A Positive Brooksian Experience Story by Liang Xinyin (Alumna, 2017)

Xinyin recounts and reflects on her enriching Secondary 2 Level Camp.

My first outdoor camp was my Secondary 2 Level Camp, held at Jalan Bahtera Outdoor Adventure Learning Center (OALC).   Before the camp, I felt excited and curious, but at the same time fearful of what will be in store for us.  Having a phobia of heights, I was shocked to hear during the briefing that we will experience high elements activities.  Despite that, I was excited that I will get to do the activities with my classmates. 

When I reached the campsite, I immediately felt homesick in the new environment, but fortunately, my classmates were with me. The camp activities involved rock climbing, hiking, a high element obstacle course, zip line, low elements and artificial caving system.   All these activities involved physical and mental stress.

One activity worth mentioning is rock wall climbing as it was a challenging process.  We needed to ensure that safety precautionary measures were in place.  We began by checking that our helmets and harnesses fitted us well and were secure.  Next, we inspected the ropes to see if they were looped correctly.  My team members did a cross check with each other to ensure that we had completed all necessary procedures correctly. 

When I started scaling the rock wall, my hands and legs were shivering throughout the climb, as I feared losing my grip on the ‘rocks’ holders.  After what seemed like hours, I finally reached the half way mark of the rock wall.  It was then that when I decided not to continue as my grip on the rocks was becoming loose due to my aching fingertips. My heart was pumping so fast from being tired and the thought of falling made it worse. About five minutes of not having the strength to continue, I decided to call out the code ‘m falling’ to notify my belayer that I wanted to be belayed down.  However, I was so afraid to let go of my grips that my friends started to assure me that I will be fine.  When I finally had the courage to let go, I was soon safely back down on the ground.  That activity required a lot of mental and physical strength. I managed to experience the climb with my team members and we trusted each other.

Throughout the three days in camp I was exposed to lots of experiences and learnt a lot.  Firstly, the importance of being adaptable when facing a new challenge. I learnt to adapt to different environments and to new company away from home.  I accommodated the different lifestyle of my classmates and appreciated a different living environment. 

Secondly, learning how to overcome challenges.  I faced many challenges positively and had an open mind to try new activities in the camp despite having a phobia of heights. Going forward, my experiences have made me more confident in handling challenges I will face.  

Thirdly, teamwork and team bonding are key to success.  I learnt the importance of teamwork, cooperation and trust among classmates.  I realised that we can achieve our goals and objectives as a team. The relationship between my classmates improved tremendously as we got to know each other and have a better understanding of each other.

My key point in sharing this experience is that the camp made me become more positive in trying new things, overcome some of my fears, ready to face new challenges and build a caring relationship with my classmates.

Last but not least, I learnt the value if teamwork for success.