Students should use the opportunity of full-time study in Wawasan Open University to pick up valuable soft skills and make it their goal to become successful employable graduates.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dato’ Dr Ho Sinn Chye, in his welcoming remarks during the orientation at the main campus today, advised the full-time students to ask themselves from now until graduation on how they can each groom themselves to become a successful employable graduate of WOU and stand out among the sea of graduates produced in the country each year.
WOU SENIOR MANAGEMENT STAFF AND FRESHMEN AT THE ORIENTATION CEREMONY.
“We want to equip you with future-proof skills, so that you become readily employable in the job market. Most employers are looking out for such skills during job interviews. How well can you think, how well can you analyse? You learn these not from your courses alone but from other academic activities along the way,” he elaborated.
Prof Ho challenged the freshmen to open up their minds and groom themselves to become proficient in those traits that are sought-after by employers, namely critical thinking, analytical thinking, and the ability to work with others.
PROF HO CHALLENGES THE STUDENTS TO SUCCEED AS EMPLOYABLE GRADUATES FROM WOU.
He told the freshmen to brush up on their English because English is the language of business and global communication. He informed that WOU is a good training ground to master their command of the language, adding, “The way you talk to a lecturer, the way you ask questions in class, in exam, and the chats you have with your classmates in the cafeteria are all opportunities to train and improve your language skills. Prospective employers look out for all these things in interviews.”
He called on the students to be focused on their set goals from the very start of their academic journey in WOU. He said this commitment will motivate them to improve and to get ready for the job market, declaring, “Your mission is to graduate as an employable graduate of WOU.”
Prof Ho also urged them to familiarise themselves with the learning management system in WOU, to get to know their Academic Advisors well, and to know exactly what they want to achieve, adding that these three steps will help them become a successful graduate.
SHARVINTHERAAN RAVI LEADS THE FRESHMEN IN RECITING THE STUDENTS’ PLEDGE.
The freshmen were subsequently led in their oath-taking by Sharvintheraan Ravi, who newly enrolled in Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Management for the May 2017 intake. About 25 new students participated in the orientation.
Prof Ho also presented awards to six Dean’s List recipients who attended, out of the total 16 students named to the List for their excellent results in the September 2016 semester.
CLOCKWISE, BACK ROW, FROM LEFT: DEAN’S LIST RECIPIENTS TEOH EWE MUN, YUVEN YEOH YEW MU, TAN KEN LIN, NG XIN PEI, LEE PEI FONG AND MELISSA WAN.
The other attendees at the orientation were Chief Operating Officer Yeong Sik Kheong, Registrar Dr Andy Liew Teik Kooi, Deans, Academic Advisors and Penang Regional Centre director Teh Kim Kow and his team.
The freshmen were later briefed on MPU courses, WOU regulations and procedures, ITS facilities, Wawasan2u and the library services.
