Excitement, anxiety and dreams - these sum up the feelings that was associated with this bunch of IIIT-A freshers. They are the new kids on the block, just beginning to get a taste of the curriculum at the IIIT-A. They are about to have a rendezvous with life here and be a part of the fraternity which can make India proud. And they are liking what they see, even if it's nothing like what they have experienced before. Class of 2007 is a highly cohesive unit with a rich blend of students from diverse backgrounds and parts of the country. Of the 48 freshers, nearly 80 per cent have an engineering background, with commerce, science and computer applications constituting the other 20 per cent. While all their life, they have always learnt in the classroom and done exercises as homework, here it is the reverse. IIIT-A is all about learning things by trying them out. The general practice seems to be three-four hours of self-study before the classes - which usually last for three-four hours daily. But there are some who are aiming high. They feel that if they really want to make the most of the course, then they need to put in seven-eight hours of studying before turning up for class everyday. |