KUALA LUMPUR: Approximately 500 UCSI University (UCSI) first-year students gathered at Dewan Tan Sri Ahmad Razali (DeTSAR) Hall on July 19, 2013, for the University Life Final Project Showcase Day. 

They arrived as early as 7am to present and showcase their final projects for a compulsory skill-based subject – namely, LL101 University Life. 

The subject aims to smoothen the transition - from secondary school to university life for first-year students and expose them to various skills that are relevant for university students. 

Transcending classroom borders, the subject is aligned with UCSI's aspirations to provide a unique learning environment for its students by integrating theoretical coursework with practical learning. 

Needless to say, this furnishes them with transferable skills such as identifying learning styles, effective study techniques, note-taking skills, presentation skills, listening and memory skills, as well as different methods to prepare for examinations, to name a few. 

As such,Showcase Day saw the students apply skills - that had been garnered throughout the semester - to practice in their final projects, which was themed 'Melting Pot of Cultures in UCSI University'. 

The projectnecessitated the students to form a group, comprising eight to ten members, choose one country and focus on one particular cultural aspect. 

Amongst the selected countries include Spain, Australia, Sweden, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia, to name a few. 

Notably, the students conducted vibrant performances during the showcase, which were assessed by a panel of judges that hailed from various faculties and backgrounds. 

Interestingly, one of the crowd favourites on that day was a group ‘from’ South Africa, which received thunderous applause from the audience. 

The students themselves also had many positive things to say about their experience, one of whom includes a student 'from' Sri Lanka, who said: "This project was a very interesting experience. I learned a lot while working on this project, especially on Showcase Day." 

"It was a special experience for me as I made a lot of new friends from different races and this really improved my communication skillsand gave my confidence a boost." 

An Emirati student representing the UAE also highlighted that the showcase equipped him with skills that cannot be learned from the textbook or in the classroom while another fellow Emirati expressed his fascination with the BurjKhalifa skyscraper – one that he only discovered while working on the project. 

All of the students' efforts were captured in the showcase and their creative presentations earned them due recognition from no less than UCSI's very own recently appointed deputy vice-chancellor of Academic Affairs & Research, Prof Dr Teoh Kok Soo, who spent some time making the rounds to visit the forty-six booths and chat with the excited students. 

Watch University Life Showcase in Action Here.