Student clubs in Mahidol University International College (MUIC) are quite busy with organizing activities for their members all year round. To give us an idea how a major activity like a field trip is organized as efficiently as possible, we asked Ms. Supatsara Nimitkoblap, President of the THM Club.

One of the major activities the club had this current academic year was “Roaming Amphawa,” a field trip to Amphawa Chaipattananurak in Samut Songkhram province on November 11, 2023 participated in by 60 students.

Meant to give the participants a firsthand knowledge of community-based tourism, the students learned about the background of the village, visited an agricultural garden and joined two workshops where they learned how to make Thai desserts and coconut shell key chains. Afterwards, the group visited the famous Amphawa Floating Market.

Here are Ms. Supatsara’s thoughts on organizing a field trip:

1. Be detail-oriented: “Organizing a field trip needs to involve many parties; therefore, I have to prioritize the tasks and coordinate with the head of activity to ensure that everything including documents, vehicles, lunches for the participants, and first aid are ready for the activity day itself, otherwise, we might encounter problems.”  

• Communication is the key: “As club president, what I have to do is to make everyone in the club be on the same page. I have to keep asking for updates for each task. I believe that good communication would make the work more efficient and everyone would not feel left behind. By having a clear communication, all members would know their responsibilities and it would improve the working environment.” 

• Embrace discomfort: “Being in a leadership position, sometimes I have to do what I am not comfortable with. For example, I am not confident in talking and negotiating with people; however, I need to contact the staff to discuss the field trip. I found out that I can do it effectively and I’m glad that I can go out of my comfort zone and improve my skills at the same time.”

MUIC’s student clubs are good places to develop the leadership, communication, teamwork, creative and other skills of students. These skills are invaluable in their future careers and MUIC believes that its students should maximize their potentials.

If you’re interested in being an active member of MUIC’s student clubs, simply click here and learn more about them: https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/student-life/students-activities/club-and-activity-transcript/