How to Defeat Exam Fever?

EXAM FEVER is the virus which is spread among students from long back. Exam time is a period where students and parents are anxious, spend sleepless nights. Students worry about exams for days during and before exam days. Exam tests student knowledge of subjects which they studied and learned over the academic year but due to exam fever they can't perform to their best.

Many students experience unpleasant, negative thoughts during the exam periods, by which they loose concentration while preparing and as well as while performing in the exam. Concentration plays a very important role for students; students should study with no disturbance and with peaceful mind. Best way is to follow timetables made by you considering all factors like sleep time, relax time or eating time check all your routines and prepare a good timetable which can be followed. Concentration comes automatically when you are healthy and happy, so be happy and healthy during exams.

Some students are confident till they enter into the exam hall, but as they look into the question paper their mind is blank for some time as they think about the questions which they can't answer or for which they didn't prepare. This is a mistake done by many students they check the whole question paper once its in their hand, it's a wrong step specially for those who get sacred or afraid of not doing well seeing the whole questions. I agree student should be aware of questions to mange their time for lengthy answers, so best thing to do is check 2-3 questions, answer them and then check whole paper, choose best possible questions to answer them. This way student can gain some confidence as he already answered few questions.

Parents can be very helpful for students who are afraid of exams. Help them to revise, making notes, briefing points and conducting mock tests. Try to break up the difficult chapters into points, so that they can understand and study easily. Foremost thing that parent should take care is to see their child is fresh and taken good food during exams especially on the day of the exam.

ALL THE BEST …………

CBSE Xth Board Exam Schedule / Dates

Saturday,01st March, 2008 10:30 AM
ELEM. OF BUSINESS - Code:154
INTRODUCTORY I T - Code:165
ELEM BOOK-K & ACCY - Code:254
TYPEWRITING-ENG - Code:354
TYPEWRITING-HINDI - Code:454

Monday,03rd March, 2008 10:30 AM
SOCIAL SCIENCE - Code:087

Wednesday,05th March, 2008 10:30 AM
URDU COURSE-A - Code:003
PUNJABI - Code:004
TAMIL - Code:006
SINDHI - Code:008
MARATHI - Code:009
GUJARATI - Code:010
MANIPURI - Code:011
MALAYALAM - Code:012
ORIYA - Code:013
KANNADA - Code:015
ARABIC - Code:016
TIBETAN - Code: 017
FRENCH - Code: 018
PORTUGUESE - Code:019
GERMAN - Code:020
RUSSIAN - Code:021
PERSIAN - Code:023
NEPALI - Code:024
LIMBOO - Code:025
LEPCHA - Code:026
BHUTIA - Code:095
SPANISH - Code:096
KASHMIRI - Code:097
MIZO - Code:098
URDU COURSE-B - Code:303

Friday,07th March, 2008 10:30 AM
BENGALI - Code:005
TELUGU - Code:007
ASSAMESE - Code:014
HOME SCIENCE - Code:064

Tuesday,11th March, 2008 10:30 AM
MATHEMATICS - Code:041

Friday,14th March, 2008 10:30 AM
ENGLISH COMM. - Code:101
ENGLISH LNG & LIT. - Code:184

Monday,17th March, 2008 10:30 AM
HINDI COURSE-A - Code:002
HINDI COURSE-B - Code:08

Wednesday,19th March, 2008 10:30 AM
COMM. SANSKRIT - Code:122

Thursday,20th March, 2008 10:30 AM
MUSIC KAR.VOCAL - Code:031
MUSIC KAR.INS.MEL. - Code:032
MUSIC KAR.INS.PER. - Code:033
MUSIC HIND.VOCAL - Code:034
MUSIC HIND.INS.MEL - Code:035
MUSIC HIND.INS.PER - Code:036

Monday,24th March, 2008 10:30 AM
PAINTING - Code:049

Tuesday,25th March, 2008 10:30 AM
SCIENCE-THEORY - Code:086
SCIENCE W/O PRAC - Code:090

Thursday,27th March, 2008 10:30 AM
SCIENCE-PRAC. SKLS - Code:086

Boarding School’s Pros and Cons

Parents that relocate often due to work have a problem with their children's education continuity that's the reason they opt for Boarding schools. But most of the parents are in dilemma whether they should or shouldn't send their kids to boarding school. Boarding school has its pros and cons like any other school. Let's have a glance on those factors.

