St Stephen's College B.A Review By Rohan Aryan

My experience at St. Stephen’s College was transformative and enriching. I chose this college because of its reputation for academic excellence and vibrant campus life. I had heard a lot of positive things about Stephens from my seniors and teachers back in school. It was a no-brainer at the start of class 11th when I opted for Humanities that I have to excel in the boards and choose this college as number one on my priority list. As luck would have it, I fulfilled my destiny of taking admission in this college. Little did I know that I was in a journey of a lifetime for the next 3 years. The academic life was phenomenal with passionate faculty who were always down to help in class or otherwise in tutorials. The campus itself was a sight to behold spreading across numerous gardens and hostel (technically residence) named after esteemed faculty members of the past. The library was a heaven for a bookworm like me with over a hundred thousand books spreading across the three floors with state of art digital cataloging system. The peer group was the best bunch of people I could have ever wished for. They were not just a bunch of people who talked about academics all the time but an emotionally intelligent lot with whom I felt a connection like no other. The internship and placement cell was super active offering lucrative opportunities at well known MNCs and private organizations. Although, there were some shortcomings too like the attendance policy demanded minimum 65% attendance and some cases of genuine medical/personal issues were not exempted as well. Speaking in hindsight I can undeniably say that my time at St. Stephens College was the best period of my life. The memories, academic rigor, the once in a lifetime friendships, and sprawling lovely gardens are some of the things I still cherish after all these years. St. Stephens will always have a special part in my heart.

The academic program itself, in my case History (Hons.), was very fulfilling in the sense that the curriculum was well-structured, and covered a range of topics of history spanning across the three years in a chronological manner. In the first year we were taught ancient history, in the second medieval history and so on. The entry requirements and eligibility criteria for this course required us to score exceptional marks in class 12th CBSE exams. The cut-off for our batch went at a mind-boggling 96.5%. I managed to scrape through and scored enough to get a call letter from the college. I had to go through 2 rounds of preliminary procedure consisting of an aptitude test and personal interview before getting selected for admission. The aptitude test was a simple test on reading comprehension and writing aptitude. The interview tested our understanding and motivation behind going for our particular subject. I wanted to enroll in the History (Hons.) program since it would have given me ample time and resources to prepare for the civil services examination which I planned to take after graduation.

The faculty members were some of the most distinguished, erudite and well-read people I ever met. Their portfolio was stacked with years of academic publications, teaching at S-tier colleges, scholarships, fancy degrees abroad but the most striking feature was invariably the passion for teaching. They were not in this profession because of the money or recognition but as if they were born to do this. The classes felt like a travel back in time. The professors made judicious use of technology and hand outs to help make us understand the material. If that wasn't enough special tutorials were organized for our class where we were divided in small groups of 4-5 and were expected to show up in a small room once a week to get our doubts cleared and discuss about that week's reading. It was intense but helped us develop many useful habits such as reading regularly and writing original research papers. The professors acted as mentors and guided us each step of the way.

Yes, St. Stephen’s College does have a very active placement cell that helps students with job opportunities after graduation. While the BA History program is not focused on placements, the cell provides priceless support to those who want to enter the job market. There were batchmates from other courses like Physics and Economics who managed to secure jobs with companies like WITCH and the BIG 4 immediately post-graduation. The cell organized exclusive sessions for guidance on resume writing, interview preparation and career counseling.

Yes St. Stephen’s College does have hostel facility for the students. Here it is popularly known as residence rather than hostel because the hospitality and ambience matches that of one's own personal residence. The infrastructure and rooms are well maintained, the first year students are required to share rooms with another batch mate but from second year onwards they get to live in their own residence alone. The allocation of residence quarters is solely on the basis of academic performance throughout college and so given on a merit basis. The hostel also has common areas where residents can relax and socialize. Mess food is delicious with both vegetarian and non vegetarian options.

The infrastructure is great with each classroom being equipped with AC's and latest technology to facilitate presentations via projectors but the toilets left a lot to be desired due to unhygienic urinals and lack of water in the taps sometimes. The library is a state of art library sprawling across three floors and over a hundred thousand books. The red colonial style marble of the building is a reminder of the rich heritage and past of this college established way back in the late 19th century. The gardens are well maintained and have over 20 different types of plants and flowers. It's a picturesque college with many popular films and songs being shot here in the past.

The campus life is always brimming with activity. There are over 30 clubs and societies in the college which cater to different interests and goals of students. From Finance and Investment Cell, to Civil Service Forum the societies are very popular individually outside the college in their own right. They organize weekly and monthly events which attract students from all over the campus and even outside the campus. There is opportunity for students to take up leadership and executive roles and grow with others. The annual fest of Stephens is named Harmony and takes place every February or March by tradition.