Dorm Life
Good Morning!
Competitions are about to start,
let’s wake up fast
and get prepared!
Wake Up Quickly
Girls: if you need to put on make-up, please set your alarm at 7:45 am. Then you will have approximately 45 minutes to prepare. What if your alarm is useless? Don’t worry, tell us and we will prepare a team to jump in your room, rip off the blankets and wake you up.
Boys: If you need time just to stop yawning, then 8:15 am is quite suitable. (But last night you most likely stayed up, right?)
Wanna hear how we will wake you up?
Uniform Right Away
Except when you are sleeping in your pajamas, you have to wear uniform for all events.
You will not have time to change, especially when your events are close.
So better put on the
uniform first thing in the morning.
Devotion at 8:45
Yes, we do not rush to breakfast first thing in the morning.
First you will have a chance to rile up your energy, see friends, sing, and dance together with everyone.
Breakfast Chat
Oops, already feeling so hungry.
Let’s have breakfast! Remember to wish others a nice meal before you grab all that food and enjoy.
Free Time
There are so many things to do at the Convention! From events to rallies, you may think that you will never have time to be bored. However, many people start roaming around the area because they do not have any events left for the day or they are finished with their plans. Here are some ideas to do in your free time:
Relax and Take a Nap
Convention preparation requires a lot of hard work and late nights, so if you have nothing to do in the middle of the day…just take a short nap! You will get energy for the evening rallies and feel more refreshed.
Go Out For a Walk
The area where Convention is held is vast and it is fun to just go out and breathe the fresh air. However, please make sure that you are all bundled up if it is breezy as you don’t want to catch a cold. Most importantly: make sure your sponsors know where you are at all times and don’t EVER leave the premises!
Night
After a long day, you will grab a blanket and jump on the bed. You will dream about getting medals and being a Girl or a Boy of Convention…
Oops, wake up! Yes, before diving into those dreams you have to remember some important points.
Sponsors’ Meeting
Sponsors’ meeting usually happens right away after evening Rallies. You will meet your sponsors with all members in your group. This is the time when you and all your friends highlight your day, get advice from sponsors to improve skills for the next event competition or study experiences from each other.
Lights Out at 11:00 pm
This information is already included in your passport, but we still need to remind you. Better “kidnap” all your roommates before 11:00 pm. There will be some “hidden police” – teachers – they will check if you are all in the room. Don’t be silly, respect this rule! It is one tip to avoid suspicion from teachers.
Insomnia and Tips to Avoid being
“whipped” by “hidden police”
Believe us, even though we know that we have to go to sleep early to prepare for the next day competitions, usually no one cares. You should follow basic instructions below if you do not want to get into trouble:
Lower the lights in your room.
Don’t scream or be too hyper. “Hidden police” are very smart – they will know exactly who is screaming even though they are many meters away.
If you want to leave the room, ask your sponsor or “hidden police” for permission. Be honest about your reason or better stay inside your room. Otherwise if you have to receive discipline, you will have insomnia for the whole night instead of just a few hours.
Whatever you do, keep in mind this: SAFETY. This is the priority factor for our own advantage. No jumping through the windows like the superman, no smoking or drinking and no violence.
The last day of convention is usually the most memorable day. Fireworks at 11:00 pm and lights out at 12:00 pm. For us, contributors of this longread, each convention passes with a lot of emotions. Beside the fact that it is an academic competition with all educational factors, it is a chance for you to go away and enjoy all moments with your friends, especially inside the dorm.
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A sponsor is a teacher who helps and takes care of you
Checklist
Hello, guys!
You might be wondering why this checklist even exists when the school already hands out a checklist a week before convention starts. Yes, that list does mention almost everything that one needs to know to survive Convention. However, there are still some things we, the students, consider essential (through personal experience)!
What to Pack
A small electric kettle
Most people do not realize it but kettles are so useful when you do not have a microwave or a stove. As Convention falls mostly on changing seasons, many students suffer from allergies or colds. The kettle will be helpful to make some hot tea. However, most students use the kettle for instant noodles! So having one in your own room will be useful.
A small bag/purse
Keep this in mind if you do not want to waste most of your time searching for you lost belongings. As it is already a stressful time and you will be going moving around a lot, you are bound to misplace stuff. If you have a small bag or a purse that carries your essentials like the room key, a small water bottle, passport, makeup, medicine and your phone, you won’t have to worry about losing your stuff.
Medicines
A hair straightener
Girls, aside from fixing your hair, you can also use this when you have an emergency with your blouses/ shirts. Clothes are bound to get wrinkled so a hair straightener can help iron them! (our little lifehack, he-he) Just make sure it is on low setting because you definitely don’t want to burn a hole in your white blouses. And boys…you can always borrow from the girls!
Vo Minh Anh
