Holy Cross College (Autonomous) B.A Review By Primantha Isabella

Holy Cross College is a self-financed women college. The college offers various UG and PG courses in Arts & Science. The best part is college is its location. College is situated on the bank of the river Cauvery. The college is nearly 100 years old as it was established by catholic institutes in the year 1923. Our college has a great history in academic excellence for a century and it has made women self-dependent from the time when higher studies for girls were considered a transgression. The college’s mission is to impart education to all and therefore every year college gives admission to a large chunk of students who comes economically and socially weaker section of the society. Though it’s a Catholic institution, it has also given admission on merit, and caste and religion has never been favored.

The college started from a humble beginning with a class-room of a handful of students and today is one of the best women’s colleges not just in Tamil Nadu but the country as well. Students from all corners of the country come and join this college. The services our college has given for women’s education helped it earn an autonomous status in the year 1987. Previously the college was affiliated with the University of Madras. Our college has constantly ranked among the top 50 colleges in the country. In addition to studies, the college also hosts various cultural events and always encourages students to enroll in extra-curricular activities. I will have to say that the reason why I feel, I am at a better place today is because of my college Holy Cross College.

The subjects included in B.A. are much advanced than the courses included in other Universities of India. I did my B.A. (History) from this beautiful college. Fortunately for me that our department was upgraded to a research department a couple of years before I enrolled in the college and hence we were provided the best research facilities by our college. The department’s PG course has provided many genuine bureaucrats through its department of IAS academy which was built in the decade of the 1980s.

In all, I can proudly say that college focuses on building student’s skill-set, intellectual curiosity and employ-ability by making them aware of the modern-day requirements through quality education. The lecturers in the college always motivated us to improvise and always find answers to what they are seeking. The college is known for providing excellent learning and teaching which I witnessed and will agree to what I heard.

First of all, a special mention to our Isabella Rajakumari mam who is arguably the best teacher and mentor I come across. She has the ability to bring the best out of the students. She was also the head of our department and always asked us to give importance to practical sessions. The other teachers too were highly experienced and believed in teaching us basic qualities like leadership skills, and management skills among others.

The faculty was easy to approach in case of doubt and also they helped us in working in the areas which the students needed to improve upon. The faculty was also very kind to all the students and counselors were assigned to each student. I don’t see any other reason other than our faculty who is responsible for shaping the Holy Cross student's career. Hence, due credit to the faculty of the Holy Cross.

Yes, no blue-chip names came for recruitment but still, most of us got placed. We got jobs in Trichy itself and schools like St. Mary’s High School, Physical Education Teacher, St. Gabriel Matriculation HR. Sec. School and Vellangani Raj Matriculation School among many others came in and gave the post of teachers. Also, some were placed as computer operators while many opted for higher studies.

Surprising to see that some hotels too came for recruitment and some of us got the job of a receptionist as well. Yes, no major corporate houses were present but still, most of us got placed was a satisfactory thing.

The hostel is inside the college campus and is 3 story building. I will have to say that seniors were so co-operative and made us feel at home at the hostel. The hostel rooms were spacious and were cleaned from time to time. Also, the hostel building has a common TV area where all girls gather and have fun. Also, there are table tennis tables in our hostel and a little gym. The food in the hostel canteen was yum and we were served different delicacies on all 7 days of the week.

Yes, there were strict time regulations and if anybody failed to report on time, their parents were informed immediately.

Students at Holy Cross College are endowed with all the latest amenities and modern infrastructure to give them a feel-good factor. The campus is huge and has nearly 10 buildings. Some of the main facilities that the college has are seamless internet connectivity, ventilated classrooms, medical facilities, a huge library, and computer labs among others. The college’s library is stocked with n number of books and you will find books of almost all niches that you are interested in. Women are no behind than man and hence our college has a huge playground where we used to play cricket and football.

This is rare as not many women colleges in this country have a sports ground and this is something which we used to boast in front of the friends who enrolled at other colleges. Also, there is an air-conditioned auditorium with a seating capacity of 200 students.

Life at the campus was different than what I experienced before joining the college. Girls from various backgrounds enrolled in Holy Cross and there was no discrimination based on caste, colour, or religion. The main reason why I joined this college was that it’s a girl's college and the college’s motto is to develop women's goodness in society. The campus is completely green and has a lush green outfield where we used to have long walks and chat about our plans going forward. Every month college used to organize a fest and the fest held during Christmas was something we used to wait all year long. Our time at Holy Cross passed so quickly and I still cherish some of the memories that I created there.