Shahar Zerkov’s Post

9 years ago, around this time, I post graduated (23 years) and I felt exactly what everyone in the psychology field is feeling right now. Lost, helpless and confused. Worked hard to establish Psychopedia for 9 years and maybe this is why I can’t detach myself from what everyone is going through right now. 1. The ones who have permanent jobs have nothing to worry, the colleges want their seats full 2. The one with running Startups with fundings have nothing to worry. I am worried for thousands and lakhs of students who 1. Are not even sure that they wish to continue this field 2. Are not even sure if they will continue MA Or Mphil The stduents across #india are already heartbroken with paper leaks and unfair practises. Not everyone wants to become a content creator, not everyone deserves to suffer with papers leaks and new policies. The ones who should be speaking and can make a change are playing too diplomat. After pandemic, we are facing a time of great uncertainty. Worked hard, made sacrifices, suffered mental health issues to develop this field, to create a standing in this field, to inspire and motivate students to begin young and here we are. A lot of us worked hard and working hard since so many years for students only , for their growth their betterment. We ourselves took difficult decisions in last 10 days. Yes, we kept our coaching on hold full time to be fair to students who have to re-appear for NTA. Yes, we suffer too. Yes, we can enroll students but everything is so unfair to everyone right now. So we took decisions for our students only. It’s hard to detach when we honestly forget that we as organisations, institutions exist only for the faith and love of our students. #atiredteacher #psychology #psychologystudents

Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands. This was UPSC-CSE Mains 2023 Essay Topic. Recent demise of a talented IIT-IIM McKinsey Consultant can be a perfect introduction to this essay. How are boys weighed down by demands/expectations? INDIAN PARENTS: Sharmaji's beta used to rank 2nd in school, after you. Now, he already has 1.6 crore package. Beta believes he has wasted his years doing MBA. Beta thinks he wasted years of his life. Beta believes he is now ranked last. BETA GOES DOWN BY DEMANDS. #corporatelife #suicide #mentalhealth

Holistic Education: Bridging the Gap Between Professional Success and Personal Fulfillment The song highlights a significant issue in the Indian education system: students are well aware of various courses such as B.A., M.A., Ph.D., B.Com., and B.Sc., but they often lack direction on what to pursue afterward. They follow paths shown by parents, cousins, friends, or other relatives, leading to dissatisfaction and unhappiness in their chosen professions. WHAT IS CRITICALLY NEEDED? Counseling after the 10th grade, allowing teenagers to understand their interests through psychological tests. This helps them identify areas they are passionate about and wish to explore further. Alongside education, the development of soft skills is essential. These skills will aid students in making informed decisions, solving problems critically, and negotiating diplomatically, whether they choose to join a company, start their own business, or work for someone else. From an early age, students are molded and mirror others, leading to depression and anxiety. It is time to stop this modeling and start using intelligence to become well-rounded individuals with three key aspects: emotional, intellectual, and physical personalities. This balanced approach will help them navigate life more effectively and find true satisfaction in their pursuits. A BURNING ISSUE IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM After completing their education, men and women are expected to create families without any formal knowledge or guidance on relationships and parenting. It is crucial that both genders receive education on building and maintaining healthy relationships and the responsibilities of parenting before stepping into these roles. By incorporating relationship and parenting studies into the curriculum, individuals can be better equipped to balance their work and personal lives. This holistic approach ensures that they are not only successful in their careers but also in their personal lives, leading to healthier families and a more balanced society. #HolisticEducation #LifeSkills #Relationships #Parenting #WorkLifeBalance #PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #FamilyWellbeing #FutureReady #EducationReform

