Chitkara University: Interaction with Deepshikha (MA, Student)

Founded in 2010, Chitkara University Punjab is recognized by the University of Grants Commission (UGC). Chitkara University Chandigarh offers UG, PG and Ph.D level courses in streams like Engineering, Pharmacy, Computer Application, Management, Commerce, Education, Medicine & Allied Sciences, etc. Chitkara University admissions are offered to students based on merit of the PI and marks obtained in the entrance examination. Chitkara University course fee is between Rs 1.18 lakhs to Rs 17.50 lakhs. Careers360 brings you an interview with Deepshikha is a MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, student at Chitkara University. In her interview to Careers360, Deepshikha shares her experience at the university campus. What is student life like at Chitkara University? How did she choose the MA in Journalism and Mass Communication course at Chitkara University Chandigarh? Amongst other things about the university like Chitkara University courses and fees, clubs & societies, Chitkara University placement campus life and more. To know more about Chitkara University from a student's perspective go through the complete interview of Deepshikha.

Careers360: Tell us something about yourself.

Answer: I am Deepshikha, currently pursuing an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication from Chitkara University. I am an outgoing person, always on the lookout to learn something new and keep adding to my skill set. To add more adjectives, I am an event anchor, a tennis player, and an animal lover.

Careers360: How did you come to choose your institution/university and what factors were instrumental in your choice?

Answer: By comparing colleges online. Meanwhile, industry exposure and infrastructure were the main factors. While shortlisting colleges, I made sure to talk to my fellow students and understand their experiences at their institutions. And I took admission to Chitkara during the COVID-19 lockdown, which was also an influential factor as proximity was important. Combining all these factors, Chitkara was the best-suited university.

Careers360: What were the salient features of your admission process at your institution/ university that struck you as unique?

Answer: The infrastructure, practical learning, exposure to industry and industry experts, and good internship opportunities were what I was looking for in the university. After talking to the students of Chitkara in the same course, I realised the university met all the criteria. I was also told great things about the faculty. These all attracted me to Chitkara. Another plus was the sports infrastructure of the college; they had a tennis court, meaning I could play tennis at any given time.

Careers360: What is your take on the initial days at your institution/university campus considering that it is the time to build contacts, and understand the processes? Could you give details on the support given by the institute?

Answer: My first semester was partially online due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but I believe the university tackled that challenge head-on. Irrespective of the lockdown, the delivery from the faculty was not hindered.

Before coming to the university, I already had field experience, so I was aware of the importance of building contacts. I met a lot of people from different educational backgrounds in my batch, giving me a different perspective on things. While the college gave me an opportunity to interact with students in different courses, Joining Toastmasters, being on the tennis team and leading it, joining C2S2 clubs, and hosting many events allowed me to meet students from all fields, and I have made some really good friends over the time. The faculty has been very supportive through and through. I have represented the college in sports; I was a student journalist; I got to host Chitkara's Got Talent and many other events; I was a campus reporter and covered events of renowned celebrities like Madhur Bhandarkar and Deepti Naval; and I successfully organised the National Media Fest- UDANN 2022. And best of all, I got to share the stage with Punjabi singer and sensation, Gippy Grewal. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Other than that, I was always busy in college as there was just so much to do, and in terms of my course, it was the most fun; we were always shooting, doing projects, and making news, and my teachers never stopped me from doing anything. It was always, "If I can manage and do it, then go ahead and do it."

Careers360: Now that you are a part of your institution/university campus, what in your opinion are stand-apart features of the institute that you think are real assets to building a student’s career and future?

Answer: Chitkara has something for everyone, it doesn't believe in judging a fish's ability to climb a tree but how well the fish swims, which helps find a custom-made experience for students. However, the onus is also on the student to be willing to come out of their comfort zone. The institution lives up to its tagline, 'Explore your potential'.

Along with this, a great infrastructure and curriculum. They are not teaching an outdated syllabus but rather what's required now in the market. I can confidently say that I am going to be prepared to step into the industry, as the college believes in getting industry experience first as a part of the education and I think this makes it stand out.

Careers360: Could you give details on the industry connection that is inbuilt with the course at Chitkara University and its advantages?

Answer: To begin, my first semester started with two-to-three-week back-to-back workshops and master classes with industry experts. These covered all the different fields of media: print, photography, radio, data journalism, public relations, and television, which was a great start nonetheless.

Over three semesters in college, we had the chance to interact with Sony during their lens and photography workshops and got the opportunity to work with the Newshound India Foundation as a student journalist and copy editor. We had workshops with renowned journalists and other experts: Paranjoy Guja Thakurta, RJ Mehak, and RJ Minakshi. There was this amazing workshop on podcasting called PodShala.

Documentary workshops with the great Samarth Mahajan. I got to work with National Award winner short film director, Ojaswee Sharma (who is also an Alumni). The best advantage is that I am connected with most of these experts beyond the college premises, having written to them and having opportunities after the workshop or seminars. It's a great way to have access to industry experts and mentors who are always open to guide you.

Careers360: How advantageous in your opinion is your institution/university alumni network connection and in which ways?

Answer: The alumni bandwidth the university comes with is amazing, many of our workshops were conducted by our alumni.

It showed us the potential and the scope we could have after stepping out of this university. During the internship processes, all the places I had applied to had at least one alumni if not more working in that organisation. Many internship opportunities were forwarded by our seniors and alumni.

Being backed by such a huge alumni network not only brings the experience of all those years they've worked in the industry but also makes it easy to enter the industry. Also, bring a sense of belongingness. And our alumni have been very welcoming in guiding us.

Careers360: Internships are an integral part of any student’s life. Please talk about the internship process at your institution/university and how they lead to students being placement ready.

Answer: Corporates often complain that graduates are not industry-ready, internships help overcome that problem. Students must get hands-on industry exposure to be prepared.

While it also allows us to put our academic learnings into use. Most importantly to truly learn something one must apply and test that knowledge and see how things work.

Careers360: In a nutshell, could you sum up your experiences at your institution/ university?

Answer: In a nutshell, it has been an amazing ride of learning and experiences and I am grateful for all the opportunities I had. #ExploreYourPotential.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by Chitkara University and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative.

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