NU’s refreshing approach to learning makes transition smoother for freshers

“Making the transition from high school to college is a defining moment because your career depends on it. The pandemic made the decision trickier but once I had made the right choice, NIIT University (NU) made the transition as smooth as possible,” says Krishna Bhargav Ganti, who has opted for a BTech programme at the university. Unusual times called for unusual measures. The youngster from Hyderabad tells us how NU delivered the experience of his early college days without compromise.

Industry-linked, research driven, technology-based and seamless – NU’s four core principles were what brought Krishna to the campus, even if only virtually during the pandemic. “I learnt a lot about the university through interactions with seniors and alumni,” he says. “I also had my queries answered by different departments, and the virtual sessions they held made me realise the university’s diversity, which was quite helpful,” Krishna adds. That was just an indicator of how things would shape up as the academic year commenced.

This time, the students had to face two novel situations – their college life and online learning. Krishna remembers how freshers were grouped into clusters to discuss different aspects of learning at the university, and to understand its vision. “The learning portal made it easier to access data, join classes and record sessions. Use of Moodle for online exams also helped us get a hang of virtual learning and tests. They used Whiteboard on Zoom to explain topics and solve problems in real time. It was like learning in an actual classroom without any hiccups,” he affirms.

However, the college experience for freshers is a lot more than classroom learning. Keeping various aspects of campus life in mind, NU made sure to offer students an immersive experience. Krishna recollects his first interactions with fellow students through WhatsApp and calls, before groups were formed on NU’s platform. “There have been several informal meetings with seniors to build relations. Events like siNUsoid and ingeNUity brought us closer to our seniors, and helped us experience campus life even if remotely,” he says, with a sense of camaraderie.

From shutting down the campus early as the pandemic hit to switching to online mode of learning without wasting any time, Krishna believes NU got its response to the lockdown just right. Not only that, NU also helped unlock the true potential for learning on this dynamic platform while helping Krishna and his batch mates truly integrate into college life without any obstacles.