Long long back I had heard a rumor that we would be having wi-fi in our University in sometime. Sometime passed. More time passed. More and the wi-fi never came. Some days earlier we came to know that the Technology Tower and main building were already wi-fi. Yet another rumor.
But we found that the second 'rumor' was true when we saw teachers using internet on their laptops without any wires or modems attached to it. And then we knew that the college has provided the staff with the internet and now it is hardly ever going to be there in our hostels.
After sometime though, through some of my friends who have been to some meetings with pro-chancellor and claim to have an idea of things earlier, I came to know that wi-fi would be coming to the hostels. Though it was difficult to say how long it would take and probably it may not come during this academic year.
But today I saw a friend of mine using wi-fi in the hostel. He had been to the college to get the internet for himself as he needed it for his project and came back with a wi-fi connection which is working irregularly yet as it is being set. So most probably, finally, we are going to have a wi-fi in VIT.
It's working only in some parts of some hostels as it is in a two-week testing period yet but I hope it'll be working in all the hostels soon.
So finally VITians are going to have at least some internet in hostels, and if nothing, now they can proudly tell their friends in other colleges that we too have got a Wi-fi.
Showing posts with label hostel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hostel. Show all posts
20080204
While Getting Famous
It's not easy to cope with increasing fame. Many a time people are unable to cope with it because they do not try hard enough. Sometimes they are unable because they try too hard. And probably VIT is going through such a phase.
VIT. India's International college, as they advertise it. And to a lot of extent, it is. With the number of increasing foreign students, there is no doubt VIT is going international. But with the local practices it follows, shall the college be able to bring and maintain a respect for itself at that level, is a big question.
To start with, we can have a few lines from Deccan Chronicle, a Chennai based, relatively new, but popular newspaper. DC has a news about VIT cultural fest drawing huge crowd under a column called 'Paloma's Pick' (Chennai Chronicle, page 31, Sunday Feb 3) which writes: "The one big dampener on the entire event was the stringent separation of the sexes right from the entry to the food to the exit...". It cannot be said what effect would such a news have on the image of VIT at local, national, and international levels.
The practice of separation of boys and girls in the state is old and there are reportedly a number of colleges that have much more stringent 'rules' regarding the same. But with the international accreditations VIT has achieved, it is necessary for the college to cope with the international standards which probably the management finds impossible to deal with. In fact, the college management has been very diplomatic on the questions of inequality between the two sexes and the different practices followed for girls and boys, the one most questioned being the 'in-time'.
If you are not aware of the 'in-time', you can have a little idea here. The hostels for boys and girls are closed at different times, the time for boys being 9/9.30 daily except Saturdays when it is open till 11.30 in the night. Whereas the timings for ladies' hostels are governed by the library and the hostels close at 7.15 on weekdays and 5.15 on weekends as the library closes at 5 at weekends. Girls are allowed to extend their timings by a 'late-slip' till 8 on weekdays if they are in the library, subject to the condition they are in the library before 7PM.
And this is what the students have become habitual to. But when some event is there and people from outside come, it either surprises the outsiders or the insiders. All of the musicians who had concerts in the college have failed to conceal their amazement after seeing the wide barriers used to separate boys and girls. In an altogether different case, it was surprising for the students to see the college allowing girls to stay in the library till 12 in the night when it was the time of UK accreditation. But the earth went round again after a few days and the limits went back which surprised nobody.
The most surprising thing (for boys, irritating for girls) has been the day of VITEEE, the entrance examination for the college. That is a day boys cannot enter the college campus because of the exam going on. But unlike girls they can go out if they wish. Whereas girls cannot go out because the library is closed on the day.
There are a few more interesting facts and concepts like separate hostel id (for girls) to go outside the campus, fax from home (for girls) to go out of town, invisible cannot-sit-here boards throughout the campus (strictly followed for girls and boys found together), except canteens and library (thank God!) and whistling annas. By now you must not be surprised to know girls and boys have to be in different sides in the largest auditorium of the college.
Though we cannot expect much change in these things and sometimes they get even worse, it seems some things are changing for good too, as the new pro-chancellors of the college have been good enough to listen to the problems of students and give them necessary freedom at times. But there is more bad than good yet and there is a long, long way to go before the college gets truly international.
VIT. India's International college, as they advertise it. And to a lot of extent, it is. With the number of increasing foreign students, there is no doubt VIT is going international. But with the local practices it follows, shall the college be able to bring and maintain a respect for itself at that level, is a big question.
