Extracurricular Activities

Elaborate your non-academic activities (either extracurricular or work), explaining why you have pursued them and what you have gained from the experience. While studying at the Faculty of Engineering, I participated in many extracurricular activities, which help to broaden my point of view. They also allowed me to engage in the dynamics of the society and learn various aspects of life. In my opinion, I believe that taking parts in those activities is very crucial to my life. Some examples are the high school guidance camp, and the Universiade Game 2007. Through my experience, I have realized two things: the importance of education to an individual and the broad inequality of education access in Thailand. Fortunately, it was not only me who realized this fact. In my first year at Chulalongkorn University, I joined a group of volunteer students who shared the same point of view. We planned for months to organize a 2-day camp for high-school students in upcountry areas. We aimed to provide information about each field of study available in the university level, sharing our experiences to prepare for the exam and study plan, and broaden their points of view about the available opportunities and their access channels. Since the preparation and the closing of the camp, I have gained memories and experiences. I learned to manage time, arrange meetings, contact several parties, and carry out activities. I enjoyed the teamwork and earned trust and bonds with teammates and participants. I also learned the art of motivation and I believe that it is the essence of success of the camp, from the commencement to the completion. Several months after the camp, I received a call from one of the participants. She expressed how grateful she felt to the camp and to the conversations we had. She was inspired and saw the world differently. Her study has improved from GPA of 2 to 3, and most importantly she now has a goal and lives her life to pursue it. This is such a fabulous reward to my devotion to the camp. I realized that the great happiness originates from giving and sharing. Another extracurricular activity is the Universiade Game 2007, an international university-level sport event, organized by International University Sports Federation (FISU), welcoming students around the world. It was a great opportunity to work in an international event involving a wide range of parties. I volunteered and assigned the head of the attaché for the Australian team. Apart from accompanying the Australian heads, I managed the Thai attaché staffs to fit in each team and helped them with scheduling and activities. Various backgrounds of colleagues, also from different universities, challenged me to develop interpersonal communication and leadership skills. Pressures I encountered along the way introduced me to decision-making, responsibility, integrity, and great commitment of being a leader. Problems that happened to my subordinates and me taught me about the art of problem solving and compromise in order to make a great team spirit that encourages everyone to work together happily and efficiently. Most of all, this journey allowed me to develop great friendship and wide connections, which I value very much in my life. In conclusion, apart from the academics, many extracurricular activities complete me to be who I am today. I have become a well-rounded person with both intelligence and social skills. My involvements in both of the activities I mentioned above teach me about teamwork, inspiration, time management, creativity, problem solving, selfconfidence and people connections. I appreciate the experiences I earned that help me to pursue my goals. If I have to express my opinion with mathematics, between the academics and the social engagement exists the equal sign.