One of the most pressing decisions a student at Ashoka needs to make–after whether or not it’s worth eating at the mess today and whether to go to class or stay in bed and take the grade cut–is whether or not to stay on for the optional fourth year after completing the standard three-year undergraduate program.
The fourth year, officially known as the Ashoka Scholars’ Program or ASP, is a flexible program that affords a lot of freedom. Depending on the student, it can consist of further studies in one’s chosen major, a concentration, or a second major or minor, or a year of taking whichever courses take your fancy. The fourth year also comes in useful for students who plan to study in countries like the USA, where twelve years of study (I.e. four years of undergraduate study) are a requirement.
The university is young enough that the current fourth years are the first ever, and as this year nears its end, the now-third years will have to choose whether to leave for good this May or stay another year. We asked a few of them about the decision:
“So I am undecided but there are high chances that I will end up staying for the fourth year. “The fourth year or not?” The question struck me a little late, and until then I had not applied for grad school and have not been taking placements seriously as well. So the fourth year will basically serve as my buffer year where I push my sorry ass to prepare for life ahead,” says Susovan Mahapatra, a third-year Economics major. “And while at it, I plan on taking courses outside my discipline that I couldn’t during my three years.”
Others have varying rationale. Sanchit Bansal, a third-year Computer Science student, says:” I decided to stay because my friends were staying, and also an advanced major in CS is important for me.”
Shubhangi Karia, who is majoring in psychology, told us that she too was “definitely” staying back for another year and that she was planning on using the time to complete her minor, and possibly her thesis as well.
Of course, there are clearly a number of reasons not to take up the ASP. Many students don’t see it as a financially feasible option. Others find it a waste of time for them, and unnecessary should they choose to pursue higher education in India, or in countries like the UK where a three-year undergraduate degree is enough to enroll for a post-graduate one. Several students have also secured jobs instead, forgoing the higher education route entirely. Ultimately, the choice of whether to stay or go is very sensitive to context, and it’s impossible to answer it objectively. This is perhaps one of Ashoka’s best traits – the extent to which its students can fit their educations to their lives.
Edited by Priyanka Shankar
Images curated by Aqsa Pervez