Published on May 10, 2022

-Avanti Nayal,
Jamnabai Narsee School

So, how does one become a writer? Well, a single google search is enough to provide you with a plethora of answers to that question – however, rarely do people talk about how one must not become a writer. That is precisely what I want to throw light on through this blog post.

The beginning of the journey

Let me begin by telling you a little about myself – I am an average 18 year old girl who is a hopeless romantic at heart (classic writer vibes, right?). I am loquacious in the presence of those I trust, but I am extremely reserved at social gatherings. I am a glutton who loves devouring pasta almost every week. More importantly, I am a voracious reader who doesn’t think twice before burying her nose in a book even during the exam season. Although I’ve been fond of literature since I was a child, I did not try my hand at writing until a few years ago.

While sitting in my art class on a very fine morning in 2018, my art teacher asked me if I had ever written a poem. It was completely out of the blue, and I was pleasantly surprised (to say the least). I disagreed with her. She went on to say that I had the eyes of a writer- we laughed at it and continued with the task at hand. Later that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about what she had said. After a lot of deliberation, I decided to write my first piece- a short poem on the unpredictable nature of human admiration. This was followed by a piece on first love, and before I knew it, my diary was overflowing with poems that depicted a side of my personality that was shrouded in mystery until that point. My diary had turned into some sort of a haven. I deem myself to be a novice, but I have learnt a thing or two about the nuances of prolific writing.

Enjoy the journey whilst you have your eyes set on the goal

Rarely do I see people talk about the sheer excitement and joy that writers experience almost immediately after they think of an idea that they would want to work on. More often than not, we cannot wait to put our work out there. It is inexplicably difficult to sustain the same level of enthusiasm until the very end. Sometimes, the writing on paper is nothing like we imagine it to be. It takes patience and determination to put into words what our mind conjures up. It could take us anywhere between 30 minutes and an eternity to get done with a piece. The first golden rule of being a writer is simplistic but hard to live by- love the journey more than the destination; adore the process of writing more than the final product. You cannot be a writer by being a person who doesn’t understand the significance of patience. Perhaps, writing teaches us numerous life lessons too. Nothing gives a writer more pleasure than taking a step back and admiring their art, but it takes an unfathomable amount of time to get to that stage. Spoiler alert- it involves a ton of broken pencils, torn papers, incomplete works and of course, a lot of brainstorming. 

The importance of vulnerability

The second golden rule of writing is the appreciation, acceptance and practice of being 

vulnerable. We are accustomed to thinking of our struggles as unique and different from those that our mates experience, but I am here to tell you that the aforementioned notion is absurd and utterly false (I did sound like a professor there, didn’t I?). Our struggles are more alike than we would like to believe, and maybe, that is the crux of expressing yourself through writing – maybe, we all just want to be assured of the fact that we aren’t alone in our ordeal. You cannot become a writer without being vulnerable, introspective and supremely honest. Writing that’s (uncannily) profound usually comes straight from the deepest, most unexplored crevices of the author’s heart. 

We all want to be understood, but rarely do we allow ourselves to show our bare self to the world. Writing gives you a glorious opportunity to do just that. Whether it is the notes that you scribble on your notes app at 3 am or the poems that you publish in a leading magazine, it all requires a great deal of vulnerability. Anne Frank’s diary wouldn’t be half as poignant if she wouldn’t have been completely honest about the most complex of things. Robert Frost’s poetry wouldn’t be half as popular if he hadn’t shared his heartfelt feelings with the world. 

You can be a writer too!

Language is perhaps the greatest invention of mankind. Writers can wreck you and be your saving grace all at once. They can ruin the greatest of people and redeem the worst of men. A dying man’s last words, a person’s first love letter, the texts that a concerned mother sends to her child, they all hold more power than any weapon ever will- a sword can damage your physical body, but a writer can touch all realms of your existence. That is the power of language, and if channelised in the right way, our voice has the power to leave an indelible mark on those who listen. 

There is a poet, an author or maybe even a blogger in all of us. We are a tapestry of emotions, thoughts, perspectives and experiences, and writing is the best possible way to immortalize it (whether it is for yourself or for the world). So, do yourself a favour and head to your favourite nook with a diary and a pen – give yourself the chance to embark on the journey of a lifetime. 

PS- you don’t need to create a masterpiece just yet, just being yourself is enough. Welcome to our world, fellow writer – we will not disappoint you! 

Psst.. want to explore a whole new world of poetry? Must you have heard of “Poetry in America”? The progam offers one of a kind poetry classes you should take pride in attending. Explore today!

Published on

A robotics workshop is an interesting way to enhance a high school student’s knowledge in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It has many benefits that can help students in their future careers. Other than that, robots are so cool! This is probably one of the best parts of joining a robotics workshop.

