NIRVANA

Student days can be overwhelming sometimes because at the same time students are building their own identity while having to make important decisions such as choosing subjects or making career choices. In the midst, there may be confusion, doubts, exam stress, peer pressure, conflicts, and heartbreaks.

Student Coaching focuses on helping a student to achieve his or her academic goals and personal goals through clarity, SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound goals setting, and accountability.

As a school or university student, how are you currently coping with your student life?

How does Coaching Help?

Self-Awareness and Clarity

The coach collaborates together with the student on a one-to-one basis and through self-awareness and reflective questions, guides the student to identify challenges. The coach guides a student to acknowledge one’s emotions. It may be confusion, fear of failure, stress, or anger. The coach helps the student to clarify his or her goals. In doing so, the student achieves more clarity.

Reframing of negative thoughts

Moreover, the coach guides the student to identify negative thoughts patterns and reframe them. The student is then able to see different perspectives which were not obvious before.

Goal-Setting and SMART Goals

Following which, the coach and student work together on an action plan focusing on SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound goals. Progress is monitored through regular sessions while ensuring accountability.

Empowerment and Increase in Self-Confidence

As the coaching sessions progresses, the coach empowers the student, enhancing the self-confidence and motivation of the student. The coach also empowers the student to make his or her own decisions.

Mindfulness Tools and Time Management skills

The student is equipped with tools such as time-management tools, mindfulness techniques to manage stress and enhance resilience. These tools lead towards better performance in the student’s studies while maintaining balance, clarity and inner strength.

The Benefits of Coaching

• Lead towards Greater Clarity
• Increase in Self-Confidence and Self-esteem
• Enhances Accountability and empowers the student in decision-making
• Focuses on Goal Setting and achieving SMART Goals
• Enhances Self-Development and fosters a Growth mindset
• Achieves Balance in Studies and Personal Life leading to better performance in studies
• Enhances Resilience and Strength to overcome setbacks and life challenges
• Benefits from lifetime tools such as Mindfulness Techniques and Time Management skills
• Enhances Emotional Intelligence which improves relationships

How is Coaching Different from Mentoring and Therapy?

A mentor guides a student based on his expertise and offers advice and recommendations in a specific area or subject.

A therapist explores past traumas and focuses on healing the past, emotional well-being, and mental health.

Life Coaching is future oriented focused on goal setting, and personal growth. It is a collaborative partnership to empower change.

How do you know that you may need coaching?

• You want to achieve specific goals in your studies
• You have difficulty choosing subjects or a career path
• You are seeking clarity
• You are feeling stressed or overwhelmed by your studies
• You struggle with time-management
• Lack of motivation
• You are facing societal pressure or external expectations
• You are going through a heartbreak
• You are struggling with a personal life transition
• Conflicts in relationships
• You find yourself stuck or in a loop of negative thoughts
• You want to start a side business while studying

My Experience of Coaching Students

I got the opportunity to coach some university students from Middlesex University through YUVA Mauritius and the experience was very insightful. The students were aspiring entrepreneurs who needed some clarity with regards to their business.

After just two sessions, they were already working on their business model. They mentioned that through the coaching sessions, they achieved clarity of their business goals and found the sessions very valuable.

My take on coaching the students was that once clarity is achieved, the actions become much easier to do and follow. In doing so, they move forward with confidence and clarity while honouring their values and life purpose.

My Conclusion

Students living in the modern era are often confronted to different and unique challenges. Living in the digital world where artificial intelligence is at its peak and social media comparison is very much present, I believe it is crucial to equip students and the young generation with a mindset that fosters resilience, inner purpose & stability, and a higher consciousness.

Coaching acts like a path to help the young generation achieve their highest aspirations and dreams while staying true to their values and inner purpose. At the same time by being deeply grounded and not simply swayed by the external world.

Student Coaching does not only focus on academic goals but on the whole of the person. Coaching takes into consideration the values of the individual and helps one to honour these values. Coaching equips students to live a purposeful and impactful life. Our young generation is the future of tomorrow.

If you are a student, in which area of your life are you struggling with clarity?

Yashna Veera, Life Coach and Yoga & Meditation Practitioner