Explore Experiential Learning

Practise your skills, however raw, before being preached to. Neeti Vijaykumar lists out schools that emphasise on providing a brief experience of the industry before starting with academics

Most young students right out of school do not have an inkling of what it’s like to be a fashion designer or a suited-andbooted executive. The designations might sound fancy and the companies you’re aiming to get into might do great work; but what if you enrol into a course only to realise that your talents lie elsewhere or that it isn’t what you wanted to do after all? While  college students have industrial visits organised by colleges, those who aren’t into college yet have barely any exposure to what’s out there in the world for them. The best thing for them is to enrol themselves into internships or introductory courses that will give them a well-rounded view of how an organisation in their area of interest works, and what their potential roles in the industry are. Not only does it give colour to a student’s resume, it also reveals to them why they’re learning what they learn in college, as they’ll have a better foresight to know how to use that information. As they say, experience is the better teacher.
Here, we feature such schools that help students figure out, through a brief introductory course and internships, where their interest in arts or business lies.

For the artist in you: Prerna Experiential Art School Prerna Experiential School for Arts is a unique institute where the students are provided with an opportunity to find out for themselves where their interest lies in the art spectrum. Most students are aware of their desire and potential to make it in arts but wouldn’t know if they should apply their talent in fashion, architecture or any other career related to art. This is where Prerna Experiential School’s 12-week course comes in. An excellent  introduction to the study of contemporary art, it sustains and develops students’ abilities and interests over a 12-week’s period and offers an outstanding opportunity for an intense engagement with Fine Art practices.
What’s it about: It gives students basic knowledge of every process associated with art and craft, where their creative instincts are tapped to bring out the best in them. The students acquire knowledge that they need to go ahead with their higher studies in arts. The courses offered at Prerna Experiential School range from Foundation, where students get technical knowledge and develop a skill set, to Advanced and Holistic where one moves on to applying those skills and get an introduction to music or literature.
Eligibility/Period: Entry is open to students of all levels and experience, and provides an opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for progression into further or higher education in Fine Art, Applied Art, Graphic communication/ Design School, further independent study and an individual art practice. The 12-week courses are divided into classes conducted three hours once a week.
Once a student completes the module, they receive a personal evaluation of their portfolio by one of the instructors, giving them a thorough feedback, with tips as well as a guide towards the appropriate art/design field depending on their aptitude. Earn before you learn: Fazlani Altius Business School Established in 2012, the Fazlani Altius Business School (FABS), based in Mumbai and Bhubhaneshwar, provides one of the most practical MBA programmes in the country. What’s it about: FABS offers two-year MBA programmes in Security Operations, Investment Banking, Sales and Services Management, Applied Human Resources and Service Operations Management. Along with the hands on experience that the internship provides, the faculty consists of highly experienced professionals from the corporate industry, image consultants and career counsellors that shape the students to become the leaders of tomorrow. The institute’s infrastructure is fully equipped with video satellite facility and multimedia classrooms. As an additional perk, each student is provided with a laptop that makes learning easier. Eligibility/Period: What sets this B-school apart from regular MBA colleges is that it offers a nine-month paid internship within the duration of the two-year course. This not only helps students learn practically but also helps them earn a stipend of Rs 90,000 while they study. This way, students do not enter the job market as freshers but rather as experienced, employable candidates.
FABS believes the institute is “of the corporate”, “by the corporate” and “for the corporate”, that stands out in understanding what the clients need. Right from selecting the students to giving them customized curriculum, and then a handy 9 month paid internship, their corporate partners have built an exemplary corporate-academia partnership.

“The Prerna Experiential Art School is a starting point for students who plan to pursue a professional qualification in Art & Design. It distils the core of what you need to know as an artist into 12 chapters, offering you customised modules without enrolling in a full time degree course.”
– Nishant Joshi, Founder of Prerna Experiential Art school

As the old adage goes “Better experienced, than explained!”, we believe in making students more hands-on than just being conceptually right. The 9-month internship right before you are to join the corporate becomes the life-saving critical difference that FABS brings to the student community. Our typical student  is  a  young mind  being  nurtured and eased  into the future role within  the same company that will take him or her as a young employee.
– Ashfaq Ul Ahad, co-founder and board member of FABS

Volume 4 Issue 11