JNU: Where everybody gets a chance!

According to me, coming to JNU has been an life-altering experience for me. It has taught to embrace people from different backgrounds equally and also lended me the confidence to speak out my mind, even when it is not a popular opinion, whenever I want to. Also, the freedom of personal space that one can enjoy in this campus, without falling prey to any judgement, is also very inspiring and motivating.

The structure of the course is quite different from all the other equivalent options I had. Moreover, the coursework really mends your mind to focus on reading a lot of research work. It is also very inspiring in terms of engaging with research yourself. The schedule for the week is not very hectic and leaves the students with enough time to engage in brain-jogging, self-studies as well as extra-curricular activities.

I haven't yet completed my first semester, so there is no personal experience involved here. But, from what I have heard or seen, the placement cell at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, JNU works tirelessly to ensure that the students from every batch get an opportunity to intern at some reputed firm( be it research or corporate) as well as are placed well at the end of the course. Most of our final placements are in the form of PPO. Moreover, the batch strength isn't huge, so the probability of any person not getting placed on completion of the course is very less.

Almost every event be it cultural, social, political or technical is celebrated in JNU. The students of JNU come from various backgrounds and to preseve this conglomeration, the different societies make sure to celebrate every event. Starting from Durga Puja to Lohri to Holi, every festival is celebrated on the campus. Apart from recreational celebrations, we also have a large number of international conventions at our Convention Center, public lectures, study circles on several current issues which are very educative and keep the students engaged all the time.

The fee structure is extremely cheap and affordable. During admission, the fee for the first semester has to be paid which is Rs. 286, for second semester Rs. 108, for third and fourth semester Rs. 120/per semester.

I didn't avail any scholarship as the fee structure in itself is quite affordable for most but there are scholarships based on BPL category available for students who can't afford to pay. Also, I know that there a number of research fellowships available. But, I don't know the exact details of the scheme.

The students here are constantly engaged in some or the other activity. Apart from the usual sports clubs such as football, cricket, tennis, etc., we also have mountaineering club who organise yearly treks. Also, there are a lot of open houses where students get to interact with the faculty as well as seniors/juniors. Student diversity and tolerance is an altogether different experience in JNU. Right from the moment you enter the campus, you can feel that embracing warmth in the air. Nobody has to shy away from voicing their minds even if it speaks of dissent. As the saying goes around in the campus, " Everyone has the right to/ can agree to disagree."

Yes I have opted for an hostel and although it is a residential campus and most students opt for hostel, I was alloted one on the day of my admission itself. The hostels are well-built and have double seater rooms. The rooms are spacious and are regularly cleaned by the staff. The mess food is also good and quite cheap.

The alumni network is extremely well-spread and influential. We even have a Nobel Laureate, for that matter. Apart from that, our seniors are extremely understanding and always put our issues before theirs', whenever a conflict arises.

For my admission, I had to appear for an online examination which was conducted all over India. After getting selected in the first list, I immediately decided to enroll myself. JNU being the best university in India for Social Sciences as well as the curriculum of the course I have taken were major factors propelling me to choose this University.

The faculty is extremely well qualified. We have professors who are/have been associated with great international universities as well as different international institutions such as ILO or have been founders of internationally acclaimed journals, themselves. Inspite of all this, the faculty is extremely warm and approachable. We even have after class contact hours, wherein, we can discuss anything ( even apart from the course work). Also, the faculty is extremely sensitive and supportive and tries their best to accommodate any demands that the students might have regarding syllabus, class schedule, exam time-tables, etc.