Awakening Hidden Potential (PDF)

# AWAKENING HIDDEN POTENTIAL (The power of the Conscious and Subconscious Mind) The reason to title the course of the four days of soft-skills-based orientation program as 'Vishva Chaitanya' - 'Vishva' is Universe, and 'Chaitanya' is Consciousness. So, Vishva Chaitanya means Universal Consciousness...

# AWAKENING HIDDEN POTENTIAL (The power of the Conscious and Subconscious Mind) The reason to title the course of the four days of soft-skills-based orientation program as 'Vishva Chaitanya' - 'Vishva' is Universe, and 'Chaitanya' is Consciousness. So, Vishva Chaitanya means Universal Consciousness. The underlying consciousness within us is one single energy particle called by different names by different people. The same energy is called Quarks by physicists and consciousness by psychologists. The energy within us and nature is of high potential. Animals, birds and other living creatures instinctively connect very well with nature and are extremely sensitive to the good and bad of nature. Like animals and birds, man has all the energy to connect with nature. The inner energy within an individual is called Vyashti Chaitanya (Individual Consciousness), whereas the external collective energy is called Samashti Chaitanya (Collective Consciousness). So the goal of every human being eventually is to connect with the collective energy and attain a Vishva Chaitanya state! Unfortunately, due to his negative qualities like consumerism and too much materialism, Man has stopped connecting with nature and become highly insensitive. The reason for such large-scale turmoil is the loss of the inherent capacity to connect with nature. After analysing the problem, now it is essential to find a solution. Hence the question arises - How do we develop such an ability? An individual can possess the ability to connect to nature by being more focused and curious. One can achieve personal and global goals by tapping the conscious and sub-conscious mind power, i.e., making this planet a better place to live. ## Mind Your Mind The students of a Zen Master noticed that whenever their Master sat on the shore of the ocean to meditate, the seagulls and other birds would freely and fearlessly sit on his shoulders and head. The birds seemed to enjoy the atmosphere of peace and harmony that the Master's aura created. The students wondered why the same did not happen when they sat for meditation. "We would like to touch these birds and fondle them affectionately just once for the sheer delight of the experience, Master," they said, "Please catch one or two of them when they sit on you. Please, Sir, just once." The Master agreed to oblige his students. That day to the surprise of both the Master and the student, not one bird alighted on the Master when he sat in meditation. The birds seemed to have sensed the intention of the Master. They did not want to lose their freedom. They hovered around his head and vanished! Mind is indeed a very sensitive medium. Our minds and the minds of plants, birds and animals are all aspects of the Universal consciousness or 'Vishva Chaitanya.' ## The Conscious Mind Has Four Properties: 1. **Atomicity** - which means one individual at one given point in time can execute only one action flawlessly. This knowledge regarding the functionalities of the mind will facilitate us in channeling all our mental energy on one goal or objective rather than spending it on numerous things and wasting the same. 2. **Principle of Calmness and Alertness (SATTWA)** -the ability to keep our mind calm and serene. All the bitter and sweet memories we have collected over time are those we have gathered in an alert state of mind. The memories of the rhymes we learnt during our Pre-KG days are still within us because our mind was alert without any dilemmas and problems. 3. **Principle of Random Activity (RAJAS)** – Our mind is constantly behind activities. Right from getting up early in the morning till we slip into a deep slumber, we indulge in different activities. These activities are random and, most of the time, not performed consciously. As a result, the activities performed and the memories borne out of them are short-lived. Hence, the mind in this state is not conducive to achieving our goals. 4. **Principles of Inertia (TAMAS)** - Our mind is plugged off from the ordinary course of life when we are tired, exhausted and fatigued physically and mentally. Hence, in the deep sleep state, the mind has no existence. But when such a state is voluntarily brought in, this is impeding us from achieving our goals. Such an inertia state is voluntarily brought in and is the source of our lethargy, laziness, procrastination, etc. Lethargy eventually turns into depression, an obstacle to achieving higher goals in life. So, we must realise the importance of the Principle of Calmness and Alertness. ## The Sub-Conscious Mind Has Two Properties: The subconscious mind is a potent instrument to achieve our goals. It has to be optimally used, and by doing so, one can change their attitude, characteristics, behaviour and other aspects of one's personality. 