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5 important questions you should ask your peer counselor
A peer counselor is a person who can help you reach your goal by providing you with information and support. However, you must let your counselor know about your areas of interest, achievements, career goals, and educational background. You should make your counselor aware of your past achievements and future goal so that they can guide you much better. Peer counselor has patience and a deep understanding of your situation so they can help you in a better way. CollegeBol platform hosts counseling sessions to give insights and information directly from the horse’s mouth. Don’t you think that such reviews and explanations will make a big difference in your approach and attitude? Well, we have a list of important questions that you can ask your peer counselor.IF YOU ARE A STUDENTWhat schedule should I follow to get better output?As a student, you always have a deadline to follow. To accomplish those deadlines you should follow a schedule that is well-made and favors your target. They can help you in preparing a nice timetable which ensures that there is enough time allocation for studies and recreation. Simultaneously they can help you in knowing the best courses and the institutes that you should focus on to move them then.Which course should I study?There are numerous options available these days and therefore choosing one seems difficult. With multiple interests, it may become very challenging to choose one. In such a situation it is your peer counselor who can help you in making a decision. They can tell you about the growth and scope of learning each course and that information will help you in deciding which course to choose.Are there any scholarships available to enroll in a particular course or an institute/college?This is the question you must ask in the beginning and well in advance so that you have enough time to prepare for it. Your peer counselor may be aware of any scholarships is available in your areas of interest. They can also guide you in applying for a scholarship and working effectively to avail yourself of it.Name a few colleges that are good for me.Your peer counselor has been a student in the past and therefore he/she may be able to answer this question with confidence. However, you should put forward your interest and your background details in front of them to suggest to you better. With the knowledge of your preferences and qualification, they can give you tailor-made advice.Can I get a student loan?Higher education and reputed colleges demand higher fees that are difficult to cope with. Your peer counselor may have walked on this thorny path and therefore they can guide you properly. They can tell you about the student loan process and make education available to you easily.IF YOU ARE A GRADUATEShould I do post-graduation?This is a very common question and the counselor would usually ask to self-analyze it. Your peer counselor will put forward the pros and cons descriptively and help you in making a decision. you should always have the important questions ready with you to know more.Should I study further or take up a job?Higher education will come with more benefits and add feathers to your cap. Your peer counselor will ask a few questions to analyze your situation and guide you accordingly. You must put in front of them all the situations and confusion that you are having.How should I prepare for an entrance exam?This is a very common question again and it will mostly depend upon the will of a student to prepare for it. Your peer counselor may have sailed through this so they will know how to get ready for the entrance exam. They can provide you with a nice format of do’s and don’t to enlighten you with how you can prepare for the entrance examsShould I opt for short courses or not?Many unconventional and conventional short courses bring ample opportunities. Make your peer counselor aware of your plans or if you are confused then tell them what you are aiming at in the long run. This interaction will help them understand you and tell you whether you should take up any short courses or not.What are my chances of employment after completing post-graduation?Even if you are a graduate and aspiring to do PG; you should have your resume ready. Your resume will say a lot about your personality. Ask your counselor to go through it and let you know if anything is missing in it. If they feel so then they can help you in the process of getting a scholarship or job. Alternatively, if it is not ready then they can help you in making your resume more competitive.The bottom line of this content is that this is only a starting point and your peer counselor can do a lot more for you. He/she is a great source of information and just in case they don’t have an answer at that time; they can tell you precisely where to find it. Have all your important questions in the bucket ready. What are you waiting for? Take up our counseling session and ask what you want to do.
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Perks of becoming a peer counselor
Have you ever been a peer counselor? Peer-to-peer counseling helps both the peer counselor as well as the student. Peer counselors are students willing to help their peers in a lot of ways. The students benefit greatly from this experience. At the same time, it develops peer counselors positively and gives them a lot of benefits. There are a lot of perks to becoming a peer counselor.Leadership skill – All peer counselors receive training. They gain a lot of knowledge about how to lead their peers effectively. This gives them the most important skill required today. They learn to think as leaders and guide their peers effectively. Their mindset changes and they learn how to lead.Conflict resolution – The peers will require counseling to resolve problems. The students have a lot of different problems. Becoming a peer counselor develops a solution-oriented mindset. The problems of peers when solved effectively also increase self-esteem. The critical skill of problem-solving is also developed.Empathy and other skills – Empathy is a skill much needed in today’s generation. Empathy is stepping into other persons' shoes and seeing things from their perspective. While solving all problems the peer counselor will have to be empathetic. The counselor also develops skills like patience, communication, and interpersonal skills while helping their peer.Volunteer experience – The universities always look for volunteer experiences in the resumes of students. Peer-to-peer counseling can play a major role there. It is very impressive on a resume. It shows that you are willing to help your peers with anything they need and also have a wide skill set.Personal growth – The counselors also develop themselves. Personal growth takes place and shapes them as a person. In addition, they can use their personal experiences to help others who are going through something similar. It is a challenging task that gives them exposure.Peer counseling doesn’t only mean guiding your peers. It also includes your training and learning. The counselors are also shaped very positively through such experiences. They increase their skills, and exposure, and aid their personal growth. To know more about peer counseling is to check out the article: What is a peer to peer counseling?Become a peer counselor today!
