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After more than two suicides in IIT Bombay, a two-day workshop has been conducted recently. It was meant to help first-year students acclimatise to their new surroundings and send a message to others that help is always at hand. A report of Mid-Day said.
“The purpose was to help students adjust to this sudden change — from home to the hostel. We wanted to help them understand that acclimatisation takes time and we are there for them,” said Soumyo Mukherji, dean of student affairs, IIT-B.
“The senior counsellor realised that this initial dialogue with first-year students would help build a bond with them, encouraging them to seek help from us whenever they needed,” he said.
About 900 first-year students attended the workshop held which also introduced them to various extra-curricular activities. The aim was to destress students.
“Students need to understand that there’s no need to fret over academics. They must pay equal attention to their hobbies as well. We often come across students who get easily frustrated when they don’t do well in academics,” added Mukherji.
“On an average, one counsellor meets about four-five students every day. But we don’t know how many of them are first-timers. In most cases, students opt for a follow-up. Even a single session makes a big difference. With whatever resources we have at our disposal, we want to reach out to all the students and help them resolve their problems,” said Mukherji.
He added that the institute is exploring newer ways of encouraging more dialogue between students and the authorities to better understand the root cause of stress among students.
