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Pre-exam panic?
Exam season is beyond doubt a testing time for students, but USHA ALBUQUERQUE gives you some pointers that could help you stress less & perform better. For starters, steer clear of self-generated stress caused by pessimism, overload & unhealthy lifestyle THE start of a bright new year is also the beginning of the stress season. End of term, board exams, competitive entrance exams, interviews and unreasonable parental expectations are cause enough for many young students to press the panic button. Our society is driven by high marks and top ranks. Our culture craves status and abhors failure. There is enormous pressure on young students to perform well in exams, meet societal expectations on choice of career, prepare and sit for an increasing number of competitive exams, and land admission to prestigious institutions. As the numbers increase, competition gets more fierce, and as the bar for admission rises, stress levels rise – not just for students, but also for parents. There are several external factors that are sources of stress for students. A student’s life is regimented with its rules and regulations, homework, deadlines, exams, reports and discipline – something not many are willingly to accept and enjoy. In recent years, the examination system has driven many good students to the brink of despair. Higher and higher assessment levels that eliminate all but the top achievers are putting unrealistic demands on young minds. In today’s fast paced competitive world, students have to ensure that they consistently procure good marks so as to make it not just into the next class, but more so to qualify for admissions to college. With increasing numbers competing for limited seats in better known and recognised institutions, those who are unable to cope or slacken in their studies in any way feel the pressure of competition. This is particularly so near exam time, when the course has to be completed in class, tutorial work continues alongside and there is the anxiety of exams looming ahead. Students who may not have covered all portions to be revised sometimes feel the pressure at this time gets intensified. Besides the pressures of external stress causing factors, it is often internal factors that cause the maximum havoc in our lives. Self-generated stress is something of a paradox, but we are often responsible for our own stress by the way we live. Poor dietary habits, eating junk foods, unregulated lifestyles with an overloaded schedule and lack of sleep can cause our bodies to protest. More than that, self-criticism, pessimism, over analysis of what we do or say and unrealistic expectations can take a toll on our minds and make us mentally ill. Exams are stressful and challenging, even for the most intelligent and hard working, but employing some tried and tested techniques can make the next couple of weeks less stressful and more productive. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions on dealing with pre-exam stress: 1. How can students handle pre-exam stress? Firstly, prepare for examinations from the start of the year. Being prepared is the best axiom against all anxieties. Continuous revision and re-working of sample papers is one way of keeping pace with the work being done in school. If you have been regular in studies over the year, you don’t need to worry much. But leaving everything for the last minute will certainly result in a lot of stress as it is not possible to study a whole year’s syllabus in the last one month. If you have been remiss in your studies, do not expect miracles. Select some of the important topics that you missed out, and try to pick out the relevant points, take notes and spend some extra time on this. If you are sitting for a competitive entrance exam, get hold of a book of sample questions, as early in the year as possible, and work on every question. If you have any queries, check with your teacher for clarifications. Secondly, it is also essential that one’s expectations should be realistic. Not everyone can make it to the top institutions or courses. A clear understanding of your abilities and achievements can help you direct your energies towards attainable goals, instead of dissipating it with undue stress. So it is good to be aware of alternatives, opportunities and courses should you be unable to meet the cut-off requirements. This is the time to meet with counselors who can help you strategize on your options. Parents and teachers in particular, must understand this and be as supportive as possible. 2. How can parents and teachers help students cope with exam anxiety? PARENTS should help to create an environment suitable for study. A separate part of the house where the child can have peace and quiet is an essential. Keep distractions to minimum while also ensuring that there are sufficient relaxations periods. Be patient and understanding, as children have a tendency to be moody and irritable under pressure. Be tolerant and sensitive and try to help the child manage his/her emotions through talking it over with you. Often they just need the reassurance of your love and support irrespective of the results of the examinations, Most important, however, for parents and teachers is neither to transfer their anxieties onto children nor burden them with unrealistic expectations. 