Author: tbrg

blog Personal Finance | 6min Read

5 Tips to Become a Financially Smart Student

Published on October 7, 2021

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5 Tips to Become a Financially Smart Student

Do you have a class on “Financial Literacy for Students” in your high school curriculum? 

Have you ever discussed ‘personal finances’ with your friends? 

If your answer to these questions is NO, then it’s high time that you should get into the world of finance and start your journey before it gets too late. Student financial literacy has been trivialized for years now, but not anymore!

From a survey of 15-years old, 18% of the respondents revealed that they did not learn fundamental financial skills used in daily life like building a budget, comparison shopping, and understanding an invoice. 

High school is a great time to discover, learn and manage money and build habits that will help you to set up a solid financial foundation for the future. This is the opportunity to gain more clarity on your savings and spendings and work towards long-term and much bigger goals. 

Don’t know where to begin from? Don’t worry! In the next 5 minutes, you will have 5 awesome tips for you to become financially smart and secure your future.

Let’s get started:

  1. Open A Savings Account For Yourself
  2. Keep Track Of Your Personal Finances
  3. Start Investing And Believe In The Magic Of Compounding
  4. Check Out Financial Planning Apps And Resources
  5. Make Money By Monetizing Your Skills

1. Open A Savings Account For Yourself

Remember the good old days of piggy banks? The very step towards money management is having a place to save your money and make transactions, and having a bank account helps you out with that. As Warren Buffet says, “Do not save what is left over after spending, but spend what is left over after saving.” Focus on your savings first and keep your money secure in the bank. 

Consult with your parents to find the right bank to open a personal savings account. Don’t forget to activate internet banking services after opening your account. Legacy banks like HDFC Bank or ICICI Bank might be a great choice but if you’re looking for something cool, do check out FamPay and Google Fi. 

2. Keep Track Of Your Personal Finances

Sitting down and mapping a budget for yourself might seem a difficult task at first, but it is not. Think about basic high school expenses and utilities like stationery, books, class supplies, food, etc. These expenses are the buckets that need money from your savings. When you fill each of these buckets as much as required for each expense, you are assigning budgets to them.

Only when you create a budget for the money you have and track your expenses, you come to know where most of your money is going and where you need to cut down on expenditures. Not sure how to start with it? We can surely help you a little to track down your finances at every step of your life.

3. Start Investing And Believe In The Magic Of Compounding

Now that you have opened a bank account and set a budget, it’s time to invest your savings in the right way. The very first thing is to set an end goal- whether it is a short, medium, or long-term goal. Based on your requirement and the amount of savings, you can decide and set one for yourself. The sooner you start to invest money, the more interest you will build over time, and watch your money compounding.

For example, your short-term goal could be to start investing as early as possible, just like Warren Buffet. Similarly, a long-term goal could be applying to the best universities for higher education. 

4. Check Out Financial Planning Apps And Resources

According to a recent survey, 86% of high-schoolers requested money management classes in school rather than wait to commit financial blunders later in life.  There’s a lot more to money management and finances than installing the bank’s app on your phone or using a digital payment app. To find more about financial literacy for students, you will need to look beyond your textbooks. In fact, you can observe how your parents or elders exercise money management skills every single day. 

Get acquainted with books, blogs, and articles related to the finance world. The Psychology of Money (by Morgan Housel)  and Rich Dad Poor Dad (by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter) are amazing books to start understanding the world of money. If you want to learn more about judicious investments, grab a copy of The Dhandho Investor (by Mohnish Pabrai) and The Intelligent Investor (by Benjamin Graham). 

Watch videos and listen to podcasts available on topics relevant to personal finance. Some of the most renowned podcasts include The Dave Ramsay Show and ChooseFi. If you’re looking for some millennial advice, do check out How To Money and Journey to Launch. 

Finally, make use of budgeting websites and apps like YNAB and Goodbudget to keep track of your money. Varsity by Zerodha also has a vast collection of financial lessons to learn from.

5. Make Money By Monetizing Your Skills

All these 5 tips have told you how to learn and manage money. But will you always borrow money for this from your parents? Who says you can’t build a source of income while in school? 

There are many advantages of working while in high school. If you have any skills, i.e. sketching, painting, writing, etc. you can show them to the world and build your personal brand. If not, you can try learning and gaining expertise in a new skill and then monetizing it. You can take up internships or part-time jobs to pursue your interests along with school and work. Or if you choose to work only during summers, you can make the best of it by doing extra shifts. Along with money, it will also help you to gain some work experience while still in high school.

Summing Up

Just as one doesn’t learn mathematics in a single day, gaining financial literacy needs some time as well. According to Guidant, one in four parents reported that they almost or never talk to their kids about household finances. Neither does your school give you complete visibility on financial literacy. But you don’t have to worry anymore!

Join the Smart Money Camp to learn more about money management, setting up budgets, and exploring more about the stock markets. It’s the perfect financial literacy course for high-schoolers to acquire financial knowledge and skills for the future. 

So, what are you waiting for? Hop on and set your steps in the world of finance right away! 

The Big Red Group and our Ivy Early Entrepreneur Program

In our entrepreneurial workshop – Ivy Early Entrepreneur, students go through the process of business development and leave the entrepreneur program having completed a business model canvas, competitive analysis, financial model, minimum viable product, and a pitch deck.

Students get an opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs who are alumni of reputed universities and are experts in their respective industries.

These experts serve as coaches guiding students through the processes of developing a business concept. Risk-Taking, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication &

Storytelling, Design Thinking & Innovation, and Opportunity Recognition are a few of the key learning areas of our program.

On successfully completing the entrepreneur workshop, the guaranteed internship will be extended to all the students within our partner firms and with most of the mentors teaching the program. Students will be provided with a certificate of participation by The Big Red Group. This certificate can be used for your college portfolio.

Ivy Early Entrepreneur

11th – 17th Jan 2022

Idea Generation | Market Research | Design Thinking | Pitching

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blog Innovation | 4min Read

Robotics Workshop For Students – What You Can Expect

Published on September 21, 2021

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Robotics Workshop For Students – What You Can Expect

Are you an individual passionate about science and technology? Then you should really be exploring workshops that help you answer “why” to use technology and “how”.

There is considerable evidence that students respond well in subjects that involve programming of robots and there are plenty of opportunities out there giving you a chance to create the next best technology. And if you are a teen with the right curiosity and confidence, with our robotics workshop, you have the power of defining your career trajectory.

Robotics Workshop For Students - What You’ll Learn

Biologically Inspired Engineering takes inspiration from nature and naturally occurring processes to enhance existing technologies and invent new ones. By uncovering the biological design behind naturally occurring phenomena, complex human and environmental problems are solved. Groundbreaking applications have been seen in medicine, materials science, and robotics!

In our Robotics Workshop for students – high schoolers will invent new kinds of robotic motion, beyond the general movement of walking on two and four legs. In this robotics workshop, students will work in teams to design and construct new prototypes of robots. The groups will dive into the inner biological workings of unusual creatures, plants, and processes and develop the following:

  • Quick hand prototyping (cardboard, scissors, glue)

  • Digital design (computer-aided drafting, 3D modeling, digital computation)

  • Rapid prototyping (laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC milling)

By working together, students will push the boundaries of robotic motion and further expand the limits of robotic exploration. This is a must-do workshop for young designers, entrepreneurs, makers, and inventors!

Health Wearable Tech Workshop For Students - What You’ll Learn

Wearable technology is quickly replacing conventional forms. It is a sleek, nifty, and versatile proposition. The utility factor and the form factor have opened up new arenas of inventions. Wearable tech is the next big thing!

From the popular Apple Watch, which lets you monitor daily fitness and read emails, to Voltaic System’s Solar Backpack that powers up your electronics and charges them on the go – wearable technology is surpassing all horizons. Not to mention futuristics innovations such as Baubles and Bangles, a personal air purifier, worn on the wrist, that cleanses the air, or the Valedo Back Therapy product, a gaming technique, to help people with back pain. In the healthcare industry, wearable technology is readily being used to overcome problems and enhance people’s everyday life. Are you ready to make the next breakthrough product in wearable tech?

In the wearable tech workshop, students will develop the next generation of health-focused wearable tech products. Using innovative textiles, materials, and technologies, our students will learn how to design wearable tech products that will improve the lives of people, patients, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. These devices will enhance the capabilities of healthy individuals, as well as assist those who suffer from physical or neurological disorders. Based on the user group and medical challenges, students will design, build and program wearable tech products from the ground up, test them and see their performance.

Students Will Learn:

Students will learn the basics of electronics, micro-controllers, computer programming, engineering, 3D modeling, robotics, and programming skills. You will also learn how to integrate external sensors (from simple switches and buttons to heat/temperature, light, gas, touch) and actuators (such as motors, lights, speakers, solenoids, valves, fans) into their designs.

The Big Red Group & Our Tech Workshops

  1. Expert Mentors From MIT & Harvard
  2. Student-Directed, Real-World Learning
  3. Access To Dynamic Platforms

Expert Mentors From MIT & Harvard

Students can build connections with mentors and leading experts from MIT and Harvard. These mentors provide daily feedback, challenge them to think in new ways and encourage iteration. 

