Welcome to MUJ, where Wi-Fi is a rumour, your timetable looks like the script for Oppenheimer, and every time you need a printout, the universe tests your patience. Forget the glossy brochures because this is the real starter pack, stitched together from red worms in water coolers, bus route No. 26, and the collective trauma of surprise labs. Consider this your survival guide, your inside-joke bible, and your one-way ticket to becoming an MUJ local.
1. Printing pains & hacks.
Somehow, every time you suddenly remember you need a printout, the shops are mysteriously closed. The stationery stores in G1 and G4 are run by the same people, so if one is shut, chances are the other one is too. While you can call to check, most students end up sprinting outside the hostel gates instead. Walk to the right and you’ll find Kumawat Stationery, the undisputed champion of club-and-chapter logistics. Right opposite, you’ll see Govind Stationery, basically the same, so just enter whichever has the smaller crowd.
If you need it really early in the morning because you need to do something before your 9 a.m. class, you can also Blinkit printouts! I just found out about this and it’s a feature I didn’t know I needed.
2. Cry spots & breathing space.
There’s nowhere you can cry alone other than your room. There are people everywhere on this campus. However, I can recommend going for a light walk across campus (hostel is just crazy crowded) when you feel overwhelmed. You can always sit on top of the grand staircase and look at the dome. You really do feel on top of the world. On the left of AB3 is a good chill spot too for if you just want to hang out with your friends or decompress by yourself, since rarely do people come here.
3. Timetable trauma.
Course codes look like Wi-Fi passwords. Credits control your destiny. Labs creep into the days you swore were free. MUJ’s credit-based system is explained in the official handbook. The [L T P C] code tells you how many hours you’re chained to lectures, tutorials, or labs before you finally get credits. A [3 1 0 4] means three lectures, one tutorial, no labs, four credits. A [0 0 6 2] means your soul belongs to a six-hour lab for just two credits.
Attendance is the real religion here: less than 75% and you’re gifted with the shiny DT grade (detained, not “delightful time”). Your GPA, CGPA, audits, make-ups, even re-joining rules are all in the handbook, but here’s the truth: seniors’ Excel sheets and color-coded timetables are the only reason most of us survive.
4. Travel hacks.
Survival essentials when it comes to travelling? Take a nice hard look at Bus Route No. 26. That’s the only one that actually comes to Bagru. The cheapest option is to obviously go by bus to the nearest stop and then take an auto to the actual spot. You can also take cabs and autos but they charge like money actually grows on trees.
5. Joggers Park (not for jogging).
ICYMI, Joggers Park is where cardio does happen but not in the form of jogging. It’s the unwritten playground for all couples. That’s it. That’s the note. If you actually want to get some exercise in, go at 6 a.m.
6. Hostel horror & life skills.
Firstly, the water cooler. If you suspect something is wrong, something might actually BE wrong. Please report it before you have n number of typhoid cases. This has happened before and could happen again. For a month straight, we literally had red worms living in our water coolers in G1. At first I thought it was dried ketchup in my bottle, but then it started wriggling.
Laundry. Keep a note of what you’re giving because a lot of times, you will lose things and then have to go back and yell at them. RIP my favourite black halter neck top. I miss you.
7. Events that define MUJ.
Not focusing on club events (because let’s be honest, everyone knows Her Campus at MUJ throws the most community-centric, fun events ever). But here’s the line-up of the big campus-wide ones you can’t miss:
- Oneiros – The crown jewel: a 3+ day cultural fest that takes over MUJ. By day, minor events run across campus; by night, the stage lights up with both emerging and major artists. Throw in food stalls, Red Bull, Pulse in 2024, and you’re spoiled for choice. Sure, sometimes the vibe dips, but the cure is simple. Dress up, grab your friends, and lean in. Pro tip: join the dissolvable committee if you want a backstage pass to the chaos.
- International Innovation Challenge 2.0 (IIC) – Rolling out this September, this is organised by the Department of IoT and Intelligent Systems. Think hackathons, pitch fests, and ₹7 lakhs in prize money. Registration runs through Unstop, with remote options for international participants and offline energy for those on campus. Collabs include AIC-MUJ, University of Calabria, SAC-ISRO, DRDO, Mahindra & Mahindra. Themes range from Agri-Tech to Space Tech, so it’s less “college event” and more “ideas marketplace.” Oh, and yes, dissolvable committee, sign up if you want in.
- Blood Donation Camp – Organised by the Rotaract Club, this is chaos with a conscience. Hospitals across Jaipur show up with benchmarks of how many units they need, and MUJ always delivers in thousands. You’ll even get those dramatic DSW mailers flexing the numbers. Whether you donate or help run it via the dissolvable committee, it’s one of those “good for the soul” events that remind you college isn’t just about grades.
- TEDx MUJ – A one-day intellectual feast. Curated talks, speakers with something to say, and that signature TED “ideas worth spreading” vibe. Each session blends perspectives across fields, leaving you with more brain sparks than you bargained for. Tickets can be steep, but joining the committee is a great workaround. Either way, this is a must at least once in your MUJ journey.
- Freshers & Farewell – The campus bookends. For those entering and those exiting. Self-explanatory, iconic, necessary. Enough said.
8. FOOD OUTLETS AT MUJ’S GHS
Think of this as your unfiltered food GPS: where to actually eat, where to just sit and gossip, and where you’ll end up crying about the ₹300 you blew on dry pizza. Some spots are holy grails (I’m looking at you, Zaika chicken), others are maybe just overhyped (Dialog goers, why are you like this?). But trust me, by the end of the hyperlinked article, you’ll know exactly which outlets deserve your money and which deserve to be ignored like your 9 a.m. class.