I am happy to announce the publication of our recent article in the Economic and Political Weekly titled “Regulating the Coaching Industry in India: Evidence from a Survey of Students” (Vol. 59, Issue No. 23, June 8, 2024). This piece was co-authored by a team led by Prof. Yugank Goyal, consisting of Goyam Pitalia, Tanvi C., Mahadev P Menon, Karishma Shah, and myself. Our research addresses the critical issue of Shadow Education in India, focusing on the rapid growth of coaching firms and the alarming rise in student suicides, with more than 24 cases reported in Kota last year. Many students enroll in dummy schools to dedicate time to high-stakes exam preparation, sacrificing holistic development and facing immense mental pressure. Coaching firms often mislead with grand advertisements and segregate students into 'toppers' and 'non-toppers,' favouring the former. This unhealthy culture glorifies toppers and is detrimental. The paper surveys students from IITs and NLUs who attended coaching for JEE and CLAT, and discusses the recent Central Government's Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centres, 2024.. We thank the Directors, Registrars, Professors and student leadership of various IITs and NLUs for facilitating the survey. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Prof. SriKrishna Deva Rao, Prof. Neha Pathakji, Prof. Sairaj Patki, Prof. Chitra Saruparia, Shreya Sahu, K.A. Chidambaram, and Shoaib Sayyed, whose contributions were instrumental in bringing this piece to fruition. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dqvYSpSY We aim to spark meaningful dialogue and drive positive change in the educational landscape of India. #EducationReform #CoachingInstitutions #Education #Regulation #KotaSuicides #Research #IIT #IndianInstituteofTechnology #NLU #NationalLawUniversity

[Different Pathways in Early Adolescence] Last night, I was invited by my former schoomate Iqbal for a movie and iftar outing. He had meaningful discussions and stories shared with me in his past 3 years. I could say it was awe-inspiring for me. I believe Iqbal had tremendous progress in his career despite having limited capabilities in academic realms. While most of us are 19-24 years pursuing normal pre-universities and undergraduate routes, Iqbal had to stop at pre-universities levels and he believes that degree isn't worth it for him. Instead, he used the blessings and resources that he had around him to move further in life. He worked in his grandfather's palm oil estate where he pushed his sweat, tears and blood to run the estate. Just imagine he and his workers had to harvest a ton of palm dates, believe it was heavy (you might consider trying to lift a single palm oil instead of going to the gym 😂). The pay was very competitive even to a point he made an eye surgery to self-betterment himself. Then, he set on a new course while recovering from the surgery. He wanted to dive into farming enterprise, so he decided to farm prawns and lobsters in Tawau. This is a very cool and interesting part of the stories for me. I got inspired on to doing business. I had to censored the details because it will keep my thread long 😂. The lessons that we all should take from a person like Iqbal. 1. Be humble, never underestimate those who we deemed 'unsuccessful' in their academics. They might not have the capability nor the interest in it, but believe that they can do well in other areas 2. Be resourceful. Iqbal have a sustainable family background where they have the means to pursue family economic growth. He aware of his situation and act confidently of it. "I know I came from economically stable family, but I wouldn't want it to make me complacent in life." 3. Determination. We must emphasize that failure in academics doesn't mean failure in life. Instead, we should look at a niche area of our life to work on. We would eventually be successful if we start small. Having academic pressured, made me realize that grade doesn't that matters, what matters is we keep on trying and trying. 4. Choose your friends wisely. Good circles develop a successful person. This is actually true as I learn the feeling of 'flow' from positive Psychology may lead to towards good vibes (good surroundings). Sadly, this isn't the case for Iqbal because he doesn't have the chance to meet and network with professional and intellectuals that we eagerly wanted to meet. I admired people who prevailed against the life challenges and their personal limitations. Iqbal stories is one of the proof that youth can be just as successful without 'formal' academic validations or certifications (e.g taking diploma). I believe it is our solemn job as academicians and professionals to help these rising talented young entrepreneurs to grow in their operations, finance and market