Students of boarding school are very self-dependent, disciplined and well educated as student has to take care of himself other than just studies. Though boarding school can't provide the love, nurturing, and watchful eye of a parent, still most of the parents prefer boarding school as they feel education is important.

Each child has different mentality and family background, and due to this they face compatibility problem resulting homesickness. Homesick is a word which all students are aware, as they go through that one or the other day.

Boarding school Cons

• Lack of well-rounded social exposure
• Inferiority complex from seeing others excel in academics and sports
• Possibility of falling into destructive groups or cliques
• Lack of well-rounded social exposure
• Homesickness and less bonding with parents

Boarding School Pros

• More self-reliance and time management
• Teachers get to know and understand the students and teach them well
• Lifelong friendships and traditionally stronger social networks
• Better opportunity for self-assessment through extra-curricular activities
• More opportunities for teamwork and to explore interests and potential

The boarding school debate is endless. Decision to send kid to boarding schools should be based on a thoughtful analysis of the kid in question with unique challenges associated with growing up away from home.

Parents Play a Vital Role for Childs Psychology

My friend Sindhu is a Counselor for school kids. Thought of sharing some experiences of her while counseling and teaching. First let me tell you about Sindhu, she is my friend from class 1, she is a very active girl from childhood. Sindhu was the first person to contact if her friends/classmates had some issues, she always uses to have some or the other solution for the issue. May be that's the reason she took this profession and doing with efficiency.

She shared some of hers counseling experiences with me, according to her primary class students are very tuff to counseled. They are very innocent by which we can't explain her in a matured manner we need to be very patient with them. One boy of 1st STD failed in his exams due to health problems he was a good student. He was forced to repeat his class, he wasn't ready for that, and he wanted to sit with his friends of his previous year class. He was disturbed and was loosing interest in studies; he stopped talking with others in-fact with his parents also. Sindhu counseled him with great difficulty as he is innocent, in first 2-3 sessions he dint even look up, slowly he got close to her and was very comfortable with her. She at last convinced that child and soon he was like before happy and joyful.

Parents play a vital role for Child's mentality but most of the parents are working and have very less time for their kids. They feel lonely and develop bad habits like smoking, drinking especially teenagers. One girl was addicted to drugs, after counseling sindhu came to know most of her friends do the same when they feel lonely……that's really pity. She had conversation with all her friends and had a successful session; she helped them to explain that parents work for them to give them better life, she took them to orphanage to show how kids are alone no body to take care and they are much better than those orphans. She had a separate counseling for parents, she told them the situation and explained them to spend some time and talk with them at least on weekends by which kids understand them and cooperate.

Counseling can be defined as interpersonal, theory-based process of helping children who are physically healthy but have developmental and situational issues. As I mentioned earlier parents play a vital role for child's psychology mentality, so parents should take care of their kids and talk with them as much as possible. Be a tutor to your develop child's psychology. Counselors do their part but parents are the ones who are close to kids.

Computer - A Blessing or Curse

Computer has become a part of luxury for one and all, from kids to old people all have some or the other need from computer. Couple of years back personal computers was found very rarely in houses where as today you can find PC in about 2 out of 5 homes, the ratio has increased drastically. Internet was unknown to common people, now without internet our lives will halt as we need internet for almost in all arenas it might be banking, paying bills, emails, online booking for trains, or booking tickets for movie. Earlier if we wanted to have pizza/burger we had to compulsory need to go to bakery, now it's just a few clicks away you can order online and enjoy it at your home in no time.

