Author: Rishi Jalan

blog | 2min Read

6 Habits of Highly Effective Communicators

Published on July 7, 2021

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog

6 Habits of Highly Effective Communicators

exc-60e5be38c694bb620af16e47


six-habbits.jpg

Communication – The bond builder

“Wise men speak because they have something to say.” This age-old adage defines the core characteristic of effective communicators. Communication is the basic bond builder among humans & the more effective the communication skill is, the better the bond will be.

Communication can make the difference between success & failure. The power of effective communication can motivate others to action and inspire new ways of thinking. It carries the potential to change the world.

But, can Communication Skills be developed? Yes!

Developing strong communication skills is especially essential when it comes to building a successful life. Effective communication, being a skill, can be inculcated & nurtured. It can be sharpened by emulating a few techniques, practices, and by participating in Effective Communication Programs.

Most of the effective communicators share a few basic traits among them. We list here a few points that are easy to practice, and when done right, can be life-changing.

  1. Find resources & means to evolve
    Effective communicators are always on the lookout to improve. They are well aware of their strengths & weaknesses. They think in advance about what they intend to accomplish with their words & plan accordingly. They find resources & means to constantly evolve. Among so many, one of the means is joining a Leadership Workshop or an Effective Communication course.

  2. Prepare to Lead
    Effective communicators are prepared to seize opportunities & lead. They find new avenues to add value, clarity & inspiration with their words & accelerate success.

  3. Curiosity
    How? Why? What? What if? Asking questions helps to understand the situation better & involves the people around. Soliciting suggestions is a great trait that helps them move ideas. Curiosity questions lead up to deeper conversations. This would also open up opportunities for a conversation about those conversations. You would need to stretch yourself on each conversation, this way you would come up with a variety of responses to make yourself clear.

  4. Face situations
    Effective communicators are ready and raring to face any situation. Their self-confidence gives them the ability to stay on top of any situation & work it into their favour through effective words.

  5. Listening
    Effective communicators do not just like to talk – they love to listen as much. Their interest in people & their opinions is just as genuine. They always want the benefit of other points of view. People like to be interacted with, not lectured to. Listening is as much a skill as communicating is.

  6. Emotion Control
    The most important trait of an effective communicator is emotion control. Emotions have a way of leading a person’s thought process. Anger, Sadness, Happiness, Fear have a way of finding expression through words. A great communicator must have control over their emotions. Clarity of thought leads to clarity in words.
    Communicate better. Make a Difference.
    Developing the ability to understand others helps you to connect better & make a lasting impression. Words have the power to influence & change the world. Be wise – speak when you have something to say.

Editor's Pick

blog Innovation | 3min Read

5 Reasons Why You Should Learn Robotics in High School

Published on

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog Innovation

5 Reasons Why You Should Learn Robotics in High School

exc-60e5baa67832274bf1000e03


5-reasons.jpg

Technology continues to invade the mind of every innovator. Technology is the today and the tomorrow of our times. Today, writing software, building drones and robots are not the things that only scientists or business tycoons can do. In fact, most innovative tech-based tools being programmed are by the “true digital natives” – The Gen Z.

The importance of robotics is widely recognized. Learning robotics in High School can increase your ability to be creative and empower you to become a critical thinker. It is not just a field of study or a hobby to pursue but rather a necessary 21st century skill. By learning robotics, a whole new world of opportunities expands that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

But before you go, “Alexa, how to build a robot?”, here are 5 more reasons why you should learn robotics:

  1. Introduction to Programming
    Programming is often too complex but Robotics is simpler to understand and provides a more tangible introduction to programming. As a student, you can program your very own physical robot by learning from nature and applying the principles of nature (Biomimicry) into automation technology. eMotion Butterfly is one example of Biomimicry. The developers combine the ultralight construction of artificial insects with coordinated flying behaviour in a collective.
    So, you can build robots and have fun while learning valuable skills at the same time! Programming and robotics make students more likely to be successful innovative entrepreneurs in the future.

  2. Creative Thinking
    Robotics is the space that incorporates both creativity and fun simultaneously. You can have full control over devising your robot and be able to learn from what your robot can or cannot do. You have the opportunity to be a learner and an innovator at the same time. You can build something cool that interacts with the environment and program it to perform actions of your choice. Programming new features that help you push the boundaries of innovation and design is one of the coolest things to do in this generation. Don’t you agree!?

