It was a case of first impression being the lasting one for Vijayawada boy Hashmmath Shaik when he visited SRM University, AP campus. He left having made his decision to enroll for the B.Tech, CSE program. And though he hasn’t been able to return to the campus due to the pandemic last year, he believes his learning experience hasn’t been compromised. He journals his experiences of first year of college; from virtual orientation to Zoom classes and extracurricular activities.
“Choosing the graduation program and college is a big deal and I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Hence I wanted to check things out myself and was completely blown away by the infrastructure at SRM University, AP. Coming from Vijayawada, this was a whole new world to me, but I knew that this is what my dream college would look like.
Unfortunately due to the pandemic last year, we haven’t been able to go back to campus. But my B.Tech CSE program began with a virtual orientation program that put all of us at ease. It was a well-rounded program with quizzes and games and motivational sessions. There were talks about mental health in times of the pandemic, which was very thoughtful.
While I have not been able to attend offline classes, I don’t think the learning experience has been compromised in any way. Zoom is a brilliant platform for student engagement. Teaching practices where students are asked to solve questions are also very helpful. We have had our exams in lab classes, which was good practical exposure for all of us.
I am very impressed by our faculty members, not only because they too had to adapt to online teaching but they have also done it brilliantly while focusing on students’ needs. We are given assignments on a regular basis to understand if we have grasped the topics. They are always accessible and pay special attention to topics so that we have complete clarity about them.
Besides academic learning, I am thrilled to see the preparations for cultural activities that are held online. As a first year student, I have missed those experiences that are crucial to college life. I can’t wait to get back to campus and participate in Basketball games, play guitar – these are my main interests. I also want to be a part of the theatre group and perform on stage.
I think hostel life is one of the coolest aspects of college years. I can’t wait to experience it with my batch mates who come from everywhere in India – UP, Odisha, and also African countries, Bangladesh. I haven’t seen all of them though we are connected on social media. I am confident that when we meet it will be like we have been friends forever. I am really looking forward to it.”
Testimonial
“Zoom is a brilliant platform for student engagement. Teaching practices where students are asked to solve questions are also very helpful. We have had our exams in lab classes, which was good practical exposure for all of us. I am very impressed by our faculty members, not only because they too had to adapt to online teaching but they have also done it brilliantly while focusing on students’ needs.” – Hashmmath Shaik, B.Tech CSE, Batch 2020-24.