Something beyond academics – There is more to it!

Academics are the cradle for the developmental skills of an individual. They help to create a distinct personality of an individual. But is an individual’s evolution confined to solely academics?

It is an observation that academics are habitually baffled with education. Education in India has been limited to academic excellence. The concept of getting out into the field, for acquiring practical know-how, is always regarded as a confidence trick.

Education is not just good grades in schools or colleges. Academics are just one of the elements for a complete education. Learning is an everyday process that happens with academics and real-life understanding as well.

But the fact is that education serves a far more extensive territory than we know of it. The teaching model, from the basics, thrives on getting good grades and job offers, rather than being innovative and exclusive/uncommon.

Comprehensive Development

The world is evolving every day. The purpose of education has evolved over time in the 21^st century. The paradigm shift in the entire education system is now noticeable. The masses have now come to fathom that education is a full circle endeavour that should focus on an individual’s comprehensive development, rather than confining him/her to the classroom.

Branching apart from book boundaries, students should be involved in activities that build their confidence to consider new prospects. Beyond academic activities that take place outside the classroom, but fortify classroom curriculum, in some or the other way, have become a centre of attention today. Participation in such activities helps youngsters grow mentally, intellectually, and individually. The rational development of a student is built in the classroom, but for creative development such as teamwork, character-building, and overall growth activities beyond academics are of paramount importance. Considering, if a student is a part of a college football team, it’s an opportunity to learn teamwork and coordination, in a doable manner, which otherwise cannot be taught in the classroom.

The rational development of a student is built in the classroom, but for creative development such as teamwork, character-building, and overall growth activities beyond academics are of paramount importance.

If we talk about colleges and institutes, there is a need for practical exposure so that the students can understand the precise cultural expectations of the industry. For instance, taking a student to a manufacturing firm will give him/her the right knowledge and better learning of the industry.

Battening this change, most technical colleges including B-schools have adopted the concept of periodic guest lectures, industrial visits, conferences, seminars, cultural festivals. This adds to the practical ability which is required in the current scenario and coming years as well. With regular industry visits, students can better recognise their anticipated areas of work in the overall organisational framework. Moreover, they help boost interpersonal skills and communication techniques. Additionally, guest lectures are a great way for students to gain utmost exposure, as guest speakers talk about their real-life experiences and real-time industry insights.

This helps in developing the overall personality of the students, fostering various soft skills in them, which otherwise are challenging to develop. Undoubtedly, life beyond academics creates creative and empowered professionals.

With regular industry visits, students can better recognise their anticipated areas of work in the overall organisational framework. Moreover, they help boost interpersonal skills and communication techniques.

At Avantika University, we believe in the philosophy that apart from academics, the students must be provided with specific opportunities to explore their creativity. Thus, cultural programmes and competitions such as song, dance, drama, debates etc. are organised to inspire, discover, and bolster the underlying capability of the students. We are working to support confident and thoughtful self-expression; we hope to touch lives and do our part to cultivate a generation of socially responsible and creative individuals.

Avantika is built on application-based education, which provides holistic development of our students. The Industry Relations team is established to provide expert guidance, develop a culture of entrepreneurship, provide professional exposure, and guide students beyond the academic curriculum. The objective is to infuse entrepreneurial spirit among all stakeholders harnessing the power of design and technology to solve some of the challenging global problems with profitable business models. There are four types of sessions that the team organizes every Friday, which are as follows: -

• SparkTalks
• The Bodhi Tree
• Industrial Mind Restoration (IMR)
• Crusaders for Tomorrow

The way FORWARD

The Covid-19 pandemic has altogether rattled the Education system across most parts of the world. Since March 2020, schools, institutes, and colleges have had to switch to the online platform overnight to deliver classes virtually. The teaching modes and methods have altered and hence, online classes have seen an upsurge. Relatively, Avantika University turned the crisis into an opportunity via adopting the online platform ‘Canvas LMS’ into the system. Avantika University switched to online mode using CANVAS LMS to mitigate the loss without any disruption.

The online education model has limited academics to a screen. Consequently, activities beyond academics have taken a hit. Now when we are on the cusp of a new decade, we hope that classroom learning restores in 2021. Additionally, we are optimistic that activities beyond academics are also re-established in a way that we make up for what is lost over the last ten months.

About the author:

Punit Lalwani is the Strategic Communications Officer at Avantika University.

Note: The views expressed in this article are that of the institute and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha