Beyond High School - January 2024 Edition
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For High
Schoolers
A monthly magazine for educators, parents, and high schoolers.
Designed to inspire & prepare high schoolers for life beyond.
ISSUE 7 | JANUARY 2024
Playing with Purpose
How can you cultivate well-being and
life skills through play?
Tech and Community
What do online study communities
look like?
Students Speak
High schoolers share their views on
exam culture and share preparation
tips.
Dear readers,
It's that time of the year again, you’ve replaced Netflix for the re-runs of your lectures for
your binge fix. You’ve said goodbye to several social events. You’ve forgotten the last time
you read fiction for leisure. We are here. Exam Season has descended upon us.
All around you, there's a ubiquitous effort to scramble for the best on one’s side. In this
effort of yours, this issue will remind you that your journey from mere academic dust to an
academic weapon is closer than it seems. This is where we introduce you to becoming an
Academic Weapon for Dummies.
Flip through this issue to find yourself absorbing the wisdom of Ancient China or visualize
your resilience this exam season materializing at the workplace in the coming years. Find
out the ins and outs of this season and soothe your mind, body, and soul with some good
ol’ Lego games. Get motivated with some personal stories that may help you romanticize
this phase of your life.
If you’re looking for more inspo, find some interesting movies listed to suit your academic
vibes, or listen to a podcast while you solve those numericals. Learn how you can make
those revisions fun by joining online study rooms based in a quaint library and set goals
with hundreds of your peers.
We invite you to seize the opportunity of this season and embrace your unfolding success
as you traverse through the pages of our monthly magazine.
With good luck,
Smridhi Chadha
Office of High School Programmes
EDITOR’S NOTE
Beyond High School | Page 1
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Dear readers,
It's that time of the year again - you’ve replaced netflix for the reruns of your lectures for
your binge fix. You’ve said goodbye to a number of social events. You’ve forgotten the last
time you read fiction for leisure. We are here. Exam Season has descended upon us.
All around you, there's a ubiquitous effort to scramble for the best on one’s side. In this
effort of yours, this issue will remind you that your journey from mere academic dust to an
academic weapon is closer than it seems. This is where we introduce you to becoming an
Academic Weapon for Dummies.
Flip through this issue to find yourself absorbing the wisdom of Ancient China or visualize
your resilience this exam season materializing at the workplace in the coming years. Find
out what are the ins and outs of this season and soothe your mind, body, and soul with
some good ol’ lego games. Get motivated with some personal stories that may help you
romanticize this phase of your life.
If you’re looking for more inspo, find some interesting movies listed to suit your academic
vibes, or listen to a podcast while you solve those numericals. Learn how you can make
those revisions fun by joining virtual study rooms based in Cherry Blossom Japan and set
goals with hundreds of your peers.
We invite you to seize the opportunity of this season and embrace your unfolding success
as you traverse through the pages of our monthly.
With good luck,
Smridhi Chadha
Office of High School Programmes
Beyond High School | Page 2
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MASTER-LIST FOR THE EXAM SEASON
We need to set some vibes & manifest good grades...
Beyond High School | Page 3
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INs
INs
Showing up everyday
1.
Taking deliberate interest
in what you are reading
2.
Rewarding yourself after
big and small wins
3.
Going the extra mile for
your future
4.
A healthy sleeping cycle
5.
Tons of nutritious meals
6.
Finding your
cheerleaders
7.
Tracking your progress
8.
Ambient lighting for cozy
reading sessions
9.
OUTs
OUTs
Procrastination
1.
All-nighters
2.
Self-doubt
3.
Dreading the future
4.
Forgetting to take your
meals
5.
Not getting enough sun
6.
Not taking your menty-b
seriously
7.
Comparing yourself to
others
8.
No time for hobbies
9.
Beyond High School | Page 4
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ASHOKA UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
You’ve been grinding intensely this exam season, and regardless of your scores, the
techniques, discipline, and interests that you foster right now are skills and values
that will stay with you beyond the classroom. This hustle is not just to bag the desired
score, but also to fulfill a long term vision - to feel secure professionally.
This is why Deloitte’s Annual Report about what Gen-Z feels at the workplace is of critical
utility to you. Find out how your predecessors are pushing boundaries to challenge the
status quo and build better working conditions that you would ultimately partake in:
About 32% of your peers who have begun working have pointed out that education does
not stop with clearing your exams. Instead, you learn so much at the job! They realize the
value in upskilling consistently and are actively demanding challenges that would help
them add value to their roles. They’ve clearly dedicated much thought to it and spent a
copious amount of time at work, or thinking about work. It is only fair, then, that for a
whopping 65% of the Gen-Z workforce, their work gets attached very closely to their self-
identity.
