Bangalore, 27 October 2021: The annual Deeksha Inter-Campus Extravaganza (dICE) this year brought out unique competitions such as creating ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ and ‘What’s on your mind?’ among others, bringing diverse student talent to the forefront. Flute players, Bharatanatyam artists, budding environmentalists, orators and artists, classical and western singers, etc. came together on a virtual platform to inspire each other and keep their creative juices flowing through the academic year. About 1600 students have participated to date in the year-long festivities.

‘Wealth out of Waste’, a competitive activity, saw enthused participation from students where they were required to create a product with 90% of its composition made of waste items and the remaining 10% with glue, threads, batteries, etc. Among many creative products, Arighna Chowdhury created a boat using green energy, Nandana Harshakumar created plant holders made from ID card tags, and twin brothers Deep & Veid Patange created a coffee table carved from a spare car tire. Other unique creations included coconut shells which were scrubbed smooth and contrived into colorful bobblehead figurines.

“The challenges this year exceeded our expectations and were very exciting. It gave us relief from the monotony caused by the pandemic and we always had a new and fun competition to focus on. We also bonded very well with each other through the various programs and made new friends too!” said Siddharth, a student of Deeksha.

Dr. Sridhar G., Founder, Deeksha, said, “It was really a delight to watch these little kids come up with such innovative ideas and their enthusiasm and positivity is commendable. Amidst the pandemic and being locked up indoors for the past 18 months, students’ participation this year exceeded that of the previous year. We are hoping the upcoming editions will see even more ingenuity and talent. Hearty congratulations to all the students.”

Fun challenges such as ‘What’s on Your Mind?’ brought back a golden era of silent movies with a twist where students were challenged to rethink dialogue and character interaction in video material. Winners Anarghya Acharya, Suhas Hebbar, Nandana Harshakumar took away the prizes with their exceptional performances. Similarly, ‘Pick n Speak’ gave students the opportunity to voice their opinions as the event tested the oratorical prowess of the participants, in three different categories – English, Telugu, and Kannada. Students Lakshana Navasundi, Ch. Tanisha, Govinda V Mirji came out as the champions in the event with a thoughtful discussion.

The Deeksha Inter-Campus Extravaganza also included a gamut of other events including Shutterbug, Sudoku, Flameless (Cooking without Fire), Poetry to keep students creatively engaged throughout the lockdown. As social ties are a crucial part of socio-emotional development, the team at Deeksha identified innovative ways to keep the incoming batch of 2021 – 23 engaged and interactive. Now, with campuses reopening, Deeksha has been geared to help children and parents with the transition and the academic calendar is dotted with the activities to facilitate the blossoming of children’s potential. At Deeksha, mentorship is defined by the ethos of Wellness and Care, and they constitute its pedagogical core.

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Revisions for competitive exam are under way – during the next few weeks, most students will be spending their time studying and may find it hard to concentrate. Revising certain subjects can feel difficult, particularly when it isn’t one of your favourites. Various other factors, such as exam stress or the fear of bad results could also affect your ability to concentrate. With numerous distractions, it is common to lose focus every few minutes and feel frustrated. This can lead to further stress, which reduces retention power. However, the ability to concentrate well is important for long-lasting memory. Good concentration trains a student’s mind and enhances their learning experience. A calm and still mind is imperative to improve concentration and memory.

Even the toughest topics can be mastered with determination, better concentration, and some unique and effective study techniques. Here are some tips to improve your concentration and make optimum use of your study hours.

Commit yourself to the task: Before you start any task evaluate the time required and efforts to complete it. Be determined to complete the task within the specified time. Plan and schedule your daily activities and try not to let anything interrupt your schedule.

Create a good study environment: A good study environment will allow you to maintain concentration and maximize learning efficiency. Choose a place with proper ventilation, lighting, and minimal distractions where you can study peacefully. Try to keep your study place clean as this will help eradicate any distractions.

Set realistic goals: Set your goals according to your potential and priorities. Having realistic targets keeps you motivated and helps you focus better rather than getting worked up over unrealistic goals. Stick to specific short-term goals and work towards them with a proper study plan. This not only helps you achieve your set targets but also allows you to improve your concentration.

Using mnemonics to help build memory: Mnemonics are memory techniques that help us remember information by associating it to images, sentences, or words. There are many ways you can make mnemonics such as associating a concept to a visual image. You can build acronyms with the first letter of every word of a sentence or make a rhyme of all the words. This will help you retain and recollect a concept or formula with ease.

Meditation and physical exercise: Meditation can help calm your mind and improve your concentration power. Physical exercise relaxes and rejuvenates your body while enabling you to take your mind off things. Physical and mental exercise helps keep stress levels in check.

Get adequate sleep: Sleep improves attention and concentration. Lack of sleep affects your mood, focus, and motivation. Getting adequate sleep by going to bed early helps in better retention of all that is studied. Hence, ensure you sleep at least 7-8 hours every day.

Keep away from social media: The Internet is a tool that has the power to both educate and entertain, if used wisely. The numerous distractions that come from your phone and other electronic gadgets are the biggest barriers to maintaining concentration. Engaging in such activities during your study time might break your focus. Refrain from using any gadgets during your study time except during breaks.

Discuss what you learnt: Have a discussion with your peers on what you learnt that day. This helps you revise the day’s learnings and helps you retain it for a longer period. Peer discussions also help you check your progress and exchange knowledge while offering friendly/healthy competition.

Take Regular Breaks: Taking regular breaks is very critical to enhance learning capacity. Ensure you take a short break after every hour to keep your brain from overworking. Use these short intervals to stretch, listen to a song, or relax for a few minutes. These short breaks will make your study time more efficient and productive.

Always be positive and believe in yourself to achieve excellence in all that you do. Memory retention differs from each person, hence, consider trying different methods to improve your memory and concentration and find what works best for you.

Given the current pandemic and the uncertainties associated with it, students will likely be feeling stressed as their complete study schedule has turned topsy-turvy. As we are all adapting to the circumstances, we must recognise that is a difficult situation and find ways to keep ourselves motivated and on track with our goals. Students must keep their long-term ambitions in mind and supplement their study efforts with a healthy diet, proper hydration, exercises, and fun activities to break the monotony.

During this time, it is more important than ever for teachers and parents to give unconditional support and positive reinforcement for students who will be writing their exams. Parents can keep their children motivated by introducing fun activities in between their studies, giving them plenty of encouragement and space to express their frustrations and boost their confidence when they feel low.

Equip them with ministry-advised health and safety tools and ensure that the exam centre complies with all the health regulations so that the child can write the exam with a clear mind.

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