PC is proven to be best buddy for youngsters and teenagers; they spend all their leisure time on computer. They love browsing, chatting, and playing games, in fact cricket scores, news, weather, latest gossips and more all are available on internet that's the reason they spend most of their time on system.

Computer knowledge is must for all, as children enter into elementary school they are taught computer basics, as they grow their knowledge is broaden. Parents also teach them to use computer for each and every work as they feel it's the best source to develop knowledge. In our childish days we use to play with friends but now kids are completely dependent on PC, instead of playing games like hide-n-seek they prefer playing computer games.

"Computer - A Blessing or curse" this is the argument which will never end, It has got its advantages and disadvantages in different perspective.

Your Thoughts Are Welcome!

Jack of all Trades, But Master of None – Today’s Generation Kids

Today’s competitive world demands smart kids who are active and intelligent in their respective fields, but many of today’s parents look in a different perspective – they want their children to excel in almost all fields they think or know about and ready to do what so ever that will help their children meet to their expectations. Whether it is school or academy for dance or sports, parents look for the best source for their children.

Parents feel proud if their kid is known in school by all teachers and co-students and are ready to do pay a huge amount to develop special interests or talent in their kids. This sometimes leads to forcing children to do things which they are not interested or handle multiple tasks.

Children are innocent, they don’t understand the world, and they just want to be in their world of happiness. And for kids happiness means playing with friends, going out with parents to malls, chitchatting, asking stupid questions, playing pranks and many more small things which are big for their world. But now for this generation they don’t get time to do all those, tight schedule is the reason behind that.

From the time they wake-up in the morning till they sleep, kids are busy with their schedule. Apart from studies they need to go for extra curricular activities like dancing, painting, sports (tennis is the latest craze in India, all thanks to Sania Mirza) etc.. Though many of the children don’t like it parents force them to do. Children tend to loose interest in all including studies and many students live in their own world competing with himself and the competition is in which field he will be perfect.

“Jack of all trades, but master of none” is what today’s generation kids, so parents should understand it and try to make out one talent instead of forcing them to do all. Especially the things which kids love to do, at least till they are mature enough to understand this competitive world.

Quiz based educational service on TV, first time in India

Television is watched by kids continuously through out the day when they are left alone at home or when they are restricted to play out door with friends or on their leisure time. Many of the parents are worried about this issue as they think TV is the source where child learns beyond his age, for instance he watches movies, reality shows or serials which includes criminal and adult programs. Children generally learn the things which they observe and try to do it practically resulting increase in child crime.

Children watch shows which are not suitable & unnecessary for their age, they loose their innocence and act more mature which is very harmful for their personality and social development.

TV is the reason students getting low grades as it takes time away from reading and homework. Generally parents allow kids to watch TV in holidays and try to stop them watching in school days, which is really a big headache as TV is very addictive and kids continue to watch TV on school days which effect on their Academic performance.

Taking this as point TataSky which has over 1 million of subscribers has partnered with 24x7guru.com which is an online assessment tool provider for school children to introduce interactive self-assessment tool for the children of age group 7-11 yrs. Its Quiz based educational service which covers GK, Maths and Science. This quiz can be easily taken as it can be accessed with the help of remote, after the quiz individual score cards and correct answers are also given to them by which they can learn the correct answers for the questions which they were wrong.


Television is a powerful medium for children to learn apart from the entertainment. Through TataSky’s tool every day child can learn around 50 different questions which will help them to enhance their knowledge, it can be GK or academic subjects like Mathematics & science. Indians are tending more towards Online facilities like banking, business developing and now lately on online Education. That’s the reason for programs like TataSky and 24x7guru have been coming up.

Outcome of a novel initiative

Outcome of a novel initiative in Destination NASA 2008 challenge:
* Son and his friends have started discussing their textbooks, Science and Maths discussions are now a common affair among children.
* They spend their time on the Internet more productively, learning additionally from the internet.
* Knowing how they fared in Maths & Science by taking self-assessment tests online through www.24x7guru.com.
* They are now a highly motivated and confident set of individuals.
* Parents and Teachers are also keen and constantly involved in guiding the children to achieve their cherished goals.
* Finally, all (children, parents & teachers) have got themselves equipped to face the NASA stars.

