Campus’ favourite ECA: Love!

What do girls and boys do most often when they get into college? Study? Nah. They invariably, at least once, fall in love
Love, they say, strikes at the unlikeliest of places, but more often than not, it strikes in educational institutions. The stories of stolen glances across classrooms and love at first sight are not new to campus. And whether it’s puppy love, friendship-turned-love or love for keeps, DU certainly has countless tales of romance for every batch to narrate.
Free from the restrictions of a strict school routine, colleges are the perfect place for love to blossom. “I started dating this guy in my class in the second week of college. We hardly knew each other, but it was love at first sight and we’ve been together ever since,” gushes Radhika Shrivastva, a DU graduate.
While some are quick to jump on to the relationship bandwagon, others prefer to take it slow. “I had a crush on this girl, but was afraid to approach her. It was only after getting to know each other well that we started dating,” says Ashutosh Choudhary, a Kirori Mal College graduate.
So what triggers this ‘early onset’ of relationships among college students? College and extra curricular activities often take up a lot of time; in such a situation, students spending time together often get drawn towards each other. “We were in the same societies in college. As members of the Shakesoc – the drama society in college – we would spend a lot of time practicing for plays, and that’s how we started dating,” says Tisha Kumra of St Stephen’s. “Being in the same society and having the same group of friends really helped as we could always use practice as an excuse to stay out and have friends cover for us,” she adds.
But too much proximity is not always a good thing. “I started seeing this girl from my class, but after a few months, we both realized it wasn’t working out, so we broke up. But it became really awkward after that. She would always get upset if I was talking to another girl in class. And I was glad, to say the least, when the three years of college were over,” says Rohan, another DU student.
While most college relationships may be transitory, doing a background check may not be such a bad idea. “I was dating three guys simultaneously right in the first year of college,” confesses Ghena Sharma. Ghena perhaps isn’t the only one to be doing that – with the movement from school to college, many still have old flames hanging around, and enquiring about them may not be such a bad idea.
Bad break-ups aren’t the only problems that these young lovers face. “Teachers create such a fuss about relationships,” says Arushi, a third year DU student. “Teachers often make sarcastic comments if they find out that two students in class are dating each other. I personally don’t think they should interfere in students’ lives as long as it does not affect their studies, especially since it’s a personal decision,” she says.
So, as in the college mush fest “Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na”, there’s a lot of romance in college affairs, and some drama too!
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