Jadavpur University B.A Review By Sahil Ray

Jadavpur University is one of the top state universities in India. It has been ranked fifth in the recent NIRF rankings. The admission process for undergraduate courses including History generally begins in June every year. It is extremely smooth and easy. To get admission just fill up the form online and upload the necessary documents. The admission is done through an entrance test. The management is very cooperative and is always ready to answer all your queries related to admission and solve your problems.

I had joined the Department of History at Jadavpur University in 2015. In order to be eligible to apply, one has to secure an aggregate of 70% in the class 12 board exams. An entrance exam is conducted which tests the candidate's historical understanding. The merit list is prepared on the basis of the performance in the test. In case of a tie, the marks of class 12 board exams is also taken into consideration. The course helps to develop your historical understanding which is also helpful if you are aspiring for the civil services.

Moreover if you planning to pursue an academic career in research and teaching, this course will develop your skills to the fullest extent. The papers in the course are interesting as well as informative and they help to enhance your critical thinking abilities and research skills. They cover a wide range of topics on Indian as well as World History.

Jadavpur University has one of the best faculties in India for History. The professors are all highly qualified and experienced. There are 15 faculty members in the department including Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors. All of them have done their PhD and some of the faculty members have obtained their PhD degree from esteemed universities across the globe like the Cambridge and London University.

They also have a lot of experience in teaching and are excellent teachers who explain the concepts in an easy and interesting way. They are also friendly and approachable. You can always go to them with your doubts and problems and they will be more than happy to help and guide you.

There are excellent placement opportunities in the engineering faculty. However the placement cell in the arts faculty is relatively new. Students have been placed with media groups like Star and ABP. But you generally get a bachelor’s degree in History to pursue your academic career further and the degree will equip you well for that.

You can appear for the civil services examinations or you can also proceed with your masters and PhD and fulfill your academic aspirations.

The university also provides hostel facilities for its students. There are separate hostels for boys and girls with a capacity of around 2000. The hostel facilities are particularly reserved for those students who stay far from the campus or are from different states and are economically backward. The hostel fees are negligible and the rooms are kind of moderate and two people generally share a room.

The food is generally taken care of by the student committee and the quality is not excellent but is good enough. You have plenty of canteens to have your meals from. In terms of security the hostels are very reliable with the girls' hostel having extra security. However there are no strict and rigid rules that you need to follow in the hostel and there is a lot of flexibility which I believe is important for a student.

The infrastructure deserves full marks. The main campus is spread out over an area of 60 acres. It is a spacious and airy campus with lots of trees all around. There is a central library which has thousands of books on all subjects. It also has the facilities of a digital library for the benefit of students. In addition to this, there is a Departmental Library in each and every department which specially stocks those books which are required for the curriculum. There is a huge playground with a separate basket ball court. The campus also has a gymnasium. So you will love it if you are a fitness freak.

There are five to six canteens each serving different varieties of food. So you have a lot of choices. There is also an open air theatre for fests and functions. In addition there are 3 large auditoriums for seminars and other programmes. There are well equipped laboratories in departments which require practical work. Moreover there is a health centre for medical emergencies. In short the infrastructure is absolutely excellent and designed to meet all the requirements of students.

The best thing about Jadavpur University is the campus life. There are a lot of clubs ranging from the photography club, debating club to quiz and drama club. You can join one or more of the clubs according to your interests. These clubs are a great place to meet and interact with likeminded people and develop your hobbies further. Even outside the clubs the university has a vibrant campus life.

There is an open atmosphere of debates and discussions and you can always voice your opinion. The university also has a tradition of protesting against the wrongs in the society.