3. Whom should students turn to? Helplines? Teachers are the best guides for help before examinations. They have seen so many other students through this difficult period and know the problems they have to encounter. School and class teachers should make themselves available to their students. They know the students best, and can help them handle their stress, and retain their motivations, but if anxiety is acute, professional help may be taken. 4. Some practical tips and suggestions Time management is of the essence. Start by preparing a schedule. Ensure that you plan for the revision of each subject every day, setting aside one or two hours for each with short breaks in between. You also have to make sure that you have buffer days, should you be unable to complete the material as scheduled. Your time-table should also include meal times, relaxation periods, exercise and sleep. And don’t be over ambitious. Make a realistic schedule. Trying to do too much will only make you frustrated and more anxious. You will have to make drastic changes in your daily schedule, cutting down on all extraneous activities. You don’t have to cut off all these activities completely, but enough to get you the few extra hours each day. You must however, give yourself break times when you can relax with a favourite book, movie or TV show. Make sure you also maintain an exercise regimen, as physical exercise is known to enhance study performance. Some breathing exercises are also highly recommended. Learn to do regular deep breathing – this will come in very handy if you should get a sudden panic attack during the examination. If you have been a night owl all these months, it is time to get back to the daytime schedule. Remember that your exams will be held, most often in the morning hours, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and these are the hours you have to be at peak performance. If your body has got used to working at nights and sleeping in the day, your body will perform accordingly. You will be most sleepy, at the time you need to be the most alert. So, for the last month before exams, study during the day and get your 7-8 hours of sleep at the same time every night. In this way, you will ensure that your body and mind are well synchronised. 5. What should I do just before the exam? THE immediate hours or day before an exam should be kept purely for last-minute revision. This is when you can work over the sections which have proved difficult during the earlier revision. It is not the time to study new material, as your anxiety will work against retaining anything new. It is, therefore, important to complete all the revision well in advance. 6. What is your last minute advice? RELAX. If you are an anxious kind of person, take long deep breaths every time you feel nervous. This will calm you down. Make sure you arrive for the exam well in time, and that you have all the required material with you, ready and available, if possible, the night before. And during the exam, time yourself and make sure you read the questions and understand each one clearly before attempting the answer. Finally, if there are certain questions you feel you cannot answer, move onto the next and answer those you know, well. Exams do not need to be as dreaded or feared as they have become. They are an inevitable part of life and board exams are just the first of many exams students may need to face. Keep your eyes on your larger career goal: the exams are only the means to this end. There will always be those who will do better, and those who do worse than you. So, start with positive thinking, and focus on your strengths that can lead you to a successful future. Good luck! (The writer is a noted career expert)
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Career Hotline TOEFL or IELTS? First choose varsity Q. Should I take TOEFL or IELTS to pursue my master’s in biotech abroad? — Jansher Singh
The IELTS is generally accepted in the UK, Australia and New Zealand among others from the Commonwealth and some universities in the US. Check their global recognition system at www.ielts.org Note: You don’t have to take the TOEFL or IELTS if you hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from a university based in a country in which English is the spoken language and the medium of instruction, or if you have completed at least two years of full-time study at such an institution. So, make your decision about which test to take after you decide where you’re applying, check out the varsity websites and email admissions if necessary to find out their requirements.
