Fergusson College, now Fergusson University is an Autonomous Public College, affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University. It offers under-graduate and post-graduate courses in the streams of arts and science. It was founded by the Deccan Education Society in the year 1885. It is spread across an area of 65acres. It has a beautiful scenic campus with buildings of gothic architecture. It is the oldest and one of the best colleges in Pune. In this article, we will tell you about the advantages of studying English as a major subject at Fergusson College.
About English Department Fergusson College
The English Department of the college is the largest department in the Arts faculty. There are nine full-time sanctioned posts for the professors. English has been taught in the college since 1885 itself, however, it was introduced as a special subject in 1916. An interesting fact here is, this department has the distinction of being the oldest Post-graduate Department of English at Pune University.
There are various reasons why studying English in this college is better than studying it in any other college in the city.
Interesting syllabus
One of the benefits of studying English in this college is the amazing curriculum the college offers. It includes Poetry, Drama, Short stories, and Novels. A very detailed history is provided of each and every chapter in the syllabus, and why the chapter is included is also told to the students so that they can know why they are studying that particular poetry or play. Film adaptations of books, fairy tales, comics, fiction, etc too form a part of the syllabus! People usually read and watch all these in their free time for recreation. And therefore, it is a plus point for students because not only do they read it for fun, but also get marks for it.
Quality education
The Standard of education is very high. Professors make use of audio-visual types of equipment like PowerPoint Presentations, old projects made by old students, Television sets, DVD and LCD projectors, and OHP projectors with screen to show useful videos to make students understand better.
Friendly and encouraging teachers
The department has highly qualified teachers who are very patient and calm with their students. If students do not feel comfortable to ask any doubt in the classroom, they are free to approach the teachers outside the class. There are limited seats available in English, therefore, teachers pay attention to each and every student. The teachers keep in mind the different levels of understanding of each student, and teach accordingly.
Rich resources available to boost learning
The department has a good collection of high quality books in the departmental library. Some of these have been purchased, while others have been donated by the alumni and other well-wishers of the college. It also has a decent number of CDs and DVDs related to English Literature. The college has recently set up Language Laboratory Facility to be used by all the language departments.
Remedial teaching
The department has recently started remedial teaching as a short-term course for students who are weak in English. Therefore, the department ensures that no student feels left out. This tip tells you about the advantages of studying English as a major subject at Fergusson College.
Extra and co-curricular activities
The English Literary Association (ELA) provides a platform for students to show their talent in Poetry reading, debates, quizzes, language-games, and dramatics. The annual fest organized by the department, WORDSWORTH, attracts talent from college as well as from other colleges. The students of the English Department have won a number of prizes in Paper-reading and play-reading competitions.
Skill-based learning
Teachers teach and students stay quiet: that’s exactly what does not happen in the college. The teaching is two-way. Students are given chances to express themselves. To make students better orator and enhance their public speaking skills, students have to give presentations from time to time on any topic of their choice. Activities like these eliminate their fear of speaking in public and boost their self-confidence. Students are given chance to showcase their acting skills as well. Dramas in the classroom are read out by students who perform their parts and read dialogues creatively. There is a Drama club in the college as well where students can participate in inter-college competitions and competitions within the college.
Prepare you from job’s perspective
The department has designed the syllabus in such a way that prepares its students from a market point of view. The courses for which students might spend thousands of rupees are a part of the English syllabus. Topics related to journalism, blog writing, HTML, advertising, concepts of technical writing, etc are taught in the class. Professors also teach them how to write job applications, make a CV, and write emails and reports. To ensure that students are understanding what’s being taught, they are supposed to submit projects and give presentations on the same from time to time.
Extra-courses available
Special workshops on Content Writing, Technical Writing, and Business Communication are taken up by professors for a period of 3-6 months to make students eligible for the business world. This tip tells you about the advantages of studying English as a major subject at Fergusson College
Tell the department how you feel about the syllabus and teachers
For every semester, the college releases online forms and ask students for feedback about the teachers and syllabus and also invites changes if any. These feedbacks are anonymous and therefore, students are expected to be completely normal about how they feel.
Therefore, we conclude here that both the staff and students keep striving hard to take college to greater height. And therefore, it is one of the best colleges you can think of if you want to pursue English in high education.