Benefits of a Robotics Workshop

Attending a robotics workshop has many benefits. It can build life skills and prepare high school students for the future, especially if they are interested in pursuing a career in STEM. Here are a few of the benefits that students can enjoy from joining a robotics workshop.

• Discover New Skills

The foundations of robotics center on STEM knowledge. Many students tend to shy away from learning science or mathematics because these subjects can seem tough and intimidating. But in a robotics workshop, students will have a chance to discover new skills such as coding, programming, and building from scratch. With the proper guidance and hands-on experience that a robotics workshop can offer, students that were once afraid of STEM subjects will find that they can learn these subjects at their own pace.

• Teamwork and Leadership

During a robotics workshop, students learn how to work with others to build the best prototype. Collaborating with teammates and testing their leadership skills are useful in the workshop and later on in life. Whether or not the students will pursue a career in STEM, these skills can help them become better members of society.

• Continued Interest and Curiosity

The best part of a robotics workshop? It can become a life-long hobby or interest that nurtures curiosity about the world.

Building a robot from scratch is a great way to understand how each part contributes to the final product. It is an enjoyable activity that can contribute to a sustained interest in STEM. Through robotics, high school students will get to have fun while applying science and mathematics concepts. This is a huge advantage especially if the student chooses to pursue a career in STEM. Even for students who will go on to pursue a career unrelated to STEM, the foundations of STEM knowledge can also help them tremendously! Aside from gaining technical STEM knowledge, students will learn how to be a leader and work collaboratively with a team – both are important skills in any field.

Parts of a Robotics Workshop

Robotics workshops generally include building, programming, implementation, and task execution. More complex programs can include the conceptualization of a prototype. In these programs, students create the whole idea of the robot and its purpose. A good example of this is building a robot to pick up trash or communicate with humans.

Of course, the parts of the workshop will depend on the curriculum of the school or club that teaches robotics. Here are the basic parts of a robotics workshop.

• Building the Robot

The first part, and for some the most enjoyable, is building the robot! Many robotics programs use Legos to build prototypes. And who doesn’t love Legos, right? At a program like Build Robots That Matter, students are even provided a free and extensive toolkit to construct their robots. Students can have fun with this part because it is up to them how they will design their robot. The designs usually start simple and functional to get the basics down.

• Programming

In robotics, students will learn the basics of coding and programming. The code will serve as the backbone of the robot that will be built. Without the proper code, the robot will not work as intended. Several programming languages can be used for robotics; the most popular languages are C/C++ and Python.

Although programming may seem like a difficult task, there is no reason for students to be afraid! Codes are generally straightforward, and with the right guidance, anyone can create a proper code for the robot to work. This code can be as simple as making the robot’s arms move or moving the robot forward if it has wheels.

• Implementation and Testing

The next part of a robotics workshop is the implementation and testing of the code created. Once a student has the code ready, it should be connected to the motor that runs the robot. The critical part of this step is to ensure that the code is implemented correctly for it to work.

• Executing the Task

When the robot is built, the code is created and connected to the motor, it is time to execute the task! Task execution means running the code to make the robot move. In this part of the workshop, the students will get to observe the work they put in. It is the role of the teacher to guide the student through all the parts of the workshop so they can successfully build and command a robot.

• Problem Solving

What happens when the task is not executed correctly? This is where problem-solving comes in. Aside from building a robot, the teacher must also guide students in learning how to troubleshoot any problems that come along. The error may be in the code or the connection. Teachers must always take an encouraging approach to help build confidence in their students.

Enrolling in a Robotics Workshop

Enrolling in basic robotics classes will allow students to discover new skills and gain more STEM knowledge. Some schools even have robotics teams that join national competitions! Nowadays, there are even robotics online courses that students can join to learn the basics of the subject. Any student is welcome to join a robotics workshop.

Final Word

Robotics is a fun and exciting way to learn a new skill. Students can express their creativity when building robots while also enhancing their STEM knowledge. There are many benefits to joining a robotics workshop, and all students should be given an equal opportunity to try their hand at building their robots.

A popular virtual robotics workshop is our summer workshop, Build Robots That Matter, in collaboration with Maker’s Asylum. Conducted by Boston University graduate Vaibhav Chhabra, the program teaches students to build robots that solve world problems while being aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goal 12. They learn the basics of electronics and robotics, circuits, Arduino programming, and sensor interfacing with Arduino; and work on projects like Circuit prototyping on a breadboard and Intruder Alarm.

Published on April 30, 2022

“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”

Poetry is the clear expression of feelings, thoughts, or ideas. It is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words. Though writing poetry is a creative endeavor, having a guideline can help you put your thoughts and feelings into words and give a definite shape to your ideas.  

How do you enter the intriguing world of Poetry?