Student-Directed, Real-World Learning

Real-world studio topics, such as Designing During a Crisis make their work relevant. Using their creative skills, students come up with ideas and develop projects that aim to improve the lives of others. 

3. Access To Dynamic Platforms

Students get access to digital platforms and are guided by experts throughout, moving from activities, relevant tutorials, inquiry, and exploration, leading to a final project.

Building a robot is a challenge, especially when you don’t really know where to start and robotics workshops, designed exclusively for high school students, are a good start. Here you will find people who are doing something similar to what you are doing. 

The world is full of creative people and our robotics workshops are one of the places to find & collaborate with them. Share your ideas in the comments to get started.

The Big Red Group and our Ivy Early Entrepreneur Program

In our entrepreneurial workshop – Ivy Early Entrepreneur, students go through the process of business development and leave the entrepreneur program having completed a business model canvas, competitive analysis, financial model, minimum viable product, and a pitch deck.

Students get an opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs who are alumni of reputed universities and are experts in their respective industries.

These experts serve as coaches guiding students through the processes of developing a business concept. Risk-Taking, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication &

Storytelling, Design Thinking & Innovation, and Opportunity Recognition are a few of the key learning areas of our program.

On successfully completing the entrepreneur workshop, the guaranteed internship will be extended to all the students within our partner firms and with most of the mentors teaching the program. Students will be provided with a certificate of participation by The Big Red Group. This certificate can be used for your college portfolio.

Ivy Early Entrepreneur

11th – 17th Jan 2022

Idea Generation | Market Research | Design Thinking | Pitching

Learn More

Editor's Pick

blog Innovation | 14min Read

What is Health Wearable Tech?

Published on September 14, 2021

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What is Health Wearable Tech?

Think Fitbits and Apple watches. That in a nutshell is what wearable tech is all about. That’s it. End of blog. Just go back to your iPhones and be happy that you know what wearable tech is. 

But, if you want to explore the rabbit hole a bit deeper, read on. 

Yes, an apple watch is the easiest example of wearable devices in healthcare. But when you go beyond it, you understand that it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Even if you choose not to think about it, you can figure out everything from just the name – it’s technology that you wear which allows you to keep a track of your health. Now take this definition and expand it to other concepts. If you had an electronic neck brace that tracks the position of your muscles, would it be considered as wearable tech? If you wore a face mask that gave you real-time information on the pollution levels around you, would that be considered wearable tech? 

Yes, it would. 

We are on the cusp of a health revolution that will be led by technology. Your machine is going to become your best friend, and it doesn’t mean that you’re going to be hooked up to your phone. It means that your body will eventually be covered in sensors and wearable technology in healthcare that will give you hospital level data. Let’s explore what that means. 

The Future

When we talk about sensors and devices that can give us real time information, we’re talking about the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). The last major change that we experienced was the introduction of the internet and touch screen mobiles, this is about to be the next step in our evolution. 

IoT basically means a network of ‘things’ that are connected across the world, to share information and feedback between each other. At the moment, you can take phones as an example of IoT devices, considering them as the building blocks of this concept. They’re connected across the world and build a network that talks to each other. Now combine this with technology attached to your body, and that creates its own network with the goal of managing your health.

Take a potential scenario, where Bio-sensors exist as wearable adhesive patches that can collect data on movement, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, etc. Imagine an Apple watch but in the form of a small sticker. This is connected to the net and gives real time information to medical professionals. So imagine if an elderly person was wearing this sensor, and developed a change in his heart beat. This data would be recorded in real time and the emergency services would be automatically alerted. He might not even know that his heartbeat has changed, but this patch could directly connect all the missing pieces within a network of information, to potentially save his life. That’s how IoT will work in wearable tech. 

Similarly, there are forms of engineering robotics technology that are being developed or implemented within IoT. This gives us a taste of what wearable tech is moving towards:

  • Sweat sensors that can tell an athlete that her body has lost water and electrolytes, so she must replenish. 

  • Safety IoT wearables that send out an alert to your loved ones and the police at the touch of a button, allowing GPS to pinpoint your exact location. 

  • Portable and wearable Dialysis machines are being researched in Singapore as we speak, so patients don’t need to go to the hospital every 2 days. 

  • Smart clothing, such as the Neviano swimsuit, tells you if the UV rays are too harsh and whether you need more sunblock.

