Amity University BJMC Review By Koyel Majumder

I completed my graduation from Amity Kolkata in 2021. I was a student of BJMC (Bachelor of Journalism and mass communism). When I got into Amity, I had high hopes and dreams, but not all of them materialized. I developed a passion for journalism when I was in class 11. Since I loved photography, photojournalism appealed to me, and so I got into this course as I found the curriculum interesting. Our course comprised of both theory and practical papers, and in later semesters we were supposed to work on projects and assignments to get hands-on experience of journalism. Studying at Amity was challenging as the course was tough and demanded long hours. We had to complete multiple assignments in every semester, but the grueling experience has prepared me well. But due to COVID and subsequent lockdown, many of the practical papers had to be canceled or shortened. We had to complete our internship from home. I got a chance to work on graphic designing, video editing, and social media marketing. My internship experience was good but some of my friends complained that their internship was not that good.

The first two semesters focused on mainly theory. We had to study in details topics like ethics, law, and state politics. We got opportunities to work on graphic designing and photoshop in our practical classes. In the later semesters, the theory portion was reduced and we were given more assignments and projects to apply whatever we learned in our theory papers. COVID drastically affected our academics as we had to attend classes online. Many of the practical papers were reduced. Field trips got cancelled. Online classes were stressful. Since our exams were held online, the paper pattern also changed. The pressure of assignments and class tests was huge. During my internship, I worked long hours and enjoyed working on graphic designing. I have picked up important lessons on social media which I think will be useful when I start working.

We are lucky to have got such great faculties in our college. We bonded with our faculties well in the offline classes and they were really helpful in explaining everything about journalism. When online classes started, our teachers did their best to make the classes interesting. We had debates and shared our ideas. This experience has enriched me. One thing that worried us was the change of faculties. Many faculties left AMITY during the covid period and it became hard for us to adjust. We have a faculty feedback system through which we gave honest reviews on our faculties. I think this is good for the students as they can assess their teachers.

One of the reasons for joining Amity was the feedback of ex-students regarding good placement scope. Most big companies came to Amity for campus interviews and or seniors got placed in good positions. Channels like NDTV and Republic recruited freshers in large numbers. However, due to COVID-19, the situation has become grim. Last year, only a few channels came with job offers. Most of my friends are not happy with the packages they received. The pay package is not satisfactory, neither is the job profile. This is also a reason for me to take up higher studies and increase my job prospects.

Amity Kolkata had a single building for hostel accommodation. It had separate wings for boys and girls. I have been there to meet my friends. It had strict rules and no one could enter the hostel without the warden’s permission. The facilities were good with twin-sharing rooms. Another building was coming up to provide separate accommodation for the girls and I think it must be completed by now.

Amity has a good infrastructure. The building is huge and impressive. We have all the facilities that a college must have but undergraduate students get less access to these. The campus is spacious and looks nice. It is well maintained also. Amity is a good place to study and play. We have two libraries with a good range of books. The main auditorium is huge and there are 4 smaller seminar halls. Our sports complex is modern with separate courts for basketball, badminton, and other sports. We also have a swimming pool.

Amity is good for students who look for learning the latest concepts. Our faculties are good, we got good infrastructure. The teachers encouraged us to ask questions beyond the course. Students who pursue different extracurricular activities get good exposure here. The annual fest and fashion shows gave us good chances to show our talents. The BAJMC curriculum is good but it must include more practical classes and give us scope to work in the field. Most students got good placement opportunities in big companies and are doing great work. Covid has changed everything for us. I loved studying in Amity and have known some good teachers who help me even now.