Good old days

One year at the university,

when I came to the university, everything were new. New friends, new people, new environment , even the climate.

As a software Engineering student

we sat in front of the computer all whole day... We had to...

except sitting in front of computers, 

everything was a challenge

everything in English, but cannot introduce ourselves properly

Personal Progress Development sessions helped me to get over it.

The purpose of PPD activities were generally to promote awareness of our spirit and to strengthen commitment to shared goals and objectives of the team. Properly applied.

There were many group activities, games That helped me to increase my qualities for some level

• Leadership Skills • Giving Feedback • Motivation Skills • Creativity & Innovation • Problem Solving • Working in Teams • Team Leadership• Strategic Thinking ​• Negotiation Skills • Interpersonal Skills

• Communication Skills ​• Time Management • Confidence Building • Decision Making • Personal Impact • Goal Setting • Stress Management • Listening Skills ​• Team Bonding • Trust Building

We had lot of fun, We enjoyed together a lot, we spent out time together, We developed our progress for some level within this year.

PPD Sessions were helped us to enhance our performance through experiential learning. Such programs like OUTBOUND TRAINING PROGRAM IN TRINCO are often also referred to as corporate adventure training and outdoor management development.

PPD sessions provides real experience to us  so its impact on behavioral traits is high. It enhances self confidence, social ability,  team work and leadership. That will help in the productivity in the future, to create a proper employee to the industry

OUTBOUND TRAINING

This  Outbound Training program arranged by Mrs Sarasi with the help of Naval Camp of Trincomalee. This was  technique used to enhance the efficiency of students through Experiential Learning in outdoor. In other words, taking the group of students away from the actual work environment into the outdoors and are assigned some challenging task or activities.

So on the 2nd weekend of this December(2017),We arrived to Trincomalee Eastern Command Naval Base for the program with level one and level 02 Software Engineering Students.

After the arrival We were asked to change our cloths and then Navy officers have been offered us well arranged Lunch.
After the lunch,  we went to a beach side to complete some activities
before start the activities, we were divided into 4 teams Alpha, Bravo,Charlie,Delta

• Go through a high tension square
• Passing glass balls through pipe
• Filling  water to pipe with holes
• Passing a volleyball using a Coat in a volleyball court
• Tug of war

Each activity should guide by a team leader, five leaders for five activities. we improved our

• Team Skills
• Planning and Strategy
• Leadership skills
• Communication Skills
• Team Bounding
• Goal Setting
• Interpersonal Skills 

and Many more

After the activities,  we went to our accommodations and we prepared for the variety show and the dinner. All four groups had to perform as they can. The place of the variety show held was well arranged and also there was a Campfire . After the variety show, we had our dinner and went to the accommodations.

On the Second day after having our breakfast at General mess we went to the combat training area. The activity was at compass march to the Elephant point. It was like 2 km run through the jungle. Navy officers taught us to use compass with maps, how to take bearings. Also they taught us how to survuve from the barriers in the jungle and how we should deal with unexpected moments in jungle. Also the told us their experience when the were at the war.

So after the leadership programs, we went to the Naval Museum.

We saw lot of Pistols, Rifles, Machine Guns,Artillery Guns,Ship Engines and components,ships, Boats since World war 2. Historical importance and everything were well explained by a Navy Officer.

After visiting the museum, we went to the lunch.
Finally we took  time to appreciate their dedication to train us, their arrangements etc. After Madam Sarasi's speech, we took a photo with the Navy Officers who took a part to finish this successfully. We had a wonderfull time with them. Learned a lot.

BARTER PUZZLE

 Today's goal is to see which group can complete their puzzle the fastest. However! Some pieces will be mixed around in other group's  puzzles. It's up to the team to come up with a way to get those pieces back — either through negotiating, trading.

Three teams were trying to solve the puzzle. A magazine paper cut in to  hundred pieces, and few of each teams puzzle pieces were mixed with other teams. We had to build up the puzzle back within given time. Also we had to get our missing puzzle pieces by negotiating with the other teams

We tried to complete as much as possible and then we identified what pieces that matching to our puzzle. Then we tried to exchange them with the our pieces with other teams. we couldn't complete at the time but we learned, 

• how to deal with others in a competition, 
• how to manage time
• manage team members
• and had lot of fun.

Stand together-Become a proper team builder

LAVA RIVER

Wanna go through some team building activities? Then try "LAVA RIVER",

a challenge to compete as a team on imagined lava river. The first challenge was to stand on a paper. 

Students were divided to 3 groups, and the challenge was to whole team members need to stand on that paper without touching the floor(Lava river). If any member of a team touched the Lava, the team will be disqualified. We had to remain on the paper until Miss Sarasi says out. 

The challange became more harder because the paper got smaller in each round and it to got really harder to stay balance on the paper.

The Other challenge was to cross the river. 4 pieces of papers for each group to use as tiles. You cant leave any tile without any human touch. Otherwise it will take out. If any tile was taken out, team members have to play with the remaining tiles. How ever every team member should cross the lava river. Time to spent for cross the river will counted and the team with the lowest time record will become as the winners.

