25-26 April 2017 – IMU Psychology students organised a Psychology Week, showcasing various areas of Psychology, at the University’s campus in Bukit Jalil. This is the fourth time that this event was organised at the University.
The theme of this year’s event is “Psychology Does Matter” and it covered the many integrative applications of psychology. There were posters on addictions, health psychology exhibitions, experiments on taste perception, expressive art therapy demonstrations, 30-second elevator speech for job interviews and many more, giving the opportunity for the Psychology students to present their “classroom knowledge” to students from other IMU programmes.
Semester 2 Psychology students commented, “We learned a lot more about the topics allocated to us for the event, including how to provide appropriate responses to questions from the lay person. What is useful is that we were able to improve on our presentation skills, an important aspect of our own personal and professional development.”
One of the highlights of the event is the art therapy and card therapy organised by Semester 8 students. Serene Kho Wei Yen, a Semester 8 student who manages the Expressive Art Booth mentioned that “I felt like it was an open invitation to everyone to become children again. The booth was laden with crayons, markers, glitter, and all the things we associate with childhood arts and crafts. It brought out this childlike spirit in those who came to do the activities, and in myself as well. At the end of the day, I learnt that the simple act of allowing someone a safe space express their inner child through art can be a truly therapeutic experience”.
Another student, Izza Amira commented that “I was at the card therapy booth and it was very interesting indeed. The students who participated in this activity were very open to the idea of card therapy, interested to learn about the cards and were willing to share their thoughts with me.”
She added, “It was such an overwhelming experience as I was able to gain more insight and see different perspectives from the sharing with these students. Just as much as I was hoping the students can see their strength in the cards, they taught me how to see things from such a diverse perspective. I find myself more critical in finding positivity in every weakness. In all, it was such a great experience to be able to facilitate the therapy”.
Another Semester 8 student, Nursabrina Firdaus Aloysius provides an insightful reflection on how the activity and skills learnt impacted on herself as part of her personal growth. “Being able to be a part of the Psychology Week for one last time is significant in its own way. This time, we were equipped with counselling skills to serve the IMU students, hear their stories, lift their spirits and watch their doubts drifts away. It was fulfilling to make someone’s day better by providing them with the words they wanted to hear the most as well as equipping them with strengths they never knew they had to face the challenges ahead of them. Not only it was empowering to them, it was empowering to recognise the ability I have to improve someone’s life”.
Besides that, the “30-second elevator speech” for job interviews was also frequented by many students from different programmes. Students were required to record a clear, brief message about themselves communicating who they are, what they are looking for and how they can benefit a company or organisation. The recording duration given was about 30-second which is also the time it takes for people to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator. Students who were interested in the Industrial and Organisational Psychology activity mentioned that “The 30 seconds elevator speech activity was very interesting. Although it was tough for certain individuals, it was beneficial and provided a good learning platform. We learnt strategies to be more comfortable at sharing about ourselves especially when applying for jobs. It was a good opportunity to take a good look at oneself in regard to how one performs in front of others or interviewers, and reflect upon what we see and hear during the playback. The participants were able to see the benefits derived from this activity, such as interpersonal skills and how it will make a different impression in the eyes of the employers or audience. All in all, it was agreed upon that further practice can lead to the desired outcome”.