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100 days to a better career
INSTITUTE of Computer and Finance Executives (ICFe) is offering a short-term course for graduates and the unemployed for imparting employability skills. Named ‘Speed’ – Smart Program for Eliminating the Employability Drawbacks – claims to be a special course to make graduates employable in 100 days by identifying their weak links and to empower them with the necessary skills required for employment in 2009. The banking, financial services and insurance sector in India is still hiring but now the nuances of employment have changed with only trained graduates getting jobs now, said an institute spokesperson. Commerce graduates applying for this course will be given 100% job assistance facility. A non-commerce student can also apply for the course but knowledge of fundamentals of accounts is compulsory. Special batches for professionals are also available on weekends. The programme highlights include in-depth coverage of Excel and MS Word as well as creating MIS reports. The course will also give practical exposure in Accounting and Tally 9. There is also a module on eliminating personality drawbacks and making the students more employable. Fee: While commerce students would have to pay Rs 10,000, non-commerce graduates will have to pay Rs 3,000 more for an additional course on the fundamentals of accounting. Eligibility: B.A., B.Com, B.Sc, any graduate How to apply: Prospectus and admission form can be obtained from the nearest ICFe Center. ICFe has 63 centres running in the states of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the NCR region. You could also SMS 59994 for more information. Last date: March 15 — TNS
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Make a career out of home science
— Geetanjali Sen
Depending on your interest and aptitude there are a multitude of career options to choose from. If you are a people person and enjoy sales and marketing you can look at sales promotion of food items. Similarly, if you have flair for management and supervision, the hotel industry also offers job opportunities in house keeping departments at resorts, hotels, restaurants etc. You can also branch out into the field of fashion design or interior decoration and let those creative juices flow. Globally, healthcare is a $5 trillion industry, simply waiting to be tapped in India. This sector will account for 7 per cent of the GDP within the next 10 years. While it is projected to employ 9 million people in the next decade, there is an explosion of employment opportunities in the health sector even now. So you can specialise in Dietetics or Food and Nutrition or opt for child-care or rural work. If you are academically inclined you can always opt for teaching or take up research work.
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Go on, spin a web of creativity
Q. I want to work as a web content developer. What are the skills required for this?
— Manika Chawla Depending on the nature of the website or portal, specialist knowledge of a field/subject may be required but the key skills needed are: The ability to write well and edit, re-write or polish contributions from other writers, and an ability to think of new and innovative features and “columns” for the website. Remember, writing on the web is somewhat different from writing for print. It’s best to present the information in easy-to-digest chunks that allow browsers to dive straight in and locate what they require. A content developer co-ordinates with the web designer and other members of the editorial team, meets people and keeps up-to-date with relevant news and developments. Plenty of such opportunities exist in media, web development and online publishing firms, check out some of the leading jobsites. Some big companies you could possibly approach are NIIT, Genpact, Lionbridge, TIS and TCS. There is no tested specialist course for becoming a content developer. A college degree with fluency in writing, and preferably some experience at the copydesk or reporting in any media would suffice. Thus, a course in linguistics, journalism, mass communication, English etc is a good bet. Specialist knowledge as of law or technology would be an asset if you are creating content for a legal or technical website. Familiarity with computer basics is mandatory. Trust me, this field is booming and job opportunities abound. You can start out as a content writer or ID to a senior ID, analyst and finally specialist as you move up the ladder.
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For MDS, one year internship must
Q. Can I appear for the MDS (prosthodontia) exams after completing only six months of internship? I have done my BDS.
— Dr P.K. Sood As per the stipulated eligibility criterion for admission in MDS, a candidate should have passed BDS course from a dental college recognised by the Dental Council of India and should have completed one year of internship. The cut off dates for the internships differ from college to college, so you will need to check the college websites individually.
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World of operations
Q. I am a B.Sc student who took the CAT this year. I am told that operations management is only for engineering students. Is this so?
— Naresh Gautam Admittedly, operations does involve the use of various statistical and modelling techniques but any student with a reasonably good background of mathematics can master them irrespective of which stream they come from. Also, since computers now perform most complex mathematical operations, even non-engineering students can handle them.
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Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management, Symbiosis International University, Pune, offers an MBA in operations management (two year, full time) for engineering graduates. Selection is through SNAP. n
IIT Delhi offers a three-month continuing education programme in operations management for working professionals in collaboration with Hughes Net. However, those with an MBA, MCA, BBA or BArch can also apply (Rs 18,000). The one-way video and two-way audio course introduces concepts and techniques related to design, planning, control and improvement of services and manufacturing operations, tools used by in operations management e.g. forecasting, production planning, and control, MRP, ERP, scheduling, quality control, inventory and just-in-time manufacturing. Details: www.dwge.com
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Enroll in M.Phil
— Lokesh Pahwa A. To be eligible for admission to Ph.D in Commerce at Delhi University, you require an M.Phil in commerce. You also need to submit your synopsis and appear for a personal interview. The minimum qualification for admission to the M.Phil programme is 55 per cent aggregate in M.Com. Teachers of DU, or other universities and institutions — including foreign universities — with at least 50 per cent marks in the master’s degree and three years of teaching experience (in permanent position) can register for Ph.D directly on the recommendations of the department. Applications are invited three times a year for admission to the Ph.D course in the department of commerce, faculty of commerce & business studies,
DU.