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5 Benefits of Peer to peer counselling
The benefits of Peer to peer counseling are tremendous in number. It is a relatively less popular system. Indian schools and colleges do not usually have this system. There is very little awareness about the same. Peer to peer counseling can help students, especially in terms of:Conflict resolution – as students we face a lot of problems. At the same time, we might not feel comfortable seeking help from the elders. They might not have the answers that could help us. All conflicts right from academic stress, to relationships, or even career advice. Conflict resolution by peers is the most effective benefit of peer-to-peer counseling.Experience – Peer counselors have usually faced the same problems in the past. They can effectively solve all the problems using their experience. Experience is the best teacher. Thus, students can learn from their peers' experiences and gain help to solve theirs.Increased support – students often need support to get through various phases of their school and college life. Sharing it with someone who has been there can result in a good support system and help the students. Seeing the current school pressure, indeed the students need a great support system.Updated solutions – As the peer counselors are students who have been at the same place, they can give updated solutions. The solutions that will work in the current day and age. Parents might not have the experience to understand such problems or give relevant solutions for the same. Peer-to-peer counseling removes that gap and results in effective handling and solutions.Safe space – the trained peer counselors make sure that it is a safe space for students to share anything they wish to. There is no judgment. The space is very safe so that students can resolve any conflict that they are going through. This safe space helps students to open up. As well as, it takes care of their mental health and reduces their stress as well.To know more about peer-to-peer counseling check out this post. Peer-to-peer counseling serves as a support system for the students. They can efficiently solve all the problems that they are facing. The parents may not be able to give relevant solutions which can be given by peers.
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What is peer to peer counselling?
Peer-to-peer counseling is the one-on-one interaction amongst peers. In academic settings, it involves students helping other students. The peers help one another as they have gone through similar experiences and faced common problems. It helps them use each other’s experiences to solve issues and gain help.Along with that students are at an age where they feel at times that they aren’t understood by parents or teachers. The students feel the age gap and hence, are reluctant to follow the advice of the elders. Rather they would listen to fellow students who they believe are going through the same thing. Such peer counselors can play a major pivotal role in the choices the students make. This model helps students take appropriate suggestions from people who they identify the most with.Students face issues like academic stress and pressure, relationship issues, career choices, substance abuse, and many more. During these issues, they might find it difficult to talk to parents, friends, or teachers. At this point, they need to talk to someone who isn’t related to them, yet understands them and gives the right advice. At this point, peer counselors are of great help.Training is given to peer counselors. This is to be done so that proper restrictions are set, and the interaction remains confidential. Overstepping boundaries will lead to discomfort and the purpose of this counseling is lost.Peer counselors essentially need to be good listeners. They must listen to and understand whatever their fellow student needs help with. They must also have problem-solving skills and be solution-oriented. To be good counselors they must not overstep the boundaries set. Also, they mustn’t gossip about the problems and keep everything known to them confidential.Becoming a peer counselor also helps you a lot. Peer counseling can teach you important skills like problem-solving, empathy, and leadership skills, and can also be included in the volunteer experience. Peer counselors must be interested in helping others the most!Become a peer counselor today and help your fellow students!