To start with, we can have a few lines from Deccan Chronicle, a Chennai based, relatively new, but popular newspaper. DC has a news about VIT cultural fest drawing huge crowd under a column called 'Paloma's Pick' (Chennai Chronicle, page 31, Sunday Feb 3) which writes: "The one big dampener on the entire event was the stringent separation of the sexes right from the entry to the food to the exit...". It cannot be said what effect would such a news have on the image of VIT at local, national, and international levels.
The practice of separation of boys and girls in the state is old and there are reportedly a number of colleges that have much more stringent 'rules' regarding the same. But with the international accreditations VIT has achieved, it is necessary for the college to cope with the international standards which probably the management finds impossible to deal with. In fact, the college management has been very diplomatic on the questions of inequality between the two sexes and the different practices followed for girls and boys, the one most questioned being the 'in-time'.
If you are not aware of the 'in-time', you can have a little idea here. The hostels for boys and girls are closed at different times, the time for boys being 9/9.30 daily except Saturdays when it is open till 11.30 in the night. Whereas the timings for ladies' hostels are governed by the library and the hostels close at 7.15 on weekdays and 5.15 on weekends as the library closes at 5 at weekends. Girls are allowed to extend their timings by a 'late-slip' till 8 on weekdays if they are in the library, subject to the condition they are in the library before 7PM.
And this is what the students have become habitual to. But when some event is there and people from outside come, it either surprises the outsiders or the insiders. All of the musicians who had concerts in the college have failed to conceal their amazement after seeing the wide barriers used to separate boys and girls. In an altogether different case, it was surprising for the students to see the college allowing girls to stay in the library till 12 in the night when it was the time of UK accreditation. But the earth went round again after a few days and the limits went back which surprised nobody.
The most surprising thing (for boys, irritating for girls) has been the day of VITEEE, the entrance examination for the college. That is a day boys cannot enter the college campus because of the exam going on. But unlike girls they can go out if they wish. Whereas girls cannot go out because the library is closed on the day.
There are a few more interesting facts and concepts like separate hostel id (for girls) to go outside the campus, fax from home (for girls) to go out of town, invisible cannot-sit-here boards throughout the campus (strictly followed for girls and boys found together), except canteens and library (thank God!) and whistling annas. By now you must not be surprised to know girls and boys have to be in different sides in the largest auditorium of the college.
Though we cannot expect much change in these things and sometimes they get even worse, it seems some things are changing for good too, as the new pro-chancellors of the college have been good enough to listen to the problems of students and give them necessary freedom at times. But there is more bad than good yet and there is a long, long way to go before the college gets truly international.
20080127
Hostels
It was F block I started with. Most of the students do that. And all did back then. It was a great hostel. There used to be 6 students in a room such big that we could just adjust. But still, life was intersting. In fact it was the start of learning in my life. This was the place where we learnt what the hostel life. It was, enjoyment-wise, the best hostel I ever had, and it goes the same for my friends. In fact for most of the people, first year is the best as they learn to live life in an altogether new way.
The food at the F block was a thing with which I took some time to adjust with as there were no separate messes for the South Indian food and North Indian food. But after I got habitual to that, I feel it was better than separate North Indian and South Indian foods as we hardly get the taste of the other than we opt for.
Then came the second year and we learnt a new lesson, we got rooms as early as we submitted our drafts. Thankfully I got a good enough room, and I shifted with 3 of my friends of which one left for a single room. Life in the second year, that is, G block was great too, except that people were more busy as many of them had got their computers and laptops, including myself and were busy with themselves rather than in 'addas'.
One thing to be noticed. G block mess food was one of the worst I have ever had. Though I was a regular at my mess, and remained, I can say it was the most difficult food I had to cope with. In fact, some of my friends left for the Special mess, which was known as International mess at that time, the trend now increasing more.
The third year I lived in A block, the administrative block. The good thing was that the block was a traditionally built hostel which gave a good feeling, and the bad thing was that I was away from all the friends of my group who lived in the newly made J block, as I had got my hostel fees draft late.
In my final year I was able to join my friends back and life was better again, eating in the H block mess that I had gone to during my third year too. The mess was almost as good as the one in the first year, being run by the same caterer.
That is what was about my hostels. Currently there are ten mens' and 5 ladies' hostels already running with more under construction in VIT. Most of the hostels providing good residential facilities, although the first year students generally have to face some difficulty in getting accomodation for the first few months. Also, there are number of restrictions, good and bad, useful and completely useless, and sometimes things are comlpetely out of logic too. But that is not too big a price for the securities and facilities provided by the hostels.