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Now we know why
THAT the Indian BPO companies suffer from the chronic problem of a high attrition rate is a given. The question is why is the rate so high and what can we do about it. The attrition rate in BPOs last year was 23.5 per cent compared to 15 per cent in the general market. The HayGroup recently completed its 2008 BPO Sector Special Survey, which attempts to answer these questions. The study focused on the compensation and benefits of almost 39,000 Indian jobs in the BPO sector. The study found that the salary structure was not competitive in BPO firms as compared to the rest of the Indian market. The short-term variable component was just 4 per cent last year while the rest of India’s workers enjoyed 10 per cent. Such a low figure does not give any scope in creating incentive programmes to encourage employees to work harder or stay at the organisation. The benefits package mainly focused on retirement benefits, which clearly does not mean much of an incentive for a 20-year-old. The employee gets the money at age 60. So, retirement benefits like PF do not encourage employees to stay at one company. HayGroup stated that companies needed to learn from the findings of the study and create more realistic pay policies and more aligned to the employee expectations. Companies need to focus on the take-home pay and offer a higher rate if performance-based incentives if they hope to retain talent. The study also suggested innovative options like stock options or deferred and retention bonuses if money was tight. The need for a more focused approach to career planning was also clearly highlighted. Employees will stay longer when they see that they can move up to a better job at the same company. The report suggested sponsoring post-graduate education programs for employees and this in turn will “lock” the employee into the organisation. The study also found that many BPO workers used the money they earn to fund a post-graduate degree. The figures also showed that5 BPO work is attractive to younger workers, giving them a new-found freedom and a unique lifestyle. As many of the jobs were found to be monotonous, the study suggested cross-training employees in other processes to provide a respite. — Agencies
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IGNOU to set up BPO training schools
THE Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is planning to set up six BPO training facilities in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Puducherry in collaboration with IT consulting and services major Accenture.
The university is in the final stages of discussion and a meeting on 5th January in New Delhi will decide on the modalities of setting up the BPO training centres. The university’s regional centres in Tamil Nadu — at Madurai and Chennai — have been asked to take steps for setting up the training centres. M. Shanmugham, IGNOU regional director, Madurai Regional Centre, said the training centres would function under the auspices of School of Vocational Education and Training, IGNOU. The school is also planning to launch a diploma course in BPO from February 2009. NIIT with Genpact, has set up a JV — NIIT Institute of Process Excellence (NIPE) — which has a mandate to train over 100,000 people in two years. All of the top 15 Indian BPO firms are likely to join the initiative. Lathika Pai, co-founder of B2K, has just set up a BPO training outfit called Fides Global Consultants. Nasscom president Som Mittal says BPO has migrated from vanilla tech support services to supply chain and high-end analytics; so industry needs people with vertical knowledge in insurance, supply chain and retail.
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Job losses hit men harder
THE economic crisis is hitting men much harder than women in the workplace, especially in the US. As male-dominated industries like construction and transportation bear the brunt of job losses, figures show that women-dominated sectors like government and healthcare are still growing.
“It’s men that have taken the hit,” said Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston. “It’s been an overwhelmingly male phenomena.” Four-fifths of the 2.74 million people who lost their jobs between November 2007 and November 2008 were men, Sum said. The biggest losses came in construction, where men comprise 87 per cent of the work force, he said. Large losses also came in manufacturing and wholesale trade, where men make up more than two-thirds of the work force, he said. “Males were dominant in sectors that were taking a bad hit,” he said. “It’s men and the blue-collar jobs. It’s overwhelming.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men’s employment as a ratio of the population dropped by 2.7 percent, while the ratio among women’s dropped 0.8 percent from December 2007 to December 2008. The unemployment rate among men rose to 7.9 percent from 5.0, while among women, it rose to 6.4 percent from 4.8 percent, the agency said. The gap between men’s and women’s unemployment is the highest since 1983, said Heather Boushey, senior economist at the Center for American Progress. “The recession started with the collapse of the housing bubble,” Boushey said. “Clearly we’ve seen significant layoffs in the construction industry and other sectors, and that really has been driving this problem.” Meanwhile, women are strongly represented in sectors that are still growing, experts noted. Health and education sectors — where three-quarters of workers are women — added 536,000 jobs, Sum said. Women office workers, like receptionists and clerical workers, have suffered losses. The sector, more than 70 percent female, has lost about 800,000 jobs, Sum said. Women accounted for 102,000 of the 134,000 lost in the financial sector, Boushey said. But job loss in that industry has been relatively small, compared to manufacturing jobs, she said. Women may see more job losses ahead in the financial sector, where they hold about 59 percent of jobs, Sum said. “They’re just beginning to lay off,” he said. “I expect to see more business-related losses in the months ahead.”
