One of the greatest opportunities you can get and experience in your education in India is a University education. There are many Central Universities across India that play a vital role in the creation of top quality talent.
Here, I would like to share my experience as a University student and how it had a great role in shaping my social life and perspective. I am currently in my final year, pursuing Masters in English Studies at the Central University of Tamil Nadu. It is located at the Thiruvarur district near Thanjavur, en route Nagur.
One of the very reasons I chose a Central University is to get national exposure with many cultures mingling essentially because one would have teachers, fellow students and visitors from across the country. By the last quarter of under graduation, many of my batch mates had started to prepare for entrance examinations to secure admission in the finest Universities. The Central Universities do their admission procedure through one of the largest entrance examinations held in the country. You have to clear this examination to get into these Universities.
You will be exposed to a new world once you enter the Central University of Tamil Nadu or CUTN. There are students from Kashmir to Kanyakumari as well as some of our fellow students join from abroad.
How's the campus like?
The main campus is spread over 500 acres in the two villages of Neelakudi and Nagakudi of the Thiruvarur District. It is a peaceful place, and the weather here is a bit warm... can get really hot in Summer. But the campus is a peaceful place with many departments. Labs are closely located to the science departments.
The departments are divided into NLBS (Non-Lab Based Subjects) and LBS (Lab-Based Subjects). The campus has a main administrative block that functions as the nerve-centre of the University. Professor Dr. Karpaga Kumaravel is the Vice Chancellor of the University.
There is a Guest House which also serves as a girls hostel as well as the NRI hostel right opposite the main campus divided by a river. The staff quarters are also located in this Guest House compound.
The College Departments
The University has 12 schools with 27 departments. These are the best departments of the country and you get access to faculties who graduated from the top Universities of the country. The staffs are from various parts of the country and from a wide range of Universities - this diversity assures top quality exposure. Our University was the first in the country to provide the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. That was a milestone in University history in the year 2016.
Library: A heaven for us!
The University has a 24-hour functioning library with a collection of over 37,000 books. There are more than 2000 books used for reference - handbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. The library also has a large collection of Digital, CDs/DVDs, and many print journal subscriptions. The digital library is open 24 hours.
Multipurpose Hall: This is where the energy began
The Multipurpose Hall or the MP Hall is the most energetic part of CUTN. The hall is used for many indoor and outdoor programs. It is the place where many hold memories of friendship and fun. MP hall is the most vibrant during festivals like Onam, Pongal, Diwali, Holi, etc.
The place is also the most sought hangout spots on the campus. Students gather inside and outside the MP hall for chit-chat and discussions. It is one of the most memorable spots in CUTN. If you happen to pass through the MP hall at night, don’t forget to drink the special tea served there. If you come to CUTN, I am fairly sure that you too would enjoy this hangout spot and would also know why!
Health Centre
CUTN has a health centre that is open 24 hours. We have access to doctors and medical staff as well as a fully functioning pharmacy. The health centre provides all the basic needs students and faculties need. We also have an ambulance for times when it is required to move to nearby bigger hospital, etc. as and when the need arises. It is located near the students’ hostels and is even closer to the girls’ hostel.
Cultural Fest
We have Aarambh which is the annual cultural fest of the University. It is the largest cultural fest of CUTN and you could showcase your talents in Aarambh. There will be all sorts of programs arranged by the University. You should showcase active participation in the fest as it is a once in a year opportunity.
Social life and Exposure
The life in CUTN will be the most precious and memorable one you can afford in your academic life. You will have a wide variety of exposure here. You will meet a lot of people and a lot of culture.
And, who knows if you get some great friends for life. The hostel life is the best with all the late-night chit-chats and movie plans. You would be having a whole lot of friends from different parts of the country sitting together in the hostel mess enjoying.
A major part of CUTN will be the Media and Mass Communication department’s movie screening on Thursdays every week. There will be a wide variety of movies presented and a group discussion that follows. What CUTNians would be missing during this lockdown is the night walk to hostels after the movie screening. If you ask anybody from CUTN to share their memories, the walk after movie screening is a sure one.
The transport facilities
The “Kutty” bus that does the service from Nannilam to Thiruvarur is the students’ weekly means of transportation to go to the temples, supermarkets, theatres etc. It is my guess that there is probably no student of CUTN who has not visited the Thiyagaraja Temple.
Thiruvarur town and market smells of freshly plucked jasmine flower. Just a casual walk through the market and you'll be over-awed with the aesthetic atmosphere.
From the watchman to the “Akka" who brings tea during intervals for the students - every single person would become a major part of everyone’s life at the University. From the first day, as a confused girl to till now, CUTN is amongst the best experiences that I am surely going to hold close to my heart - it is the place and the people that make this possible. Only later you will know how much of a fun it was... every bit of a typical day that begins with hastily running to catch the University bus with one hand handling the bag/books etc., and the another deftly carrying a few morsels/pieces of whatever is served for breakfast.
If you get a chance to be part of CUTN don’t hesitate. There will be a whole lot of friends, various cultures and the traditions of Thiruvarur waiting to receive you.
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