I think these kind of team building activities are about understanding, appreciating, developing and maximizing the people in your team, and also the team as a unified group. When we trying to do the tasks, we understood it well.

If we become productive, efficient, motivated then we can easily become winning happy team.

It not just the wining. Even we trying these things make us more motivated and happier.

Thanks for Madam Sarasi We all enjoying these sessions.

UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA

University of Kelaniya is a One of major State University of SriLanka. Which gifts thousands of Graduates to us each year since 1875.   

The University of Kelaniya founded in 1875 as Vidyalankara Pirivena, By ratjmalane Sri Darmaloka Thera as a centre of learning for Buddhist monks. Named University of Kelaniya in 1978. 

Faculty of Medicine is the only one that Seperated from the University Area

University of Kelaniya have 07 faculties.

• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Computing and Technology
• Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Graduate Studies

Faculty of Science

Faculty of Science is Started in 1967 with Prof.Charles Dahanayake as the first dean of the Faculty.
there are 8 departments in the faculty right now.

• Department of Botany
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Physics
• Department of Statistics & Computer Science
• Department of Zoology and Environmental Management
• Department of Microbiology
• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Industrial Management

Canteens

Along with the university, there are 09 canteens. from those canteens, there are 05 canteens in the University area.
Gymnasium Canteen is the Main canteen. There is another canteen in the Science faculty.
We can buy many food items from these canteens for breakfast,lunch and dinner for even in the weekends.. Foods in the university canteens are is at fair price, therefore  students feel comfortable because they can save money.

Library

Library is the one of most important place in the university because thousands of books for each subjects areas and many paste papers for each subjects are here. Also there are study areas are available for students.

Medical Center

Medical center is the one of most important unit in the university that provide a unrivaled service for the students. MC is open 9.00 a.m-6.00 p.m on weekdays. Recently, Staff of the MC done a great job on the dengue fever and the viral fever that spanned over the university. They are doing at their best to keep the students in a good health.

What we achieved from PPD?  

Working as teams:

It is imperative for University students to function efficiently and appropriately in groups, collaborate on projects and manage many other things with others. People who succeed only when working alone will struggle in studying, as most careers in the future require collaboration.

We develop skills necessary to effectively work with others in numerous ways, including participating in various activities, that our coordinator arranged. We also completed team-based activities and we were able to learn how to manage our time during an activity.

Communication skills:

A common complaint among employers is that young people do not know how to effectively carry on a, listening and maintaining eye contact during a conversation

young individuals connected one another through the technology, there a no question on that has also reduce their ability to communicate face-to-face or These skills will again be important not only in university, where we must work to gain everything for our future

This skill effectively improved for some level during this semester because of the PPD activities that arranged by our coordinator. She arranged quick speeches, conversations etc.  

Problem-solving:   

As Students will be faced with a many of unexpected challenges in future and receive little or no aid in overcoming the problems. We must be able to solve problems in creative ways and to identify solutions to issues with no prescribed formula.

We were able to solve few problems during the activities that we've done. We struggled to handle unanticipated setbacks. We improve problem-solving abilities by listening and respecting to our team mates’ opinions and suggestions on a problem or a task

 Leadership: 

This important to be able to function in a group, it is important to show leadership skill when it necessary. Both in university as a student and in workplace as an employee. At most of the time, Software developing is not a single member’s task. It is a group work. So as Software Engineering students, Importance of leadership is very high. Nowadays Software Companies wish to hire leaders, not followers.

Sarasi madam arranged the best way for us to develop this skill by giving tasks and activities for leadership opportunities in university. This could mean, among other things,  leading an extracurricular group. 

So that's it for this semester. 15 weeks makes our better. Hope next semester PPD sessions will be more interesting and enjoyable.

Paper tower activity

“More hands make for lighter work.” “Two heads are better than one.” “The more the merrier.”

These adages speak to the potential groups have to be more productive, creative, and motivated than individuals on their own.

Our Challenge: 

Getting the papers to stand up, using tape, staples, glue, also you can bend, fold, or tear the papers itself.

Our challenge was to build a tower for each team by using sheets of papers, a scissor,a tape within minutes. Marks were given for the height,balance, rigidity of the tower.

Three groups were divided.

while doing the activity. Ideas of team members were important to make a better plan for the tower. While PPD sessions, we improved a quality that to respect other people's ideas,

With this challenge we were able to understand that the solution is different from challenge to challenge. So the each members idea were very important. So, 

because of that our effort of creating paper tower was succusful.

Al so we were able to,

1. Defining the problem or issue at hand 
2. Analyzing those alternatives
3. Selecting the most viable alternative
4. Implementing the necessary decisions

Of course, each individual must also engage in the critical thinking process on their own, there should not be a blind reliance on the 

group's efforts. Finally, each individual is responsible for both their own mind, and their own contributions. This ensure is not only the development of that individual, 

but also the development of the group as well, as each group is only as effective as its individual members are on their own away from the group