— Reuters
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Student exodus costs $10 bn
INDIAN students going abroad for their higher studies cost the country a foreign exchange (Forex) outflow of $10 billion annually, according to an industry lobby report.
The report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) said despite subsidised engineering and management education, about 500,000 students choose to go abroad every year. This amount is sufficient to open as many as 20 engineering and management institutes of repute in the country to prevent brain drain, it added. “The primary reason why large number of Indian students are forced to opt for foreign universities is that Indian institutions have high capacity constraints. This trend can be reversed by opening a series of quality institutions with public private partnership by completely deregulating higher education,” Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said in the report. Higher education in India is so subsidised that on an average an engineering or management student in a reputed institution pays $120 per month as fees, while the amount is between $1,500-5,000 in an equivalent institution in countries like the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Britain, the report said. “If higher education is deregulated, there is no reason why India cannot earn $50-100 billion annually and provide 10-20 million additional jobs in education alone,” the chamber added. Australia earns $12 billion annually from around 400,000 foreign students. Countries like Singapore are planning to have 150,000 foreign students. India has only 27,000 foreign students and has no plans for any regulated increase because of controls. Also vocational education percentage in India is at meagre 5 per cent of its total employed workforce of 459.10 million as against 95 per cent of South Korea, 80 percent of Japan and 70 percent of Germany.
– IANS
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Give & take criticism
Criticism at the workplace can be constructive, too. Here’s how to face criticism unfazed & learn from it D.C. Sharma THERE is no lack of criticism at a workplace. But to take criticism in a positive sense is an art. Next time you find someone criticising you, don’t be perplexed. Rather be appreciative that you’ve got a colleague who knows where you need to improve. Workplace provides a situation where one always learns. Ours is a culture of criticism. Dale Carnegie has rightly said that any fool can criticise, condemn and complain. At a workplace one learns from experience that a non-doer is very often a critic. He sits back and watches the doers. Then he philosophises where the others do wrong. After the critic spares time to criticise and even pinpoints some flaws in the doer, this is here the doer must improve. The only flaw of the critic can be that he is very often harsh in pinpointing the flaws. He could get ample praise, rather thanks, if can sandwich criticism between two thick layers of praise. The resentment that criticism engenders demoralises the worker even when he is doing his best. But the fact is the critic is every often jealous of the hard worker. When the worker knows that it is just out of jealousy that the critic is criticising, the worker can take things otherwise. It is a matter of attitude: one can always remain at peace and even in a positive bent of mind. Only in that state of mind work can be productive and constructive. Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it. But is it impossible to improve unless there is someone to tell where the worker actually stands. An example about a sculptor reveals a lot about critics. A sculptor worked hard, and sculpted a model out of white marble in about six months. It being a wonderful model, he placed the same at a crossing in the market place. At the base of the model he wrote: “Whosoever finds a fault in the model may put a dot at the place of defect.” The next morning every nook and corner of the model was covered with dots. He repolished the model and set it in the same crossing but this time he wrote: “Whosever finds a defect in the model may put a dot and also suggest how to improve it.” The next day there was no dot and no suggestions. Such is the lot of critics in our world. Psychological research has proved that a critic is not only a person who is jealous, but also the one who has certain flaws. To cover those flaws, he often boasts of his own qualities and criticises the other doer. It is only when the doer is aware of the fact that it is the jealousy of the critic who is speaking, that he can do good work. Otherwise the spirit of jealousy and criticism can harm even a good worker. Mother Teresa rightly said that no matter who says what, you should always accept it with a smile and do your own work. That type of attitude always keeps the doer in good spirits. Why care about a foolish finder who doesn’t even know where he himself stands? Be sure he will often fall flat on account of his own folly. The lesson given by Jesus Christ can work wonders. When he was being tortured, he simply said: “Almighty Father, pity them for they don’t know what they are doing.” So is the case of critics. Pity them. They too don’t know what they are doing. Such a positive attitude on the part of the worker can do well. No critic can ever overpower a creative, constructive, productive and innovative worker. He is the one who always ascends the ladder of success, while the pensive one lag behind under the burden of criticism. Why fear a critic at all? Rather feel how the presence of a critic is an opportunity to improve. Pledge in the ensuing year not to retaliate when the critic finds faults in you. Forgive and bless him. You will feel cool and confident. Let even the energy that he wastes in backbiting, be put in the right channel, and improve the lot of a workplace.