Interestingly, 22% of Gen-Z at work are also increasingly recognizing how relevant it is for
their employers to be mindful of their mental health. And this also explains why about 53%
of the Gen-Z workforce in India already feels burnt-out. Fortunately, most (90%) of these
people also feel that their employers have been kind enough to take mental health
seriously.
We hope you engage with this report and learn from the experiences of your immediate
predecessors and use this exam season to anchor your studies in the long-term impact
you wish to make.
We can’t wait to see what tides of changes you bring to the workforce. As future leaders,
your current engagement with such research and a wide range of perspectives is the key
to unlock a brighter future for a generation.
RESEARCH IN FOCUS
LEARNING BEYOND EXAMS: NAVIGATING YOUR FUTURE AT
THE WORKPLACE
Beyond High School | Page 5
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Talk about Siri or ChatGPT - your most fundamental questions are answered through these
innovative developments. Grab a laugh midway through a drowsy chapter by requesting
these bots to hand you a joke. Or ask ChatGPT to take you through a quick and engaging
summary of a topic you do not have the will to Google.
Despite having these multiple features at one’s disposal, having a human companion can
really boost a hopeless mind’s productivity. At 3 am, when all your peers seem to have
gone to bed, consider joining virtual study spaces. It's like a coworking space, but all online!
Try joining some online live streams by popular youtubers like Lofi Girl or Kharma Medic
who’d help you stay motivated. Join atmospheric spaces, like a traditional library with
relaxing fireplace ambience on your screen. Invite friends, or hustle along with existing
users all the way from Hawaii to Moscow. Make use of the many interesting prompts that
they share with you - like studying on a pomodoro timer. If you enjoy some lo-fi music,
then tune into this channel to hustle together. Choose coffee shop noises or library
whispers, If you prefer going the lighter route - choose some soft jazz beats or light piano.
It's you, your study materials, and your virtual friends - all united with a collective focus to
wage the war against the current bane of your existence. Collaborate, chat, time your
goals, and enjoy the digital camaraderie.
TECH OF INTEREST
ON FINDING VIRTUAL STUDY BUDDIES
AND MORE...
Beyond High School | Page 6
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Prepping for exams can sometimes become
isolating. Especially if you’re a night owl, or prefer
being locked away in your sacred space to absorb
all knowledge. This does not have to be the case
though. We live in a super connected world and
robots and humans are all at our nearest shout!
Attract good grades only. But as you do that, take a breather and return to the old-
school style of fun. Turn off the screen, and push away the books.
Grab some Lego sets, jigsaw puzzles, or even a musical instrument. Let yourself have daily
reminders of how life is beyond your stress. But why choose Lego, a jigsaw, or a guitar?
This is because they’ll help you take a genuine break and not let you rely on excess screen-
time for some time off. Consider this as productive a break.
Helps foster a spirit of accomplishment:
Practicing small tasks like building a Lego tulip flower or completing a picturesque puzzle
can be a reminder that you have tons of small wins on your side. Use it as a piece of decor
in your room once you are done. This will not only elevate your room’s aesthetic, but help
display things that speak to you on a deeper level.
CHILLIN’ IS FULFILLIN’
Beyond High School | Page 7
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PLAY-TIME WELL BEING
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Push away the stress:
Working with textures and bright colors of such puzzles soothes you and improves your
cognition. It reminds you what fun it is to enjoy your much-deserved play time as you
forget about your exam anxiety for a few moments!
Build skills for the long run:
A good hold of the strings of your instrument is a skill that will also help your soft-skills
thrive in your everyday life. Without much conscious effort, when you play - you are
practicing patience, focus, design thinking, and confidence. These are key skills that can
help you affirm your success this exam season.
Mindful of your time:
Once you know how long you wish to dedicate to your play time, you align your speed to
build your Lego within the duration. Thus, you naturally emerge as an individual who is
mindful of time.
If you prefer being more social during your play-time, it will be great to incorporate
the good ol’ board games into these breaks. Call in your friends or parents, and
strategize your way through monopoly or even some Uno cards. Make this time fun &
find time to catch-up on what you missed out on when you went for your exam prep.
Why not start with some Goodwill Hunting?
It's the story of a mathematical prodigy who
subtly communicates that in our world we
should all think of education as a privilege,
and never a chore.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, EDUCATION!
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We’ve tried to make the Exam Szn a little relieving for you. And what better way to
seek respite than cinema? Grab some popcorn this Friday night, and check our hand-
picked flicks that will surely set the the inspo for this szn.
Move ahead with the popular Dead Poets
Society as you get inspired to think freely by
a teacher who reminds you of your creative
abilities and seize the day!
For your last break of the Exam Szn, be sure
to tune into an underrated gem - Mona Lisa
Smile. You’d be reminded of how education
is the key to your liberation, and we are sure
you’ll look forward to bagging that grade.
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