INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KANPUR O ON BR CHUR TI E A 20 M 1 R 9 O - F 2 0 N I Counselling Service Your home away from home Gallery About CS The primary objective of the Counselling What is counselling? How do you access the Counselling Service, IIT Kanpur, is to support you during Many students encounter problems that either Service at IIT Kanpur? your stay at IIT Kanpur. At the Counselling cannot be resolved easily or the usual ways of Service, we provide you with emotional handling the problems aren’t working well for 1. If you would like to see a counsellor, and academic support with the help some reason. For example, they might have please feel free to mail a counsellor at of professional counsellors, an empathic discovered that talking to friends or family [email protected] to set up an appoint- and dedicated group of students and members about their concerns is either fruitless ment. faculty members. or unsatisfying. Counselling offers you the 2. You can also talk to your Student Guide/ Here, we provide some tips for a successful opportunity to unburden your mind with an Core team member/ Coordinator/ Instruc- stay here. objective person. They can be instrumental in tor, who will then direct you to a counsel- Entering a new environment can be excit- helping you in learning new skills and can also lor. ing, challenging and sometimes unnerving. assist you in looking at situations from a differ- 3. If you have already sought counselling Some of the commonly faced problems ent perspective so that you will be more capa- elsewhere or are under psychiatric medica- include the following. ble of solving problems on your own. It is not tion, please contact the Counselling Service 1. Uncertainty about whether you have necessary that you have a crisis to warrant your as soon as possible to discuss the continua- made the right decision in your choice of getting help. In fact, there is no problem or tion of your care. course. issue that is too small to address. If something 4. If you feel uncertain about whether 2. Difficulty in having a healthy balance is big enough to bother you, it is important counselling is for you, it would be a good between your academics, social life and enough to talk. idea to make an appointment with a coun- extracurricular selor for an introductory meeting and interests. Why is it a good idea to approach the discuss your reservations. There is no obli- 3. Homesickness, as you are away from gation to continue. We are here to support home for the first time. Counselling Service? you! 4. Inability to get along with your room- 1. Counsellors are objective, empathetic, mates and have difficulty in making new non-judgemental and experienced professional friends. helpers. 5. Inability to say no to seniors and peers 2. Counsellors are able to understand you and who are prodding you into doing things you can help you with your anxiety and also make would rather not do and which could be you feel comfortable. detrimental for you. 3. The counselling sessions are strictly confiden- 6. Poor academic performance. tial. 7. Find yourself unable to follow lectures as 4. In case you are having difficulties in your you are not conversant in English. academic curriculum, we can assign mentors If you are having any of the above problems for you. or any other problem, the Counselling Service could be a place you would want to approach. IIT Kanpur was the first institute in India to offer a Computer Science Program. About CS The primary objective of the Counselling What is counselling? How do you access the Counselling Service, IIT Kanpur, is to support you during Many students encounter problems that either Service at IIT Kanpur? your stay at IIT Kanpur. At the Counselling cannot be resolved easily or the usual ways of Service, we provide you with emotional handling the problems aren’t working well for 1. If you would like to see a counsellor, and academic support with the help some reason. For example, they might have please feel free to mail a counsellor at of professional counsellors, an empathic discovered that talking to friends or family [email protected] to set up an appoint- and dedicated group of students and members about their concerns is either fruitless ment. faculty members. or unsatisfying. Counselling offers you the 2. You can also talk to your Student Guide/ Here, we provide some tips for a successful opportunity to unburden your mind with an Core team member/ Coordinator/ Instruc- stay here. objective person. They can be instrumental in tor, who will then direct you to a counsel- Entering a new environment can be excit- helping you in learning new skills and can also lor. ing, challenging and sometimes unnerving. assist you in looking at situations from a differ- 3. If you have already sought counselling Some of the commonly faced problems ent perspective so that you will be more capa- elsewhere or are under psychiatric medica- include the following. ble of solving problems on your own. It is not tion, please contact the Counselling Service 1. Uncertainty about whether you have necessary that you have a crisis to warrant your as soon as possible to discuss the continua- made the right decision in your choice of getting help. In fact, there is no problem or tion of your care. course. issue that is too small to address. If something 4. If you feel uncertain about whether 2. Difficulty in having a healthy balance is big enough to bother you, it is important counselling is for you, it would be a good between your academics, social life and enough to talk. idea to make an appointment with a coun- extracurricular selor for an introductory meeting and interests. Why is it a good idea to approach the discuss your reservations. There is no obli- 3. Homesickness, as you are away from gation to continue. We are here to support home for the first time. Counselling Service? you! 4. Inability to get along with your room- 1. Counsellors are objective, empathetic, mates and have difficulty in making new non-judgemental and experienced professional friends. helpers. 5. Inability to say no to seniors and peers 2. Counsellors are able to understand you and who are prodding you into doing things you can help you with your anxiety and also make would rather not do and which could be you feel comfortable. detrimental for you. 3. The counselling sessions are strictly confiden- 6. Poor academic performance. tial. 7. Find yourself unable to follow lectures as 4. In case you are having difficulties in your you are not conversant in English. academic curriculum, we can assign mentors If you are having any of the above problems for you. or any other problem, the Counselling Service could be a place you would want to approach. From Head’s Desk Dear Parents/Guardians, At the moment, the professionals in the Counselling Service include five counsellors and 3 visiting psychiatrists. The Counsellors reside on campus and are competent and well trained individuals and On behalf of the Counseling Service, I offer my heartiest congratula- attend to students at all hours if the need arises. Over the years, they have helped numerous troubled tions to you on your ward’s admission to IIT Kanpur. This must students, who have gone on to turn their lives around and are leading successful lives. The Counsel- indeed be a special moment for you. I sincerely hope that your ward’s ling Service also has an excellent network of student volunteers. These students are committed to the stay in this premier institute of higher learning will be a productive, cause of ensuring the well being of their fellow students. Your first point of contact at the institute enriching and a satisfying one. will be the student guide, a second year student, who is assigned to your ward. In the first week, this student will guide your ward through the essentials for settling into life in IITK. This student might IIT Kanpur, as you may be well aware, enjoys a high reputation in the well turn out to be friend in need for your ward. Many students have gone on to build lifelong friend- academic world. Befitting an institution of its stature, the facilities, ships with the student guides from their first year. The student members of the Counselling Service infrastructure and the faculty are indeed top notch. We seek to also provide extra academic help for those students who have trouble in keeping up with the pace of motivate, challenge and train our students so that they are able to the instruction here. These high performing students also lend an ear on numerous occasions to realize their true potential and are able to compete with the very those in need. best in the world. Many of the alumni of this institute have gone on to become leading names in the areas of their expertise. Despite all the help that we can provide, I would like to request you to be vigilant of your ward. In case you feel ill at the ease with the changes happening to your ward, please feel free to contact us. IIT Kanpur is well known for the flexibility that it allows in its academic program. Students will be able to take It is preferable that you are cognizant of the academic progress of your ward. It is my fervent wish courses from departments different from their parent department, thereby giving them exposure to various that at the end of their tenure here, your ward will be at the launching pad of a stellar and fulfilling areas.