Jumping into DIPIN! – September 2023 Diploma Orientation
First impressions are important, especially so for any new students joining our institution! Finding friends and navigating a new campus can be pretty daunting as well, so SDEV has put their best foot forward in the organization of the very recent Diploma Orientation programme (or DIPIN for short). DIPIN is an orientation programme organised by SDEV to make sure that incoming batches of diploma students have the time and space to form connections with their potential classmates as well as orient themselves to SIM, its facilities and their various programmes set up to support these students’ educational journey.
For this month’s DIPIN, we had a total of (insert amount) students attending. Our participants came from a variety of countries and programmes, leading to a fairly diverse collection of colourful personalities! SDEV didn’t do this alone, however, as we were supported by a team of student volunteers who helped provide our participants with a warm welcome. A fair number of our volunteers were leaders that came from international student clubs such as the SIM Chinese National Network and MY-SIM, making sure that their fellow international students ease into this new foreign environment as comfortably as they can!
The programme ran in 2 shifts with a morning session and an afternoon session for 2 batches of students. The morning session started fairly early, and it showed with our participants walking in still rubbing the dust out of their eyes. Nonetheless, the energy ramped up as our staff and volunteers started the event off with a few icebreakers. After the participants got to know each other, they were toured through SIM to they knew where to find academic support for whatever needs they may have. Our student volunteers proved diligent and sociable as participants got to be more familiar with their campus.
It wasn’t all fun and games, however. We did our due diligence in providing educational talks that introduced new students to vital information such as tips on managing academic stress and communication theories that will help them navigate school life. We even had police offers provide a very informational presentation on common scams and how the participants can avoid and deal with them.
All in all, the programme was a roaring success with our participants heading home with attractive prizes & giveaways, a greater familiarity with their new school, and new friends to embark on their new educational journey!
