Fergusson College M.Sc Review By Suman Kumar

How many colleges in India have a road named after them. Well, I can proudly say that my college enjoys that luxury. Our college was one of the first premier institutes started by Britishers. Our college started way back in 1880 and in 1891 the college shifted to the current location of F.C. Road. The college campus is spread across 60 acres and is certainly one of the biggest colleges in terms of area in Pune. The college is named after Sir James Fergusson who was the first patron of DES (Deccan Education Society). The college today has a history of over 130 years and has given the country some of it’s most sought after patriots, philosophers, poets, thinkers, teachers, writers, scientists, social workers, entrepreneurs, industrialists, administrators, defense officers, and researchers. In a nutshell, all basked of life has taken a walk at the sun of Fergusson College. Students of Fergusson College are also referred to as Fergussonian. The reason why Pune is called the Cambridge of the East is our college. May sound like, I am boasting way too much but that’s true. Pune was one of the first colleges that made foreigners come to India and enroll in Fergusson College. Thus far, students from 58 countries have enrolled in Fergusson College which I believe is a record.

The college was established when Indians hardly had any inclination towards higher education. From then till date, the college has made people come to Pune and enroll in this college. The college only offers science and arts streams and from junior college to post-graduation, various courses of both streams are available in the college. I joined this college for M.Sc in microbiology and can proudly say that it can’t get bigger than this. Not just the history but the main building, the Bai Jerabai Wadia Library, the N. M. Wadia Amphitheatre, and the sports ground made me fall in love with this college right from the word go.

The college is affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University for the graduate courses. For the PG program, the college turned autonomous in 2016 a couple of years before I joined. The college provides a range of courses from graduate to post-graduate programs. In addition to that, the college also offers some special courses, certificate courses, vocational courses, and Ph.D. programs among others. The studies are unmatched and you yourself can imagine when this college has produced the gems like C.V. Raman and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. These are just a couple of examples as the college has provided many other personalities as well. The professors are the best and the facilities right from the classrooms to labs are top-notch. One thing that I can guarantee from my experience is that like me many others came here for career aspirations.

However, our college taught us what is Indian society and how we should live to contribute. This thought cleared all the airs why this college has produced so many gems. Our textbooks for University exams were also specially designed courtesy of Nirali and Manali Prakashan. Pretty much, who enrolls in the M.Sc program has to do most of the studies by own. However, one thing which I need college to address is that attendance is not that strict and the teachers only show enthusiasm towards the students who want to learn. Many students don’t care and even the teachers don’t care about them. As a result, more students are found in parking lots rather than in classrooms.

I have encountered many good teachers during my time. All the teachers were helpful in helping out the students if they genuinely came for help. The faculty is highly experienced and many of them have actually passed out from the same college, 2-3 decades back. The faculty is easily approachable and helpful at the same time. The best part about the faculty is that they believe in the students and that has led to the growth in the personality of the students.

The professors of this college are the main reasons why this college ranks among the top college in the country. Also one more thing for the students who want to enroll in this college. If they are regular and keeps in touch with the faculty, the faculty provides them enough study material to score 70% in exams. The question papers set during the exams by faculty are indeed a joke as solving 2 years previous question papers helped me earn 1st class. Since the college has recently become autonomous, it feels like, the faculty deliberately wants students to score high.

This is an area where the college is extremely good as nearly 80% of the people got placed. The average annual package was around Rs. 4 lakhs per annum and the highest package was of Rs. 9 lakhs per annum. It was not just for our batch but the placement rate of Fergusson College is good in general. The company that hired most of the students was Aarti Drugs, Heritage Foods India Limited, Hetero Drugs Limited, and E4E Healthcare Limited among others.

During the final semester, the lab sessions are given more weightage and the college makes sure that student learns the art of working in the real world. This was the key to impress recruiters who were shocked that without any internship, how students know all this. All thanks to the college professors who know how things in the outer world work and thereby help students in getting placed. Also, one unique thing that I saw was pre-placement lectures were arranged by the college that helped students crack interviews by recruiters. This exercise helped students to excel at the placement interviews.

The college has both boys and girls hostel. The hostel buildings are located inside the campus and have a long history. In all, there are 6 hostel buildings and 1 Bungalow which accommodates 20 girls. Block IV hostel building is reserved for boys enrolled in the post-graduate course. The hostel has all the basic facilities such as a Mess, hospital facility, solar water heating system, parent’s open guest room, covered 2 wheeler parking, tea vending machines, and one common room in each of the blocks with television. Also, there’s a separate gymnasium and badminton club in 3 of the hostel building. Also, there’s a separate library in the girl's hostel. 24x7 security and CCTV cameras have also been installed in each hostel buildings.

The rooms are not that huge but have nice beds and clean bathrooms. Rather than staying outside, staying in a hostel is definitely a cheaper and better option as other accommodations in Pune are quite costly. The food provided by mess was also good and has a variety as well. On days when you don’t feel like having food at the mess, there are numerous restaurants in F.C. Road and J.M. Road which are also nearby. The timings are a little strict as the hostel gates close at 10 pm and post that entry is not allowed.

The college was renovated recently as the main building was nearly 100 years old. The college has certainly one of the biggest libraries you will ever see. You will find n number of books and explore the literary world. Whenever we used to get bored, we just used to wander in the college as the college itself is so huge. One special mention that the college has provided facilities for disable people to take access around the campus. The playground is huge where we used to run, play, and also watch other students play by sitting on the wall surrounding the playground.

The college campus also has a unique Amphitheatre which is used all year round as various activities keep happening most of the time. Many imminent guests have graced this Amphitheatre and have shared their views here. The college campus also has an open theatre called KIMAYA, where college small events are organised. The most chilling place of the college is its canteen and there are as many as 3 canteens. The college campus is lush green and hence the temperature inside the campus is cooler than the atmosphere in the city.

If you ask me, I would say, I wish I have joined this college from the junior college itself. The college keeps students busy with both extracurricular and academic activities. The teaching staff is also very supportive and the non-teaching staffing too is very friendly.

I have already told about the studies part and hence among the other cultural activities the college is best known for its annual cultural fest. The fest takes place in December. The fest showcase a lot of Maharashtrian cultures as I witnessed Dhol Pathak and Mirawnook for the first time in my life. All national and international students participate in the fest and is a treat for all the students by the college. The college has many things to talk about and I can only say that a student can actually celebrate his college life at Fergusson College.