On Saturday, more than 200 students of Class 10 attended a guidance seminar aimed to train the young minds to face and ace the upcoming SSC board examination. Held at the St Joseph’s High School in Wadala, it was facilitated by two resource persons – renowned psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty MBBS and educationist Shailaja Mulay. The event which extended to about three hours was attended by 25-30 SSC students from each school in the area, including SIES, Don Bosco (Matunga), Auxilium Convent, and Sita Ram Prakash High School along with 110 in-house students.
SSC students from a few SoBo schools attend Guidance seminar 2024 with parents | SJHS
Following a prayer and welcome address delivered by Rector-manager Father James Nigrel, resource persons Dr Shetty and Mulay, one after another, addressed the students and guided them with tips to prepare and appear the board examination in 2025.
Remember RRR...
Dr Shetty greeted the students, parents, and school teachers as he headed to an interactive session. In a friendly and relatable way, he resonated his talk with movies and gave his motto for exam preparation. “During exams, students must remember RRR,” he said while not really associating the acronym with the award-winning film but terms like “Resilience, Relationship and Repair.”
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Dr Harish Shetty's interactive talk at Wadala school | SJHS
“Class 10 is just one of the steps in one’s education and career. It promotes the learner to the next level. Every student must see examinations as a stepping stone and not a milestone,” the psychiatrist added while motivating students and asking them not worry over the SSC examinations.
Guidance to parents
He also interacted with some of the parents who attended the seminar and advised them to not pressurise their kids or compare them with other students. Noting that continuous study and no play are not the ideal way to prepare for exams, Dr Shetty asked kids to invest some time in stepping outdoors to play and involve in physical activity. Conveying this idea in a lighthearted way, he said, “You must play because physical activity strengthens your muscles and muscles toh brain ki girlfriend hai. Girlfriend khush toh brain will work better.”
Insights from educationist
After Shetty’s inspiring words, Shailaja Mulay addressed the class 10 students and shared insights about what lessons or concepts are important from the examination point of view, the process that goes behind identifying questions and setting the exam paper, how one can target to pass or top the exam and much more.
Shailaja Mulay addressing SSC students | SJHS
Don't fear 'tough' question paper
“The SSC papers are set considering the entire Maharashtra region, both rural and city students. These papers are designed in such a way that every student can attempt and get a decent score. Every student, be it weak or those with less exposure to learning, is kept in mind before the final paper is printed and passed on. So, students must not fear about ‘tough’ exam paper,” she said.
What after Class 10?
She later pointed out that sharing knowledge is a very important practice one must adopt in life and suggested it could be done by helping a friend who needs study material or better approaches to understand subject matter.
However, she also took a step further to go beyond the textbooks, curriculum, and studies. Mulay emphasised on students’ exposure to the world outside schools and after Class 10. “After exams, step outside and travel across Mumbai. Visit colleges near you and those you aspire to take admission in. Don’t blindly enroll into the college your friend wants to join. Decide yourself. Utilise the period after the exam and before the results to make yourself ready for college,” Mulay mentioned.
School principal reflects on event
The resource persons were felicitated for guiding students towards Class 10 examinations scheduled in 2025.
On the note of this event, school principal Rev. Father Solomon Rapol said, “We want the students to do their best in the exams and that can’t be done without the right guidance. This made us host this seminar, not only for our school students but also for those in close proximity, to channelise them and help them perform in an informed and guided way.”
School staff with resource persons: (L-R) Secondary supervisor Nagaprabha, Principal Solomon Rapol, Shailaja Mulay, Rector James Nigrel, Std X Teacher Seema D'Souza, Dr Harish Shetty. | SJHS
Class 10 students & mental health
He concluded saying, ”In case of class 10 students, mental health needs attention and care as they undergo pressure. This guidance seminar was a means to prepare students to handle the SSC examination with not anxiety but confidence.”
