Solving the College Dilemma

It’s that time of the year again!

With the board examinations having concluded, and the results just about pouring in from state and national boards alike, the one question on the mind of everybody who took these examinations is invariably about which college he or she should choose, and what streams he or she should continue further studies on.

Having been a victim of this dilemma only a year back, I can fully understand what all these fresh school passouts must be going through. To help ease the process, I asked quite a few college students across various disciplines, what they kept in mind when they selected their colleges. I also asked a few school students what subjects they would choose in college, which colleges they would prefer and why. Some of the students I asked are still in school, and some have just passed their boards this year, a mix which helped me to gauge which way they were generally leaning.

I hope the little experience I have, and what I’ve gotten to know from interacting with others who have also gone through the college dilemma, comes in handy.

Which Subject Should I Choose for Higher Studies?

Freshmen No More

Memories of Freshman Year

Growing up is a strangely exhilarating experience.

The switch from being a school student to a college student brings with it an enthusiasm to explore one’s own self, challenge capabilities and conquer new horizons. Such was the case too, roughly a year back, when I stepped into college. Brimming with excitement, yet with an undeniable degree of apprehension,  I was totally new to the surroundings of Heritage Institute of Technology.

As my friend Mukund put it, college is about “Getting thrust from your comfort zone and being able to redefine yourself from scratch.” Well, it certainly is. It is about forming new friendships, getting to know people better, understanding your own priorities and above all, making memories to last a lifetime.

Kolkata Bloggers Meet and Tea with the US Consul General

With the US Consul General Ms. Helen LaFave. Picture - Ipshita Nandi Banerjee

The last couple of days have been a very pleasant experience for the blogger in me. The Kolkata Bloggers Meet, hosted on Sunday, saw a riveting discussion by 37 bloggers, ranging from absolutely young and new bloggers, to veterans in the field. The very next day saw three members of Kolkata Bloggers (Anirban Saha, Sourav Ghosh and yours truly) being invited by the US Consul General for a discussion over tea at her residence. Also present were people from the fields of print media, radio and digital marketing.

Being Convict

Source - www.indiatoday.intoday.in

The Salman Khan case comes as no huge surprise. Disappointment, yes. Surprise? No. As KRK so surreptitiously put it, we would have lost all our faith in money if Salman Khan had been put in jail. The man we know on screen has gained a reputation for performing logic-defying acts successfully. Now, he has pulled off a similar stunt in real life too.

The Bollywood superstar could possibly be the only Indian at the moment to not have to spend a moment in jail despite being proven guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for five years. Salman got an interim bail in a matter of hours, and a permanent bail just two days after his conviction, speed unheard of in the Indian judicial circles. Fame, money, power, support – all of this undeniably factored in to make Salman Khan an “exception”.

Brute Force

Scenes from Nepal after the earthquake. Source - www.apherald.com

Quake. Fire. Rain. The past week or so has been tumultuous, to say the least. The City of Joy plummeted into a time of unfortunate mishaps, all in a day or two, but it was our neighbours in Nepal that took the hit worse than imaginable. There was torrential rain throughout the eastern and northern regions of the country, coupled with the fire at Citimart, New Market. But understandably, it was the devastating earthquake that caught most of the attention.