College life is a memorable phase and class trips are an integral part of it. Memories of simple fights with classmates, sharing beds and pieces of bread, running to get one’s favourite seat on the bus, dancing and vibing in the bus, and taking care of one another, put a smile on your face, even years after leaving college.
Preparations for the trip started with a discussion in class about the destination. A lot of ideas, suggestions and most importantly, permissions, go into the planning of a class trip. As Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” After getting a green signal from the faculty of the department, the preparations began. Our long-suffering class reps invested a lot of time and energy organising the trip along with the faculty accompanying us. The travel agencies were contacted. Once we chose the destination, the question “when” had to be tackled. With College Play, conferences, CIA tests, assignments, practicals and end-semester portfolio submissions, it was hard to find conducive dates. That’s when we realised how busy our college life was. After deciding the date, our class reps became cashiers, mobilising funds for the trip. As students, we were eligible for special concessions on railway bookings. So the tickets were booked and the itinerary was confirmed. At last, the big day came, and we boarded our train for a wonderful journey to make memories.
The Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology travelled to Kochi and Munnar while the Home Science Department went on a two-day trip to Yelagiri. A final year student said, “We visited an entertainment park where we witnessed a chocolate-making demonstration. As students of the Nutrition Department, this definitely sparked an interest in all of us. We took tons of pictures in different poses and enjoyed it a lot.” The final year students of the History Department went to Kodaikanal and Keezhadi. “We visited places like Guna Caves, Pine Valley and Keezhadi Museum. As a history student, visiting the museum gave us a lot of knowledge about artifacts,” said a third year student.
The English Department visited Chikmagalur and Belur. “The trip was both adventurous and informative. We went trekking uphill in Chikmagalur and admired the architectural marvels of Halebeedu and Belur, namely the Hoysaleswara temple and the Chennakeshava temple (both in Hassan district), which were declared UNESCO World Heritage sites just two weeks before our visit. The trip was a much needed break from academics and helped us know our classmates better,” commented an English student.
Anyone who has gone on a trip with friends would agree with Kristen Sarah when she says, “There is an unspoken bond you create with the friends you travel with”. The final year students of WCC also got a memorable experience to create that bond with friends and classmates that will stay with us forever.
Some departments on their class trips