Gopikabai Sitaram Gawande College

Gopikabai Sitaram Gawande College is out on Dhanki Road in Umarkhed. Yavatmal is a big district and we are tucked away in this corner where things move a bit slower. The college has been around for a while and the building shows its age in some spots, but it’s sturdy. Students come in from the surrounding villages, often taking the bus or riding bikes down the dusty roads. Our day usually starts with the sound of students chatting in the corridors before the first bell. The office is always full of files because there is so much to keep track of with the university requirements. It gets very hot here in the summer, and the stone floors in the older rooms stay a bit cooler than the rest. We have a library that’s usually pretty quiet, though the tables are often full during exam time. It’s a practical place. We don't spend money on fancy decorations; the money goes into keeping the roof from leaking and making sure there are enough chairs. Sometimes the power goes out and we just have to wait it out or open the windows for some light. The staff is mostly local people who have been here for years. It’s just a regular college serving the people in this part of the district without any fuss. We do our work and go home when the sun starts to set over the fields.