9. Discipline-on-Top (DoT Policy)
The Discipline on Top (DoT) Policy is the institutional reality show, and every student is a contestant. This policy is about culture, accountability, and the not-so-gentle reminder that your actions echo, whether or not you think about it in the moment. But don’t panic, this article breaks it down with humour, honesty, and just enough elder-sister energy to help you dodge those dreaded black dots or revive your reputation with white ones instead.
10. Dress Code (that no one pays attention to anyways).
Technically, MUJ has one. Practically? Consider it decorative. The rules say “formal wear” for classes, but you’ll see everything from hoodies to kurtas to full-on pyjamas at 8:55 AM. Unless it’s a presentation day, you’re fine.
Pro tip: carry at least one decent blazer since most departments love a “formal event” invite that drops the night before.
11. The Library Wars
You’ll probably never find a seat here unless you’re obscenely early. Some people swear by studying anywhere but the library, but honestly? The sense of quiet and shared focus is worth it. There’s something motivating about seeing everyone around you nose-deep in their books or iPads. Suddenly, scrolling Instagram feels like a crime.
12. Mess Food
Honestly, eating in the mess is subjective. Everyone has one meal they don’t miss and some menus that they just get stomach ache upon just reading. Don’t listen to anyone and find out for yourself. Save your pocket money for when you absolutely NEED to eat from an outlet.
13. Caffeine & Hydration Hacks
Keep Chaayos instant tea or Nescafé sachets at hand, because trust me: MUJ life runs on caffeine. ORS is also basically a lifestyle here. Days fly so fast you’ll literally forget to drink water until your body stages a protest.
14. Jaipur City Life
This one’s for another article. For those who have the time or money to hop into Jaipur every other day, go wild. For now, starter-packers, stay tuned.
15. Money Moves
The ATMs in AB1 Cafeteria (in campus) and near Chatkara (in hostel) actually work, so you won’t be stranded cashless. And if you’ve got the entrepreneurial itch? Start a side hustle. Plenty of students do: from selling snacks to collaborating with clubs, and WhatsApp groups are the fastest way to go “campus famous.”
16. Normal College Things
The usual: birthday bumps (or belts), midnight Maggi runs, late-night chai panic, people crowding around one projector screen, the classic “stolen umbrella” drama during monsoons. Nothing revolutionary, but everything that makes college feel like college.
19. Memories in the Making
If you thought this article is going to highlight professors, meme culture, and other things, I’m sorry. Some things you just need to figure out for yourself, so your own starter pack has room for inside jokes and chaos only you’ll get.
20. Photo Spots
Grand staircase. Old amphitheater. In front of the dome. VIP gate. Lecture Hall Complex (with its different cities aesthetic). The iconic “I ❤️ Manipal” sign. Basically, if you don’t post from these, did you even study here?
21. Exam Rules You Can’t Ignore
MUJ’s Exam Handbook is 50+ pages of pure legalese, but here’s what you actually need to know unless you plan on combusting mid-sem:
- The Holy Trinity of Marks: Mid-Term (30%), Class Work (30%), End-Term (40%). That’s your grade cocktail. End sem is always 3 hours long; mid sem is 1.5.
- Attendance is God: Fall below 75% and you get slapped with a DT (detained) grade. Translation: no exam for you.
- Passing marks: UG needs at least 35% in end sems and overall. PG needs 40%. Anything less? Straight to F.
- Relative vs Absolute grading: If a course has 25+ students, you’re graded on a curve (relative). Fewer than 25 = absolute. Either way, an E (5 points) is the lowest passing grade.
- Make-ups & Summers: You can take them if you fail or miss exams, but expect a grade penalty (usually one grade lower). Medical cases get “I” (incomplete) if approved before results.
- Malpractice = instant karma: Phone in pocket? Notes on palm? Even chatting = 20% deduction. Copying = zero marks. Impersonation or paper leaks? You can get debarred for an entire year.
- Result drama: Pay your dues or get into disciplinary mess, and your result will be “on hold.” Yes, MUJ does that.
The full handbook exists for the nerds, but for survival? Just chant this: 75% attendance, 35% minimum, don’t cheat, don’t miss deadlines.
22. Lost & Found
If you lose something important (like your ID card), check with the Fire & Security office, both on campus and in the hostel. Good citizens often drop lost items there. Miracles happen.
23. Emails Are Your Frenemies
Read your DSW and department emails. They’re not typing them out for fun. Hidden in the inbox chaos are opportunities, invites, and updates you don’t want to miss.
There you have it: the unofficial, unfiltered, slightly unhinged MUJ Starter Pack. From figuring out where to cry without an audience, to remembering that Blinkit can literally print your assignments faster than your brain can, this is your crash course in surviving (and maybe thriving) on campus.
But here’s the catch: MUJ is less about rules and hacks and more about the stories you’ll collect. You’ll miss buses, lose ID cards, bomb a quiz, find yourself at Joggers Park wondering how cardio became PG-13, and then laugh about it later with people who start to feel like home.
So take this Starter Pack as your guide, not your gospel. Make mistakes, make memories, make chaos. And whatever you do: drink water, check your DSW emails, and don’t let the worms in the cooler win.
Want more unfiltered hacks, heartbreaks, and hot takes on MUJ life? Catch us at Her Campus at MUJ for the full vibe. And if you’re wondering who stitched together a survival guide that jumps from secret printers to Joggers Park couples — hi, it’s me, Niamat Dhillon at HCMUJ.
Here’s to skipping buses, sipping Chaayos, dodging attendance shortages, and remembering that the only real Starter Pack you need is good friends, bad coffee, and the courage to laugh when the Wi-Fi crashes at 11:59 PM.