1. **Samskaras** - The first property regarding the sub-conscious mind is feeding the subconscious mind. When we perform multiple activities, the subconscious mind takes note of the same. When we do one particular action quite several times or repeatedly, it percolates deep into the Subconscious mind and becomes our personality. It is vital that we selectively choose excellent and noble activities and also activities that will help us to get closer to our goals. The more we perform such positive activities and make them part and parcel of our life, our personality is moulded. Hence, it is vital to know the role of our perception, as it matters most. We are what we perceive. - 2. **Vasanas** - This word in the Kannada language means smell. But in Sanskrit, it means 'Impressions'. In this context, we prefer the Sanskrit meaning, not the one in Kannada. We create multiple impressions by performing various activities. So, every impression has the potential to shape our personality. Hence, it is wise to allow positive impressions to go deeper into the subconscious mind rather than negative impressions, as unfavourable impressions, once formed, are hard to erase. When we tap the subconscious mind, we, by default, also start to mould our personality. To reach a considerable success level, the skills and abilities we possess matter, but from thereon, it is character. ## NEURAL PATHWAYS - Neural Pathways are created in the brain by repeating a particular action many times. Neural pathways are very much like the pathways in the forest. Pathways in the forest remain intact only if they are used regularly. A pathway fades away if unused or no one walks on the same. Similarly, once laid by efforts, neural pathways must be retained in their original shape by repeating the process several times. Anyone can create any number of pathways in the brain and keep the same for a long duration, depending on the frequency of the usage. Nature is impartial and has gifted all of us at birth with the same human body composition. Just like the lungs assist everyone in breathing and the kidneys and liver work similarly in everyone, so does the brain. It works the same way for everyone. Hence, we need to use our brains by training them to behave in a particular way. The same brain that can strategise for surgery can also perform a robbery. We are just what we feed our brains! # EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION & PRESENTATION SKILLS ## Need for communication - Provide a basic overview of verbal and non-verbal interpersonal communication. - Identify personal obstacles to effective interpersonal communication. - Define some strategies for improving individual and group communication. ## Definition "The interchange of thoughts or opinions through shared symbols". ## Process | | | | | :------ | :--------------------------- | :------------- | | Sender | | Encoding | | | Feedback | Message | | | | Channel | | | | Decoding | | Receiver | | | ## Introduction Effective communication creates a bond between two or more people. As it contributes to maintaining the smooth functioning of a conversation, it cements the relationship among people. Highly valued in professional life, communication is an active process using various verbal or non-verbal mediums. The communication medium can also be through signs, symbols, images etc., to convey the messages. Sometimes, even appropriate Pauses, Silence and Body language (Gestures) convey more than spoken words. ## What is Communication? Communication is sharing or transferring information between two or more individuals or a group of people. It can be transmitted through paper, online, speech, poetry, silence, and body language. The receiver must receive the encoded message and decode the information as feedback through reactions, actions, silence, dozing off, applause and reply. It is not communication if the receiver does not hear or understand the sender's ideas or messages accurately. ## Obvious Communication An effective communicator conveys his messages/thoughts to others through speech, writing, messaging, presentations, dialogues, debates, negotiation and 'influences an outcome'. This can happen only when the message received by the receiver is the same as the message sent by the sender; the intention, meaning and purpose are understood in the same manner as that of the sender. There should be no deviation, misinterpretation or misunderstanding between the sender and the receiver. ## Non-Obvious Communication Some of the signs may not be apparent in communication. One may or may not be able to recognise it as communication at all. They are Indicators, Alerts, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and notifications on Cell-phones, Colours, Advertisements, Body Language, Talking to self, Dreams, etc. ## Essential Communication Skills for Career ### Listening **Good Listening** directly contributes to an effective communication chain and reflects courtesy. Listening could be Active or Passive. **Active Listening** is when the listener continuously gives feedback by nodding, indicating through gestures, and raising some sounds like Oh! Hum! ...etc., asking questions, showing inquisitiveness/curiosity to know more, maintaining eye contact, facial expressions and so on. It improves mutual understanding and is an essential first step to defuse a situation or to seek solutions to problems. **Passive Listening** is little more than hearing. It is listening without reacting, allowing someone to speak without interrupting. Not doing anything else then, yet not paying attention to what's being said. ### Being friendly Approachable traits need to be improved for smooth communication between people, which makes social interactions comfortable. ### Open-mindedness Open-minded approach at the workplace can make things easier, especially when faced with criticism. ### Seeking Feedback The best way to improve one's communication skills is by asking for feedback and seeking opinions to make one understand areas where they need to improve. ### Being Confident Confidence allows you to speak clearly, which is crucial to communication. ### Non-Verbal communication Non-verbal communication conveys messages without using written or spoken words. It