SOAR Advisor First Training Sem 2, 2008

After compete-ing with a few hundreds of peoples, 30 peoples were chosen to go for the training. The training starts at 27-29 June 2008 (Fri-Sun). I am the one out of that 30 peoples.


First Day of Training

Starts at 9am at RC 1 or Kenyalang 1. We all wear formal. The first day of the training is right after my final examination day. They, the seniors, introduced the basic of SOAR and what they do. Student Orientation Advisory Registration or in short, SOAR, helps the new students during the Orientation Week. It's also a part of Curtin Volunteer or CV! since 2004. Orientation at Semester 2 starts at 21-26 July 2008.

Next, the 3P Talk. Kelvin talked about Professionalism while Hisham talked about Personality. Before break time, we are taught by a few experienced SOAR Advisors on how to handle the introvert students. After that, we are divided into 5 groups and assigned a project. I'm in group 4 with Tisha, Karen, Azie and Vincent. The topic for our group's project is "Examination". We need to do a research based on the examination in Curtin.

We have our lunch break at 12.45pm until 2.30pm. We need to use the break time to do our research after we finished our lunch. All the candidates and the seniors sat together with the table combined. We are one Family!

2.30pm, we went back to RC1 and listened a talk given by Gerain on "Stage Fright". After the talk, we present our presentation. Our group was the second last group to present our presentation.

After all the presentation had finished, we were assigned to do a individual project or research based on the departments and offices. And before we left, a announcement was made and most of us were shocked after we heard that announcement.

Kah Wai, Vincent and I have our dinner at One-Stop Cafe while Eleena take away.

During first toilet break, I heard a bad news. I cannot accept the truth. For me, it's a bad news but for others, maybe it's a good news. I don't want to mention it now.


Second Day of Training.

Wear casual, starts at 9.00am at RC 1. A talk given by Raymond on the departments and the offices in Curtin. After that, we were given 2 assignments and we were free to choose our own group members.

First assignment, we stick to our group because lazy to choose. We discussed based on the topic "Biggest Challenges faced by group leader". My idea was crashed with the other members idea so I only can keep quiet.

Second assignment we need to switch partner. That means I cannot stick with Tisha, Karen, Azie and Vincent anymore. I let others find me and I am in a group of 4. Kah Wai, Siaw Kang, Ophelia and me. We discussed our second topic "Hardest Decision made by you in your lifetime". Because it is very common question, we have a lot of ideas.

After the discussion we do rounding session. After rounding, most of us go to lunch at Good Day Cafe. Can I list the names here?

After lunch, the next session start at 1pm. A talk given by Ian on "Student Council". I'll get to that later. After Ian's talk, we are divided into groups again to discuss "The Emergency Cases During O-week". I still let them to find me. I am in a group with Tisha, Gerain and Siaw Kang.

After discussion, we have our group sketch. 5 groups 7 topics were given. We let Tisha to choose the topic. She choose the topic "During O-week, 1 of the student was homesick." We need to act it and include a solution into the sketch. We are given 20 minutes to prepare our sketch.

Know what? It's second day of training and our "bonding" are stronger due to we ever co-operated with each other the previous day so we only used up 15 minutes to think on how to act and practiced. Gerain, as the main actor, the homesick boy in Siaw Kang's group, Siaw Kang as the group leader, Tisha as the experienced SOAR Advisor and me, act as the no experience or new SOAR Advisor. Can I mention "behind the scene" here?

After that, we have our rounding session and we all go home.


Third Day of Training

Starts at 12pm at RC 1. Wear Casual as well. First, I "think" May was playing "missing" and she enter at 12.40pm. But I'm wrong. Actually another "P" was missing. "Punctuality". During that 40 minutes, we practice our songs. Some of them playing with the other songs. You don't want to know behind the scenes. After that, all the experienced SOAR Advisors are wanted to stand in front and dance the 3 dances.

Second semester O-week events were brief through. What is the shocking announcement?? Oh well, we'll have our Karaoke session. Not need to afraid, it's not Malaysian Idol or any others. It's just to test your courage or braveness in front of many peoples. We need to choose at least 3 minutes long english song.

While waiting for the others to give their songs to Raymond and wait for them to set up the PA system, we have our toilet break. We do something stupid outside the toilet and you don't want to know. That's all..