MEDITATION AS A CATALYST FOR SELF-CONFIDENCE: A PRE-INTERVENTION SURVEY ANALYSIS OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Self-confidence is crucial for the academic and personal growth of students, especially in demanding areas like engineering. As students deal with tough coursework, competitive settings, and uncertainty about their careers, many face anxiety, self-doubt, and emotional challenges. These difficulties often hurt their academic performance and personal growth. The present study explores the association between meditation practices and self-confidence of 145 engineering students. We identified that 81% of participants think that meditation increases self-confidence and 76% were willing to practice Rajyoga meditation through a 15-item Likert-scale questionnaire. Statistical analyses indicated statistically significant stress-self-doubt correlations (χ² = 37.2, p < 0.001) and 25% higher emotional resilience in meditation practitioners. These results provide evidence for incorporating meditation in technical studies to maintain academic resilience.