Cracking admissions to get into an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is one thing, but choosing an IIT based on your mental health needs is another. Both require persistence and demand much from our mental health.
But even before making the choice or attempting the exam comes a list of important questions — do you know what you want to do with your professional life? Are you ready for the grind?
Here are a few pointers that aspiring students should take into consideration before aspiring devotedly for an IIT. Mental health experts share their wisdom and illuminate the path ahead.
Attempting the exam
Yukti Rastogi, a licensed clinical psychologist associated with IIT Hyderabad, shares that students must be confident about cracking the exam. Any persisting fear that they might have regarding not being able to crack the examination might prove detrimental.
On coping with failures, the clinical psychologist asserts, “Getting into an IIT requires passion and the need to grow. Thus, students have to be prepared for failure. Everyone is a topper in an IIT and everyone is bound to fail in some area or another. They have to accept their failures and seek social and emotional support from family, friends and others.”
Never pursue brand, go after passion
Yukti says, “Students have to ask themselves why they want to get into only an IIT and not any other college. They also have to ask themselves why they want to be an engineer. They have to understand their interests and be informed. Only then will they be able to understand the system of IITs and survive.”
Acceptance towards a bigger, better vision
Alisha Lalljee, a psychologist and special educator from Mumbai, talks about how a student should be accepting of the situation, whatever the outcome. She states, “Acceptance should come forth when indulging in the whole process of admissions and counselling. They must remember that the quality of education matters and never the location or the place. The outcome is never in our hands and one must always keep in mind their academic goal and not the destination.”
She added that one must always find solutions to situations and have backup plans in order to brace for the situation confidently and positively. Yukti also emphasises three words, “persistence, perseverance and consistency.”
