By Simon Lai
Bachelor of Communication (Hons.) Psychology
Aug 2008

My mother once told me that, when I was young, I often slipped and fell when the marble floor in my house was wet. Although I have little recollection of this, I notice that whenever I am walking over smooth or wet surfaces, I would be extremely careful. One could say that I have learned from experience; from my previous mistakes and not to repeat it in the near future. This story reminds me of a quote that was forwarded to my e-mail: "How do you make the right decision? - Through experience. How do you gain experience? - By making wrong decisions."

However, the learning process cannot always be confined to inside a building. The world around us and beyond is full of mystery. Through their own lives and experiences, individuals develop their knowledge and interpretation of the world around them. It is my aspiration to understand this process that makes me interested in psychology. Along the way, different people have motivated me to pursue this interest.

One such individual is my mentor and friend, Rizal, who is a facilitator and founder of his own training company. Recently I went back to my alma mater and to my old department where I first got a taste of the working life - Department of Soft Skills Competency. Of course while I was there, it was known as Soft Skills Competency Unit and there are times where I just refer it to SSCU, its old abbreviation.

Anyway, I was called up by Oi Yee, informing me about Rizal's new course which is Team Up! As an alumni, I could still sign up for the soft skills programs. Well, in the training

line, team building exercises are often done outdoor by exposing participants to adrenaline pumping activities.Yet, while in indoor setting, Rizal manages to cover the core basic team building themes while promoting his ever famous "Stop Bangau-ing" concept. Simple but powerful message.

The objective of the course was to learn about 4 concepts of team building; which are Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. As expected, Rizal integrates fun and learning at the same time. During the course of the training, Rizal sometimes will ask me to observe the participants and their thinking process so that I may also develop the analytical observation during my own training programs.

In addition, I also learned and observed how he conducted his training program. As I am now beginning my career as a trainer in my company, I was learning and observing different styles of presentation of ideas by various trainers. My boss and my GM too is from training background and I have witness much to their presentation styles when they conduct trainings.

In conclusion, I have spent three years in UTAR, getting my degree and the university is still a platform for me to continue my learning journey. There are still so many more things to be learnt but so little time. However, my one day back at my alma mater is a good reminder for me not to forget my origins as I continue to excel. I would like to take the time to encourage my fellow alumni members to persist along that road called learning and to pursue it with every zeal and passion. Never think that you have learned everything, yet be proud of your experience. So I end my article with an advice to all who are reading not to forget our alma mater as it continues to offer lots of benefits in terms of our own learning in an ever growing and changing environment.