College Zoo

College Zoo

My younger daughter Sita just graduated from a Private college in Jaipur ( PC in short, no names).My friend’s daughter is getting admitted there, and called up daughter to ask how it is, and how was the expierence.Daughter replied that it is good, and being one of the topmost colleges of Town, sleek as they say, and the fees I remember for 1 year was around 18000/- ,which I found reasonable.


My elder daughter Radhika studied from Maharani’s College, which is a Govt aided college, right in the heart of the city, huge campus, and play grounds, the real estate worth more than a 1000 crores at today’s prices.Her College fees , in the year 2000, was around 1000 per year, yes u read right.Yearly Car Parking inside the campus was 100, and for a two wheeler 15/-.


The quality of education well decent, teachers remaining absent often.Teachers there I heard were paid over 25000/- per month.It is still a all girls college, unlike Mumbai and Delhi where u have coed.I was more than happy for her, to be away from boys and their influence, being the conservative fellow that I am.


Her complaints were many.One day she said “ Papa, This college is lousy, u said only girls study here, but there are males too who come to study.I said not possible, I checked out the college when we went and all I could see was a sea of young girls.


She said , papa, there is a dog in our classroom , and he comes and sits during the classes in one corner.And there is a monkey sitting wholeday on the window sill too ( They have a big tree, and monkeys climb and sit in her class.).Papa change my college , what kind of a college is this, am I in a Zoo or in college.


Well , I said, Rads what the hell do u expect from 100 per month fees that u pay to the college.and u take yr Car to college and have not even paid theparking fees.She said, Dad I go just once a week( she had taken Arts, and hence used to bunk but sit at home), so why should I pay the parking.Rads found even 30 paise a day parking expensive.Just like her Dad, a maha kanjoos miser.



Student Air Ticket – Rads wanted to go to Mumbai in her summer vacations to be with my parents and brothers and generally freak out.The college office in charge,one Babulal refused to sign her Airlines Form,which would entitle her to half Air Ticket, those days there were no Apex Tickets.She told me to buy her a full ticket, but I said let me talk to yr college fellows, and if they don’t agree, I will buy u the full ticket.


I met Babulal , and he said that as per law, she is a Jaipur Resident and we only allow the student to go to her home town.I took a last chance , and went to the Principle’s office.She was a strict looking lady in her mid fifties maybe, the kind of principals u see In the movies.I politely told her, that my daughter wants to meet her aged Aged ailing Grandparents in Mumbai,both paternal and maternal and this is the only time in the year when she can go visit them in the holidays, and I put on my most mournful face, 100% sure that my request will be rejected, as laws are laws.


To my surprise, the Principal summoned Babulal to the office and gave him the firing of his life, and in her anglized tone told him “ Babulal how dare u refuse this young girl to see her ailing grandparents ( of course they were hale and hearty), how can you be so cruel. But madam………., but the principal would have none of it, and made Babulal sign the form in 5 minutes.

And while Babulal signed, I was watching the scene in their Grounds.Two Dogs, chasing each other, and slopping thru water and mud, and monkeys moving around , feeling at home really.


And I have a feeling the dog and the monkey either must have been some students in their previous lives, and are catching up on their education now.Just today I read about a 60 year old woman, who passed her 10^th exams, with the help of her granddaughter.So this must be the case with these poor animals.Or some romeos, now getting a chance to eye the pretty college girls, but in this garb, they freely enter and eye the girls ! Who knows, anything is possible.


Lesson learnt – Never be scared of approaching anyone.You can only be refused, not slapped.And I saved a good amount of money too.



And so when Sita’s turn came for college, she did not choose Maharani’s , but this PC,where too the teachers though in college, bunked because they were doing other college activities.Here Sita cribbed, I said Sita yours is Arts, sit back and enjoy.And when yr papa is happy even with 60%, why worry.Have a Ball I told her.


And cant u learn these Shakesphere and all the dead poets from the net ? Just byheart and write.But she had to go to college everyday, and come and complain .well she never listened to me .


And now she is off college and preparing for her CAT and MAT and all the AT’s that come with it.My best wishes to her.


I just feel college life is the best time of thelife of a student.In our days, it was a chance to meet girls and see them at close quarters, being from all boys schools.And watching movies, and bunking and that was the order of theday.


Today well everyone is going to some classes or the other, and life is a rush.There is more to getting big scores, than in enjoying the simple pleasures of life which colleges provide.


It pains me to see so many study related suicides.God bless the nation.and the students.


KAMAL MAHTANI

Dear Kamalji
Nice title college Zoo..............reading the title now which animals Kamalji want to send to the college............ saw it was about ur daughters college.............great college with so many animals around........no wonder she calls it a zoo...............hahaha
You are right Kamalji college days are the best.............
You can count me too in bunking classes sitting in the last bench and reading novels instead of paying attention in the class.............going for movies, frightening the boys...........we use to irriate them so much when they see our gang coming all use move away..............hahahaha
no one dared to take panggha with us we were around 14 of us. I can remember the principal once wanted to seperate our group so he had put all of us in different class and we all went and had a good fight with him u have no right to take revenge on us or do anything like that, and can't remember what all he banged his head and said great Ammas go and sit in one class.......haha..............when we think of all that today it looks so stupid but at that age all was fun.............
Ya June July August is the season for these students Suicide feel so sorry for them............I blame the parents as it is the pressure from them which will encourage them to take this step.