If nothing else, think about prosthetics and exoskeletons. In the Marvel universe, when Colonel Rhodes falls and damages his spine, Tony Stark creates an exo-suit to help him walk. This can seem like pure fiction but real people with paralysis could actually use these suits, and research in robotics courses is being done for the same. Exo-suits are currently being developed in various countries to help bring mobility to people suffering from disability, especially wounded soldiers. This evolution of technology is being fuelled by the minds of younger innovators who see an answer to various needs.

“But I Don’t Like Technology That Much.”

The old school concepts of technology and robotics are changing. With a focus on grades and mugging up, students these days are made to believe that there is only a small subset of highly intelligent kids who would be interested in exploring this field. But this form of thinking defeats the entire intention of ‘learning’. Creating, which is the basis of technology, starts with experimenting and not just cramming up some answers for your exams. 

Nobody expects you to write thousands of lines of code within engineering robotics. You first need to come up with a solution to the problem in front of you. To think like a designer and not just solve problems that already have an existing answer. We aren’t talking about creating a new version of Instagram in a robotics workshop. 

A True Creative Mind Tries To Find Answers To A Problem That Seems Beyond Their Capabilities, Something Which Has Even Perplexed Others Before.

Take the iPod for example. Steve Jobs saw people carrying cassette and CD players. You also had to carry extra cassettes or CDs along with you. He decided that this was a waste – Why carry so much stuff around? So he came up with the concept of the iPod. Carry 1000 songs in just one device. He married the concepts of art and design, with a little help from technology. And the rest is history. 

Art and Technology will always go hand in hand. Anybody who says otherwise, does not understand either of them. You can’t design or create something if you don’t have an interest to explore – To explore sideways, to go beyond the books, and to fail at it.

But First You Need To Fail.

The one thing that we aren’t taught enough is to fail. Failure is looked upon as the end of your existence. But any technologist will always look at failure as just the starting point. You cannot create anything without failing first. 

Working on technology or robotics, teaches you to accept the concept of an iterative process. It incorporates a feedback loop to whatever you create, because you can’t build anything without making mistakes. 

Sometimes We Feel Like Quitting Just Because We Receive Feedback Or Believe That Things Aren’t Working Out.

But the process of building any technology teaches you to learn from this critique and make even more mistakes. Some creators get worried if there are no mistakes as they just can’t believe such a scenario exists. 

This repetitive process ensures that you become comfortable with multiple rounds of work, as most people today have lost the patience that comes with such a venture. And this is not about getting that final product out of a robotics workshop. 

Robotics Forces You To Think Of An Idea That Will Help You Get To The Next Step.

If you’re stuck, it’s easy to wait for somebody else to help you out. But this process allows you to unearth a new method or a new idea that can help you get to your final destination. That is the true essence of a robotics workshop, which can open up your mind to solving bigger problems in the world. 

What Are The Concerns That Need Solving?

Whatever you think needs solving. 

If you think that something is a concern, you can try to find a solution for it. Especially when it comes to wearable medical devices. But let us explore some of the larger trends that we are witnessing in the wearable health field. 

  1. Disability and Prosthetics
  2. Sports and exercise
  3. Improvement in productivity
  4. Elderly care and Assisted living
  5. Art
  6. Emergency services
  7. Diet management
  8. Execute, Execute, Execute
  9. The Secret Ingredient…

1. Disability and Prosthetics

Solutions to counter Disabilities and the use of Prosthetics is a major focus going forward. Smart prosthetics are being developed that use brain implants to move your limbs as if connected to your nervous system. Elon Musk is developing the Neuralink brain implants to potentially help people overcome severe brain injuries. This has massive potential for people suffering from Alzheimer as well. 

2. Sports and exercise

High performance sports, which have millions and billions of dollars riding on it, requires enhanced data which is collected on a real time basis. This allows coaches and trainers to help improve the efficiency of a player, to extract every effort. This will help in minimising injuries and increasing the lifespan of a player’s career. Sensors and trackers are even being used by the NFL to minimise the damage to a player due to head contact.

3. Improvement in productivity

Just as in sports, companies want their employees to work at higher productivity levels. This increases their profitability and is working towards an efficient use of their employee’s time. This could be in the form of eye-trackers which tell the employee that they need a 5-minute break, or it could be a posture correction device to allow the employees to sit longer. Offices are realising that it isn’t about overworking their employees, it’s about finding the right balance.