When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are.

I was going through the latest BillionBeats ePaper, the fortnightly ePaper brought out by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. I really like it for it is some positive fortnightly news that we can do with and not just that, it's also a source of several interesting quotes.
One such quote from the Dec 26, 2007 issue says 'When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come true'. While the line may not always hold good but its implication are a plenty and definitely a thought-provoking quote.
When it comes to wishing for the stars most of us are pretty good decision-makers, however though most of those decisions end up in the negative. How often do we put down innovative ideas, instead a small re-work on such thoughts could have made it a success.
It's fine to be realistic but its best to be realistically optimistic. I wouldn't like to sound preachy in this post but instead would like to cite examples to illustrate the quote in a better context.
Here, lets take the instance of the Destination NASA Challenge 2008, where 10 lucky students get to visit NASA along with a parent/guardian/sibling and a teacher.
Something special for children to look upto, enabling them to work towards their desires. Besides motivation (which the contest truly has) they also need your support and encouragement.
It might give them a competitive edge if they're brilliant in Science & Maths at school but sometimes the best minds in Science & Maths aren't always the toppers, so every child stands a good chance. This coupled with inspiration and positive thoughts can go a long way in giving the child the impetus to do well.
As a guiding force, parents & teachers can also help children in planning and organizing their lessons. But avoid forcing them into your decisions, instead you could include them in the discussions. This way children not only feel important but also responsible for the decisions taken.
Therefore, it every sense anyone of us could wish for the stars. To turn this wish into reality we need to challenge ourselves more often.

Destiny Destination NASA

At 8 - We grew up in a neighborhood where most elders weren't too fond of children. Cliched isn't it. But behold, we children weren't all that nice as well - Brats were what we were call then.
We hit tennis ball on-the-fly and into the soup (or should I say sambar) and then even before someone yelled or came out, we were off.
Then there were occasions where threw wet tissues from the terrace ensuring that it had a safe landing on one's head.
Yes, besides being pranksters, most children also have ambitions of reaching for the sky and making it big.

At 16 - Here came the celebrations, a long and hard cricket match finally won. With the tennis ball as a match souvenir we strolled around the park splashing Cola & water on each other (couldn't get sambar this time around).
This was after all the Blue-Star tournament finals, one of the biggest tennis ball tournaments in Chennai. The winners here take it all and no tissue boxes could savage the sweat and tears that downed during the matches.
We felt we had truly reached for the stars.

At 24 - The News includes:
BCCI bowls out Cricket Australia (not much of champagne or sambar)
Ponting and team Australia shed no tears (no need of tissues as well)
But what's contest is our desire to reach for the sky or stars. Now I realize that children have an opportunity to experience the sky, stars, etc. at the best possible site - NASA
Parents and teachers this time under the supervision of Children also get to visit NASA and experience the hub of Rocket Science. The challenge is organized by an e-learning portal 24x7guru.com, and was launch by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan.

More information on the challenge can be found here.

Destination NASA videos & sound bytes

I was doing my bit of browsing when inadvertently stumbled across Destination NASA 2008 Challenge videos and sound bites. Besides the homepage www.24x7guru.com, here are a few other sites where one can find videos of Destination NASA –

• http://news.pressmart.net – here you have 3 videos labeled ‘Destination NASA’, ‘Aamir Khan’s Destination NASA’ and ‘24x7Guru.com’
• http://www.epaper.timesofindia.com – here you find the DN video as well as a Site Capture banner that speaks about the DN challenge.
• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=destination+NASA&search=Search – it has half a dozen relevant videos.

DN sound bytes:

I want to go to NASA too. Why is it just children, it’s so unfair.

That is precisely why the DN contest not only entitles the winning student to explore NASA but also gives them an opportunity to take both a teacher and a parent or older sibling along.

