Camaraderie with seniors helps juniors

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Moumita De Roy

17 June, 2009

The word 'seniors' had acquired an extremely appalling association after the row of ragging deaths from across the country. But this time they have stepped in a different shoe. Affable, big brotherly and innovative

A CORDIAL and dutiful image of seniors came in view when I read about help-desks set-up by seniors of DU from North-East states to help freshers from their region. This was a new and positive thing after the continuous news of seniors ragging juniors to fatal ends. Remembering the confusing times of admission and the hurdles faced by my outstation friends, I felt that such help-desks can be immensely purposeful in a broad way. It’s an example, which can be emulated by seniors in general all over the country.

The concept of help-desks is unknown in most of the colleges and universities. Although juniors contact their seniors through e-communities to know about their colleges but the scope of help becomes limited. Help-desks have lapped up key relevance as education has almost dissolved geographical borders. Priority to receive quality education drives meritorious students to leave their homes and travel to any part of the country. So finding a person from same cultural and regional background is quite relieving.

Often seniors can furnish such valuable information or counsel which the brochures and faculty fail to do. With the administrative section breathlessly busy with admissions and faculties with their own schedules, students are in the soup. The chaos and problem multiplies as the student and admission-in-charge clerks ratio becomes too high. They are almost in distress with queries related to filling up forms correctly, locating colleges, finding suitable accommodation and at times, choosing the apt course. With varying criteria of eligibility for different colleges which is often difficult to decipher, seniors can prove to be real saviors. They can explain the various long-winding clauses and directions. A word or two from people who have passed through the same phase can cast an altogether consoling effect.

Shifting base from one place to another is in itself a worrisome venture for many. Amidst all unknown faces, the ‘we-are-there-to-help’ expression gives them courage to sustain. As if there is someone trustworthy to fall back upon. For some, language barrier makes it really difficult to mingle with the local crowd. In such situations seniors bridge the gap by being translators and communication middle-man. Lifestyle, talking style and other dispensation are cultural upshots. For the outstation students, culture shock is a big problem eliciting them to give up their courses and return. Seniors can act as shock absorbers by counseling them to accept those cultural differences.

Especially for the girls, the senior’s knowledge about the safety and security can be immensely useful. It can help avert putting up in unsafe places to quite an extent. Not only this, seniors can help them to adjust easily with campus tips and tricks. Awareness about the nuances of the campus comes handy while interacting with the teachers and office bearers.

There can be nothing innovative and user-friendly as a help-desk to scoop the new entrant out of the alien surrounding. Unofficial yet they solve official what, where, how, which and who. So here is a chance for seniors to renovate the stereotype of raging ragsters to honest helpsters. After all seniors in need are seniors indeed.

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