4. Elderly care and Assisted living

A large amount of time and effort is spent in taking care of the elderly. Integrating sensors and IoT devices can reduce human intervention until necessary, leading to an optimisation of healthcare clinics. In addition, devices are being created that can help in assisted living, which allows a form of independence to those who need support. Like the spoon built on the concept of a camera stabiliser, for people suffering from cerebral palsy. This stabilises the surface and allows them to eat in spite of their shaking hands. Another device would be a wheelchair that climbs stairs, which is already in production.

5. Art

Not everything needs to be about problems and solutions. What if an artist wants you to create a wearable art installation? To create this, you employ the same method that you would use for creating a health wearable device, but with a different outcome. Art installations can be interactive or static, it’s more about the messaging behind the artist. It could even be in the form of engineering new materials. The limits to your thoughts are only those that you set for yourself in engineering robotics.

6. Emergency services

People don’t realise that the use of wearable technology in emergency services could actually save lives. There is a device that has been created which replicates the motion of CPR. It is meant to simulate the pumping of blood through your heart. This device, when wrapped onto the chest, allows for the pumping action to continue while the patient is being transported to the hospital. Usually it’s an ambulance attendant who is doing this physically. These small devices can radically change how we look at healthcare. 

7. Diet management

The diet and nutritional industries are exploding due to the high consumer interest in what you put inside your body. Devices are being developed that can scan the food that you’re buying and give you real time information about the nutritional content. This allows you to keep an active control on your food intake. There is another device that has been created for people with Gluten allergy, that automatically tells them if their restaurant meal contains any Gluten.

The line, for wearable devices in healthcare, is no longer drawn at Fitness trackers. It is estimated that 30% of these trackers are returned. This implies that in the future, sensors and wearable technology in healthcare will only cater to specific demands. If you need it, only then will you buy it. What’s in fashion will not be applicable much longer. 

Thus, the ‘why’ becomes very important. If a client with a disability is waiting on you to create something that could change their life, you aren’t going to just waste time. The focus and energy that you would bring to that effort is something that even you wouldn’t be able to recognise. With the pressure of delivering a finished product on a deadline, you begin to understand the challenges that would come up. 

But Why Do This In School? Will It Help Me With Colleges?

You’re just not taught something like this in schools. Nobody is running robotics courses for kids. A majority of the schools want your head buried in books and will judge you solely based on your exam scores. If you score well, go for the STEM fields. If you score low, you should look at Arts. These concepts are vintage and need to be stored in a museum. If exams are all about passing, and technology is all about failing, where is the connection?

When you go beyond the idea that building things is ‘better left for arts and crafts’, you realise the benefits of a robotics program. 

  • Teamwork is the basis for any learning. This concept is best illustrated when you work on a larger project for wearable health tech with multiple people, and sometimes even multiple teams. Even a table needs at least three legs to stand. 

  • Book knowledge – Relying on bookish knowledge is outdated. Unless you try to pick up a skill through an application-based learning, you are bound to let it slip from your mind. Muscle memory exists for a reason.  

  • Future skills – You are literally picking up skills that are meant for the future. The next few decades are going to be built on technology and it is vital that you at least have some amount of skills that can fit into this world. 

  • Fun – You can’t get bored in a robotics program. When you’re building stuff that nobody has ever seen, it’s just enjoyable. You aren’t sitting and staring at a blackboard or a textbook. Your mind is being used to create instead. 

  • Creative thinking – These programs allow for lateral thinking. You aren’t just moving in a direction that is told to you, and this allows for the development of a creative mind. Even if you want to become a successful businessman, you need to be creative in business. You don’t need to be a painter to be creative.

  • Experimentation – There is no other place that you’re encouraged to experiment and make mistakes. Even if you go to art class, the teachers are generally strict about lines, colours and tones. This allows you to be freer in your exploration. 

  • Simplifies a complex technology – For most people robotics and tech seems way too complicated for their ‘level’. But if you are exposed to it at a younger age, you don’t grow up thinking of it as a complex subject. It’s more relatable and not a mystical field anymore. 

  • Achieving something – When you see your idea and hard work coming into existence, it shows you how to achieve something practically. You might have hopes and dreams, but do you know how to achieve them?

And if not for the fun of it, maybe do it for the schools. Doing wearable technology courses which create actual wearable medical devices, will set you apart instantly. Ask any ivy league mentor and they will tell you the same. This can be a major boost for your profile. 

The students who come out of Nuvu work with clients, industry professionals, artists, museums, performers, and galleries. They bring their critical and lateral thinking to the colleges that they enter. Some of the courses that students have explored are:

  • Bachelor of Science Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation at USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy

  • Master of Arts in Design Engineering as a Dual degree at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design

  • Bachelor of Computer Science and Arts (BCSA) at Carnegie Mellon University

  • Integrative Design, Arts and Technology Network (IDeATe) at Carnegie Mellon University

  • Design and Technology BFA program at Parsons School of Design

  • Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT

  • Industrial Design (ID), BFA at Rhode Island School of Design

What Is The Process Of Learning In Such Workshops?

