Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Kokrajhar government college this morning. I wish to congratulate each of you, first on having secured your admission in our college and second, for choosing to study at Kokrajhar government college. WE at KGC puts the student at the centre of everything it does; your experience here at KGC and your success is important to each and every member of staff who works here.

Your arrival at this college marks a new chapter in the story of your life. But this chapter is a bit different. The preceding chapters were largely written by others – your parents, guardians, families, teachers and the like. Now you will be the principal author of the next chapter – you have the opportunity to determine the direction, the plot and the tempo of your story. This can seem as adventerous as it is exciting, as challenging as it is empowering. But the great thing is that you are doing something that you have chosen to do, not something that was chosen for you by others. And while you are here at KGC you will have the opportunity to learn new things, acquire new knowledge, develop new skills, and enhance your personal attributes in profound ways that will equip for life after the college. At the same time you will make new friends who will become your friends for life, with whom you will share memories of your college days for many years to come.

Usually right after the induction day we start our normal academic calendar and our classes starts. But this year due to the pendemic situation due to covid 19 we are unable to start our campus teaching ,however from next week onwards we will start our online classes . you are advised to stay tuned with our college website for further notification regarding this . You are also advised to follow official page of kgc students union for all the informations . Nevertheless, I wish to share three pieces of advice with you.

1. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LEARNING
Up to now, most of your learning, and indeed your life, has been very structured. The objective was clear – to secure sufficient points to get your place in colleges. Most of you here today followed a quite precisely defined curriculum and your approach to how you learned was dictated by the demands of the Leaving Certificate. But now you are entering the less structured environment of the college where you will have greater freedom and the responsibility that comes with that.

What you have achieved up to now is now behind you – you have turned a new page and it is blank. Now you must write the script.

You will now be expected to be more self-reliant. You are responsible for what you do, for ensuring that you do the work that will be required of you. There will be no one to check up on you, you are accountable to yourself. Make sure you attend your lectures, labs and tutorials, that you do the assignments and read the material advised by your lecturers and tutors. Ensure that you make enough time for private study; develop a study plan; go to the library; use the on-line learning resources.

And while we expect you to assume a new level of responsibility please realise that you are not alone. If you find things difficult don’t run away; seek help. Part of being responsible for yourself is recognising when you need the support of others. TALK TO PEOPLE. Talk to your classmates, your hostelmates, your friends, or the Students’ Union. We know that peer support contributes hugely to student success. And I also want you to know that there is an abundance of support services available to you. Contact your student union Body, a lecturer or a tutor. There are learning centres on campus – Mathematics, Science, Writing, IT – that are there to provide specialist support if you find you require it.

2. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME AT KGC
One of the great things about college life is the range of new experiences that will be available to you. You will have abundant opportunities to flourish as a student and as a person.

At the Kokrajhar government college many of the opportunities are built into your programme while others are extra-curricular. you are advised to undertak extra curricular activities like ncc scoute and guide sports and different clubs of the college like literary society , drama club , music club etc to make the college a happening place for youngstars . without your enthusiasm the various societies formed in the college will remain inactive . What you learn in the classroom is applied in the workplace which in turn gives you a deeper understanding of what you have learned in the classroom; it is an incredibly enriching experience that few other students in this country, will enjoy.

You will also have the opportunity to give back to the community, to assist those less fortunate than yourself. From this years onwards we are introducing students volunteer service to the local community and The Principals’ Volunteer Award will be introduced and I hope that as many of you as possible get involved in it. Our students’ contribution to their communities is a credit to us as an institution. Avail of them, enjoy them. And while you are at it join one or more of the many clubs and societies on campus – why not try something you haven’t had the opportunity to do before. You have the chance now.

Again we know that availing of extra-curricular opportunities is linked to high quality student engagement and success.GETTING INVOLVED HELPS YOUR LEARNING.

3. EMBRACE DIFFERENCE
The college is a melting pot. You have come from different backgrounds and communities to pursue your ambitions as students. In a large institution it can be tempting to stick with the familiar and that is especially true with respect to the people with whom you associate. But it would be a lost opportunity to stick with your own all the time – embrace difference. Get to know people who are different to you. It could be someone from a different part of the country, or from another country, of a different ethnicity, a different religion, who has different views to you, or who has different interests and perspectives. You might or might not change as a person by embracing difference but you will get a better understanding both of yourself and of those who are different to you. Knowing others and understanding others will help you develop as tolerant individuals.

So to recap:
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LEARNING;
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME AT UL
EMBRACE DIFFERENCE

And with those few words of advice I wish you every success at the Kokrajhar Government college and I am confident that you will find it an immensely rewarding experience.