Don’t lose heart; it’s only a start
Iam a retired teacher from a junior college in Mumbai. Year after year, I have been on admissions duty and have seen the faces of worried parents and students, waiting to hear their fate. The online procedure was a necessary step, but many still seem to find it confusing and scary. I have seen first-hand the confused faces in the crowds who could really do with some good counselling as they enter a new chapter in their lives.
As cutoffs rise higher and higher and many students feel their dreams are being shattered even though they haven’t scored badly, please know that a compromise is not a loss. It may feel unfair, it may be unfair, but it is not the end. It is a beginning.
I know, at such a tender age, these are not the lessons you want to learn.
The uncertainty is worrying. The long waits feel like they are wearing you down.
I wish college admissions were easier; I wish this first step you take from child to adult could be more satisfying. Just remember, a college doesn’t make a student; and a student can bring repute to any college.
Sumita Ghosh
SUPPORT YOUR KIDS, AND PLEASE REMEMBER: THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE
Every year, around this time, students start dreading results and admissions. With cut-offs as high as 90%-plus, where is the average student to go?
I read somewhere that about 5,000 students have scored 90% or more. Is this a joke? Some students even score 100%. How is this even possible?
How are students scoring so much, even in subjects like English? My son scored 65% in his board exams 10 years ago. He was ecstatic. But when he spoke to his friends and learnt that they had all scored more, he felt dejected. As a parent, I gave him all the mental and moral support I could. We were patient, and eventually he too found a college of his choice and to his liking.
We need to move away from this obsession with marks and support our children. Encourage them and tell them things will sometime be hard, take a little time, but that is not reason to lose hope.
Trupti Merchant
THE SYSTEM DOESN’T DECIDE YOUR FUTURE, YOU DO. SO TAKE CHARGE
After the stress of exams and the joy of results, admission stress comes knocking. It needs to be tackled with care.
I went through the process and did not make any hasty choices. The first thing a student has to remembers is, choose the stream and not the college. This will ensure that your interests and passions are nurtured.
A lot of colleges may look ordinary but the staff are good.
The computerised system has made the admissions process easier and more transparent. Students should choose a college based on their passion, not their social circle.
At the end of it all, the students will have to put in the effort to make something of themselves. The system is just one tool.
Aarti Chawla
WE YOUNGSTERS ARE DROWNING IN THIS RAT RACE FOR MARKS
I am a fresher this year, and the college cutoffs I am seeing are really putting me in a huge dilemma. Percentage inflation is a huge problem, especially in the top colleges, with cutoffs going as high as 99%!
With academics being this competitive, unless we are extraordinarily good, it feels like there is a good chance that we could drown in this rat race.
The only solution to this problem is creating a more subjective way of evaluation. Instead of complete dependence on marks from one particular exam, colleges should evaluate each student in a recurrent and comprehensive manner.
This would also ensure that personality development and other vocational qualities were cultivated, along with the general academic growth.
Ankolika De
START CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS TOO; GIVE KIDS A CHANCE
Years ago, I tried to get my niece admitted at RA Podar college, Matunga.
Though she had high scores, their seats were full. I spent an entire day at the college just hoping something would work out.
Eventually, two students who had applied for the Commerce section withdrew their application and my niece got in.
Those were simpler days. I can only imagine what it is like today. The percentage system needs to be supplemented with at least one round of interviews. Give the kids a chance.
V Venkitasubramanian