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Fortnightly Quiz-328
1. Name the pilot who safely landed a US Airways Airbus A 320 in Hudson river in New York recently.
2. Who recently became the first Indian composer to win the Golden Globe award for his score in the film “Slumdog Millionaire”? 3. How many Oscar nominations have been proposed for “Slumdog Millionaire”? 4. Who is the director of the film “Slumdog Millionaire”? 5. Which country will send the first consignment of 300 tonnes of enriched uranium to India, ending latter’s 34-year nuclear isolation? 6. Name the 44th President of the USA. 7. In which city is the world-renowned statue of “The Little Mermaid” situated? 8. Which Union Territory of India, according to a recent government study, ranks first in both primary and elementary education? 9. Name the Sri Lankan bowler who recently took 500 wickets in one-day international cricket. 10. Which team won the Ranji Trophy cricket title for a record 38th time recently? — Tarun Sharma
Winners of quiz 327: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Punisha Chhabra, VII-A, Holy Angel School,
Rajpura, Pin Code 140401 Second: Supriya Dhaliwal, class VIII-A, Neugal Public Senior Secondary School, Palampur, Pin Code 176061 Third: Vrinda Gupta, class VIII-A, Convent of Jesus and Mary, 121 Staff Road, Ambala Cantonment, Pin Code 133001 Answers to quiz 327:
Tennis; Omar Abdullah; Elephant Pass; “Slumdog Millionaire”; Ezhimala (Kerala); Kathmandu; 50; Eye; Bahrain and Qatar; 465 runs Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at the school address. Note: Kindly mention the pincode of your place to facilitate the delivery of the prize money. Answers can also be sent
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A. Both IELTS and TOEFL scores are factored in by universities to assess the English language ability of applicants. TOEFL (iBT) is widely accepted in American and Canadian universities, although it is also accepted in many other colleges (6000+ in 110 countries), which makes it the most widely accepted English-language test in the world. Details: www.toefl.org
. I have home science as one of my subjects in school and I find it very interesting. Does it make sense to pursue it at the bachelor’s level as well? What kind of jobs does it offer?
A. No longer considered just another ‘soft option’ for girls, home science covers a wide ambit: Food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, interior design and furnishing, merchandising, child development, marriage and family relationship, rural development, community health & hygiene, community resources management and adult education. Other subjects include physiology and economics.
A. A web content developer/creator prepares information, articles and features that go onto a website as per the requirement of the client. Close on the heels of the BPO industry, outsourced web content development is emerging as one of the biggest employers in the field of offshored work.
A. All reputed medical colleges require a mandatory one-year internship as a prerequisite for admission to their PG courses.
A. Broadly speaking, operations management teaches you how to manage and direct the physical and technical functions of an organisation, particularly those relating to development, production and manufacturing. It is a myth that only those with an engineering background should opt for this branch of management.
Q. I am pursuing M.Com from HP University and I wish to do Ph.D from Delhi University after that but I don’t know how to go about it. Please help.