Each generation has its own problem and they need the support and understanding of previous generations to navigate their current challenges. However, the education system in India is currently run by thought processes of yesterday which is unable to handle students under mental stress, resulting in suicides. This high levels of stress may be due to uncertainty of future and weird expectations of family/society. Somehow merely changing the syllabus and updated knowledge dissemination is not going to work. I think teaching paradigms, modes of conducting exams, ways of inculcating great habits, fuelling passion, curiosity and creativity and grooming their overall personality through personalised mentoring may be the solution. I do not know how to implement the same but we have to experiment to arrive at the most appropriate way. We are dealing with generations who are in an era of information deluge, shorts/reels, huge competition, marketing is more important than making a mark, get bored easily, feeling digital presence at social media sites is more important than socializing, things available at finger tips (home delivery apps), instant gratification, mood swings and emotionally vulnerability. Thus, yester years practices will not serve to handle these new generations, including the teaching and learning process for these students and grooming them for future challenges. Thus, there is a lot of disconnect between the teachers/professors and the students. Both have to move forward to understand each other to develop a ground for a better teaching and learning process. However, the family/society is another stake holder which tries to influence students to meet their expectations like a defined career path, have social standing through jobs, and other obligations. Students generally try to learn at college and universities by continuously carrying the baggage of family/society expectations, unnecessary rules levied by administrators and others. In the previous generations, things were like this but the students could handle it somehow. However, today's students are finding it challenging to learn and grow having the above baggage. The results are a huge stress among students and they do not know the coping mechanism We need to teach students 1) financial education 2) stress and time management 3) creative thinking  4) team spirit 5) empathy and other life skills to handle challenges of present and future. We should aim at making our students courageous enough to face the challenges rather than to be perfect. #stress, #suicides #students #education #highereducation #academia

Hello Linkedin Fam, Today, I need your help! This isn’t your typical post where I talk about achievements or milestones. Instead, I'm reaching out because I'm facing a dilemma that even I can't seem to solve on my own. A friend of mine recently got admitted to Delhi University, which is fantastic news, but now she’s caught in a bit of a dilemma, and we could really use your insights... 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝:⁣ • Last year, she got into Lady Shri Ram College for BA Prog (Psychology + Sociology) but decided to take a gap year to prepare for NEET-UG.⁣ ⁣ • This year, she scored 644/720 in NEET-UG and was allocated a government medical college. However, she has decided not to pursue MBBS and applied for CUET instead.⁣ ⁣ • Her goal is either to do an MBA or an MHA and get into the management side of the healthcare industry, OR to pursue a Master's in Psychology and eventually work in clinical psychology.⁣ ⁣ • 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:⁣ ⁣ • 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝: Institute of Home Economics (BSc Hons Microbiology)⁣ ⁣ • 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝: Upgraded to Daulat Ram College (BA Prog in Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB) + Nutrition and Health Education (NHE))⁣ ⁣ • 𝐄𝐂𝐀 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Mata Sundari College (BA Prog in Economics + Psychology)⁣ ⁣ • 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬:⁣ ⁣ • 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: MBA/MHA for healthcare management or Master's in Psychology for clinical psychology.⁣ ⁣ • 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐞: Daulat Ram College is 1 hour 15 minutes away (requires changing 3 metro lines), while Mata Sundari is just 15-20 minutes away.⁣ ⁣ 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:⁣ Which of these options would offer better exposure, employability, and graduate outcomes, especially considering her career goals?⁣ #DelhiUniversity #DU

Did you lose interest in studies because you hate the Indian education system? Yes, you're not alone. I had a similar experience which led to trauma & disillusionment. Having said that, I wanted to share where it all started. I was traumatised with suicidal tendency in my 10th standard as I forced myself to score better than my friends & classmates because all of a sudden , there's a buzz about good marks & great future by literally competing with each other & parents expectations, but I could only score 79%. After a therapy session, I gained courage to focus on my studies & to not over-stress myself so I joined intermediate in a reputed institution, away from my hometown with an intention to learn by understanding the subjects. But my dreams collapsed as that Institute is the worst & got me panic attacks with the 18 to 20 hours of study schedule & killing my confidence by pushing us to lower levels every week based on the marks we get through weekly tests. This sort of mind games to get the targeted marks from us , led me to hate & discontinue studies but somehow managed to complete intermediate & graduation without attending classes regularly (coz it was literally trauma for me ). But to my surprise, after a few years when I got to know about this revolutionary edtech startup “@classhila “, I was literally stunned with their motive & action plan by observing & analysing every step they are taking to change the fate of our education system. Inspired by the @classhila's mission, I decided to collaborate with them to promote a healthier approach to education. Please don't be late & miss on the perks of joining early. Follow Classhila Education Private Limited & Stay updated on the launch soon as I believe it's an epic challenging platform in the edtech industry. Share your experience & Please tag me in your post, expressing your opinion & experience with our education system. I'll support & repost it to bring awareness in students. #anewhopetostudents #forbetterfuture #revolution #chooserightpath Guna Deepika