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How students can shape their career: Expert Session with Ms. Drashti Pancholi
Ms. Drashti Pancholi is from Ahemdabad and she loves cooking and art. She spends her free time with her pet. Professionally, Drashti is working with Amazon in the Executive Recruitment team and she has worked with some reputed companies like Uber, Microsoft, and Flipkart. She has done her PGD in HRM and won a Gold medal as an outdoing student during her course of studies.Let’s hear some tips from our expert Ms. Drashti on a path that will take you to the right career.Fun factsDrashti’s absolute dream job is in the recruitment sector and she is doing it right now. She bought a Polaroid camera and that’s been her favorite since she was a child. Her morning charge up is TEA and she avoids breakfast. She is an early bird and night-owl both. But professionally she is an early bird.Should students take up courses that a mass follows?Drashti says that students should not follow the herd until and unless they have a passion for it. If you have the skills and interest to follow the most popular career choice, then only you should go for it. Initially, you will like it and follow it sincerely but later on it may not be fruitful. It will end up in boredom and not motivate you to get up and go. It will cease your growth. Even working with the organization, later on, will get difficult.What happens to a state of mind when one is forced to take up a career or a profession?Lack of motivation to go to work.Stress and depressed state of mind as you are forced to do the work.It will affect your performance and therefore you will see no growth.You cannot achieve success.What are the thinking processes a student should follow?There are many kinds of processes a student can follow to know more about themselves.Do a self-assessmentKnow your strength and interest.Know your skills and build themGo through some career assessment sites (really good ones)Know your future goalMeet people and build a relationshipCreate a LinkedIn account and follow useful pages.She believes that lateral thinking helps a lot in having an overall view and solves problems. Students should take up internships as they are very helpful and important. They give you a chance to explore and corporate experience overall.Are there career assessment tests that students can take up?Drashti says that there are many and she names a few like monster.com, few colleges, and universities have a career assessment test. She says that you must take a self-assessment test before you move to career assessment tests. She does not believe much but one should do proper research and then appear for it. Consult well before undergoing such tests.Can we join a course to become an air hostess/cabin crew after completing BBA?You must check online to be sure. Mostly, from the educational point of view, there is no restriction. All you need is good communication skills and confident body language.Are there any specialized courses in a bachelor’s degree that many may not be aware of?Many colleges and organizations offer such courses. One must look for autonomous institutes that offer a specialization such as in political science, mass communication, and journalism. They offer other subjects too that you can choose. So, having multiple specializations in bachelor's will give you wider options when you come to master's. It will leave students with many opportunities.How can we improve our communication skills?Listen to a lot of Ted Talks. Read a lot of books that may be of any kind. Try to communicate in that particular language with friends and family. You can opt for courses to improve written communication. Write more about yourself and other things. Keep writing practice. Avoid writing shortcuts while messaging a friend.Do you think students should approach career counselors? Is it important?According to Drashti, it is the last step. Well, students should self-assess themselves and brainstorm to know their goals. Approach a career counselor if you are unsure of your future goals and do not have a clear vision. You must visit a career counselor at a stage when you have tried everything but have not worked it out.Please let us know a few books that would help students/ viewers.Drashti said that she will share a list of books that are worth reading and she will share it with us later.She lastly added that students should choose the right institute to pursue their studies as it matters a lot. It is important in terms of HR.CollegeBol is such a platform where you will find all the relevant information.
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10 Engineering Entrances Every Engineering Aspirant Should Know
Engineering and Medical are parallel branches in terms of career preferences. Most of the students aspire to become an engineer in different fields of their choices. Out of so many candidates appearing in 12th board exams, almost half of them appear for various Engineering Entrances. The competition among the students is getting tough day by day. There are few exams that are conducted at the national level while some are conducted by private institutes and colleges. JEE Main and JEE Advanced are Engineering Entrances known by almost all the candidates. Besides these two there are other engineering exams too. Let’s have a look here.1) JEE Main: This is one of the most popular Engineering Entrance Exam among the students who wish to pursue engineering. It is organized by the NTA (National Testing Agency). The exams come up twice in a year; in the month of January and then in the month of April.JEE Main April 2020 dates: https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/WebInfo/Handler/FileHandler.ashx?i=File&ii=344&iii=YJEE Main 2020 Syllabus: https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/WebInfo/Handler/FileHandler.ashx?i=File&ii=13&iii=Y2) JEE Advanced: This is the second stage exam. JEE Main is the screening exams; the first 20 percentile of students will be able to give JEE Advanced. This exam is taken by the seven zonal IITs with guidance from the Joint Admission Board (JAB). Students should note that 2.4 lakh students out of many are eligible for giving JEE Advanced.Check out the official website of JEE Advanced for more information: http://www.jeeadv.ac.in/impdates.php3) BITSAT: This exam is held by Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani) that offers annual integrated programs in the field of BE, Pharma, M. Sc, and other courses. BITSAT is a computer-based test. The campuses are in Pilani, Goa, and Hyderabad.Get accurate and real information from their website on https://www.bitsadmission.com/4) VITEEE: Vellore Institute of Technology is one of the most popular institutes for pursuing B. Tech. The exams are held online for all the candidates who wish to do B. Tech.For Latest Information and Updates on VITEEE https://viteee.vit.ac.in/utm_source=VIT&utm_campaign=viteee20205) SRMJEEE: SRM Institute of Science and Technology conducts this exam for B. Tech programs that are offered by its various campuses in Kattankulathur, Rampuram, Vadapalini, and Delhi-NCR. There are in total 125 test centers across the country and few in the Middle East.Get more information and updates from https://www.srmist.edu.in/admission-india/6) COMEDK: This test is conducted by the Consortium of Medical Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka to help students seek admission to medical and engineering. It is an online exam for the admission to the UG program for medical and engineering in the institutes and colleges affiliated with COMEDK.Check for the regular updates here at https://comedkapplication.com/7) KIITEE: More than 60 test centers across the country help the KIITEE exam for the students who wish to acquire admission to Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneshwar. The exam is conducted for taking admission in UG and PG courses offered by the institute.Check here for the latest information https://kiitee.kiit.ac.in/8) WBJEE: The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board conducts the WBJEE exam for students to get admitted to Engineering/ Technology/ Architecture or pharmacy. It is a state-level examination and it is validated by the colleges of West Bengal.The latest updates can be found on https://wbjeeb.nic.in/wbjeebcms/public/home.aspx9)MHTCET: The Director of Technical Education, Maharashtra conducts MHTCET (Maharashtra Common Entrance Test) for admission to first year B. E. and B. Tech programs. The test also gives marks for those who wish to secure admission in Pharmacy.Visit here at http://cetcell.mahacet.org/10) SITEEE: Symbiosis Institute of Technology conducts the SITEEE for students who wish to pursue UG courses offered by them.Look here https://www.set-test.org/ for updates regarding the registration and dates of the examination.There are many other Engineering Entrances but you must choose the one that best fits in your criteria to study engineering.
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Your steps towards becoming a student counselor
Do you like guiding students or have you ever helped students in choosing their career or college? There is n number of colleges and institutes in our country. Hence if you get a review from a website or from the horse’s mouth itself, then it is much admired. Honestly, the students are looking for such counselors who can guide them in choosing desired colleges. A role of a student counselor is not very simple because It involves helping students to make better decisions. There are many questions that a counselor has to handle and answer them with accuracy. CollegeBol is one such platform where you have the opportunity to put your hobby of lending a helping hand and turn into a profession. The counselor comes with a specific ability to make a student comfortable and decide upon their career.It is all about having an active ear to listen carefully regarding the need of the student. You should take an active interest in them and make them realize their problems are important. It is necessary to relate to the problems and the queries that the students may come up with. It is important to analyze and then give them the required guidance.You should work in such a way that it aims in developing solution and setting goals. Understand a basic timeline and make it approachable to them. Provide your peer with basic information like application form filling process to complex ones like getting the admission or scholarship (if available).Bridging the gap between parents and a student is quite acknowledging. Sometimes parents and students have different mindsets due to which there are conflicts. Parents think as per their logic and students want to do things as per the trend. This can result in a conflict and you can carefully listen to both sides to give an appropriate solution. You can share your experience or other’s experience to make both sides understand better.Passion and compassion both are equally important when you think of becoming a counselor. You need to understand and admit that your peer is seeking from you the silliest answers. Therefore you have to remain prepared for the same. Assure them that they are in a safe space and you are ready to address the problem with a suitable solution.If you think that you have all these qualities in you then you have a vast platform waiting for you in the field of academics. Let’s work for the better future of the students together. CollegeBol team believes in giving guidance and information to the core. Be a part of such a team and get a chance to show your talent to us.
