St. Thomas Arts & Science College

St. Thomas Arts & Science College is situated in Puthencruz, which is a bit of a quiet spot in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. We aren't in the middle of the big city, which is actually quite nice because it’s a bit more peaceful here. The college building sits surrounded by a lot of greenery, though the humidity can be quite something during the monsoon season. We see students coming in from all the nearby villages and towns. Some of them take the local buses that stop just a short walk away. The atmosphere here is pretty relaxed, but there is always something going on, whether it's a seminar or just students sitting around the grounds discussing their projects. Our staff consists of people who mostly live in the local area, so everyone knows each other's families. It’s a very grounded kind of place. We don't have massive glass buildings; instead, we have classrooms that have seen many years of students. The labs and the library are where most of the serious work happens, but the hallways are always full of chatter. Every day starts with the sound of birds and the humidity rising before the lectures begin. We spend a lot of time just keeping the place running, fixing the things that break and making sure the grounds look decent. It’s a simple, honest place for learning, and we’ve been part of the Puthencruz community for a good while now.