAD: In the pre-corona era, education in college came not merely from professors' lessons but also from human interactions: hugs, heartbreaks, or triumphs on sports fields. Then the coronavirus pushed learning online, but education was logged out from an important part of teenagers' rites de passage.
Ann Sarasa, a BA-LLB student at Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), has already passed three semesters and is studying for the fourth. But she will set foot in her college for the first time later this month.
"I have completed nearly two years of my course, but I have not seen my campus or class yet," said the Chennai resident. "Two waves of the pandemic delayed my arrival. I will now experience the proverbial college life. Hopefully 2022 will be kinder."
While the nature of online learning has stoked intense debates at all levels of education, experts point to the students of the 'Pandemic Batch' who missed the first whiff of freedom that college affords. These students, who got admission in 2020, were denied the normal teen traditions: making friends at the canteen, taking the first steps into adulthood, and enjoying cultural and sports activities that can give their own 'Purani Jeans' memories.
As academic institutes at all levels resume full-fledged operations from February 21, it will be the first day on the campus for many students.
For Manpreet Singh, a second-year electrical engineering student at IIT-Gandhinagar, it took 10-15 minutes of just sitting on the campus on his first visit in late 2021 to assure him that he is a part of the institution. "I connected with seniors through coding sessions, but I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming tech fest to get in touch with the larger community," he said.
PG courses: Only a few months left
We missed the feel of the campus, cultural and sports events, interacting with faculty members and exchange students and so on," said Ansh Katira, a student of Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU). "Thus, my wish is to ensure that all the remaining days count."
Katira added: "Even when the campus became partially functional last year, there were only a few students and it never gave the vibe. Hopefully, the buzz will return."
For many students of two-year postgraduate courses, only a few months of the programmes remain.
Many of them attended college for fewer than 100 days - under stringent conditions and protocols and sans interaction with their full class.
Abhinaw Alok, who will complete his PG course at Cept University in 2022, said that his group visited the campus only a handful of times last year.
The first year was completely online. "I also see a positive side. We got many speakers and experts of eminence for online events which would not have been possible otherwise," he said.
