Kerala - Kochi   

Teaching students to cope with stress

If one thought that stress was a word associated with adults, then think again. Students undergo a lot of stress during their growing years. The age group between 13 and 17 years is what is called the "troublesome years."

It is a turning point in their life - when they face two important examinations and also take a decision on their career. Combined with the pangs of adolescent age, it is indeed a stressful period for children.

The cutthroat competition in which a student is expected to be one up over the others and the pressure from school and home to excel in their activities add to the stress. It was to tackle this stress that the Rotary Centre for Excellence in Thripunithura organised a workshop titled `Be a Smart Student' on Tuesday. The programme was inaugurated by G. Vishwanathan, Special Aide to Governor of Rotary District 3200.

In spite of the holidays, there was good turnout at the workshop, from 17 schools. There was good representation from two Government schools too.

The day-long meet was divided into three sessions dealing with stress management, goal setting and examination fear in the first, adolescent anxieties in the second and crisis management in the third.

M.A.S. Menon, International Trainer, Junior Chamber, gave the students a few tips on how to go about their work once they had set their goals. Goal setting is important, he said. "There must be some objective to attain."

Mr. Menon also told the students about a few techniques to improve memory, which would help them during examinations. It is important to adopt a systematic revision method, he said. He also gave a few tips on how to remain calm while appearing for examinations. Psychiatrist Philip John, specialist in dealing with children's problems, talked about the various problems faced by adolescents. It is an age when a lot of physiological and biological changes take place in a child's body. It is bound to affect their behaviour and attitude towards everything, he said. One has to understand these changes, he said.

Master Mariner Captain S. Gopalakrishnan took a class on Crisis Management. Capt. Gopalakrishnan, who was recently given bravery award for successfully managing the fire crisis at Bombay High, involved the students in quick thinking for managing a crisis by giving them different situations. He also made a presentation of the Bombay High fire.

Shyama Rajagopal

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