  3. Turning Frustration into Innovation
    A never-give-up attitude and perseverance is something that Robotics demands. Programming a robot is complex but think of the complex problems it can solve. Some suggest, to be called a productive member of society, one must be able to identify problems and find solutions that can replace humans in performing a range of tasks instantly. Problems that cause frustration can be solved with innovation and all that you require is creativity and guidance through the process.

  4. Foundation For A Bright Career
    Careers in technology are the fastest growing. Industries constantly look for individuals who can come up with innovative ideas and be equipped with the knowledge to design and create the technology needed. The future sees a tremendous growth in technology and innovation of social robots like Sofia. One way to build a successful career is to demystify a simple-to-understand technology like Robotics. You can build robots to address fears and tackle global emergencies.
    Just like the computers came around a century ago, and we never predicted that their intervention could bring about such massive development as they have in the areas of Communication, Education, Health care etc. Similarly, the foundation for Robotics is being laid down right now with great hopes to improve the future, so, ‘right now’ is definitely the best time to be a part of this bandwagon.

  5. Turn Knowledge Into Creativity
    Robotics is a field that allows you to channel competitive instincts in a positive way. You can exemplify technology directly by programming a robot while learning about science, maths, engineering and get an understanding of how these subjects are linked together. Your experience in trying to build robots gives appreciation of your capabilities and strengths. More importantly, you can even innovate more features for an existing robot that you know or are inspired by.
    Robotics is an exciting field of study. It is something that has the power to change the world. The ideas are transformed into real-world solutions. So, what sort of robot do you fancy developing?

Editor's Pick

Uncategorized | 3min Read

College Application Checklist: How To Make An Impact!

Published on June 29, 2021

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
Uncategorized

College Application Checklist: How To Make An Impact!

exc-60daba4995971e4420bf9ce6


checklist.jpg

Finding your niche and something you are passionate about in high school isn’t the big question here. It is about making an impact using something you are incredibly passionate about. A common mistake several applicants make is that they make an impact, but use something they do not have strong opinions towards. Unless you pick something you are genuinely interested and invested in, there is no way to make an impact that satisfies you.

While applying to colleges in countries like the USA, and especially to colleges like Harvard, Stanford, or other top-tier colleges, one of the biggest challenges students face, apart from the GPA and grades, is the extracurriculars (ECs) that they want to include in the application. Whether it is sports, public speaking, theatre, or any other pursuit outside of school, students try to take their ECs to another level by participating in championships or applying for scholarships. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to do ten different activities and be good at them; instead, having just one activity you are highly passionate about can say a lot about you!

Having said that, it is not always easy to make an impact. Here are the critical steps to make an impact using your extracurriculars:

Step 1: Identify

The first step is to identify your niche and your passion. This step requires taking a deep dive into everything you have tried and done for as long as you can remember. Students often mistake doing what other students at top-tier colleges did to get accepted into them. However, it would be best to find something that makes you happy and something you can continue to do for your four years of high school. It does not have to be mainstream –you do not have to pick a popular sport or a musical instrument or appear in your school drama to get noticed. You can turn something as simple as organizing, calligraphy, or track and turn it into something that shows your determination.

Incidents as tiny as running a marathon in the second grade can make you think about your interest in track. Even growing a sapling for a school project can make you realize your love towards the environment, making it much easier for you to take up environmental issues as your extracurricular!

Step 2: Invest

The next step is to invest more time and hard work into your EC. Once you identify your interest, you must take time to explore different aspects and branches of the activity. It is often a trial and error method, and there may be times where you dedicate much time to something only to realize that it is not meant for you, and that is perfectly normal.

After investing time and interest into your activity, you will either realize you want to continue working towards it in high school, maybe even in college, or that you need to re-evaluate everything. In the second case, you’re back to square one, but it is not as bad as it sounds since failures are learning experiences too. After a couple of tries, or just one, you’ll know that it is time to move on to the next step.

Step 3: Impact

The last step is how you make an impact and take your passion to the next level. Once you have invested enough time and achieved the first two steps, you will know what to do, whether it is starting a petition related to climate laws, representing your state in sports championships, or even being the next Mary Kondo for organising, or taking part in marathons for significant causes, like fundraiser marathons and Keep The Beach Clean marathons. The last step is your canvas: you can paint it however you like. Make an impact.

