MANAV RACHNA -A WALK DOWN THE MEMORY LANE

All our lives we discover things. Some big, some small, some exciting and some downright regretful. Little did I know that my graduation would be the start of a long journey of discoveries for me.

Like every other university, Manav Rachna too has a bustling variety of occupants. People from all around the world and from various walks of life, make this university the dynamic space that actively transforms the lives of every student.

Let 's rewind the clock. It was in July 2017 when I set out on a journey, a journey into a whole new dimension! I was fresh out of school, a young student who was not used to stepping out of the protective world of my parents. I was quite nervous, because honestly, I had no idea about where life would take me. That is just how life is when you are 18 years old.

Every new day, the shell I was living in before college was broken down, bit by bit. I saw things from multiple perspectives. I learnt to adjust and accommodate. I became more open-minded.

At Manav Rachna, I met some amazing friends and faculty members who made me feel at home instantly and taught me some vital life lessons. Here, I learnt the arts of responsibility, empathy and perseverance.

My first year was concentrated on learning basic human physiology, anatomy and biochemistry. It usually consisted of lectures and practical labs. Mainly the anatomy lab, where med students spend months dissecting cadavers and mastering the anatomy of the human body. Anatomy is a course many med students truly enjoy, but it is exceptionally challenging. Learning biochemistry and human physiology was like cherry on the cake for someone like me who has a keen interest in the medical field.

Second year was the time when I really started to know about my field properly. Subjects like exercise therapy, electrotherapy, and biomechanics were the most important ones that were being taught during that year. I gradually started realizing why and how physiotherapy plays a vital role in promoting health awareness and increasing the health status of society. Our way of assessment and treatment became more professional with all the knowledge we were acquiring with every passing semester.

The opportunity to learn from here was not just limited to Manav Rachna. The exchange program, seminars, workshops that it offered with a whole list of esteemed institutions, is the best experience anyone could learn from.

In fact, the best workshop I have ever attended was organized by Manav Rachna itself. Dr. Harpreet Singh was the resource person during that workshop on Bobath/NDT Perspective Management of Adult Stroke and Brain injury.

This institute also helped me to gain a lot of clinical practice as we were posted in various nearby hospitals. I was lucky enough to study in a college which provides clinical practice from the second year itself.

Our college has implemented a well-established mentorship system for its learners. Mentors are assigned to each student in order to help them with their day-to-day academic issues. A mentor's presence in a student's life can boost their morale and guide them to be more valuable in life. Dr. Sunita being my mentor monitored our batch student's regularity & discipline. As students we have developed a positive relationship with her. She helps us in solving our problems and counselling. She helped me a lot in building self-confidence.

As schools and colleges were shut because of the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, the online class took the centre stage in my life. There are many benefits of online learning like flexibility, cost benefits, comfortable environment to study, advancing your career even while you are working, gaining skills that are transferrable, avoid commuting and learning at your own house. Additionally, it also helped me to develop self-discipline and made me join study groups from different places to understand perspectives. Online teaching increased the engagement between our batch and the teachers, resulting in personalised attention to each student.

We were given a proper weekly schedule of every lecture by our faculty. Our teachers left no stone unturned to make sure that every concept is clear to the students. We also had doubt clearing sessions at the end of every class. I must say that the patience they have shown while teaching during such times is impeccable.

Fast forward to today, it seems like the choice I made four years back has shaped me for the rest of my life! At first, I did make some mistakes, like any other newbie. But the positive energy the campus and its people gave me kept me motivated and going. Manav Rachna was the perfect platform for me to learn, even from little mistakes. That is when I truly understood education. An education beyond books!

Kanika Adlakha

Course- BPT (Physiotherapy)

Batch- 2017-2021