is all communicated through Facial Expressions, Body Language and Gestures. ## Importance of Communication Every part of our daily life is based on communication. It makes our life much easier to get along with the society we live in. It reduces misunderstandings and improves all relationships - both personal and professional. There can be no development without meaningful and effective communication. Communication makes us who we are. ## How do we communicate? Communication is in the Mind of the recipient. The purpose of Communication is to be able to reach out to the receiver's mind. Therefore, one must communicate so that the message reaches the receiver in the same way as the thought or intent of the speaker; else, it's just noise. We communicate our information by mere transmission/persuasion/dialogue or consensus creation. ## How do we become effective communicators? 1. **Communication styles vary from individual to individual.** Each individual has a unique style of communication. Besides Ethnicity, Regional distinctness, Cultural differences, Emotions at the moment of communication, and Need/Urgency influence the style. Broadly these are classified as Aggressive, Passive, Passive-Aggressive and Assertive. One of these styles or a combination would be any individual's style. Understanding the different communication styles is necessary to respond appropriately and not react. For example, if a person is Aggressive, it would be better for the other person to adopt a Passive yet Assertive style to initiate or continue the dialogue. If both are Aggressive, then the chances are that the situation would get out of hand, resulting in a verbal duel to score a point over the other, and no meaningful communication would take place. Suppose one is aware of various communication styles, depending upon the situation, need, and the person communicating/being communicated to. In that case, one can vary one's style to meet the end purpose of the exercise, viz, getting one's point of view through to the other person. 2. **Understand the communication needs of others.** The greater the need of the receiver, he will pay better attention. 3. **Through Listening, one can understand the communication style of the opposite person to adjust/fine-tune one's style.** Remember that some are logical, some are emotional, some like stories, and some like/dislike details. Emotions prevailing at the moment, recent events and memories also play a significant role in deciding what style to adopt as a communicator or a receiver. ## Components of Communication Styles: In his book Rhetoric, Aristotle has identified three components of communication viz Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. - **Ethos (Credibility and Character)** - The Greek word ethos means Character. Ethos is about whether the speaker's message appeals to listeners and inspires trust in the speaker/ his intentions. So, it is all about a listener's perception of the speaker's credibility. - **Pathos (Emotional bond with the listeners)** - Pathos is to persuade by appealing to the audience's emotions, sense of justice and judgment. Rightly used, it increases the chances of the audience to understand and accept the speaker's point of view. This increases emotional bonding (Pathos), further enhancing Ethos. Low Pathos will lead the audience to find flaws in the speaker's arguments resulting in common ethos. So, avoiding unethical manipulation is crucial when persuading a receiver using emotions. - **Logos (Logical and rational argument)** - Logos is the persuasive technique that aims to convince an audience using logic and reason. While using Logos as a mode of persuasion, the speaker should convey his message with Evidence, Historical data, indisputable Facts and Testimonials in a sequence that is easy to comprehend by the receiver. If the above three qualities are understood and kept in mind by the Speaker, then there are greater chances of the audience accepting the message received. ## What is active listening? Active listening is an essential skill you must develop and an integral part of practical communication skills. Active listening is being genuinely present and consciously trying to hear, understand and retain information. Paying attention and responding to others creates a good rapport and helps you to improve your image. Listening is beyond body language. ## Tips for Active Listening To create conditions for active listening and retain the attention of the audience following are essential - - If the communication is long, like a speech or presentation, pause and Paraphrase what has been said regularly. - A word of appreciation to the listener will go a long way in keeping the listener interested. - Asking relevant questions to many would increase involvement. - Grasping the feedback provided by the audience through their answers indicates how far the audience has assimilated the message given. - Using positive body language like maintaining eye contact, nodding in approval, encouraging smile and being a natural self in posture/delivery. - Avoid slouching and other distracting movements. - Showing empathy to the audience, who are not as familiar with the topic as the speaker is, would enable the audience to better connect with the speaker. - Avoid sermonizing or giving paternalistic advice. - Allowing the audience to participate by giving their points of view and inviting /accepting short questions, too, would help active listening. - Remember that Listening goes beyond words. ## What is Body Language? Body language has many applications in communications; knowingly or otherwise, it communicates much to the observer. It either reinforces or