Why can’t we turn schools into a playground? That is the concept behind any robotics workshop, and one you might want to consider exploring. We live in an attention deficit economy and there is always something vying for our attention. A fun robotics workshop for school students can change the level of focus one brings to the table. Fact is that when you’re printing your own tool with a 3D printer, you’re not going to pull out your phone to scroll on Instagram.

A typical workshop with Nuvu works in the following way:

  • A problem is presented to the students.

  • You learn about the problem and the shortcomings. What is the issue at play?

  • You brainstorm and come up with ideas that can be implemented.

  • A feedback loop is started with experts, who poke holes in your ideas. 

  • You relook and rethink your ideas. You present them again.

  • Your teachers and experts will again try to push your idea. You will learn to accept the concerns, or learn to push back when you think your idea is worthwhile. 

  • Along with the teachers, you will create your idea and bring it to life.

  • You test it. What’s the point in creating something with your hands, if you can’t test it?

  • And you finally enjoy the satisfaction of seeing your thoughts come to fruition in real life. 

Nuvu has a unique workshop methodology, where the focus is on:

  • Collaboration – When you build something together with others, that is when you learn teamwork. 

  • Critical thinking – There is no failure unless you stop thinking. Every ‘failure’ is just a stepping stone to success.

  • Learning to empower your ideas – You learn to reject fear and doubt, to immerse yourself in the process of creation. 

  • To start from a design – You can’t create something without designing it first. 

A workshop is a taster for what’s in store for you in life. The future of our world is going to be a confluence between art and technology. That is something you can’t deny, so why deny yourself the opportunity to dive into it? Find things around you that are a combination of design and technology, to explore why you would love to get involved with something like this. 

Share in the comments below, what you think is a problem today and what you would like to create to solve it. 

The Big Red Group and our Ivy Early Entrepreneur Program

In our entrepreneurial workshop – Ivy Early Entrepreneur, students go through the process of business development and leave the entrepreneur program having completed a business model canvas, competitive analysis, financial model, minimum viable product, and a pitch deck.

Students get an opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs who are alumni of reputed universities and are experts in their respective industries.

These experts serve as coaches guiding students through the processes of developing a business concept. Risk-Taking, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication &

Storytelling, Design Thinking & Innovation, and Opportunity Recognition are a few of the key learning areas of our program.

On successfully completing the entrepreneur workshop, the guaranteed internship will be extended to all the students within our partner firms and with most of the mentors teaching the program. Students will be provided with a certificate of participation by The Big Red Group. This certificate can be used for your college portfolio.

Ivy Early Entrepreneur

11th – 17th Jan 2022

Idea Generation | Market Research | Design Thinking | Pitching

Learn More

Editor's Pick

blog Higher Education Innovation | 6min Read

Practicality or Passion? Top Seven Professions of the 21st Century

Published on August 4, 2021

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blog Higher Education Innovation

Practicality or Passion? Top Seven Professions of the 21st Century

Tug Of War

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is often an anxiety-inducing dilemma for all teenagers. It can be overwhelming to try to make such a decision when it feels like your life is up in the air and the only thing that feels certain is uncertainty. In the modern-day and age, this question gets even harder to answer as innumerable factors weigh in – some high schoolers value job satisfaction overpay and get stressed out when they struggle to find a career path that suits them. Others hold wage factors in higher regard and don’t care much if they get incredibly bored working 9 to 5. Others can fall victim to parental pressure, unable to pursue their true passion. There are countless scenarios where students struggle to decide, finding themselves stuck in a tug of war, wondering which to choose, practicality or passion?

The Promise Of Practicality

In the 21st Century, the way we work and the number of career choices have changed substantially. For most non-manual professions, being highly literate in technology, business and creativity is a necessity. New generations are continuously coming up with ingenious and inventive job prospects and carving their own paths in this new world. Radical changes in globalization, technology, and competition in the marketplace as well as shifts in societal conditions have altered our speculations for the future. Experts continue devising new scenarios about working in the 21st century and the careers that will be highest in demand. Currently, these include:

  1. Nanotechnologists
  2. Stem Cell Research
  3. Business Developers
  4. Robotic Experts
  5. Genetic Programmers
  6. Urban Farming
  7. Data Scientists
  8. Healthcare Workers
  9. Artificial Intelligence Practitioners

1. Nanotechnologists

For many years now, our gadgets have been getting smaller and smaller which has caused an increase in the demand for nanotechnologists. These are people who can manipulate matter at a molecular level, and as miniaturization and portability for our gadgets increases, so will the demand for this job. Those who wish to study <a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology”>nanotechnology</a> should opt to study organic chemistry, molecular biology, and microfabrication.

