Mumbai: An Excellent Place for Studies
Amidst all the hustle-bustle of Mumbai, the only person who ever gets to 
relax in the city is a student. While the fast-paced life can be exhausting or intimidating to an outsider at first, a student in Mumbai can be assured of a busy but exciting life.
Events such as St Xavier's Malhar, IIT-Powai's Mood Indigo and Sophia's Kaleidoscope draw huge crowds. Internship opportunities in various media and financial companies are also one of the main reasons why students throng Mumbai. Whether you're applying for commerce, science or arts, the city offers some good colleges in each of these streams. If you want to study mass communication and meet experts from the media industry, then there's no better place than Mumbai. From filmmaking and theatre to law and business, the city has something for everyone.
What's more is that Mumbai's public transport is student-friendly. Though crowded, local trains can take you to the other end of the city in less than an hour and there are many buses that ease your commuting problems.
Some of Mumbai's prominent universities are - Mumbai University, SNDT Women's University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and St Xavier's College, which has recently received autonomy. Most colleges come under Mumbai University. Apart from courses for graduation, there are also independent MBA institutions such as Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and SP Jain Institute of Management and Research.
After Class 10, you can head to one of Mumbai's junior colleges. They give you the added advantage of easy admission to senior college. Many of these colleges have reservations for students who have a Maharashtra domicile (those who have completed their Class 10 in Maharashtra) but have enough seats for students from outside Maharashtra.
However, the cut-off marks limit for students from outside Maharashtra or other boards is always high. If you do not have a Maharashtra domicile and are applying to colleges, you will have to furnish an ‘eligibility certificate' at the Mumbai University and submit a copy of that at the time of admission.
For BA, you get to choose your specialisation or ‘majors' in a certain subject such as psychology, economics, history etc, only after your second year. There are a limited number of seats in every college and getting your majors depends on your academic performance in the first two years.
"It's not that tough to get into a good college for arts, science, commerce or law in Mumbai," says Ananya Sharma who appeared for her second-year law examinations at the Government Law College, Mumbai, recently.
"However, most colleges do not have hostel facilities in Mumbai, so one has to look for paying guest accommodation and other hostels in advance. This is a big cause of worry for girls and their parents," she adds.
Sharma, who came to Mumbai from Jaipur, says that this, perhaps, is the only drawback for a student in Mumbai. Once you get comfortable, there's lots to experience and learn. She chose Mumbai over Pune for law studies because Mumbai has many law firms which provide good opportunities for internships.
"The exposure to your field of study and to culture is great here," says Sharma, adding: "While my college hours are rigorous, I always take out time to go and see a play at some theatre nearby. There's a variety of hangout spots here - from Hard Rock Café to cheap Iranian restaurants. What I particularly like is that you can wear anything you want to over here and no one judges you."
Hot Hangouts
Marine Drive in South Mumbai: Sit there for hours on the promenade and stare at the ocean
Colaba Causeway: Head to Colaba for a flavour of uptown Mumbai with a diverse choice in eateries and shopping
Bandra Linking Road: For students studying in the suburbs of Mumbai or central Mumbai - shopping and eating joints
Bandra Bandstand: A promenade by the sea at Bandra - equivalent to Delhi's India Gate
Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel: A huge shopping complex with a PVR theatre, nightclubs, a bar, bowling arcade, shops, eating joints, etc
Infinite Mall, Andheri: One of the best malls in Mumbai with a huge food court on the top floor
Comedy clubs: The clubs host stand-up comedy shows in Mumbai
Entertainment
The National Centre for Performing Arts and the Prithvi Theatre are popular places. Kala Ghoda has many small art galleries. The Chatrapati Shivaji Museum is located here. Various film and food festivals take pace here. There are movie theatres, multiplexes, large malls and historic sites too
Local Transport
It's easy for a student to move around in Mumbai. The most talked-about transportation for commutes in Mumbai are the local trains. Mumbai has three local railway lines - western, central and harbour. Cheap pocket guides available at local stations can help you understand your route better. Moreover, you can get monthly passes made to travel by local trains. The second best and cheapest form of travel would be the BEST buses. Taxis and auto-rickshaws are also convenient
Author: Sharanya Misra Sharma (HT Horizons)
Date: 7th June, 2011
