Looking back at Fairview's UK expedition

Valerynne Chang, of Fairview International School in Malaysia, explains how the school's expedition helps prepare students for international travel and living...

This trip is not an ordinary expedition. It serves as a ‘crash course’ to help students get to know the United Kingdom and have a quick taste of being an international student in the country within eight days. 

We brought 80 students halfway across the globe to London, Sheffield, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh to discover what each major city has to offer, from its climate, social vibes, landscape, history, to local culture.

It was quite an overwhelming journey and yet, fascinating, to hear different regional slangs and accents as we traveled from England to Scotland, to see a range of traditional to contemporary architecture, and to feel the atmosphere in various student communities. The students also had a chance to experience the concept of ‘spring forward, fall back’ during Daylight Saving Time when the clocks went back an hour on 27th October, 2019.

Fairview Alumni and other university student ambassadors shared their personal stories for our students to reflect and in retrospect, consider which pathway they would like to take upon completing MYP Year 5. 

Conversations of the good, bad, and the ugly could be heard at each university when topics such as ‘How do I define the strength of my sense of personal mastery?’, ‘Am I capable of living abroad with a monthly student budget?’, ‘Are my current results good enough to apply to any of the Russell Group universities?’ were opened up for discussions. 

Students were seen experiencing an epiphany that their MYP years will soon come to an end and it is about time they discover their passion and get equipped to embrace the next adventure.

About the author: Valerynne Chang is the Director of Academics (Fairview Schools). The Principal (Fairview International School Penang). She is also an IB MYP Building Quality Curriculum Reviewer (Interdisciplinary Unit) Concept-based Curriculum and Instruction Trainer

About the Expedition: It’s a 'learning outside the classroom' venture, where students are exposed to a world outside of the safety of their classroom.  It’s a twice a year annual event, which has seen students undertake community-based activities. The Fairview International School expedition is also a learning journey for the 700+ students. As part of the expedition, students visit the following countries, namely Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia and the United Kingdom.