The north campus of Delhi University welcomed new faces with the new academic session for under graduate commencing on Thursday. Amidst excitement and enthusiasm, there was a pinch of anxiety prevalent in students in the first year.

This year has particularly seen many changes in the varsity, the new vice chancellor knocked off pre admissions forms and brought out five cut off lists for general category students and seven lists for OBC students (other backward class). After a lot of hue and cry over semester system, it is finally being implemented this year in arts and commerce courses.

On receiving their time tables, freshers felt a chill down their spine with having to prepare for semester exams twice a year and after four months of being admitted in their respective course.

Shweta Chauhan, who has taken up BCom honours in Kirori Mal College (KMC) said, “I was really looking forward to the first day of college and just after being welcomed we were given the time tables which scared me. Exams after few months, I think I will have to start studying from the first day of college itself. This news has killed my excitement.”

Raj Kumar, student of economic honours from Hans Raj College said, “The semester system has received a lot of flak from teachers, despite that it has been implemented. Obviously there is a lot anxiety in all of us, to know what exactly is this new system and why have the teachers been so against it. I am scared. I don’t want to fail, at the same time I don’t want to miss out on the campus fun because of these exams.”

Experiences of science students on semester system is having a bad impression on students from other streams.

Akash Mohanty, students of English honours from Ramjas College said, “My friends from the science background have not given me a very good picture of semester system. They have told me things like, they dint have time to eat, drink or do anything else because they had back to back lectures and then exams. Also teachers dint have enough time to teach them subjects and topics properly. I am scared I might experience something similar, with English being my subject, I would not want teachers to compromise on literature and the syllabus, at the same time I will not want to study all the time.”

Shabnam, doing Psychology honours from Daulat Ram College said, “I have read interviews of teachers and principals that have said, semester system is doing no good to students. My friends in Stephens doing science have told me, that one learns nothing at the end of a semester. The teachers just rush through the syllabus because they have to finish certain portion before the exams, and students are unable to grasp anything. Don’t know how will it turn out to be for us.