After looking at the Delhi university cut-offs, I now realize why the world is at Sharada University
This was my first thought when I saw the first list of DU cutoffs. The second was “Really? Did so many people score so much better than me? And the third was the urge to call out to someone to get me a form for Sharda.
Rewinding back a few months, I distinctly remember telling everyone “I’m aiming for English at Hindu”. Out came the first list with the cut-off at 98, and my feeble 94 looked like a joke in front of it. After a nauseous week waiting for my CBSE result (they delayed it by a week, gee thanks CBSE that was fun!)And then waiting for the university to solve its own issues, and then for the cut-off’s, I was tired, tense and very very annoyed.
Marvelling at how so many people had apparently score 96-97-98 and then colleges coming up with cutoff’s like 100% for a degree in Computer Science (ps. That score is unachievable, are you saying you don’t want students?) I soon realised, there is no way I’m getting English at Hindu.
The entire production of getting into India’s premier university is taxing to say the least. It is usually hot, there are huge lines that make you agree to the fact that we are a grossly overpopulated country, and the chaos makes you want to sit down in a corner and cry. Of course, you get the privilege of doing all of this, only if you score that one magic number and not a mark less.
During the Cut-off season, there are many who start doubting themselves. And I was one of them; I was disappointed with the system, the colleges and myself. Since many of you would soon be undergoing the same process, here’s something you should know.
IT’S NOT THE END OF YOUR WORLD
So you don’t get the course you want at your dream college. Or maybe you don’t get to go to the same place as you best friend/ boyfriend/ girlfriend attends. Or maybe you can’t handle the idea of going to a place you were not even considering, simply because you score .25 lesser than the required cut off.
Believe me, we get it. I was one of you, doing a course I was apprehensive about at a college I really didn’t want to go to. But you know what? It’s okay. You are 17, with the world ahead of you. You don’t know yet what you’re good at. CBSE board marks don’t justify you. They aren’t a character certificate. They are just a symbol of how well you mugged up a few facts and hen reproduced them in a controlled, uncomfortable environment. But well, you know most of that already, all you have to do is believe in it.
One of the most common misconceptions you come across during the entire admission process is “Brand wale college mein jayenge”. In the simplest terms I can refuse that statement- it is bullshit. Of course I do not contest the fact that people would be impressed if you say you are at SRCC, but that’s just as far as it goes. The curriculum is the same all institutions, it’s just the infrastructure that differs. And honestly, ask any DU student, the thing that matters the most is what you do, how interest you are in having a productive and fun college life. It depends on the friends you make, the activities you sign up for and the societies you join, not just the name of the college you enrol in.
Similarly, you jobs would depend on your skill set, not the name of your college. College is different from school because of one major reason: In college, what you do, is what you get. It’s as simple as that. So don’t sweat it. Don’t get conned by deceptive symbolism and definitely don’t underestimate yourself. What you think as a curse a this precise moment may just bring you tremendous experiences, the best of friends and who knows, maybe it’s you writing this next year! Take the twist to your life in a good way and wait and watch how it plays out into one of the best experiences you’ve had till date!
Always, always remember, you are what you make of the opportunities and challenges presented to you, not how much you scored in one qualifying examination. As for your admissions, leave it up to the cut-off lists and fate, kabhi kabhi galat train bhi sahi station pe la poochtai hai!
