What they thought: First impressions of the 11th cohort of YIF
Here is what the YIF Class of 2022 was thinking about in the initial days of the Young India Fellowship
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The initial few days at the Young India Fellowship can be overwhelming. There is so much happening, from the myriad orientation sessions to interacting with new people; it can sometimes get too much. But, trust us, it is only going to get better from here.
We asked some fellows from the 11th cohort what was on their minds when their journey had just begun. Here is what they had to say.
“YIF in the first few days was overwhelming. It was an overflow of information and a lot of work. But it was also exciting, I had never been in such a dynamic environment and I was loving it.”
Aaditya Yawalkar, YIF’22
“The opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and experiment with different disciplines through a completely new style of pedagogy, with the pioneers of the field – is what drove me to YIF.”
Ananya Srivastava, YIF’22
“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, there’s a whole lotta work I’ve gotta put in’ looking at the environment and the people, but I also felt that these are the exact things that will make that effort doable and also worthwhile.”
Nabiha Naaz, YIF’22
“A week after my admission, I attended my first ever Ashoka session, which was an interactive session with Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha. Listening to a stalwart like him was awe-inspiring in itself, but what transpired next was even more mind-boggling. Many fellows stayed back in the Zoom meeting for casual interaction. This “casual” interaction went from an hour long to two to four and ultimately ended after eight hours, at 4 AM. Such was the energy and enthusiasm of the fellows from day 1!”
Pallab Doley, YIF’22
“The very first interaction that I had in YIF was probably with the Programme Team. And I think it’s safe to say they are a perfect embodiment of the culture at YIF. They are a group of people who are kind, enigmatic people who know exactly what you’re going through. So, listen to the Programme Team, and talk to them. There are some really fun conversations to be had.”
Shabdita Tiwari, YIF’22
“I was glad to be back in a holistic learning environment after a gap year. YIF seemed like the best space to make sense of my various interests and plan my path out for later.”
Shivangi Shanker K, YIF’22
“Before applying to YIF, I attended one of its sessions which was on learning about metaphors. That’s when I was in for a pleasant surprise. So there is a course in India where you can learn about such interesting topics that go unnoticed otherwise. Until then, I had never even thought of learning about metaphors. Let alone actually doing it.”
Shivanshi Khanna, YIF’22
“The excitement of delving into an interdisciplinary course sitting amongst fellows from diverse backgrounds where every expression mattered felt real as I embarked on this journey.”
Shreya D, YIF’22
“My first impression of YIF was curiosity. I was eager to know the fellows but I was also apprehensive since the fear of Covid fear was hovering over campus life. I also knew YIF would be challenging as coming from an engineering background, I had never studied the social sciences. That is what made it more exciting.”
Shubham Rathore, YIF’22
