News

Welcome, Students! – SBCS Student Services Hosts Induction Event for New CF Cohorts.

Published: 11:44 AM on September 30, 2016

« 1 of 13 »

“The decision you have made to study with SBCS signals the trust you have placed in us, to help you achieve personal and academic success. I can assure you now that such trust has not been misplaced, and we will do our part to honour this partnership.  Thank you, and welcome to SBCS!”

And with those words, Senior Student Services Administrator, Jenine Mitchell heralded the start of Welcome Day 2016 at the Champs Fleurs Campus. Held on Wednesday, September 28 this year, the Welcome Day event is an annual fixture that serves to welcome our full-time students to their courses of study at SBCS. This ‘welcome’ usually features numerous activities designed to help new students adapt and get more acquainted with all the campus’ pastoral activities, and in that respect, this year was no different.

 

Setting the Foundation for Excellence

The flow of activities was ably managed by representatives of Student Services and the SBCS Student Council.  The first segment set the tone not just for the day, but for their transition to Tertiary Education. Senior Lecturer, Derek Haqq delivered an impassioned address towards motivating the students to strive for excellence. He drew upon his own experiences as a first year student, and the challenges he overcame to achieve success in his academic pursuits. Building upon that, Ms. Mitchell for her session spoke about acclimatizing to the requirements of pursuing tertiary education, and the SBCS Difference that they would soon come to know, first-hand. On the former, she stressed, “It’s not just about what you learn in a book, but also the activities you engage in and the experience you gain that can translate into a career.” This set the stage nicely for SBCS graduate, Lynelle Fyzool to share with the 60-odd assembled her past and continued experiences while pursuing her qualifications at SBCS.  In her delivery, she highlighted areas as time management, and balance, “ … Time Management was a big thing for me, and it would be for you, too. Time Management and Balance. For example, I utilized the Recreation Room as a brain cooler from my studying, but still had to know when enough was enough to return to my studies. If you want to achieve excellence you need to strike the right balance for you between study and play. Manage your time well … ”

 

When asked about how it felt to be on the other side, now giving advice as a graduate versus receiving it as a student, Ms. Fyzool paused. “I don’t know if “fulfilling” is the word to use …” she eventually uttered, still searching her thoughts “… but to know that through sharing my experience, I may have possibly helped or encouraged at least one student is a quite sobering experience. Based on their attentiveness and the questions they asked afterwards, I felt like I engaged enough with them to make an impact.  Yeah, sobering.”

 

From Reflection to Recreation

With the context set, students were then introduced to the SBCS Student Council – its members, its purpose and the planned activities set to rollout in the coming months. This interaction segued nicely into the second segment of the Day, where students were treated to giveaways, prepared snacks, and slices of the commemorative cake.  They were also encouraged to sign up for Club-endorsed activities and sporting teams.  This segment and the Day concluded with a highly-anticipated gaming tournament, that showcased the newly released, FIFA 17.  Said one participant, “A fitting end to a great day.”

 

The SBCS Experience

Of the Welcome Day and the new cohorts, Executive Director Dr. Robin Maraj commented, “At SBCS, we make every student feel important, because they each are. And this starts at the first interaction with our Advisory & Admissions Centres and persists through our induction activities – Orientation and Welcome Day, and their experience while studying with us.  At the end of the day,  we do all that we can to ensure that our learners are provided with a great SBCS experience, and most importantly, that they  achieve their academic goals.  Our Academic Administrators, lecturers, and of course Student Services  provide quality support to them, which is so important in making the overall experience at SBCS both professional and delightful. The Welcome Day is just the beginning; so much more awaits them and, for as long as they’ll have us,  we’ll be there with them every step of the way.”

Category: Events, News