2. Stem Cell Research:

For many years now, our gadgets have been getting smaller and smaller which has caused an increase in the demand for nanotechnologists. These are people who can manipulate matter at a molecular level, and as miniaturization and portability for our gadgets increases, so will the demand for this job. Those who wish to study nanotechnology should opt to study organic chemistry, molecular biology, and microfabrication.

3. Business Developers

These workers pursue strategic opportunities for businesses by, for example, cultivating partnerships or other commercial relations. It is one of the most sought-after jobs for fresh graduates and has many sub-areas to work within. To get hired as a business developer an individual must possess good analytical, negotiation, creative, and communication skills.

4. Robotic Experts

Individuals in these careers will be sought after in the coming years due to increased automation outside of factories and production facilities. These developers and specialists will have a special responsibility as artificial intelligence and automation continues to grow.

5. Genetic Programmers

Another profession in the scientific field that is speculated to increase in demand is genetic programming. As a genetic programmer, you will work on the development of medication that suits the individual genetic code of the patients to achieve the best possible treatments for diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s. Health and medicine, in general, will remain hot topics, so seeking a career in them instead of genetic programming will also result in high pay.

6. Urban Farming

Even though manual jobs, specifically in the agricultural sector are fading, inhabitants of large cities will have to be increasingly provided for by urban farmers. Jobs in this area will require agricultural and technical knowledge and many sub-areas involving R&D, automation, etc. may open up under it.

7. Data Scientists

This unusual profession shocked many when it originally came to be, but now its demand is expected to increase in the coming decades. Data scientists are big data wranglers who gather and analyze large sets of structured and unstructured data. Their role combines mathematics, computer science, and statistics.

8. Software engineers

The demand for software engineers has been growing with technological development. It will most probably grow more as the need for never-before-seen solutions increases. Along with mathematical skills, to be a software engineer you need to be creative and be able to make new, innovative software systems.

9. Healthcare Workers

The demand for nurses and care workers is predicted to grow as the work hours of physicians decrease and the population grows. These jobs have many opportunities to grow and succeed and are perfect for someone interested in healthcare.

10. Artificial Intelligence Practitioners

AI promises to deliver some of the most cutting-edge breakthroughs and innovations of this century. With an upcoming AI revolution, there are limitless opportunities for those who want to go into this field.

The Heart Wants What It Wants

Of course, working in the highest-paid professions is tempting. But what if you just don’t want to? What if you know that the benefits of entrepreneurship are far better than pursuing something you’re not interested in? Teenagers struggle to decide what to do, especially at such a young age but should you really settle for something that you don’t love doing just for money? Or just to make your parents proud? Taking the more creative path is riskier, and will probably result in uncles and aunties judging you, but if it may ultimately result in contentment – is it worth it? 

The answer may be affected by many external factors, but following your heart can rarely ever prove to be detrimental. Rather than being average at a job you dislike, but get paid a lot of money to do, it may very well be better to get paid less but be much happier. In your one life, it should be your choice and your will that guides you, not the opinions of others. Even if you possibly end up disliking what you once thought was your passion, that is perfectly fine. In fact, it’s needed because knowing is always better than wondering.

So, to know, to experience, to be satisfied and happy, listening to your heart instead of your head may be what’s best for you. 

Passion and Practicality can go hand in hand, but even if they don’t, your choice matters most. Deciding what you want to do based on your situation is completely up to high schoolers or even adults as it’s never too late to switch sides.

The Big Red Group and our Ivy Early Entrepreneur Program

In our entrepreneurial workshop – Ivy Early Entrepreneur, students go through the process of business development and leave the entrepreneur program having completed a business model canvas, competitive analysis, financial model, minimum viable product, and a pitch deck.

Students get an opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs who are alumni of reputed universities and are experts in their respective industries.

These experts serve as coaches guiding students through the processes of developing a business concept. Risk-Taking, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication &

Storytelling, Design Thinking & Innovation, and Opportunity Recognition are a few of the key learning areas of our program.

On successfully completing the entrepreneur workshop, the guaranteed internship will be extended to all the students within our partner firms and with most of the mentors teaching the program. Students will be provided with a certificate of participation by The Big Red Group. This certificate can be used for your college portfolio.

