BENGALURU: Professor Sooryanarayana Doolla, from IIT Bombay, said, "Students must come out of the stigma attached to seeking for help when they undergo mental stress while pursuing higher education."
Prof Doolla was speaking at a panel session in Manotsava, 'The pressure cooker: The student experience of higher education' along side, two other panelists including, Professor M Thomas Kishore, NIMHANS and Rakesh Mehar, counsellor from Parivartan. The session was moderated by Anshu Paliwal from Shiv Nadar university.
Manotsava was organised by Rohini Nilekani philanthrophies in collaboration with National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS) here in Bengaluru on Saturday, November 8.
He said, "Earning a seat in institutions like IIT is a milestone in a student's life. So parents and friends celebrate the victory of students once the results are out. However, most of these toppers have fear or failure, and they attribute it to the failure of their families. That's when stress and pressure begins. Because, once these toppers enter IIT, they do know that they can't be toppers in every exam."
Professor Doolla explained, "The stress experienced by UG students are different from those experienced by PG and PhD students. Hence the solutions we provide at them are tailor made. One solution doesn't fit all the problems though they are similar in nature. We do a lot of counselling sessions, students must also meet faculty advisor and mentor to seek help. We also conduct surveys in the campus to check the well being of students. Infact, we don't ask for their grades and JEE advance ranks at IITs. It is strictly prohibited." He also told that academic achievements alone can't define the person.
Meanwhile, Professor Kishore pointed out to three components including triggers, patterns and socio demographic profile through which pressure on students in higher education can be identified.
He said, "Parents expect their child to perform well in academics because they are providing everything. This itself is a primary pressure on students. But what if a child is not interested to pursue a particular course. So parents must be mindful what children want to pursue or do."
He added, "Children might develop anxiety, attention deficit disorder and other mental health issues. They might showcase signs of withdrawal, addiction to social media, addiction to substance abuse and more. Both parents and children must understand, how is it possible to become a topper among 100 acheivers in an institution."
Adding to this conversation, Rakesh highligted how a pandemic like COVID-19 impacted the young minds for three years and its effects are seen even today.
He said, "The lockdown during COVID transformed all our lives. It shrinked features like attending classes and meeting friends into one small space within home. As a result, instead of learning to develop skills and competencies, the young minds had to learn to adapt to the new routine at home. The effects of this formal lockdown can be seen even today. Students have lost the sense of social space and being part of the community."
Professor Kishore emphasised that in the current scenario, one must pause, reflect and seek help to move forward. He said, "Institutions, administration, peer group and family have a bigger role to play in helping students cope up with their stress and pressure in higher education."