Freshers at Ramadevi Women’s Autonomous College in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, July 27: Thousands of Plus Three freshers streamed into classes at all degree colleges of the city today. It was full attendance on Day 1 of the semester and campuses were abuzz with energy as excited youngsters talked nineteen to the dozen.

A tinge of nervousness was also visible. But for most newcomers, the first day was smooth sailing.

“The warmth shown by seniors and teachers was overwhelming. I was a bit nervous about how college would be because I have completed my Class XII from a school. But the seniors were so friendly, they showed us around the campus,” said Deepika, a fresher at Ramadevi Women’s Autonomous College.

The atmosphere at BJB Autonomous College, though, was rather serious this morning when newcomers attended introductory classes. The teachers and college principal explained to them the course pattern and other college rules. They were also given a brief lecture about the procedure to lodge complaints in case of ragging by seniors.

BJB principal Dusmanta Sahu said all seniors had been warned against causing trouble. “No incident of ragging has been reported. We had warned the seniors that in case we get any complaint of ragging, we would act according to the provisions of the Indian Penal Code since ragging is a criminal offence. Classes will begin in right earnest tomorrow.”

In most colleges, there are vacancies in the science stream because OJEE counselling in still on. “Students nowadays prefer technical courses to the basic science stream because it’s easier to find jobs through the technical route. In our college, 26 seats in physics-chemistry-mathematics (PCM), eight in chemistry-botany-zoology (CBZ) and six in computer science are lying vacant,” Sahu said.

No sooner was the session over, seniors were seen approaching freshers to break the ice. They were seen helping out their juniors.

“I completed my Plus Two degree from BJB Junior College. So, it was not difficult for me to adjust to the ambience here. The seniors are quite friendly and guided us during admissions. Some of them asked our names and hobbies. I love the colour of my uniform too,” said Subhra Sandhya Mohapatra, a Plus Three first-year commerce student.

Her classmate Anita Mohanty seemed to be enjoying every bit of the first day. “It was like any other day. Apart from our friends from junior college, we interacted with students who have come from other colleges. Our college is known as a ragging-free zone, so I don’t think anybody had butterflies in the stomach. We have been given a week’s time to get our uniforms ready,” she said. At many other colleges, regular classes followed the introductory sessions.

“The best thing about the semester system is that students are forced to pay attention and there is no time to waste. One or two classes were held today,” said Abhishek, a Plus Three second-year student at Maharishi College of Natural Law. The welcome programmes for freshers in most colleges in the capital will be held in August.