Dear kamalji,

Your daughters are lucky to have you as dad who is happy with 60%. It is amusing to see how the colleges have become zoos. If her college is a coed. she would have had more members of the zoo in boys. To coin a pun your daughter went to the college with arzoo but found a mere zoo.

Regards,

Geetha Iyer

Originally Posted by Arunarc

Dear Kamalji
Nice title college Zoo..............reading the title now which animals Kamalji want to send to the college............ saw it was about ur daughters college.............great college with so many animals around........no wonder she calls it a zoo...............hahaha
You are right Kamalji college days are the best.............
You can count me too in bunking classes sitting in the last bench and reading novels instead of paying attention in the class.............going for movies, frightening the boys...........we use to irriate them so much when they see our gang coming all use move away..............hahahaha
no one dared to take panggha with us we were around 14 of us. I can remember the principal once wanted to seperate our group so he had put all of us in different class and we all went and had a good fight with him u have no right to take revenge on us or do anything like that, and can't remember what all he banged his head and said great Ammas go and sit in one class.......haha..............when we think of all that today it looks so stupid but at that age all was fun.............
Ya June July August is the season for these students Suicide feel so sorry for them............I blame the parents as it is the pressure from them which will encourage them to take this step.

Dear Aruna,


So u had a great time in college eh ! 14 of u ? that’s a gang.Im sure no boys must be coming near u gang of girls.HAHA.

You must write a blog really.it would be fun, as I can make out from yr comments.See I write from my life such small incidents, and u have so many locked in yr brains.Come out with one now, and I am sure it will be a super one.

Yes suicides make me very sad.All this pressure to perform, when this is the best time for the students to enjoy their lives with carefree abadon.

Regards.kamal

Originally Posted by Geetha Iyer

Dear kamalji,

Your daughters are lucky to have you as dad who is happy with 60%. It is amusing to see how the colleges have become zoos. If her college is a coed. she would have had more members of the zoo in boys. To coin a pun your daughter went to the college with arzoo but found a mere zoo.

Regards,

Geetha Iyer

Dear geetha,

Arzoo and Zoo ! what a superb pun.You are a living poetess.Hats off .

Well i have never been pushy, and they did me proud with 86% , and the elder one 75%, which is not bad for Arts .Much more than i expected.

Thanks for the superb comments.Regards.kamal

Dear Kamalji
Me writting a blog...............all the writters will have to stop writting then
I don't want to miss the wonderful write up from all of you...........let me be where I am...........hahahahaha
Thank you for the encouragement i will go on unlocking one by one in your blogs.

Originally Posted by Kamalji

Dear Aruna,


So u had a great time in college eh ! 14 of u ? that’s a gang.Im sure no boys must be coming near u gang of girls.HAHA.

You must write a blog really.it would be fun, as I can make out from yr comments.See I write from my life such small incidents, and u have so many locked in yr brains.Come out with one now, and I am sure it will be a super one.

Yes suicides make me very sad.All this pressure to perform, when this is the best time for the students to enjoy their lives with carefree abadon.

Regards.kamal

Dear Kamalji,
After studying in a convent where everything was spic and span & disciplined i found it very hard to adjust with my college life.There were stray dogs in the campus & sometimes in our class even an owl was also there giving us company(sleeping with us during boring lectures).I was so scared & irritated & used to scream after coming home saying i want to go back to school.My mom used to console me saying these are the golden moments of your life which will never comeback so enjoy it to the maximum.I slowly started enjoying my college life -having a nice time with friends,funny pranks,watching movies,study tour,bunking classes,exam fever.Now i realise my mom was 100% true.Those were the golden moments...life was so smooth with no tension...
Enjoyed your write-up...brought back some good memories...All the best to Sita!

regards,
ammu

Originally Posted by Arunarc

Dear Kamalji
Me writting a blog...............all the writters will have to stop writting then
I don't want to miss the wonderful write up from all of you...........let me be where I am...........hahahahaha
Thank you for the encouragement i will go on unlocking one by one in your blogs.

Dear Aruna,

The loss will be ours if u dont blog, so come on and blog and tell us naughty stories of u and yr friends.That will be so much fun.REgards.kamal

kamalji,
Nice to read the title, I thought your daughter took zoology in College..

Truly it is sad to see students opting for suicide..at their prime age...

sriniketan.

Dear Kamal Uncle,

U have touched beautiful phase of life.I just left college 2 yrs back,But now I feel I want them back..I can say best and wonderful days in my life..I never bunked my college,If I do so, I feel I´m something that day..Wow girls group,jokes on boys, comments on lectures and of course sometimes flattering thm for extra marks and impression.Going to nearest bakery spending time there,going to frnds hostel room chitchatting for hours or bunking the aftrenoon lab and going for a new released movie...I can fill a page of my experiencess..Finniest thing is Dogs also used to come to our floor and when lecture is going on we used to listen their bow bow fighting with each other hahaha,big laughs in classroom thinking its better we r only having dogs no cows and monkeys..

Waiting for more!!!

Hugs,
dg..