Lady Shri Ram College for Women B.A Review By Riya Mishra

My time at LSR was magical and transformative, and I can say that whoever goes there comes out as a better individual.

The cutoffs for LSR are always very high. LSR has always been and will continue to be an academically rigorous college. We had strict rules for attendance and we had to adhere to strict deadlines for assignments and assessments. One has to work very hard in the college. I enrolled in English because of my undying love for literature. I was also part of the last class whose academics were based on the old curriculum and not the New Education Policy of 2020. We had to adhere to strict deadlines for assignments and assessments. So anyone who isn't willing to study hard in this college will not thrive.

Some of the most respected academicians in the Literary circles graced our classrooms with their presence. While studying English Literature, we also studied Sociology, History, Psychology and Politics. Some of our professors truly transformed our personality because of the way they taught and asked us to think. They were more than just teachers for us. They were highly qualified in their respective fields, and they mentored the students very well.

The placement cell at LSR is one of the best in the entire country and our top placements are at par with IITs. The top placement this year was 49 lakh. The placement cell works strictly and thoroughly, and conducts frequent sessions and webinars. If your end goal is to get a job, it is better to be involved in the cell's activities. The placements are mostly driven by and hence catered to non-humanities branches.

I was a member of the residence hall from April to August 2022. The hostel is only offered to freshmen, something that has both pros and cons. It prevents ragging and offers new students a chance to stay in the safe environment of the hostel while they explore outside accommodation options like PGs and flats. However, it means that people (and especially my batch) have to shift here for a really short amount of time. Accommodation in the hostel was offered to outstation students of my batch on the basis of their marks in class 12. The highest scorers were given single rooms and the rest were given double ones. The warden is really strict with the curfew timings and particular about any leave one takes. If you get the hostel, do take it, I would suggest. It is surely a fun experience to have in your first year. In my second year, my juniors did live at the residence hall but faced some infrastructural issues, due to which it wasn't offered the following year. I am unaware of the status of the renovation at present.

There are two major blocks at LSR- the iconic old building, and the new building next to the back field. There are two front lawns, a cafe, a tutorial block, the exhibition halls and the amphitheater. Both the academic blocks are used almost equally by all the departments, and the campus is highly accessible by wheelchair users and disabled people. Lifts are readily available and Braille is written for all room labels. There are 4 options available to have food from- the college canteen (referred to as the cafe), the Nescafe, the Mother Dairy and Veni Aunty's food stall. There are several street food options readily available at the back entrance. The college houses some dogs who are very friendly. The LSR library is something every student should explore. It is filled with all the resources you will ever need to research on any topic under the sun. There is a books and stationary shop inside the campus, along with two printout/Xerox places. We didn't have ACs in classrooms (or even working fans, sometimes) and often ran into problems with room allotments. The important thing is that the college fosters an environment of civic sense such that students and teachers alike maintain the cleanliness and appreciate the aesthetics of the campus.

The feminine energy that buzzes through the campus of the college is infectious and makes one feel good about themselves, something that I know for a fact that co-educational colleges fail to for women. We have highly accomplished women at the top of their fields teaching us how to navigate our personal and professional lives. Majority of students have undergone self-transformative journeys owing to the presence of only women around us, and have ended up feeling freer, more independent and much better about ourselves and our place in the world. Other than that, the campus is always busy and bustling with energy. Some Nukkad natak here, some flash mob there. Especially during festivals, farewells and fests, the place is full of activity and the decorations that warm everybody's hearts. Most days have events for some department or society, and the campus has a magnetic energy that makes you want to hang out in the campus after the classes. All in all, one shouldn’t miss the chance of getting admitted here as a student.