Year 9 students in Western Sydney University Fast Forward program attended an excursion to WSU Campbelltown Campus on Thursday 3 November.
The following students attended:
Chloe C, Ted C, Alyssa D, Angus S, Rhys D, Blake E, Samantha E, Kirsty F, Lucinda G, Jada H, Joshua H, Alex J, Aaron JJ, Cameron McC, Maddison P, Jenna S, Claire S, Rhianna V, Riley W.
This was a whole day event where the students participated in fun, informative activities to inspire their learning journeys, and to get them thinking about their skills, interests, and future careers. The theme of the day was ‘Rise to the Challenge’.
The students
- learned about the value of tertiary education
- got to know the university campus through fun and interactive learning challenges
- explored their personal strengths through the exploration of multiple intelligences, developing their problem-solving abilities and critical-thinking skills
Thank you to Western Sydney University for providing the bus travel for our Year 9 students.
Mark Mustapic
Careers Adviser/TaPS
Now let’s hear from some students:
The Western Sydney University Day prepared an enthralling program that kept all students engaged. We began with a check-in, where we were introduced to two students from the campus who instigated a series of icebreakers and various games to encourage comfort among the pupils whilst we waited for the other schools to arrive. We then received an explanation of what the day would entail after being taken into a lecture room, where the day would be based. Each attending school was then divided into groups, competing for points, proceeded by the Multiple Intelligences and Future Careers portion of the day, where we discovered the eight types of intelligence proposed by Howard Gardner, participating in a series of interactive activities and challenges to discover our own dominant intelligences; such as the Word Associated Game, maths quizzes, etc. We proceeded to take individual intelligence challenges to outline our greatest strengths and areas for development. This helped outline the various potential occupations we could explore that best suit us. For each challenge we were successful in or each time we participated in discussion, our school was awarded points. We then engaged in the first Campus challenge, where we were divided into a series of groups and gifted with the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the campus by engaging in a scavenger hunt, following clues, simultaneously getting to know past scholarship recipients at the university to learn more about the program and answer any queries. The second Campus Challenge entailed using our personality strength to piece together the clues and make a conclusion, testing the mental fortitude of the students. The day concluded with an evaluation and summary of the events, where the campus expressed their gratitude for all attending schools, and awarded St. Benedict’s as the winning school for the day’s competition. This day was highly beneficial and memorable for all students, creating an opportunity for a first-hand experience of higher education living. A special thanks extended to Mr Mustapic for attending and supervising and to Western Sydney University for providing the facilities for the students of St. Benedict’s to express leadership and community in a foreign environment.
Respectfully,
Jada H
Last Thursday, I was privileged to visit the Western Sydney University in Campbelltown as part of the Fast Forward Course for Year 9. We learnt about the different types of intelligences that are innate in all of us, and how our stronger intelligences can give us an insight into what jobs play to our strengths as of right now as our intelligences can change with time. We got to explore the campus in a Campus challenge which involved us using our intelligences to complete tasks and collect clues. This opportunity will be one I value for a long time as this experience allowed us to meet and interact with previous Fast Forward Scholarship recipients and talk to them about their current uni course, opening up horizons for me and inspiring me to think about life after high school. Thank you to Mr Mustapic for accompanying us to the event and to the welcoming university staff and students who hosted it as well as everyone else who was involved in making this day a possible opportunity.
Kirsty F
The Fast Forward event that Western Sydney University hosted for Year 9 was a day to discover and interact with different types of intelligence. This event and the welcoming people who hosted it, informed me of the various ways in which I can use my intellect; through nature, words, music and art, and through the way, I perceive myself and others all of which were guided by fun activities. Although I have only been in the program for a year, WSU Fast Forward has taught me that intelligence isn't just measured through mathematics and science but through creativity, passion, and the ability to adapt and persevere.
Chloe C
