When should the program be held?

The weekday should be chosen as per the convenience of the students. Evening time is ideal provided it does not clash with their tuition or mess timings. If there is a clash in timings, then the program can be held late night after their mess.

What should be taught in the program?

In this fast-food age, nobody likes to attend eternally ongoing programs. So there should be certified fixed-duration courses based on the books Your Best Friend, Pass the Final Exam and Yoga for the 21^st Century. These books present the philosophy taught by Srila Prabhupada in his books in a scientific and systematic way so that the students of the modern times can quickly grasp it. These books are in the process of being published very soon from IYF, Pune.

How is the course material to be taught

• In addition to the oral presentation by the preacher, visual aids such as slides or transparencies are very helpful in teaching students.
• Making the sessions interactive by revising the previous session at the start, asking simple questions throughout the lecture and having a brief revision at the end helps in keeping the students involved.
• Providing time for question-answers is essential with students because they are inquisitive by nature.
• Distributing notes, maintaining attendance, conducting quizzes and giving prizes also makes the students feel a part of a formal course thus inspiring them to be regular and to hear attentively.
• Providing good prasad, meaning a variety of delicious items, is very important because many students come initially just for the prasadam and, when they become purified by honoring prasadam a number of times, they become serious about Krishna consciousness. It is best if a full dinner can be provided; then the students will not be in a hurry to rush to their mess for dinner.

Who can take a college program?

• The college preacher has to be well versed in philosophy. Students sometimes ask tough questions, often in a very challenging way. The preacher should be able to stay cool and answer those questions properly.
• The preacher should also be able to give time to the students because they may often come to him for further questions or personal counseling.
• It is best if the preacher is from a similar academic background as those to whom he is preaching. For example, if an engineer devotee preaches in an engineering college, he can preach on their wavelength since he can anticipate the kind of doubts and questions that they are likely to have.

For whom is the program intended?

Experience has shown that, amongst the seekers of truth in the student community, the hostel students are more likely to take to Krishna consciousness than their local counterparts.  The spark of sincere inquiry can be easily fanned in the case of hostelites as they have more independence. On the other hand, the lives of the localites are strictly monitored by their family members and most often this throttles their attempts to become serious about Krishna consciousness.

How can the weekly program be continued when the seniors pass out?

College programs face a unique problem in that the audience is unlikely to be static for a long time; the students will pass out after their academic course gets over. So, while cultivating students, it is advisable to focus more on students of the first or the second years; they have more time to mature. Moreover, as a group of senior students matures, it is necessary to simultaneously cultivate a group of junior students so that the program can continue after the seniors pass out. This can be done by starting a cell group program, as explained earlier.