negates what one is saying. Therefore, understanding the role of body language is very important. The human face and body are incredibly expressive and can convey a wide range of emotions without speaking. Body language is also a way of communication that images a person's feelings. It can boost your self-confidence and positive self-esteem. It can be a powerful tool for our overall personality development. Body Language includes Eye contact, Inter-se-distance maintained in a group, Facial Expressions, Body Postures (both sitting and standing), Voice, Tone and Tenor, Silence, and Dress Sense. ### Expansive body language These persons give other participants energy and power. By their postures and gestures, they make others feel welcome and thus encourage them to participate. In unfamiliar groups, they help break the ice. ### Shrinking body language These persons will indicate inward movement (Mentally and bodily) and low self-confidence. ## Why do we communicate? We communicate to share our ideas, provide feedback, get information from others and develop good social relationships. Communication happens in all directions; Upward/Downward, Vertical/Horizontal, and Internal/External. The way one communicates indicates how effective the connections are with people around. ## What are Communication Barriers? Several barriers affect the flow of communication. It may exist because of bias or stereotyping and generalisation. - **Language** is one of the main reasons for breaking down the communication loop. - **Use of Jargon**, Technical words used by professionals would not be understood by general people resulting in them losing interest in the conversation. - **Emotions, Prejudice, Bias, Physical Disabilities, Personal limitations, Physical and Mental stress, Selective listening, Perceptions, Vocal tone & tenor, Tradition, etc.,** will also distort the message. ## Tips for effective communication. The following tips are used for communicating effectively - - Decide on what has to be said and to whom. - Understand the recipient's level of comprehension capacity. - Understand the needs of the recipient. - Listen to what other people say. - Talk less and say more. - Choose words carefully and appropriately. - Listen more and observe more. - Be aware of the signals from body language (Own & others). - Identify, control and eliminate distractions. - Acquire continuous, in-depth knowledge and focus on the content. - Be patient with people. - Understand receivers' state of mind and emotions, then decide on the best communication method. - Frequently ask engaging questions to check if the message is going through in the intended manner. - Empathize with the receiver to establish rapport. - Keep your mind clear. # PRESENTATION ## What is Presentation? Presentation is a mode of sharing knowledge or giving information about a product, a subject or an idea to a specific audience according to their need. It aims to inform the audience about a particular topic and get actions executed by them. ## Purpose of the Presentation Presentation and communication are combined skills that are used in various speaking situations. The purpose of a presentation is to give more specific information about a topic or product. It analyses the audience's needs and correlates the presenter's idea about the usefulness of the idea to fill a void in the target audience's life. It is built in such a way that at the end of the presentation, at least some members of the audience accept the idea or product as a solution to their difficulties. All three essential modes of communication, viz Ethos, Pathos, and ロゴス, are included in the presentation. Every presentation requires clarity on - a. Who is the target audience? b. What are the problems the audience faces and their adverse impact on their lives? c. What exactly do you suggest to the audience to do, and what is your role in it? d. What is the central idea of the message you intend to deliver? e. What are the supporting ideas that would seamlessly support the central idea? f. What is the level of the audience in terms of comprehension? g. What methods of delivery would be appropriate for maximum impact? h. What is it that you want the audience to do? Some presenters get the audience members involved in the presentation by sending out topic questions. This is done a day or two before the presentation to enable the audience to carry out their research and prepare to participate in the discussions during the presentation actively. As a prelude to the opening of the main presentation, some presenters ask questions or enter into a 'small talk' with the audience to understand their needs, expectations, beliefs, values and attitudes. This would enable us to suitably alter or articulate the course of the presentation. ## Tips to Grab Attention Starting with anecdotes with one or two points to remember is an excellent way to start a presentation. 1. Add fascinating and relevant facts at the right time and place. 2. Ask Questions like "How or What if I say...?"; then elicit a response from the audience. 3. Ask thinking/thought-provoking questions, like "Are we born with skills, or is it something that we can learn? Or "Why is Apple so innovative?" 