Interview with Laxmi Thurga, a BA Economics student

When pursuing a B.A. is perceived as a choice for “losers” by some, listen to the educational journey of Laxmi Thurga, who is pursuing her second year B.A. at Hindu College, affiliated to Delhi University. She aspired for this from her tenth standard. Along the way, learn about the recently introduced Common University Entrance test (CUET), through which she secured admission to her dream college. Also hear about her journey from Kovilpatti (a small town in Tamil Nadu) to Delhi, how she gets to attend lectures by eminent experts, and her extra curricular activities. We wonder how many engineering students feel as good about their decisions after landing in an engineering college.

ACG: Tell us about your schooling.

LT: I did my schooling up to the tenth standard at Ramco Vidyalaya at Virudhunagar, and then attended MM Vidyashram at Kovilpatti for my 11th and 12th grade. In 11th and 12th, I specialised in Economics, History, Political Science, and Geography.

ACG: Was the reason to choose the subject because it is relatively light compared to math and sciences?

LT: Not at all. In fact, I liked Biology very much. However, I aspire to take the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam, so I chose this group as it would help me gain the necessary knowledge to clear this exam.

ACG: What triggered your interest in Arts and UPSC?

LT: I can't pin down exactly what triggered my interest in Arts, but in my 11th standard, I met a History teacher who studied at Delhi University. Of course, I met him only after I was already in this group, but he further inspired me to aim higher in the subject. The UPSC has been on my radar since Class 11.

ACG: At any point, did you feel that, maybe your specialisation in Arts may not be the right choice as the scopes may not be very high?

LT: Yes, there were times I felt, but now I have no regrets, and I am very happy and proud of where I am.

ACG: Okay you choose the subjects at 11th, and 12th board exam is over, what next?

LT: Apart from aiming for the UPSC, I was equally clear that I wanted to pursue my B.A., preferably at one of the top colleges of India and Delhi University colleges were my first choice. I knew that I had to clear CUET (Common University Entrance Exam) to secure admission, so I prepared for it and successfully cleared the exam.

ACG: How did you know about CUET and Delhi University?

LT: As I said, one of my History teachers was a graduate of Delhi University and he inspired me. I was also inspired by my brother, who did a lot of research to choose his college for pursuing Engineering. He encouraged me to research, and to consider exploring options outside the state.

ACG: Tell us about CUET. Did you have to do extra coaching/preparations?

LT: Not at all. It was one of the easiest exams to score, but that also means it is competitive, because it is easy for everyone. The syllabus is the same as NCERT syllabus. For each course, there are specific combinations of subjects required, and these requirements can vary from one university to another. It is important to be very careful when selecting the combination of subjects, as making the wrong choice could prevent you from securing admission to your desired course or college.

ACG: Did you apply to other universities as a back-up, apart from Delhi University.

LT: Though I was confident of getting high scores and admission to Delhi University, I applied also to Tamil Nadu universities as suggested by my father. I did get into a college in TamilNadu, but was delighted to later receive admission to my dream college, Hindu College at Delhi University.

ACG: Okay, tell us about your journey from Kovilpatti to Delhi. Have you been to Delhi or north india before?

LT: No, my first visit was when I joined the college. The most difficulty I had was managing the Hindi language.While I had studied it, I felt that the spoken language was different. I knew enough to manage, but since I hadn't been in touch with it, I faced difficulties in the beginning. Now I’m comfortable.

ACG: How is life and food? Do you stay on campus? What are your extracurricular activities?

LT: I stay in a PG which is within walkable distance. We have a lot of active societies and I am part of some of them, including NSS. These societies are not just for show, but are quite active on the ground, and I am happy to be part of them.
Societies are the best places to enhance our skills and gain real hands-on experience in organizing, managing, and working in a team.

ACG: Tell us about your academic life. How many students are there in your batch? How are the professors? students?

LT: It is simply amazing. Some of our professors have over 30 years of experience. We get to hear some eminent experts
(for example, recent invitees included our Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, our External affairs minister Jaishankar, and our Vice President). There are 80 students in our batch from all over the country. Each one is talented in their own way. The interactions have broadened my thinking in many ways.

ACG: How is the workload?

LT: It is quite moderate, and is very interesting. We get to do a lot of projects.

ACG: What are your future plans? Have you joined UPSC coaching? Did the future plan change?

LT: The UPSC or some other government exam remains on my radar. I am doing some self study preparations, and hope to join some coaching in the summer. I am also keeping my options open for a Master's in finance related domain, or in Law.

ACG: All the best and thanks for your time in talking to us.

LT: Thank you!