Helping Students Manage Academic Pressure While Upholding Integrity

Chaitali Moitra is the Regional Director - of South Asia at Turnitin, as well as the Director of Turnitin India. With over two decades of experience across several industry segments, she has served at the helm of various organizations and steered institutions to excellence in key success metrics in both a financial and strategic growth capacity. As the Managing Director of Collins Learning, a division of Harper Collins India, Chaitali has worked extensively with the education sector in South Asia.

Indian students today face increasing academic pressure due to rising expectations and a highly competitive educational landscape. A NCERT Study conducted in 2022, states that 3.8 lakh students across India have identified frequent mood swings as an area of concern across grades, gender and types of schools. As many as 81 per cent of the respondents reported academics as their cause of anxiety. Students under academic stress may be tempted to cheat to meet deadlines, compromising their academic integrity. Providing a nurturing atmosphere can assist them in upholding their integrity under stress.

Understanding the Pressure

Sources of academic pressure include high-stakes exams that create significant pressure, as they often determine future academic and career opportunities. Additionally, frequent assessments and tight assignment deadlines contribute to a relentless cycle of evaluation, leaving little room for thoughtful engagement with the material. Many students also juggle extracurricular activities, which, while beneficial for personal growth and skill development, can further complicate their schedules and lead to burnout. To add to the pressure, societal expectations to excel, makes the students often feel overwhelmed.

Fostering a Culture of Integrity and Setting Clear Expectations

Develop Essential Skills:

Tools designed to prevent misconduct, including plagiarism and misuse of generative AI, play a critical role in helping students develop essential skills. By engaging with these tools, students not only learn the importance of originality but also develop critical thinking and make ethical decisions that are crucial for their future careers.

Enable Educators with Tools & Resources:

AI writing detection and similarity detection tools enhance the integrity of the academic environment. These resources help to ensure that students submit original work, build trust between students and educators. This transparency encourages students to take ownership of their learning processes.

Protect Student Safety and Mental Well-being:

Reducing the emphasis on grades through transparent assessment can lessen stress and anxiety. Educators can create an environment that values learning and personal growth. This method promotes open discussions between educators and students, resulting in greater support and engagement.

Establish Clear Guidelines:

From the start, educators and institutes should set clear standards and guidelines for academic honesty. This will create a framework for students to manage their academic responsibilities, eliminating the uncertainty and encouraging moral behavior.

Promote a culture of academic integrity:

Educators and institutions can help in the prevention of academic dishonesty by building an atmosphere where students may freely express their issues and concerns without worrying about criticism.

Tools and Techniques for Managing Pressure:

Priorities tasks:

One of the best ways to deal with academic pressure is to set task priorities. In order to prevent feeling overburdened, students should prioritize their assignments and concentrate on the most crucial ones first with the help of digital time management applications.

Set Realistic Goals:

Setting realistic targets is key to maintaining one's motivation. Specific goals broken down into measurable milestones will allow students to monitor their progress and recognize little accomplishments along the way.

Rest and Recharge:

To prevent burnout and sustain productivity, students of all ages should take regular rests.

Use Organizational tools/Apps:

Students can improve time management, monitor deadlines, and plan their study schedule in advance by using digital planners, calendars, and other digital resources.

Use AI Writing Tools Responsibly:

AI writing tools can help drive efficiency and ideation, but they should be used to organize the student’s original thoughts or offer suggestions for improving writing quality rather than to replace critical thinking.

Take Online Practice Quizzes and Assessments:

Several digital platforms provide practice quizzes and mock papers that help students familiarize themselves with the exam format and types of questions they may encounter. By practicing under similar conditions to the actual exam, students can build confidence and reduce stress.

By fostering a culture of integrity and offering holistic support, educators can help students to navigate academic challenges successfully. This approach not only enhances students’ academic performance but also instils essential ethical values, preparing them for future endeavors.

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