4. Stories and questions depend on the audience and the nature of the presentation. ## How to sell anything? Remember, people don't buy products; they would like to purchase solutions. So, start with a problem statement. Let the audience identify with the problem by saying to themselves, "Yes. I have this problem". Explain what could be done and show a few ways that offer probable solutions. Then explain to them how your product/idea is the best solution. ## Data Presenting Data presentation will depend on the target audience and the information that needs to be relayed. The essential part of data presentation is highlighting your research about the topic that enriches your audience's understanding. Avoid presenting any data that is irrelevant to the objective of the presentation. During the presentation, slowly turn the data into information by adding context. Context enables the audience to interpret and personalise the data being presented. Through this process, the audience starts understanding the presentation better. This interprets the data presented easier. Providing a context helps the audience visualise and understand the numbers better. Context is needed for the numbers to make sense. The insight and meaning of the presentation make it more interesting. When data is communicated well as a story or anecdote, it is memorable and believable. ## How to present information? The presentation needs a lot of preparation. Collect material/data, analyse the material/data, retain the relevant ones, and sequence them to ensure flow from beginning to end. The final message must be ringing in the audience's minds long after the end of the presentation. The presenter must choose his words wisely, write down the script to a final shape to crystalise the thoughts and get slides (PPT) showing only bullet points to enable the Presenter to maintain the flow of the presentation and assist the audience to retain the essence of what is being presented. To enhance the content and quality of delivery, the presenter must rehearse, and make corrections/additions, if needed. If possible, it would benefit the presenter to get experienced people to listen and get feedback from them to improve the content, PPT, script, presentation style, tone, tenor, and body language. The presenter should start with a big picture and then proceed to the specifics relevant to the presentation's aim. This would enable the audience to get the context right. The Presenter should stick to the allotted time and not overshoot, even if the audience appears interested. Adequate time for Q & A must be inbuilt in the time allotted. Various questions the audience may ask should be thought out, and answers prepared. The Presenter need not answer all questions. Some of the Questions from the audience may be thrown back at them so that someone else can answer. Questions irrelevant to the presentation, even if the Presenter knows the answer, must not be entertained; once digression from the aim of the presentation takes place, the Presenter is likely to lose control. Sometimes, one or two individuals hijack the presentation to their areas of specialisation/understanding and leave the Presenter looking helpless. Such individuals can be cut to size by politely requesting them to give a chance to others to participate. ## Conclusion Presentation style and personal confidence are as important as the actual content of the presentation itself. 75% of Organizations believe that Presentation and Communication skills are critical for success. "Communication and Presentation is a skill developed through Training and Practice". Remember, "PowerPoint alone is not the Presentation. It is only a tool to enhance the effectiveness of the Presenter". # GOAL SETTING ## What is a goal? - A goal is a statement describing a broad intent, state or condition. - A general statement of an intended outcome. ## Why is goal-setting important? - **Clarity and purpose** - Goal-setting forces you to examine your current life circumstances and actively choose what you want to experience. You recognise your power to choose and create more meaningful, enriching circumstances. The result: increased clarity and purpose in every aspect of your life! - **On-going personal and professional development** - When you consistently strengthen your skills, talents, capabilities and aspirations, you enter into a process that keeps your life circumstances fresh, new and exciting. You gain a stronger appreciation for your true potential and feel more in control of who you are and want to become. - **Greater fulfilment and satisfaction in all areas of your life** - When you know how to set and achieve goals effectively, you'll never get stuck in dissatisfying circumstances again. You'll be able to create a career you love, rampant success in everything you do, and healthy relationships that add great meaning and joy to your life. ## Three Steps of Goal Setting - 1. Planning 2. Preparation 3. Execution/Implementation ## Levels of Goal Setting - 1. Survival 2. Success 3. Significance/Sensitivity {Being Good and Doing Good} ## Types of Goals 1. Noble Goals 2. Dream Goals - **S.M.A.R.T. goals** - Every goal you set should have a few qualities that ensure your ability to achieve them in the most efficient way possible: - **Goals should be Specific** - Goals should be straightforward and specific. They should answer the questions - Who, What, Where, When, Which, Why? - **Goals should be Measurable** - Quantifying the available and required resources in physical terms - How much? How many? - **Goals should be Attainable** - A goal must be capable of being reached. The goal must be achievable and still stretching. So you feel you can do it, and it will need your real commitment. - **Goals should be Relevant** - The goal must be able to produce an impact or change. In addition, the goal must also be important to you and your personal value system. - **Goals should be Time Bound** - Set a timeframe for the goal. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. ## How to set goals? For the question of how to set goals, we have a straightforward process that you can go through to develop your personal goals. These steps can help you achieve your dreams and goals more quickly. ### Identify your personal values and mission statement Your value is the significant direction. If you can identify your values, your personal goal will not go wrong. The starting point of all achievement is desire. - **Figure out the goals you want to achieve** - After you know your values, find out what you want to accomplish in every life aspect. Life has many parts; to lead a happy life, you should set goals in every aspect. Personal SWOT analysis is a look at you and your life. It is a tool to help you find out if the goals are achievable. - **Write your goals down** - Make sure the goals are S.M.A.R.T., and they are top-quality goals. Find out if your goals are S.M.A.R.T. Write them down. Please pay attention to this. You must write your goals down on a piece of paper. If not, they will only become dreams. You should limit your goals to between 5 and 6 at any time. To achieve your goals, you have to focus your efforts and energy. As you progress and complete goals, you may add new goals. - **List the skills and knowledge required to reach your goal** - Success needs a lot of preparation. If you want to be successful, you need to prepare well. Nothing happens just by accident. Look at all the factors keeping you from accomplishing your goal and develop a plan to overcome them. It would be best if you also found the people or groups to work with to reach your goals. Fully mobilise all the factors to help you achieve your goals. - **Develop a personal action plan** - Make a detailed schedule according to your goals. Develop a personal action plan and follow them. - **Review your progress and update your goals accordingly** - Make sure you are progressing. If not, analyse why the goal is not being met. Find a coach or friend to help you if you have trouble. Realise your goals step by step. - **Celebrate your success** - At last, you achieve your goals. Congratulations! Thanks for your hard work, and you have succeeded. - **Start the process all over again** - When you have achieved a goal, you may set a new one from the beginning. Cultivate good goal-setting habits. Goal setting is a lifelong process. Once you have completed one goal, you should work on a new goal. You are walking your way to success. - **Preparing for Obstacles** - Very often, the only difference between success and failure is - "being prepared"! If you can think ahead and be ready for possible obstacles and challenges while pursuing your goal, you will empower yourself to overcome them quickly and eagerly. While predicting every block, you'll face is impossible, preparing as much as possible is a good idea because you'll have a more vital determination from the get-go rather than unrealistic expectations. Remember that there are usually two types of obstacles: - **Obstacles caused by external influences** - Outer obstacles are generally related to things beyond your control, like circumstances or events that block progress on your chosen path. - **Obstacles that come from within you** - Inner obstacles can often be more daunting than the outer ones. Ex., inner resistance or limiting thoughts pop up, and before you know it, you've stalled. ## Some obstacles one has to overcome - - **Pessimistic Attitude** - "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve". If you notice this line closely, you can easily understand that you can achieve if you conceive and believe. I repeat in bold letters, "conceive and believe". If there is a fraction of doubt in your mind that you cannot achieve something, you won't be able to commit to it. - **Procrastination** - If you notice that you're beginning to put off working on your goals, take it very seriously! Everyone procrastinates to some degree, like putting off a complex task for a few hours until you're better able to concentrate - but if you notice that you're procrastinating frequently and for extended periods, you'll have to take action to turn it around! The best way to deal with procrastination is not to allow yourself to do it. As soon as you notice that you're putting something off, please get to the root of the issue (why you're avoiding it) and immediately act on it. - **Instant Gratification** - If one gets satisfied with short-term results, one will lose sight of the larger picture and stop working towards the goal, thus stagnating in life. - **Blind Imitation** - Extreme adoration may lead to thoughtless copying emulation beyond one's potential, without the foresight of right or wrong. - **"Yours and Mine" syndrome** - Unhealthy competition and backstabbing in the light of limited resources mar the sense of cooperation. # LEARNING MADE EASY Obtaining good grades in examinations enhances the self-esteem of any student. So, it is natural that all students desire to achieve good grades. But it doesn't come easy. Many give up and settle for a mediocre performance, while others wonder how the few who make it do so, with apparently little or no effort. The excellent performance of a few is then assumed or attributed to either their good luck, abilities, or both. Nothing can be farther from the truth than this assumption. Students need to understand that learning is continuous and that any disruption in it would cause significant difficulty at later times. ## The build-up of ignorance - When students score 60% aggregate in any examination, they have demonstrated 60% knowledge in the tested area and 40% ignorance (or lack of knowledge). Most students ignore this aspect. Complacency arises when this fact is not recognised and remedial measures are not initiated early enough. ## Eliminating