Poetry is not only a dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings but laid out in proper, rhythmic order. It is a collection of the right words in the best order. To develop your poetic skills all you have to do is listen to your emotions and thoughts in tranquility. But if finding that inner voice is becoming a little hard, you can tune up your poetic skills by following these tips –

1. Read Read Read 

Reading poetry is a great way to trigger your poetry writing passion. As a start, just read poems from your favourite poet without delving into the layers of meanings. As you read more, the underlying meanings begin to unravel themselves and give you ideas to write one on your own. 

2. Listen to Glisten 

Poetry readings are a fun exercise that nurture the aspiring poet in you. Listening to good poetry is a great way to discover its construction and examine the words’ usage. It is an instructive activity that will help you get familiar with the beauty of rhyme, alliteration, syllable stresses, assonance, line breaks and other art forms that create poetic magic.      

3. Start Simple

Do not obsess over creative magic. Remember, you need to learn to crawl before you can walk. Keep writing and try to improve your writing step by step. Small poems are an attainable goal and are a good stepping stone. Focus on quality instead of just quantity. A simple poem that conveys your thoughts in an impressive way is much better than a rhyme-fest that conveys nothing.   

4. Familiarise yourself with styles

There are many ways and styles to express emotion through a poem. Develop your poetry writing skills by learning how to insert metaphors, similes, allegories, metonymy and other literary tools appropriately. The right rhyme scheme, meter, number of lines, subject etc are what set apart a good poem from a great one. A dictionary and a good thesaurus are your ideal partners as you start off.  

5. Sign-up for Poetry Classes

Many ideas you might have and want to express can be given wings through the right poetry writing course. Poetry exercises help you produce great poetry through the right combination of inspiration, guidance, encouragement and corrections. A poetry course helps you brainstorm ideas and teaches you the nuances of poetry writing. It helps you unlock your inner poet. 

Poetry in America Intensive

Poetry in America Intensive is for poets like you who want to board the flight to literature. 

Join our poetry classes to hop on a literary field trip across America through time, to experience poetry as it speaks to other art forms–music, visual art, dance, photography–and, as it opens new windows on many of the social and political issues of our time.

Created by Poetry in America founder and director Professor Elisa New, Director of the Center for Public Humanities at ASU, and the Powell M. Cabot Professor of American Literature at Harvard University, the Poetry in America Intensive will prepare learners for college-level literature courses in a fun, interactive setting. 

This week-long poetry workshop offers 15 hours of intensive programming, including live virtual instruction and pre-recorded video content, and confers one ASU credit that can be transferred to a college or university of the learner’s choice.

Published on April 26, 2022

Do you dream about working for the IPL and other sports leagues as a high schooler?

Well, we have got just the news for you!

Did you know that the Indian Premier League has been named the 6th Biggest Sports League in the world by none other than Forbes Magazine?

It’s true! IPL has grown by 134% since its inauguration in 2009! And from 2020 to 2021, despite Covid hurdles, it continued to grow by 7%!

In 2022, as India begins to reopen and stadiums get ready to host spectators, the numbers are only going to rise!

Data provided by Brand Finance.   

The success of IPL has been nothing short of revolutionary, inspiring various sports in India to follow in their footsteps – including Indian Super League and Pro Kabaddi.

courtesy: www.indiansuperleague.com

courtesy: www.prokabaddi.com

And subsequently, the Indian sports industry is booming!

In fact, according to Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), India will require a whopping 4.3 million sports jobs by 2022, with the number sure to grow in the years ahead.

What this means is an abundance of career opportunities for sports aficionados like you! And you don’t even have to be an athlete, as these opportunities come across a vast and exciting range of fields and professions!

Data provided by FICCI          

Got a knack for graphic design? Then why not try your hand for the Sports Media and Marketing industry?

Passionate about mental health? Then why not try your hand for the Sports medicine and wellness industry?

The industry is bursting with opportunities, and you are bound to find one that suits your talents!

But how do you make your big break?

You have a talent and are passionate about sports. But how do you take the next step? How do you navigate the challenges and hurdles of an up-and-coming industry? How do you make yourself stand out from the countless other job-seekers?

That’s where we come in!

Presenting, Business of Sports 101, our Sports Programme in collaboration with none other than Inaugural IPL champs Rajasthan Royals, and the 3rd highest ranked university in the world for Sport Science, Deakin University!

The 12-day summer program, taught by experts such as IPL head coach Paddy Upton, teaches you the ins and outs of the Sports Industry, covering topics from Sport Organisation and Marketing to Nutrition and Coaching. Following the intensive summer program, you are offered a Guaranteed Internship with Rajasthan Royals to apply your learnings in a practical setting!

Ready to make your name in sports? Click here to learn more!