UKQE3001 Reflection report 1: UTM Catapult Challenge

            UTM Catapult Challenge was held on the 6^th March 2020, in Dewan Astana, Kolej Tuanku Canselor. The objective of this activity to let the participants create a catapult from limited materials. The catapult should be able to shot a ping pong ball into a bag which placed at a certain distance and the group with the highest score will win the challenge.

          In the beginning, about 80 participants were gather into the Dewan Astana hall for the start of the activity. We were separated with 5 members per group through an ice breaking game. After that, we were giving an instruction to build a mini catapult with only the limited materials. We were not given an example of how to build the catapult but they allowed us to use our phone to search up for guides online. The time given to us to discuss and build our catapult was 45 minutes.

During the given time, our group members were brainstorm together to discuss the structure of the catapult. We search online to find the best structure for our catapult and we also successfully build it within half an hour. After that, we also use the extra 15 minutes to test and troubleshoot our catapult before we present and compete.

            After that, each of a group need to assign a group representative to present and compete the catapult. During the presentation, our group present about the theory and the structure of our catapult. Then, our group was given three chances to catapult the ping pong into a bag and unfortunately, we missed the three chances.

            Finally the award ceremony was conducted successfully. Although our group didn’t get any award in this activity but we still feels proud for ourselves because at least we are able to build the catapult successfully in time.

             At the beginning, I felt very excited because I think this is a very interesting and amusing activity as we need to creative enough to build our own catapult. During the ice breaking session, I feel very awkward because I and my group members were chosen randomly through one time ice breaking game and we did not recognize before but finally I still can accept my group members as they are very friendly and amicable. However, some group members were more shy and quiet that they refuse to communicate and discuss with each other.

            During the discussion and building of the catapult session, our group members were fearless to give our opinion for the structure of the catapult. Although at the beginning I have some disagreement and different opinion with my group members but finally we successful solve the problem by convince them to have a same ideas with me. I must to do that because I know it may cause an unimaginable consequences if a team have no teamwork together. Besides, I also feels proud because during the discussion session I unconsciously become the group leader as my group members slowly endorse my ideas and foll    ow my instruction to build the catapult. However, I also feels a bit frustrated because our group chose a hard design of the catapult and during the building session, we were having a problem to put each Popsicle stick together into a proper place. But after we brainstorming together for the trouble we met and finally we successfully solve the problem together.

            When we took our complete catapult to stage for compete, I felt very excited to try out something that we built together as I have never build something like this before. Unfortunately, our group missed the three chances to shot the ping pong ball into bag. Finally I feels a bit disappointed because we didn’t get any award from this event.

           The whole activity was a difficult and challenging challenge and I think the most difficult part was to discuss and build the catapult within 45 minutes. Luckily, this event allow us to use smartphone to search the method and structure to build a catapult. However, building the catapult is still not easy for us as most of us were not good in handicraft.

            During the event, it remind me another activity that I participant before which is the subject of SKEE1012 Introduction to Electrical Engineering where the lecturer require us to design and built a project that can help someone on their livelihood and after discuss with my group members, finally our group decide to build a project name sunlight-based circadian rhythm regulation. The purpose of this project is to help the person who always have the oversleep problem.

            The working theory of the project is when the morning sunlight was detected by the device, it will trigger the buzzer and also the light-lamp to make the user wake up. I was saying that this activity is relate to the catapult activity because both of the activity also need to be creative enough to design own project without any references. Besides, both of the project also need to teamwork together with group members so that the activity outcome is achieved.

            The UTM Catapult Challenge was a memorable challenge for me because of the experience I had throughout the entire challenge. Until now I still can recall back what I did during the activity. However, I am not sure whether my action during the activity was the best choice of action for example keep questioning my group member’s opinion and so on but I am willing to take this as an experiences to improve myself in the future.

            During our discussion and building session of the catapult, a big problem that our group met is that we have some disagreement and different opinion for the design of the catapult. The method that I chose to solve the problem is I trying to convince the opposing group members to have a same ideas with others. I could also understand what they are thinking but I have no choice to persist my opinion because I know it may cause an unimaginable consequences if a team have no teamwork in it. As a result, after our group have the same target and goals to achieve, we become more teamwork and finally we successfully built the catapult in time.

            Besides, when we met the problem while building the catapult, me and my group members brainstorming together for the trouble we met and finally we successfully solve the problem together. We always believe that weak things united become strong so we feel relieved when a task was assigned to others group members.

            In conclusion, after I joined this event it really made me improve my thinking skill and adaptability skill as it require us to react and think quickly to the sudden situation happen.

            After the event, I feel a bit disappointed and frustrated because we didn’t get any award from the activity. If I am given an opportunity to rewind time and go back to the beginning of the event, I think I would be give more effort in the activity and try to at least get 3^rd place in the competition. Besides, I also realized that I should do more reflection about the incident and problem that happened during the event.

            After that, I also realized that sometimes I am not friendly with others when I trying to persuade someone with my opinion. For example in the catapult activity, I think I am too extreme to make someone agree with me and I know the consequences for this is that I might make someone antipathy with me and besides, it might also reduce the effective, productive and qualitative of the outcome when we work together as a team.

            Besides, I also realized that sometime I need to be more decisive for example not hesitate to do decision and in the same time believe my ability. During the catapult activity, I am very regret that I am not recommended myself to become the group leader. This make us wasting time to decide the leader and luckily for this activity it does not influence our product outcome.

            In future, I hope I can join more of this kind of event to better improve myself. I believe that if we do so, we would gain a lot of experience and skill no matter as a participant or a committee organizer of an event. For example, communicate skill, leadership skill, adaptability skill and so on as these skill is very important for everyone to having a bright future.