The food at the F block was a thing with which I took some time to adjust with as there were no separate messes for the South Indian food and North Indian food. But after I got habitual to that, I feel it was better than separate North Indian and South Indian foods as we hardly get the taste of the other than we opt for.
Then came the second year and we learnt a new lesson, we got rooms as early as we submitted our drafts. Thankfully I got a good enough room, and I shifted with 3 of my friends of which one left for a single room. Life in the second year, that is, G block was great too, except that people were more busy as many of them had got their computers and laptops, including myself and were busy with themselves rather than in 'addas'.
One thing to be noticed. G block mess food was one of the worst I have ever had. Though I was a regular at my mess, and remained, I can say it was the most difficult food I had to cope with. In fact, some of my friends left for the Special mess, which was known as International mess at that time, the trend now increasing more.
The third year I lived in A block, the administrative block. The good thing was that the block was a traditionally built hostel which gave a good feeling, and the bad thing was that I was away from all the friends of my group who lived in the newly made J block, as I had got my hostel fees draft late.
In my final year I was able to join my friends back and life was better again, eating in the H block mess that I had gone to during my third year too. The mess was almost as good as the one in the first year, being run by the same caterer.
That is what was about my hostels. Currently there are ten mens' and 5 ladies' hostels already running with more under construction in VIT. Most of the hostels providing good residential facilities, although the first year students generally have to face some difficulty in getting accomodation for the first few months. Also, there are number of restrictions, good and bad, useful and completely useless, and sometimes things are comlpetely out of logic too. But that is not too big a price for the securities and facilities provided by the hostels.
more buildings??
Yesterday I was not in a very good mood. So I decided to take a walk. A long one. Started parallel to the college and after walking a considerable distance I saw somewhere there was construction going on. I went inside and it seemed that the construction was for VIT only as it was pretty close to the new block of ladies' hostels. But then the question is, how can a place be made this distant from the college? It was not less than a kilometer I had walked. Or are they really planning to make the ladies' hostels as far from the college as the mens' hostels are. For sure these hostels couldn't be mens' hostels as they were all on the other side of line.
Well, in case u do not know, the ladies' hostels in VIT are separated from the mens' hostels by a line, a railway line. The college and the ladies' hostels are on one side of the railway track and the mens' hostels on the other. So to meet any girl, boys need to cross the Indian railways' 'Laxman Rekha'.
Anyways, no complains with the track, but one thing that makes it bad is the distance of mens' hostels from the college. The average distance a guy has to walk from college to reach any building in the college is more than half a kilometer. Thanks to the railway underbridge, we don't have to go through the regular railway crossing, otherwise the average distance would be more than a kilometre I think. In fact the new way made to the technology tower (TT) is a great work from the college. [Why didn't they do it 3-4 years earlier? :( ]
Sorry for not being able to bring photos as I do not have a camera and camera phones are not allowed in the college. (an my dad wouldn't have got me one anyways, whether it's allowed or not)
But I'll try to arrange a camera and put some photos of the construction site and the other things I like here. But still, all depends on the availability of camera.
If u r a student of the college, u can try to get to the site on your own. It's on the way to Brahmapuram, the place where Shrishti Vidyashram is located.
Well, in case u do not know, the ladies' hostels in VIT are separated from the mens' hostels by a line, a railway line. The college and the ladies' hostels are on one side of the railway track and the mens' hostels on the other. So to meet any girl, boys need to cross the Indian railways' 'Laxman Rekha'.
Anyways, no complains with the track, but one thing that makes it bad is the distance of mens' hostels from the college. The average distance a guy has to walk from college to reach any building in the college is more than half a kilometer. Thanks to the railway underbridge, we don't have to go through the regular railway crossing, otherwise the average distance would be more than a kilometre I think. In fact the new way made to the technology tower (TT) is a great work from the college. [Why didn't they do it 3-4 years earlier? :( ]
Sorry for not being able to bring photos as I do not have a camera and camera phones are not allowed in the college. (an my dad wouldn't have got me one anyways, whether it's allowed or not)
But I'll try to arrange a camera and put some photos of the construction site and the other things I like here. But still, all depends on the availability of camera.
If u r a student of the college, u can try to get to the site on your own. It's on the way to Brahmapuram, the place where Shrishti Vidyashram is located.
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