College Days
Narendranath entered the first year Arts class of the general department of Presidency College in January 1880.
The college was run by the British Government; the professors were mostly Europeans. Students who attended were required to wear European-style clothing or in Indian Chapkan and, significantly, trousers.
They were also required to wear a wrist watch.
Narendranath preferred to dress in alpaca Chapkan (a kind of loose and long robe) and trousers, and wore a Swiss made wrist watch.
Naren used to go to his maternal grandmother’s house where he had his own room. Referring to this room, his college days, and his cramming for examinations, he said: "I sat in the room, book in hand, with a pot of strong tea or coffee by my side to keep the brain from getting overtired. When I felt inclined to sleep at night, I would tie a rope to my foot. Then, if I fell asleep and moved to make myself more comfortable, the rope would jerk me, and I would awake with a start."
- www.vivekananda.net edited by Frank Parlato Jr.