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Survival Training Course

May 1, 2021

As spring comes, 10th-grade students of SHSID participated in a survival training course on Riyue Island in Qingpu, with the goal of trying to explore and find oneself. With this two-day trip, students engaged in a range of activities and challenges to allow themselves the chance to discover their self-image along with how others view them.

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First, the students took upon the challenge of discovering their self-image. Once the students had arrived at the camp, they were faced with activities such as thinking of a team name and a team slogan. As these activities had allowed them to have a better understanding of themselves, students continued to engage in a series of challenges including holding hands and standing in a circle, passing through a hula hoop one by one, etc. These activities engaged students in teamwork and improved their abilities to cooperate with one another. As the students continued to practice, they became more skilled at these activities with increased speed as well.

After the team warm-up, classes were divided to carry out their individual challenges, including: a ten-kilometer walk, leap of faith, and boating challenge. One of the greatest tests of endurance was the ten-kilometer walk. A detailed and precise map and a compass were used to clock in all the points indicated on the map in order, and the winner was the one who reached all the points in the shortest span of time. The students soon realized the essence of orientating, which is that the route between points is not specified or fixed, and they had to make the best choice of route based on the identification of direction and speed.

This arduous process was not only an exercise of physical ability and will, but also a new perception for each person to self-reflect: how sensitive am I to changes in the environment? Am I hesitant or confident? Am I risky or steady? Am I a follower or a decision-maker? For more than three hours, some students seriously investigated the map and led their fellow teams with vigor, while some rested temporarily to build up their strength. All the while, all the students cheered and supported each other, a testament to the unity and bond they share!

Lotus ponds along the countryside served as an aesthetic motivation, and students all enjoyed the flowers of the spring fields and the birds chirping in the forest. Clocking-in became like upgrading levels in a video-game fight. Every time they finished a goal, they couldn't help but cheer, and at the same time, they accelerated to the next site. The closer they got to the end, the better they saw themselves, no longer the imaginary self-image, but the sweating self at the end of the ten-kilometer hike.

The other two major events, the leap of faith and boating exercises, tested mainly the boldness and courage of all participants. The cooperation between students further deepened, and everyone's leadership, stress resistance, cooperation, communication, emotional management, planning, and execution skills were also exercised in all aspects. Some students fell in love with the sport after one or two frightening high jumps and attempted again overcoming their difficulties. Other students deliberately flipped from the boat to the water to enjoy soaking in the comfort of the fresh water and the warm applause from the crowd. These intense activities were followed by an interactive evaluation among the students, and through the "Team Impression" evaluation, everyone got that important feedback on "how others see me".

The most memorable part of the outdoor course that lasted two days and one night was the cup-song activity and camping. After dinner, everyone quickly regained their enthusiasm, and students sat together and played the game "Cup Song", which further strengthened team cohesion in an orderly rhythm, while everyone summarized and shared their performances of the day. In the warm embrace of gentle night, they savored the long-lost closeness to nature and collective feeling of sleeping under the same starry night.

The two-day outdoor course was soon over. They not only experienced the beauty of nature and the countryside of Qingxi on Riyue Island, but also made stronger connections among students and teachers. More importantly, they formed a radar chart about their personality traits and a "group impression" tendency chart to understood more deeply how others view them. What a delightful journey of discovery!

(Written by Shannon Xiao Pictures by Jin Xu Supervised by Menglei Wang)