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Need for an hour: Counseling students and parents
We cannot deny the impact of COVID-19 on society which in turn affects the students and the parent community too. The perspective of education has completely changed these days due to the prevailing pandemic circumstances. The entire education system in the world has moved to teach online. There is a dilemma for choosing the courses in the mind of students and parents. The year 2020 has brought a lot of informal decisions on final exams, entrance exams, and admissions. The fact is that even at this hour, we don’t know what will happen to these criteria in the near future. It is therefore important to have a counselor who can guide you and be a support to you in this crucial time.Why student counseling is important?Emotional conflicts: A constant delay in the admission process, entrance exam, and other formalities are heavily disturbing students. There is no certainty in the education process as to how it will move ahead. Though schools and colleges are doing their best to ensure a flawless process since this is a ‘new normal’; we will take time to adjust to it. Counseling will help peers settle down emotionally and bring down the turmoil raising high in their minds.Psychological disturbance: The board pass students don’t know the next step ahead. Some entrance exams are canceled and some are delayed. The fear of the future is breaking them down psychologically. A counselor can help them calm down by communicating with them and give them affirmation that things will eventually turn out to be better.Addiction: Teenagers and adults are prone to having an addiction for some of the other reasons. Friends or stress both can trigger this thought of moving in the direction of addiction. Sufficient communication with the counselor or just venting out the issue will calm them down and probably stop them from having an addiction. Fear of failure: The present generation lives in a different era where all they see is luxury and comfort. Unfortunately, they are scared of failing and they can’t handle failures well. They are adapting suicidal tendencies to avoid the situation. We have recently seen that in the movie ‘ chichore’ . Constant communication and sowing constant positivity will stop them from taking such steps and motivate them to work harder to achieve a goal.Online classes: The ‘new normal’ has set up online learning for students so that the wicked COVID-19 cannot affect education. Students had to get accustomed to the new learning process that was either online or through a video tutorial. The new method brings in mind many questions and adjusting the situations. A counselor would help students to engulf the entire process and make it more approachable to them.Why parents’ need counseling?As much as students are struggling mentally, so are the parents. It is a tough time for parents too as they are even more concerned about their children’s future. They feel that the delay in the process is hampering the dream and set goals. Therefore not only students but parents too need counseling in this critical time.Keeping calm: Why not understand that as a parent we need to keep calm more than our child. Children are already disturbed due to present circumstances therefore as a parent you need to become their support system. If you want you can too undergo counseling and seek positivity so that you can transfer that to your child and keep them happier.Understand the trend: Many times parents want their child to pick up conventional and assured courses like engineering, medical, accountant, and similar ones. If you approach a counselor to put down your query then you will understand that the prevailing era is much more than this. It is all about learning and doing that interests your child so that he/she can be the best in it.Relationship with child: Do you complain that your child does not communicate with you more? Is there a communication gap? A healthy relationship between a parent and a child is the foundation of their relationship. Talk to a counselor as to how you can bond over your child strongly. This generation needs it a lot as they are vulnerable to several external factors.Let them decide: Do not be so overprotective to your child. Maybe he/she is a child to you but they are growing and you allow them to take decisions. Support their decision if they are wise and if they are not, instead of yelling on them; show them the situation. Show them the pros and cons of their decision. Now, this attitude will not be the usual one for many parents. Have help from a counselor to make this as an approach towards your child. The wonders are all waiting to happen then.Counseling at the early stages has proved result oriented. Regular communication will let your wings open up and direct you towards a direction that is beneficial. CollegeBol provides peer to peer counseling and it is one of its kind. You have a question and we have an answer to it. If there’s something that you want to say; we are here to listen. Do contact us.
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How to pursue Multiple Interests! Expert Session with Dr Abheek Ghosh
There are countless examples of multi-faceted men and women. They want to pursue multiple interests. They have excelled in more than one field. These men and women develop interests in various fields and have a sense of focus that helps them to transport from layer to layer with effortless ease. They are visionaries! They see beyond the mundane and the obvious opportunity of employment, and have a more holistic view of the world, encompassing the environment, humanitarian causes, the arts, and so on.It is, however, of course, not an overnight journey. One has to open up the mind to the endless possibilities. Explore the Universe. Read, read, and then read some more. Knowledge is an indispensable asset.One has to link up with like-minded people to further explore the paths chosen and pursue those interests with focus. The journey also cannot and should not be solitary. Create a think-tank, and use it for brainstorming and ideation. Use technology to your advantage. Make separate groups and assign small tasks to members to keep them invested and to expand your horizons too. Learning comes from every direction.To pursue multiple interests set definite goals. Break up the larger tasks into multiple small bits. It does not look so daunting then. Document the progress made and share that progress with everyone. It is a step towards accountability and motivation.Create a system of assigning specific hours in a day to specific tasks. Take one step in each project on a daily basis.Reward yourself and reward the group for tasks achieved. Promote leadership from within, and help everyone to ascend the hierarchy. The more leaders you build from within, the lesser will be your load and the more new tasks you can take on hand.Develop an Attitude of Gratitude! Be thankful for the opportunities presented and also grateful to all those who helped to achieve those goals.Learn to deal with failure. Sometimes, in spite of a strong start, a project does stall. Failures are lessons in life. You may come back to some of the failed projects later in life. Life is a constant work in progress.If you have dreamed of a project, also dream of its completion. Use the laws of the Universe to create a positive vibe around your activity, and visualize success. Do constant reviews, and make changes as necessary to your strategy.Finally, I say, one should use the Law of Attraction to draw other positive thinkers towards you. The vibrations you create should have a ripple effect. And that is how you create a mini Universe of multiple layers and Interests and passions. And how you can pursue multiple interests.Having separate memory layers for various tasks to keep your mind space organized is the key to pursuing different interests that you are passionate about with a strong purpose.Written By - Dr Abheek GhoshCreative Director at GroWill Foundation
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