बच्चे को आइंस्टीन बनाने से पहले ये जरुर देख लें ! डॉ मंदीप दलाल . In this thought-provoking short video, we delve into the intense world of preparing for the prestigious IIT-JEE and NEET exams in India. As aspirants pour their hearts and souls into mastering complex subjects and solving intricate problems, the mental toll of this journey often remains overlooked. Through candid interviews with students, educators, and mental health professionals, we explore the question: "Can studying for IIT-JEE and NEET make you mad or depressed?" . Witness firsthand accounts of the pressure cooker environment, where sleepless nights and relentless study schedules become the norm. Hear students share their fears, anxieties, and the sacrifices they make in pursuit of their dreams. . Expert insights shed light on the psychological challenges faced by these young minds, emphasizing the importance of mental well-being amidst academic rigor. From coping mechanisms to warning signs, viewers gain valuable perspectives on navigating the delicate balance between ambition and mental health. . As the debate unfolds, viewers are encouraged to reflect on the societal expectations, parental pressures, and systemic flaws that contribute to this grueling academic race. Ultimately, this video serves as a poignant reminder that while academic excellence is important, it should never come at the cost of one's mental health. . Join us on this eye-opening journey as we unravel the complexities of the IIT-JEE and NEET preparation culture, prompting a much-needed conversation on the well-being of our future leaders. . #neet #iitjee #neetpreparation #jeepreparation #neetchemistry #neetcoaching #neetonlineclasses #neetmotivation #neetaspirant #neetdroppers #jeechemistry #jeeonlinecoaching #jeemains #jeeadvance #jeeadvanced #shorts

बच्चे को आइंस्टीन बनाने से पहले ये जरुर देख लें ! डॉ मंदीप दलाल . In this thought-provoking short video, we delve into the intense world of preparing for the prestigious IIT-JEE and NEET exams in India. As aspirants pour their hearts and souls into mastering complex subjects and solving intricate problems, the mental toll of this journey often remains overlooked. Through candid interviews with students, educators, and mental health professionals, we explore the question: "Can studying for IIT-JEE and NEET make you mad or depressed?" . Witness firsthand accounts of the pressure cooker environment, where sleepless nights and relentless study schedules become the norm. Hear students share their fears, anxieties, and the sacrifices they make in pursuit of their dreams. . Expert insights shed light on the psychological challenges faced by these young minds, emphasizing the importance of mental well-being amidst academic rigor. From coping mechanisms to warning signs, viewers gain valuable perspectives on navigating the delicate balance between ambition and mental health. . As the debate unfolds, viewers are encouraged to reflect on the societal expectations, parental pressures, and systemic flaws that contribute to this grueling academic race. Ultimately, this video serves as a poignant reminder that while academic excellence is important, it should never come at the cost of one's mental health. . Join us on this eye-opening journey as we unravel the complexities of the IIT-JEE and NEET preparation culture, prompting a much-needed conversation on the well-being of our future leaders. . #neet #iitjee #neetpreparation #jeepreparation #neetchemistry #neetcoaching #neetonlineclasses #neetmotivation #neetaspirant #neetdroppers #jeechemistry #jeeonlinecoaching #jeemains #jeeadvance #jeeadvanced #shorts