Why NASA?

It’s all about aspiration, for every 10 children who want to be a doctor, engineer of a lawyer, today, there is one who wants to be an aero-space engineer, resources like a visit to NASA is a boon for these children.

On demand, shall try and search for a few more.

En route Destionation NASA

One never ceases to learn, for all education is in essence a journey to wisdom. It all begins in one’s childhood, the time when the brain’s is supposedly most active having higher grasping powers. The children of today are further complimented by guiding peers and exposure to pursue their specific interests. An added advantage here is that newer methods have suddenly found their way in learning as well.

Taking the example of the ‘Destination NASA Knowledge Challenge’, a pan India contest launched by a popular self-assessment portal www.24x7guru.com, which has decided to take deserving students to the experts and help them experience learning at NASA – a monumental feat considering NASA has often been labeled the epitome of science and technology.

The Destination NASA contest had been launched by Aamir Khan, the Bollywood actor of Taare Zameen Par fame. Through this Knowledge Challenge 10 meritorious students will be selected from a series of multiple-choice questions based on their respective class syllabus to visit NASA.

The challenge has been extended over 975 schools across 12 cities with participation of over 1 million students. The initiative has been taken with the objective of encouraging kids to polish their fundamentals and rewarding them for excellence. The tests are being carried out with optimum usage of software and technology spread across all examinations centers with computers.

Of the 130 contestants selected for the grand finals, based on their scores -

The Top 10 winners would be eligible for a trip to NASA accompanied by a parent/ guardian and a school representative. They would also have the opportunity for a one to one meet with the revered Bollywood actor, Aamir Khan. The remaining 120 would receive gifts as below:

20 LG Desktop

30 Apple IPod Nano

30 Cannon Digi Camera (each)

40 Casio G shock watches (each)

If you want to know more – ask school authorities about it or simply click here Destination NASA.

Indian way of learning a big hit in Japan

Here’s an interesting article I read in the ToI (dated 3^rd Jan 08). We have all along believed the Japanese to being the pioneers of intellectual brilliance and rapid learning. The Japanese have had a huge technological lead among its neighbors, so much so that there was hardly any competition from the developed world as well.
Infact till recently, its visionary management concepts and diligent workforce help steer the Japanese economy beyond comparison. A few notable sectors that still dominate the World markets include its Automobile and Electronic goods industry.
Historians and Experts have always considered Japan to be the region’s most advanced nation. But over the last few years the Japanese have been gripped by the fear of being taken over by the ever-growing Indian and Chinese economies.
A red alert has been sounded in the Japanese academic circles last Month after the announcement by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, whose survey placed Japan in the 10^th place in Maths skills (a drop from the first place in 2000) and 6^th place in Science skills ( a drop from the second spot).
To counter the drop in standards many parents have started to prefer Indian schools in Japan, as they believed in the Indian way of learning that focused on Maths and Science basics. It was bitter pill, especially when it was the Japanese education that was once praised and popular for their emphasis on learning at an early age.
With tremendous growth in Indian education standards and its technology-aided tools (e.g. www.24x7guru.com) for youngsters, Indian way of learning is here to stay for long time.

Learning is fun

As the quote goes ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. But what if work was play and hence fun for Jack. We ought to this give this a thought.
I remember during my school days, there were occasions when the entire class was excited about the subject and deeply engrossed in its activities. Those activities included field trips where one found rare genre of flowers, fruits – differentiating then on the color, edibility and region of prevalence. These were rare moment and the class wanted more such activity learning.
Interactive learning gives a child room to understand concepts better. It’s essential that both teachers and parents include this in their child’s learning process and adding the many self-assessment aided tools that have come up. They may include CDs and web portals such as www.24x7guru.com that help children with self-assessment tests and further briefing them on the solutions.
Therefore, interactive classroom aid and regular assessment are most rewarding and should be made the academic backbone of every growth. These methods also help us customize teaching according to each child’s potential.