Editor's Pick

blog Productivity | 5min Read

Top 5 Ways Students Can Utilise Their Time Effectively

Published on

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog Productivity

Top 5 Ways Students Can Utilise Their Time Effectively

exc-60dabd00be5eba28ae2f516e
5-ways.jpg

Oftentimes, students find themselves perplexed about what to do with their time. Only recently exposed to the real world, these adolescents have to suddenly find a way to balance their social life, academics and personal time with only a limited amount of energy. Most teenagers have preferences regarding the aforementioned and so decide accordingly. Some succumb to the burden of parental or academic pressure and put their preferences aside to focus on their studies. During the time of the pandemic, these feelings have heightened even more and boredom has peaked. There’s nothing to do and with feelings of disorientation all around, all leads to one question: what do we do?

Answering this question mostly depends on the person, their inclinations and priorities. All others, even our parents and teachers, can really do is suggest. At the end of the day, we’re the ones who make the final decisions. So, to guide students through this phase of doubt and uncertainty, here are some suggestions::

Exercise

Working out may sound exhausting. I mean we’re already doing so much every day, why do we have to exercise? And if we’re trying to conserve our energy, isn’t spending it on physical activity the opposite? Well, it really depends on how much energy one spends. While some people like to do intense training, some are more into the mindfulness side of exercise like yoga. Even if one spends a lot of energy on physical exertion, it’s energy well spent since working out has many direct and indirect benefits. Not only does it help you reduce your risk of heart diseases and certain cancers, it also benefits your mental health – decreases stress! – and makes your brain sharper.

One actually doesn’t need to take too much time out for exercise, even 30 minutes a day is perfectly fine. They can try to incorporate it into their daily routine by making it more fun and tracking their progress for motivation. All in all, exercise is a quite beneficial practice and it helps you clear your head more than anything. So, it’s definitely one of the places where you should put your energy.

Hobbies

For those of us who don’t enjoy physical exertion whatsoever, there are other alternatives as well, such as trying out new hobbies. These can literally be anything. Playing the guitar, painting, singing, writing, designing etc. Another benefit is that you will most probably end up doing what you want to, not what you need to. Hobbies provide a creative outlet for all and are one of the best forms of expression. Truly engaging with something you enjoy and letting yourself go can reduce stress, and improve creativity and even your academic performance. These new experiences help teenagers step out of their comfort zones, which can actually allow them to find their passion. Plus, you become a much more interesting person if you have some hobbies. They enrich your perspective and let you leave a memorable impression on those you meet. Hobbies are a great way to spend your energy, and some barely require any, so you should definitely go out there and see what you like!

Building Your Profile

It’s never too early to start thinking about college. If boredom strikes earlier in your adolescent years for you, building your college profile might just be what you need to succeed. While studying or doing co-curriculars can sound draining, finding something you seriously love can make it so much more fun. The advantages and opportunities are endless once you start, block by block, you can create something amazing that will increase your future potential. And, through this profile you can put across your true, authentic personality. It takes energy, sure, but if you have fun while doing it, it is incredibly advantageous and hence, definitely worth it.

Socialise

The likelihood of your friends also being very bored is extremely high. Most probably, you’re not alone in your exhaustion and have other acquaintances and confidantes who feel the same way. Hanging out with your friends is extremely entertaining. You can do so much in online settings, play video games, listen to music and even watch shows through extensions such as Netflix Party. Most of the time, you end up making memories and inside jokes that live on forever. These irreplaceable moments are something definitely worth spending your energy on. Additionally, socialising can help with your mental health and self-esteem too. Spending time with people we care about often helps us get an external perspective and prevents thought-spirals! We dream, learn, grow and work as a part of a society while socialising. It can definitely act as an amazing alternative to spending your days lonely and bored.

Relax

It might seem counterintuitive to suggest this after the above options but sometimes, a lot of people just want to do nothing and that’s okay. Being by yourself and just relaxing is often the best thing you can do. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking some time out for yourself and no reason to feel guilty about it. Focusing on yourself and your health-mental or physical-may just benefit you even more in the future. Easing up reduces stress and anxiety but it also helps lower your heart rate and reduce chronic pain. This helps us eventually gain a clearer and calmer mindset, which can make us more productive and efficient. Further, just being alone for a little while can even allow you to find your real personality, separated from most external pressure. When you’re close to being burnt out, relaxing is the most productive thing you can do for yourself in the long run because you’re preventing future roadblocks by taking out time for yourself! It alleviates your stress, pain and confusion; sometimes the best way to utilise energy is to simply let it rest and build.

