IGNOU (BSc. Zoology Hons.)

Admission in Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) is not that difficult. Candidates who are willing to get enrolled in this university must have scored 50% of marks in 12th std for General category and 45% for reserved category. Before applying in IGNOU I was hoping to get enrolled in Delhi University but due to high cut off in Bsc. Zoology department I chose to pursue my bachelor's from IGNOU and was preparing for UPSC simultaneously. As IGNOU is an open university so candidates have no restrictions on age limit, which is a really good thing for people who were not able to get graduated immediately after their 12th due to any reason. As stated earlier the admission process is very easy, you just have to register yourself on the official website of the University, fill up details, upload documents and pay the application fee. After that select the programme and then you can attend the weekly classes provided in the respective study centres.

I chose BSc. Zoology Hons. because I always wanted to study core biology in-depth. IGNOU provides really good and in-depth study material to the students. The curriculum of IGNOU is mostly the same as the other regular Universities the difference is that students are not in regular touch with the subjects as the classes commence once a week i.e. Sunday which is the reason they are not that thorough with the subject. Faculties is nice overall as they only have limited hours to teach a particular subject, they try to give as much knowledge as possible. IGNOU has a credits system, you need to complete a certain number of credits in order to complete your degree. The best part about the IGNOU curriculum and study material is that if you thorough and have read all the books provided by IGNOU then you will definitely score more than 80% in your exams.

There are not many internship opportunities available by IGNOU for the students. One can only apply for the desirable internship on thier own. But some study centers do arrange internships for particular courses. For BSc. personally, I never heard of or got any internship opportunity through IGNOU. But there are some other causes that can get you an internship in hospitals. There are some hospitals and institutes that provide internships for IGNOU students.

The cost of the study is affordable in this University. For BSc. courses it is 12,6000/- for 3 years i.e. 4,200/- per annum (as there is one semester per year), which includes the study material as well. But this cost does not include the exam fees. Candidates filling the exam form have to pay seperate fees for every subject, i.e. 200/- per subject from the year 2021. Earlier it was 150/- per subject, now there is Rs. 50 hike from the year 2021. As the fees is minimal, so the University does not provide any kind of scholarship or financial assistance to students. There is no job placement after completing your Bsc. from IGNOU. You have to find a job on your own with your skills and experience.

There is not much campus life at this University. It depends upon the study center you have been allotted. I got DU Gargi college as my study center, there are many others and you can attend their college fests, IGNOU does not arrange any fees or extracurriculars for the students. There is no such social group in this University as well, as it is an Open University. Students engage socially on thier own personal levels, there are no groups made by the University.