Winter is bliss for any resident student of Jahangirnagar University. You wake up to the first rays of light, take a walk by the lake and find hundreds of migratory birds flocking all over the lake. The lake is covered with pink and white water lilies. This scenic beauty thrills your very soul.
Jahangirnagar University added a fresh perspective to my life. I came from a village to this campus in 2016. I was new to this environment and was definitely very nervous. Then I came across so many wonderful people who helped overcome all my weaknesses and shyness.
Among them were my teachers, seniors and classmates. They helped me try new things and break the boundaries. They always admired my talents, no matter how trivial.
The university has turned 51 years old today. It started as the only residential university in the country in 1970. The journey officially began on 12 January 1971.
The university since its emergence has witnessed numerous historically significant incidents. Every student of the university has their own share of joy, memories and affection.
After mixing with so many talented people on the campus, the best habit I acquired was reading. I came to know names of new books every now and then from my teachers or friends and immediately started reading these.
The campus has changed a lot since I was first admitted in JU. The streets on campus have been renovated, students repainted the old wall with graffiti of Feluda or characters from the Arabian Nights.
As a student of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, I have some cherished memories of the department. One incident is still fresh in my mind. I was a 4th year bachelor’s student at the time. I never failed in any academic test in my life. But in a class test in the university I got zero. I started crying in front of everyone in the classroom. Everyone consoled me and my teacher pointed out the mistakes I made and corrected those.
The overall vibe of the university is so great that a girl this reserved and shy like me took part in a play last year and played the role of the female protagonist. I was overwhelmed by the appreciation I received.
But in a few months this wonderful time will come to an end for me. I am now at the end of my university life. I remember my first study tour through the university campus. University is a wonderful place for anyone to enlighten the soul. It is a place where if you walk opening your eyes you will definitely find something to learn. New ideas are born here every second. And if the university is a place like Jahangirnagar University it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience indeed.
*Keya Bose is a Master’s student at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies in Jahangirnagar University and a mentee of the DW Akademie Women Journalists' Mentorship Programme