The Building Block of My Life.

The management was in a disarray at the time I was in the institution because it was a transition phase for Presidency as an institution from being a college to a university. It was a period of turmoil which I hope the present administration has sorted out.

I was a student of Presidency College when it was still under the Calcutta University, from 2010 to 2013. In fact, we were the last batch of Presidency College, so we had to sit for separate entrance exams for each subject. I had applied for B.A.Honours in History as well as Political Science, in which I scored 81/100 and 79/100 respectively. I ranked 6th in the entrance for history and 11th in Political science. I also cleared the Jadavpur University Entrance Exam but I opted to study in Presidency College because of its rich cultural heritage and academic background.

Back in my day, the course curriculum was fairly simplistic. We had an annual exam, which has since transitioned into a semester-based system. But in my time, we had fixed papers for all three years, each divided into ancient, modern and medieval rubrics.

My college did not have the possibility of an internship or research assistantship. But with its transition to a university, there are avenues for research as M.Phil or Ph.D. students.

Being in History Department meant that there were no such job placements because for that you would need to pursue higher education such as M.Phil or Ph.D. But my friends in the departments of Statistics, Economics and Maths, were placed in high-ranking and famous companies such as HSBC, HP, Ernst and Young etc.

There are fairly large numbers of events held each year, the most important of which are, 1. Milieu- Which is the Presidency College Annual Fest and it is held in December. It incorporates the participation of many colleges, as well as famed bands such as Indian Ocean, Euphoria as well as Bengali rock bands such as Fossils. 2. College Foundation Day- 20th January is the College Foundation day and usually academic prizes are distributed on this day, and several cultural programs are held. There is also a grand buffet. 3. ICON- The college fest of the student party, I.C. is also held in winter. 4. ISPAT- The fest of the student party, SFI. 5- Football Tournament. Apart from these 4 there are several annual movie screening events as well as cultural programs.

Presidency College was known for its affordable fee-structure. In my time, I started college by paying 75 rs per month, which increased to 100 rupees. The fees must have increased by now but as far as my knowledge, it is much lesser than most colleges with such high NAAC rating and facilities.

I do not know of any scholarships but students from dire economic background were allowed to pay fees in installments.

The gender ratio is fairly balanced, being a woman I felt no kind of discrimination based on my sex or gender. The college students are also vocal about LGBTQ movements, so any member of the LGBTQ community are welcomed with open arms. The seniors and juniors all mingle together and do not have issues working or partying together. Academic notes are passed on from seniors to juniors for generations, so no difficulty on that part either. The fests were a time when people really inter-mingled. Debating competition, quizzes, movie screenings, football tournaments, cricket tournaments thronged the course calendar and the students can remain busy with these extra-curricular activities if they are tired of work.

I stayed at home so I cannot vouch for hostel facilities. But friends have informed that hostel facilities are quite degenerated and they have to revamp the facilities to give the students better ambiance. The food in the mess is also known to be below par, but there are several canteens, primarily Promod Da's canteen which serves scrumptious meal.

Presidency University has a tight-knit alumni association and there are annual meetings of each batch called Reunions. The foundation day, as well as the various fests, also act as sites of alumni meetings. The senior students were quite helpful, sometimes overtly so, and friendships made in college last a lifetime.

When Presidency was as yet a college, it had an annual exam each year. So the course was divided into B.A.Hons. Part I, Part II and Part III. But lately, they have transitioned into a semester-based system.

The admission process requires you to sit for the Entrance Exam for each subject and you are only eligible for sitting in the Entrance Exam if you have scored above 75% marks in your Higher Secondary Boards. The forms are available online, but you have to be physically present in the college to give the exam. The college also releases the date on which they will upload the admission list, it is available both in their online portal as well as in the respected department in the college. If you find your name on this prestigious list, then, congratulations! Be prepared for three years of study, politics and fun!

The history department had a star-studded faculty, most of whom have since retired or are still present in the capacity of mentor or emeritus professors. We were lucky to have the likes of Prof. Rajat Kanta Ray, a stalwart in the field of modern history-writing who has researched on 'emotions' in modern India, Prof. Subhash Chakrabarty who was another important figure and was a remarkable orator, Prof. Uttara Chakrabarty whose course on Medieval Indian History created my interest in a study of the era.