Mridula Nair B, the Principal of Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram, swears by the positive outlook she has of life. With over 34 years of academic experience, she is a well-known psychologist and counsellor too. Mridula has been associated with MG College since 1981, right after graduating from University of Kerala with a Master’s in Psychology and joined as a Junior Lecturer cum Head of the Department of Psychology. From 1990 onwards, she has been running a counselling centre in the college for the benefit of students and general public. In 2000, she secured a PhD in Adolescents Personality and Adjustment University of Kerala. Mridula on the academia-psychology linkage and her career to edex.
Counselling for students
“Many schools invite me to give tips to students. I disagree with such an approach as that is not something students can fully digest. My way is to motivate students and provide them with a wholesome package centered around the changes occurring in adolescents; both physical and psychological rather than just give talks. They can be made smart with the positive way we are taking them. For students who can’t disclose their problems in such forums, their parents bring them to me for private counselling,” says Mridula.
With colleges having students in their late teens, the first-hand experience in resolving their pangs adds to her experience. “The time when pre-degree system existed, students got a chance to learn more in the transition phase between a school and college. After incorporating Plus-Two in schools, they are more under pressure; be it studies or decorum to follow, as are the senior most students there. On coming to college, they let out those frustrations,” she explains. She says, love affairs and indulging in politics are born out of these frustrations. “I don’t discourage students from involving in political activities, provided they don’t land in a soup so that their future or career isn’t in jeopardy. Similarly, when it comes to love affairs, what I tell them is to embrace it only if they are strong-willed to face its pros and cons.” She says, due to the abundance of everything, be it the marks they earn or money they get to spend, issues such as the inability to stand failure and inhibition to value people are observed in students these days.
In the Principal’s robe
As a Principal, Mridula has to shoulder more responsibilities like managing the institution, students, teachers, parents and non-teaching staff together. A camaraderie has to work well to do things flawless, she asserts. “I have a good team of teachers and office staff to help me and I ensure I am unbiased and treat them all as equals. I never command them, but always tell them that we should do it together. Parents and students are like our customers, and doing our level best to satisfy them is our goal, though cent per cent perfection can’t be assured. When students complain about teachers, I have to manage the situation so as not to disappoint both sides,” she tells. For all these instances, her advise is to root out ego, keep anger under control and try to compare ourselves with people in other jobs who are likely to be under pressure more than us.
Promoting co-curricular activities
Mridula says, due to the present nature of curriculum, opportunities to develop the creative talents of students are less, still she strives to create an avenue for the same. “Colleges are mostly following the pattern of schools nowadays. We have 15 clubs in the college and I tell its conveners to let students do some activity. I allow them to spend time in the playground during free time,” she says.
By entering into a tie up with the State Bank Of Travancore, she managed to get five bicycles sponsored to teach the girl students to ride, making them self-reliant. A jewellery-making class was conducted in the college. “For this class, I got appreciation from the parents as students who usually spent more time on mobile phones began to devote their time judiciously,” she says. Under the National Service Scheme (NSS), she encourages activities such as blood donation, campus cleaning and red-ribbon campaign.
As for the future, she sees career-oriented education for students to grow. “Apart from the medical-engineering stream, more job-oriented courses are now plenty on offer. Students thus get job opportunities but they are still forced to take up the professional courses instead,” she concludes.