So, there’s a lot of choices but informing yourself about things like this is the first step towards becoming more and more efficient as each day passes. It may still be very hard to decide but all someone can really do is try. Don’t worry about failing, remind yourself that even that is a part of increasing your potential and at least, you attempted to do something you wanted to do. Putting yourself out there and trying out some of these might just increase your future potential a hundredfold. All it requires is for you to learn how to use your energy properly.

Editor's Pick

blog Harvard | 3min Read

My Unparalleled Harvard YLC Experience: Is Applying Worth The Time?

Published on June 23, 2021

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog Harvard

My Unparalleled Harvard YLC Experience: Is Applying Worth The Time?

exc-60d2f50dd8141f47c5c46447
unparallel.jpg

Trying Is Always Better Than Wondering

Everyone starts gearing up for their college applications from 9th grade at the latest. It’s common for students to sign up for co-curriculars they don’t really enjoy but rather commit to out of obligation. I never understood the point of that. I’ve always signed up for courses and entered competitions because I wanted to, not because I had to.

The same went for the Harvard Youth Lead The Change Conference that was held in January 2021. I learned of the workshop from my school, and it immediately piqued my interest. The workshop aimed to improve high schoolers’ leadership skills and teach them collaboration, public speaking, time management and self-knowledge. So, I submitted my application but, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get in. But in the end, I was so glad that I applied because, as it came to be, I got in. I was amazed and ecstatic for the conference to begin as I had conducted thorough research beforehand. My expectations were high and, astoundingly enough, this programme exceeded every single one of them.

My Exemplary Experience

Right from the beginning, everyone was wonderfully supportive and an absolute pleasure to speak with. We started off by defining what it means to be a leader. Everyone had come in with their own ideas of what a leader does. So had I. I had thought of a leader as someone with a commanding and boss-like presence. But, through a few collaborative exercises and riveting discussions, most of us formulated new opinions. I personally learned that being a leader is more about collaboration and uniting a team rather than just ordering people around. This is just one of many examples of what the conference entailed. Learnings like these continued throughout the week. And I’m being completely candid when I say that this leadership development workshop was one of the most impactful ones I have ever attended.

I learned about many leadership, interpersonal, and public speaking skills through entertaining activities. The project groups we had been divided into were unquestionably one of the most effective undertakings of the entire conference. In these groups, we had to choose and understand a social issue we felt really passionate about and find solutions to address it. Our mentor was wonderfully supportive and I met incredible new people that I’m still in touch with. Initially, our group debated the global issue we were going to choose. Everyone presented amazing arguments and eventually we chose menstrual hygiene. Our project was named Project Abhya, and it involved providing individuals residing in rural areas with eco-friendly sanitary equipment. It’s our way of taking a stand and driving change, and it was provided to us by this workshop. Honestly, to even come with a viable solution for such an important issue was an honour and I was delighted to have worked on it.

The mentors conducted college panels, where we could gain clarity about college and applying for it by people who had already been through the anxiety-inducing process. It was definitely comforting and relieving to get answers. However, my favourite part of the conference was probably the introspective exercises that the mentors conducted. One time, we talked about our public and private narratives and how they may have changed during the pandemic. We were divided into breakout rooms with 1-2 other attendees and got to share our fears and thoughts. It was really interesting and comforting to see how the others felt and overall, it was an amazing exercise. On the last day, we even sent letters to our future selves talking about the personal and intellectual growth we had undergone.

The End

The ending of the workshop was undoubtedly bittersweet, but the connections we all made and the things we learned are irreplaceable. The Harvard Youth Lead The Change Conference was outstandingly effective and enjoyable. I’m enormously grateful that I signed up for it as it was quite a touching and informative experience. I feel like attending the Harvard YLC conference really helped me grow as a leader and I have definitely been able to use the skills instilled in me by the conference in multiple real-world scenarios. So, in my opinion, if you can, you should definitely apply for this conference.

Editor's Pick