New kids on the block
We speak to students from various backgrounds from across the country as they land in Bengaluru to kickstart their academic year
By : soumashree sarkar
Update: 2015-07-12 23:54 GMT
The bells are ready and the notebooks are fresh. It’s the start of the university academic year and all around Bengaluru, fresh faced youngsters are waking up to what is their first brush with a new city and a new life. A favourite for students from all over the country for higher studies, early July sees the city get populated with new Bengalureans who are all set to make the city their home. Starting out at a reputed convent college is Bhubaneswar resident Preetika Acharya, who is here to study Psychology. “It is really surprising to see the extent of functionality in this city.
Everyone from the corner shopkeeper to the woman behind the wheel stuck in traffic is a thorough professional. It’s a swank new city for me and truth be told this is something that needs getting used to. That said, one thing that does not need any getting used to is the effortless street fashion,” says Preetika.
With clubs, galleries, gardens and a multiplex or mall in every lane, the city is a lot to take in for these youngsters starting out in it. Sohini Dasgupta is one such impressed girl, who is all set to beginning a demanding academic journey at a B-school in the city. She says, “The first week I came here, I was spoilt for choice when it came to eating out. As I am slowly making friends, it is becoming really easy to find things to do with them. While back at home in Nagpur, it was either going to someone’s house or having friends come over!”
With road rules that can be a little mind-numbing, the Bengaluru traffic has flummoxed many a newcomer, who have learnt to take it to stride. “I boarded a bus to St Joseph’s from my PG at Marathahalli an hour before my first class was supposed to begin. I was thinking that I’ll reach very early and look like the typical over-eager nerd. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that the endless jam almost got me my first formal scowl from a professor!" says Shayan Mukherjee, a student in the city.