DU summer break: Are you getting one?

Come summer, and students in educational institutions eagerly look forward to get a break from studies. But for Delhi University’s first-year students, it’s a state of dilemma since many still don’t know whether their college will announce them a month-long summer break or just a weekend of sorts for the freshmen to enter into sophomore. A number of colleges have allowed the first-year students just two days off before they get back into the rigmarole.

A college principal shares on condition of anonymity that the academic planner from the university mentioned only a two-day break. Rajni Abbi, DU proctor, adds, “There is no reason behind this. During the planning of the calendar, this is what felt right to the committee.”

“I’m totally confused,” says Bhavika, a first-year student of Psychology (Hons) of Kamala Nehru College. “The indecisiveness on the part of college authorities is only leaving me bereft of any plans. I really wanted to go for a trip to the hills with my friends, but it’s just not working out because of all the confusion related to summer break,” says Bhavika. Her friend Shreya Rawat, adds, “Our first year has been quite hectic due to the continuous change in plans declared in instalments, by the university. It has been one full year in college yet I’ve absolutely no experience in an office that’s in my field of work... I had found an internship with a reputed market research firm thinking summer break is the perfect time to gain some first-hand experience in a professional set-up. But now, I’ll have to tank it since we are getting just a two-day break from college before my third semester begins.”

Some colleges such as Miranda House have decided to not to give any summer break to the first-year students this year. Confirming this, Vanya, a first-year BA (Prog) student at Miranda House says, “We all are almost always constantly hustling between exams, assignments and classes, without a break... I haven’t been able to go back and meet my parents in Bengaluru since I came here almost a year ago. I thought now is the time, but it doesn’t seem so. I don’t want to take a chance and compromise on my attendance.”

“My seniors told me that they got a month and a half long summer break, from May-end to July last year, even when they were attending online classes. And here we are! My bandwidth to take in any more knowledge is now over. My friends in other DU colleges have been told that they have a month-long break and are also planning a class trip. But I guess I’ll be left behind because we still have no clear information,” says Nishit Aggarwal, a first-year Economics (Hons) student at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College for Commerce, adding, “If I’m forced to attend classes, and I won’t bunk them but can’t promise if I’ll be able to pay 100% attention.”

Some students, who have indeed got a longer break, are still finding themselves in a state of confusion. “Earlier, as per the two-day break, I had planned a short trip to my home town, Rishikesh (Uttarakhand). And then came the sudden announcement of a summer break. Now, I’m looking for internships,” says Aditi Semwal, a first-year student of BA (Hons) Journalism at Institute of Home Economics, adding, “Had I known earlier about this, I could have cut short my trip and taken up an internship to improve my CV. Why can’t such information come to us early for better planning.”

Author tweets @maisha_scribbles

For more such stories follow Facebook and Twitter