For the love of learning
brain processing colour is blue which involves intuition and mine is green which means chaotic.
“For me, every time I want to do something, I will think of the bigger picture because at end of the day I want to see progress while Solihin leans more towards teamwork.
“His mind is always working on how he can create a powerful team. He has strong instincts and is always careful with people around him to make sure that each project runs accordingly as planned,” explained Azhar.
Before graduating from USM with a Bachelor’s degree in Acting and Directing, Azhar studied at Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid and later on, Kolej MARA Kuala Nerang.
Solihin is a graduate of the same university, where he majored in Physics. He was the recipient of the Best Student Award for Geophysics at the Petroleum Geo Conference Malaysia in 2009.
Solihin’s excellent record in academics and extracurricular activities combined with Azhar’s expertise in theatrical art has led the duo to want to share their experiences with other students.
Explore the Unknown Potentials (EXP) seminars emphasise learning through experience.
“Our ‘modus operandi’ is simple as we give motivational and educational talks where we brief students on the more effective ways to study to make the best out of the learning process.
“As a society, we never actually stop studying even after we leave school, but not many people have come to realise the true potential that lies in the process of life-long learning.
“The first step to effectively attain knowledge is by appreciating what we are about to learn, the effort other people have put into providing this opportunity for us, and lastly, the reason why we have to learn it, not only for our future but for everyone around us,” said Azhar.
He said a student’s method of learning has high impact on his self-esteem and potential.
“Through the right method, students can apply relevant skills and learn to be the master of their emotions.
“Apart from that, participants are involved directly within the learning process and will be able to learn from their own experiences.
“This method known as ‘reflex learning’ is the best method for everyone to learn about life and develop themselves,” he said.
The EXP seminars involved three phases with each divided into key areas. Phase One is made up of roadshows and sharing sessions are conducted at more than 20 schools in each state.
Phase Two is when students are invited to a full-day seminar which focuses on refining the various methods of studying and achieving the motivation to study.
Lastly, under Phase Three participants are invited to a final session of EXP which provides a self-esteem boost for them to continue studying as well as inspirational stories.”
The full-day event is usually conducted in two sessions by Solihin and Azhar.
The first session focuses on teaching the students non-conventional methods of learning by removing the stereotypical cram-style studying sessions, which can often be stressful.
“Instead, we use constructing songs, creating quirky and funny acronyms as well as using pictures to stimulate the brain into understanding the information,” Azhar said.
He hopes by the end of the session participants will learn how to control their emotions, get tips on study methods and be more motivated to learn.
“Each session is attended by more than 1,000 participants that in some states, we were obliged to conduct the session more than once.
“Based on our customer analysis, the secondary schoolchildren aged from 16 to 18 are the most eager to participate in the EXP seminars.
“That is why we have built the content with the understanding of the nature of these students and what is needed to explore their potential in order to push them further to success,” he added.
The programme has since been acknowledged in the Malaysia Book of Records last year for gathering the most participants (more than 6,000) in an education seminar hosted in Penang.
“We hope that EXP Seminars will attract more participants in the coming years and the team will also improve our presentation skills based on the feedback we have received,” he added.