RAJAGIRI LIFE

Being the second best college in the country for social work, Rajagiri ensure that it keeps its course curriculum and teaching methods updated. The syllabus followed is that of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, and teachers bring in extra and relevant information to the class for the students. Fieldwork opportunities at Rajagiri is exceptionally good. The best part about my college life was the fieldwork. This is where we have most of our learnings. It is important that we are open and flexible to new things so that we grow. Exams are conducted on semester basis. We had six semesters, so one end semester exam (ESE) at the end of each semester and two internal exams in each semester. The frequency and difficulty of exams in perfect, I would say. For all the students, expecting to join in 2024, you'll have a four year degree program, because of the New Education Policy, so we are expecting some major changes to come into the syllabus and course structure.

Internships / fieldworks in the department is very intensive and is a core paper. This is where we need to really work and learn. I got a lot of opportunities including international fieldwork opportunities at Rajagiri. I got the opportunity to work in Malaysia and attend an international conference in Germany during my UG at Rajajgiri. As a part of the course, we're supposed to do fieldwork at the end of each semester. I worked with the ICDS (aka Anganwadis), Kudumbasree (State Poverty Eradication Mission), Panchayats, Open Community, and a few NGOs during my three years of graduation. Fieldwork is the most wholesome experience one could get at Rajagiri.

In the third year, students become eligible for placements (my degree was a three year degree, it might be different when it becomes a four year degree). Interested students are given training for interviews, GDs and job selection processes by the placement cell in the college. I had not applied for placement, so I don't know the details of the salary package.

The fees at Rajagiri is a little in the higher side, when compared to many other social work colleges, but considering the facilities provided, it is worth the money paid. The library needs a special mention. Rajagiri has done an amazing job to make the library as appealing and aesthetic as possible to ensure that students come to the library and use the resources often. Scholarships are available, but I am not sure about the details. The women's hostel is slightly overpriced. There is an experienced and efficient placement cell in the college. Beginning from the 2021-'24 BSW batch, the BSW students have also been placed in many NGOs. MSW students also get placed in many companies.

We have a few annual fest conducted in the college, with Splendore being the most important one. It is a UG fest. Additionally there are fests conducted by different departments like Psyesta by the Psychology department. The library at Rajagiri needs a special mention. It spans across four floors, giving an amazing view of the city with its huge glass windows. The library staff is also extremely supportive and helpful. There are plenty of books and journals. Moreover, they also have e-resources that are purchased for the students. There are many clubs in the college. The students in the social work department are especially active in the clubs, eg. Rotaract Club, Youth Red Cross, Encon Club (environment protection and conservation), NSS, Drama Club, etc.

Hostel facility is the only thing I was disappointed about at Rajagiri. Hostel is expensive if you compare it to many other colleges, but the quality is better as much as I've known. Hostel rules are very restrictive to a great level, and might not be very easy for some people to adjust. Rooms are good, but sometimes, the authorities are not responsive to your valid concerns, which makes the hostel fee not worth it.

Eligibility was 95% and above for class XII when I got into the college. I got in through the general category. Registration at Rajagiri begins quite early and you need to keep visiting your profile often to know the updates. Application fee was fair. The admission portal opens in the official website of Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kalamassery. There was no interview or entrance exam as it was COVID when I got admitted.

I wil be talking exclusively about the faculty in the department of social work. All of them are very experienced and qualified. The faculty for BSW and MSW is different, though they all come under the fraternity of the department of social work. The teacher student ratio is approximately 1:6. They ensure that they incorporate innovative methods into teaching to make it more interesting and easy to learn. Notes and study materials are provided, which has both positive as well as negative aspects. We tend to mug up everything that's given in the notes and quite honestly, it is more than enough to pass the exam. This affects our extra reading, because we don't need to prepare notes on our own. We're assigned mentors at the beginning of the course, and that teacher will be out mentor till the end of the course. Personally, I found this very helpful.