Udupi: The Govt First Grade College, Hiriyadka, which was struggling with admissions, is adopting a unique approach this academic year by introducing a set of compulsory add-on courses, including newspaper reading as a subject, to enhance students’ career readiness.The college reopened on Monday, a week before the academic calendar of the university. The academic year will commence with a bridge course and an orientation programme outlining all initiatives planned for the year. The orientation will also include sessions on preparing for future careers and life skills, said principal Prof Jayaprakash Shetty.He told TOI that five add-on courses were designed with long-term student development in mind. “These are not fancy courses. They are practical and focused on the future. We noticed that many students do not know how to read a newspaper effectively. We want to guide them on understanding newspaper content, identifying what is relevant for exams, and how to use news as a tool for competitive exam preparation,” he said.These add-on courses will be held throughout the academic year, from Monday to Friday, for 45 minutes to an hour after regular classes. One day each week will be dedicated to newspaper reading as a subject. The remaining days will cover job-related information from both the public and private sectors, career guidance sessions, and spoken English classes.Classes will be conducted in three batches based on the year of study, running simultaneously. BCom students will have access to CA and CS foundation courses thrice a week, while BA students will receive training for competitive exams, including subjects like geography that are not part of their regular syllabus.The initiative is being supported by local donors. It may be recalled that the faculty members had volunteered to sponsor students’ fees. So far, 20 students have registered under this scheme. Last year, the college’s strength was 124. The college also offers postgraduate programmes in MCom and MA Kannada, along with NET coaching.“We are hoping these efforts will boost student strength over time. Faculty interest has driven this initiative, and we plan to host career-oriented fests targeting PU students to improve admissions in the long run,” Shetty added.A planning meeting related to the add-on courses was held on Friday.
