‘Study and Exam Skills’ workshop hosted for school-goers at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta road

Bangalore: Conceptualized as a peer educative initiative, the ‘Study and Exam Skills’ workshop, a subset of Fortis’ Pro-Social Peer Moderator Programme, is a platform for students to learn application based life-skills. It helps learn how to de-stress from exam-related anxiety, thereby improving performance. The sessions were conducted by Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, and received an enthusiastic participation from 10 schools and around 40 students across Bangalore. These students, from class 9th & 11th, and the participating teachers, in turn, will organize several such sessions at their respective schools for benefit of their peers.
Fortis’ Pro-Social Peer Moderator Programme has been successfully running in the Delhi-NCR region and has been effectively rolled out in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata as well. Nationally, over 140 schools will be engaged with for this program, covering effective planning and organization, tips and techniques for effective studying and coping strategies to deal with exam anxiety; concerns that rid students and parents alike.
Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, said, “Anxiety often comes in way of children not being able to perform at their optimal best. Our programs have been very helpful in successfully addressing the issue and equipping the youth to learn skills required for their all-round personality development. In the competitive environment that children are in today, learning and developing life skills are more important than ever”.
He further adds, “Students need to understand that exams are important milestones in their life, but with the right approach and a little help, they can become a rewarding opportunities. This workshop enables students to cope with the social, institutional and personal demands related to academics. At the same time, it is designed to impact skills and strategies to inculcate effective studying practices”.
Life skill programs have been identified as one of the key areas that can bring about a lasting change in the educational system and enhance the personality of school-going children. These help foster positive growth and development, and prevent the occurrence of mental health related and social problems.
Parents and teachers may also seek guidance from ‘Let Him Not Sink’, which is co-authored by Dr Samir Parikh and Dr‎ Kamna Chhibber from the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences. This book will help enhance the knowledge of adults working with children in relation to mental health conditions. This will help identify and enable early treatment of mental health illnesses in children; ensuring their well-being.