“From Freshman to Flourishing”

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

My name is Ananya HS and I am a student in the department of humanities studying Psychology and Optional English at St Claret College. One word that I would associate St Claret College to me is “Growth”. It has been a great source of growth for me in terms of personal development, education, creativity, and exposure. When I look back on my time in college, how my course impacted me and the opportunities that the college gave me, it’s all a journey of memories.

The Institute of St Claret has been my abode of education for 5 years. It has always given me opportunities to expand my knowledge and creativity. St Claret College provided me with the opportunity to overcome my stage fright through numerous presentations, MC for events, research paper presentation, and event coordination.

Being the MC for Recipro 2023, winning in events such as nail art and group singing at Confluence, and participating in something or another at all of our own college’s numerous fests such as Confluence, Recipro, Mayurika, Dhandiya night and the DJ night will always be top of my list of the most fun I had. Seminars such as Handshake, LSDP, soft skills, and Need for acceptance and social inclusion of LGBTQ are not only educational but also help to develop life and soft skills. The department events, however, are the cherry on top of a memorable college experience. Aurora and Resonance, the intra and inter- college department fests, are among the best events organised by our department. Events such as Country in 60 Seconds, Quiz, Spin a Yarn, and Fashion Show allowed me to express my creative side, whereas paper presentation conferences like Lumos and Psychology National Conference allowed me to present papers and expand my knowledge on specific topics alongside the voices of several other presenters from various colleges.

In my course, with NEP in place, we were required to select one major and minor, as well as one Open Elective paper that changed each semester. Psychology as a major and optional English as a minor are a perfect match. Subjects offered in humanities are always beautiful because they teach us about life. While Optional English teaches the history, life, struggle, solace, and beauty of life, Psychology teaches the reality of life. The biological, physical, and emotional dimensions of life and reality. Events such as Mental Health Day, Men’s Mental Health, hands-on experiences with various therapies, psychological assessments and to understand the visual text and media literature better, movies such as Up!, Soul, and Dear Zindagi were screened which were enjoyable and educational. Add on courses such as Counseling psychology, phonetics and fandemonium allowed me to explore new and unconventional ways of learning.

Psychology and Optional English have shaped me into an empathetic, compassionate, and understanding person with analytical thinking, communication skills, language proficiency, and critical thinking abilities. I am also the 3 rd BA Class Representative, which provides me with the opportunity to demonstrate my leadership abilities. Of course, the main highlight of BA is our teachers, who have consistently encouraged and pushed me to do my best in all aspects of life. They are the pillars and sources of strength in my personal development. They recognise my potential, discuss it with me, and have provided me with numerous opportunities to shine brightly.

In essence, who I am today is largely due to the exposure provided by the college and the department of humanities. I came in as a bud, and I’ve been watered with nutrients such as compassion, empathy, leadership, communication, analytical, life skills, critical thinking, and innovation, and now I’m a fully competent and beautifully blossomed flower, and it’s all thanks to my college, department, course and teachers.

Ananya HS
III BA
2021-24