The excitement was palpable as many freshers were thrilled to be out of school, and savouring every bit of the excitement of their very first day in college. As the Ist PU classes began in many of the City’s colleges, Deccan Herald could sense the general exuberance of the ‘freshies’ on day one, while also getting their opinions on issues ranging from dress code to ragging.

For most, college spelt freedom -- from uniforms, from the closed gates they can’t get out of till 3 pm, from disciplined assembly lines and from “being spoon-fed”. The freshies huddled close to familiar faces from school, steered clear of seniors (despite the ‘no ragging’ signs on campus), began forming ‘cliques’ and were generally busy discovering the geography of the college -- the canteen, the library, and the other present and potential hangouts.

At St Joseph’s Pre-University College (SJPUC), the bushy-tailed were already on the prowl. A group of friends -- Shobith, Nithin and Aditya & Co, all from St Joseph’s Boys High School, were indeed ‘thrilled’ to bits.
Asked about the dress code, Shobith said: “It’s good to have one, otherwise we’ll have weird punks strutting around here”. On ragging, he proffered this bit of bravado, but in jest: “We will rag the IInd PU guys”, but added on a serious note, “There is no ragging on campus”.

While the majority agreed that college was a whole new world compared with school, a few found their respective colleges no different because of the “stringent norms” in effect.

Saurabh Patawari of SJPUC says: “It’s awesome, we can do what we want in college; in school, we were spoon-fed.” But Anjali B of Christ College has a different take: “We need compulsory 90 per cent attendance to take our exams -- it feels like being in school again.”

On the controversial dress code issue, the students are divided. Some feel the code is necessary for various reasons -- on grounds of decency, “to iron out” economic differences, however superficially, or simply to avoid vulgarity. Others say they couldn't understand the fuss over the code in an all-girls college.

‘If not now, when?’
Suhas, an MEBA student of SJPUC, says a dress code will prevent students from sporting ‘indecent clothing’. But Mona of Jyothi Nivas College (JNC) asks, “If we can’t wear what we want now, when can we? There are no boys here, so the code makes no sense.”

Most students are dead set against ragging as it can get out of hand. Some, however, feel ragging is an “initiation ceremony” and, if kept within limits, would be fun. Tushara of JNC, says “within limits, it’s a fun way to get to know the seniors.”

Most freshers feel that as long as cellphones are switched off inside classes, they should be allowed to carry them.

“I know I’d be responsible enough to switch it off in class, as will others,” says Radhika.

While in some colleges cell phone is barred, others only prohibit their use.