The students pursuing their degrees from some open universities often do not get the chance to experience normal college life. But life at DU SOL is full of funny happenings and memories which is no less than life at a regular DU college.
The most memorable part of college life as a regular DU student is having an excitement to go to college every day to hang out with friends, sit in empty classrooms to sing songs, roam around in the aisles of the library to explore books, sit in the canteen eating greasy food talking about nothing and everything, participating in societies and the various activities that the college organises, etc.
But DU SOL students do not get to experience that. So how exactly is life at DU SOL? Let’s deep dive into the mysterious stories of friends and the fun and engagement of students of DU SOL.
What is Delhi University School of Open Learning (DU SOL)?
DU SOL or the Delhi University School of Open Learning was established in 1962. It is a distance learning a.k.a. open learning institute associated with the University of Delhi, located in New Delhi, India. The institute offers various undergraduate and postgraduate programs through correspondence in various fields such as arts, commerce, humanities, etc.
The course was designed for students who cannot attend regular classes due to various reasons such as work, family commitments, or geographical location and/or prefer to study at their own pace.
DU SOL offers a team of experienced faculty members who are experts in their respective fields to aid the students. They are involved in developing course materials, designing assessments, and evaluating student performance.
DU SOL also provides their students with various facilities to support them such as study material, counselling sessions, online resources (for eg:- e-books, video lectures, and other learning resources), etc.
DU SOL also conducts regular exams and assessments to evaluate student performance. The exams are designed to test the student’s knowledge and understanding of the subject and are conducted at various examination centres across the country.
Life at DU SOL vs Life at Regular College
Life at DU SOL is very different from the life of a regular DU student. DU SOL Life can vary from person to person, as it largely depends on the individual’s personal preferences and circumstances.
Students at DU SOL have the advantage of flexibility in terms of their study schedule and the ability to study from any location, but how they are spending the time they get from not attending a regular college may determine how their life at DU SOL would be.
Let us take a look at some ways in which life at DU SOL is different from life at other DU colleges.
Having a sense of Freedom – No 70% attendance criteria
Life at DU colleges has a stereotyped notion in the society where students go to their colleges almost every day. Getting up early in the morning to reach college on time to attend classes is a task.
At the college, they have various responsibilities, may it be in the form of a student, a member of some society, adhering to the college rules, etc. But if you’re a student at DU SOL, you are free from such responsibilities and commitments.
So, what is the wait for, just go and live the world out freely.
Start Earning – Time to Become a Millionaire
Many students struggle financially and want to support their families as soon as they complete High school, but they also want to pursue higher education. In regular DU college, students may start earning from part-time jobs or internships, but the earnings from those may not be enough to support their families.
So many students opt for life at DU SOL because of the upper hand of being able to start earning. You may even start your own business while pursuing college.
Making Contacts – Your Network is Your Net Worth
While attending regular DU colleges, you have a conventional classroom-based model of studying. You have face-to-face interactions with professors and peers, and can even build connections through co-curricular activities, sports, and cultural events. These connections may help the student in the future as well.
Whereas DU SOL follows a distance learning program, with online lectures and self-learning materials.
So, it may be a challenge for students to make connections with their friends and professors as they have very little to no opportunities to interact face-to-face but not for those who are willing to grow their network.
Missing Out on the Regular Campus Life – Fewer Parties
One of the major downfalls of studying in an open university is missing out on regular college life. Having a friend circle you can hang out with, going out after college to explore various foods and places, etc are some of the most memorable parts of college life.
Life at DU SOL does not allow these. Although, a plus point is that you can go to any fest or annual function of any Delhi University college you want to as a student at DU SOL if you want to socialise.
Getting Exposure – Competitions & Speaker Sessions
When you attend a regular college, especially a university like the University of Delhi, which has a myriad of courses and colleges under it, you tend to get lots of exposure. May it be through academic life, getting enrolled in societies, or participating in intra-college or inter-college competitions, you tend to get a taste of the competitive world.
But life at DU SOL is very different from that.
You do not get to participate in inter-college competitions. DU SOL campus authorities do sometimes hold intra-college competitions, but those also often-a-times are very difficult to participate in due to different reasons.
Fulfil Your Other interests – Follow your Passion
If you have any other interests, want to pursue vocational courses, or try different things but are struggling with time management, DU SOL is a very feasible option.
Because you do not have to go to college regularly, you can enrol in other vocational courses of your choice and try exploring various interests that you possess.
This is not possible in regular DU colleges, as it would be very difficult to attend classes in other courses while also having to attend classes in college regularly.
Travelling time – No Unwanted Hustle in Delhi Metro
One of the major problems of DU students is their daily travelling time. It often takes students hours to travel to their college and back home, wasting a lot of their precious time on the journey.
But life at DU SOL eliminates this problem. The students are not required to go to college and have all the materials with them online. So they can study wherever they want.
This would save them a lot of time, which they can utilise for other things, such as jobs or other interests.
Conclusion
Overall, while the social life at DU SOL may be different from that of regular DU colleges, DU SOL students still have the opportunities to build connections and engage in social activities through virtual platforms and extracurricular events.
Life at DU SOL can be enriching and rewarding for those who are self-motivated, organised, and disciplined in their studies. It can also provide a very feasible option if you do not want to spend all of your time in college studies, but explore other interests or start working.
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