Ivy Early Entrepreneur

11th – 17th Jan 2022

Idea Generation | Market Research | Design Thinking | Pitching

Learn More

Editor's Pick

blog Internship | 4min Read

My Internship Experience: The Big Red Group

Published on July 28, 2021

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My Internship Experience: The Big Red Group

Name: Fiza Kazim

Highs School: Mayo College Girls’ School

College: Symbiosis School For Liberal Arts

Believe it or not, internships for high school students aren’t just about fetching coffee and photocopying documents. They are extremely beneficial for networking, acquiring experience, and ultimately landing that ideal job in your field.

Getting real-world experience working for a genuine company is an important part of your undergraduate education. I have received my fair share of that during my internship at The Big Red Group. From landing the internship, completing my tenure and joining back – it has been an extremely wholesome experience for me. Through this blog, I’ll share my experience as well as some advice that may be useful to you during your internship.

How Did I Land The Internship?

Being a fresher in college I was unaware of many internship opportunities. So, one day I decided to seek help online. I posted about my educational background and interests on a Facebook group called Network Capital. 

Interestingly enough, this group has a network of more than 60 thousand employers and employees searching for one another. Our founder & CEO Rishi came across my post and asked for me to get in touch with the team at the Big Red Group. 

Upon Interviewing and deliberating on my interests and skills further, we even discovered that we shared our alma mater – The Mayo College. The excitement to learn and apply my skills to ongoing projects further helped me get this internship. Thus, right at the beginning of my career, I understood the importance of networking and putting myself out there. 

Tip: Several other groups, such as Network Capital, allow you to post your interests along with a brief comment about your readiness to work. Putting yourself out there in a sea of experts can be intimidating, but we must remember that, for them, we are young and confident leaders who are go-getters and aren’t scared to grasp for prospective opportunities in their sights.

What Does The Internship Entail?

My internship at the Big Red Group is class-leading. It allows me the freedom to apply myself to everything and anything that I’m excited to learn. With no limits to the role, it makes the experience wholesome and exciting than most niche internships offered at other places. A typical day in my life would consist of researching; working with the marketing and the social media team, ideating, and most importantly meeting super cool leaders in different fields during our various workshops and programmes. With this internship, I understood the challenges and goals that a young company has to go through to capture a market. 

Tip: Internships give you the opportunity to discover and explore everything you can in a professional setting. Remember, now that you’re being treated like an adult, it’s time for you to take responsibility for yourself! Furthermore, no one will come up to you and ask you what new tasks you like to take on. So, be straightforward and speak for yourself!

Best Part Of My Day?

With all the work being online during the ongoing pandemic, the camaraderie of sharing common office space has inevitably gone for a toss. However, things are different at the Big Red Group. With fresh jokes and energized spirits, the morning briefings are undoubtedly the best part of my day. 

What Difficulties Do I Face?

I believe that one of the recurring issues I experience, after interning for more than six months, is prioritising. Work will often come at you from all directions, which can be overwhelming. As a result, I recommend keeping a tracker and prioritising your tasks so no matter how late you are, you are on time for your next deadline.

Advice For Future Interns?

  • Take risks. Try something new. 

  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

  • Keep an open mind and positive attitude.

  • Always take initiative in everything that you do.

  • Make a log of anything new which you have learnt at the end of each day of internship.

  • Talk to new people and make connections, be it managers, seniors or fellow interns.

To sum up my experience at the Big Red Group, it was simply wholesome. Lastly, It makes me extremely happy to see young high school students interning and learning under the supervision of our team – led by Rishi, Khushboo, and Nimish – at such an early stage in their professional lives!

The Big Red Group and our Ivy Early Entrepreneur Program

In our entrepreneurial workshop – Ivy Early Entrepreneur, students go through the process of business development and leave the entrepreneur program having completed a business model canvas, competitive analysis, financial model, minimum viable product, and a pitch deck.

Students get an opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs who are alumni of reputed universities and are experts in their respective industries.

These experts serve as coaches guiding students through the processes of developing a business concept. Risk-Taking, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Communication &

Storytelling, Design Thinking & Innovation, and Opportunity Recognition are a few of the key learning areas of our program.

On successfully completing the entrepreneur workshop, the guaranteed internship will be extended to all the students within our partner firms and with most of the mentors teaching the program. Students will be provided with a certificate of participation by The Big Red Group. This certificate can be used for your college portfolio.

Ivy Early Entrepreneur

11th – 17th Jan 2022

Idea Generation | Market Research | Design Thinking | Pitching

Learn More

Editor's Pick