Ignorance Questions arise about how to minimise this ignorance build-up and how to do it. This can be done by the "5R" Principle. **"5R" Principle** - Review, Revise, Rewrite, Revalue, Repeat Let us understand each of the R's ### Review The first step is to review the question paper and identify the questions that were not answered or answered with certainty in the examination/test. ### Revise Go over the books, find the correct answers, discuss, clarify doubts and thus bridge the knowledge gap. ### Rewrite Now create examination conditions, set a time limit and answer the question paper regarding the revised portion. ### Revalue Once the answers are written, the student should get the paper re-evaluated by another person or do a fair self-evaluation. ### Repeat Repeat the above process until complete satisfaction is achieved and all of the knowledge acquired is sure knowledge. ## Knowledge enhancing method - 1. Identify the weak area. 2. Revise the syllabus. 3. Follow the 5R principle. 4. Carry out a fair assessment. By repeating this process, one would have enhanced their knowledge and would be specific and more confident of what and how much they know. ## Avoiding Selective Study and Last-Minute Preparation Due to lack of time, interest or other factors, students might be tempted to study selectively from the syllabus. They may want to focus on portions they believe are essential or easy and leave the rest out. They may even justify their doing so by saying that they have a choice in answering questions while answering the question paper. Procrastinating on one's studies/academics till the last moment leads to last-minute preparation and selective analysis, both of which are ultimately destructive as they promote ignorance buildup and have long-term impacts. Avoiding selective study and last-minute preparation is crucial in eliminating ignorance. Selective study and last-minute preparation can be avoided by being regular at one's studies and beginning to study from Day 1 of the academic year/semester/trimester. Prioritising the right things at the right time will also enable the students to prepare better. ## Study Methods - Different subjects need different approaches as other parts of the brain come into play. For example - 1. Language would need sensitivity to human values 2. Mathematics would need Logic and Practice 3. Science would need Logic and Visualization 4. Social Sciences would need Appreciation 5. History would need grasping of the sequence of events and so on ## Learning Styles There are multiple styles of learning anything - auditory, visual, reading/writing, and kinesthetics. When students mindlessly follow others' (be it parents, teachers, or friends) learning styles, they may struggle as it may not be suited for them. Students need to understand which learning style or combination of learning styles best fits them and accordingly learn in that manner. ## Study Technique There are times and occasions when a student might have studied for hours and yet has neither understood nor been able to recall anything. This is because when one is not focused on studying, the hours one has spent on studying don't matter. Given below is a practical study technique: | | | | | | | | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | :------ | | S | R | S | R | S | R | | T | E | T | E | T | E | | U | S | U | S | U | S | | D | T | D | T | D | T | | Y | | Y | | Y | | | 60 | 10 | 60 | 10 | 60 | 10 | | Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | Minutes | **Rest = Recall** Before beginning to study, students must put away any distractions and devices and take 10 minutes to focus their minds by employing meditation, breathing techniques and muscle relaxation to calm the nerves and remove any disturbing thoughts from the mind. While studying, one should follow the technique of Study-Rest-Study, as shown in the figure above. Rest periods should be used for taking a physical break while recalling what has been studied earlier and not getting distracted. The time of day or night a student decides to study is entirely one's choice. However, it is of utmost importance that students study in a manner they feel best and deliver peak performance at exam time. Students can choose to study for longer hours at a time of day or night that is most comfortable to them but also be able to study at other hours if required. ## Periodic revision Regularity in studies helps in better reading, faster revision, instant recall and superior performance. If one is not regular, memory will likely fade, affecting the ability to recall readily. Ready recall enables faster decision-making. ## Mix and match One should study all subjects daily to save time and ensure a high recall level. Studying any subject for long-time results in burnout and consequently leads to ineffective absorption of knowledge. Studying different subjects in smaller amounts daily would help retain an interest in studies and enhance absorption. Students must understand that the subjects are like a complete meal, each like a nutritional component. Now imagine if an individual ate only protein, carbs, or fibre, with no balance. It would lead to them having nutritional deficiencies, right? Similarly, students need to do well in all subjects in a balanced manner. Ignoring one or more subjects or emphasising one subject would lead to imbalanced academic development. ## Consequences of not liking a subject Students tend to ignore or not focus on subjects they don't score well in. The reason for low scores and no focus on the subject/s is invariably one or the other variation of the phrase "I Don't like the subject." The reasons for not liking a subject