Welfare Wave: Side Questing - Beyond the Daily Grind, Find Your Next Side Quest
The Student Relations Department of the Sunway University Student Council (SUSC) organised Welfare Wave: Side Questing, a three-day student welfare initiative created to encourage students to step away from their usual academic routines and explore something new. Designed around the idea of “side quests,” the initiative provided students with opportunities to discover new hobbies, learn practical skills, spend meaningful time with friends, and take a much-needed break from the pressures of university and college life.
At its heart, Side Questing was about creating a space where students could pause, recharge, and do something meaningful with their time. With academic commitments often leaving students with limited opportunities to explore their interests, the initiative encouraged students to use their break time to try activities they may not have otherwise experienced. Through creative, social, and educational engagements, students were given a healthier and more purposeful alternative to simply passing their free time, while also creating opportunities to relieve stress and support their overall well-being.
The first two days featured the Creative Hub, a hands-on space at the Observation Deck where students could explore a rotating selection of creative activities. Students could make their own pipe-cleaner flowers, phone charms and bracelets, paint numbered canvases, and decorate drawstring bags. These activities were designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of prior experience, allowing students to simply sit down, create, experiment, and enjoy the process. More than just craft activities, the Creative Hub became a space for students to unwind, laugh with their friends, and take a breather from their daily responsibilities.
Side Questing also extended beyond creative hobbies by giving students the opportunity to explore financial literacy and entrepreneurship. The initiative featured an investment workshop, “Start Small, Think Big,” led by Ms Isabelle Zhen, an external speaker and Head of Equity at Kenanga. Rather than simply introducing students to the concept of investing, the session gave them an opportunity to hear insights from someone working directly within the industry and gain a better understanding of the world of investments from a professional perspective.
This was complemented by “Explore & Earn: Startup, Gigs and More,” an entrepreneurship-focused workshop featuring Sunway alumni and external contributors. The session encouraged students to look beyond conventional career paths and explore how their skills, interests, and ideas could potentially become opportunities. Together, the two workshops expanded the idea of “side quests” beyond hobbies and creativity, showing students that exploring new interests could also lead to valuable knowledge, entrepreneurial opportunities, and possibilities for their future.
The initiative was intentionally designed to make participation feel relaxed and social. Students could come with their friends, try activities together, meet other students, or simply spend time doing something they enjoyed. In this way, Side Questing recognised that student welfare is not only about academic support, it is also about having spaces where students can decompress, connect with others, express themselves, and feel part of a community. By encouraging students to step away from academic stress and engage in something productive and enjoyable, the initiative aimed to contribute to a more balanced student lifestyle.
The three-day experience culminated in Stamp Quest, an interactive campus-wide finale that turned the Observation Deck into a playground of creative challenges, games, and exploration. Students received a “Hobby Passport” and moved between different stations to complete challenges and collect stamps. The stations featured a variety of activities, including Abstract Adventure, watercolour painting, clay-making challenges, DIY bookmark crafting, photography challenges, the Ping Pong C&S Logo Challenge, and a treasure hunt. Each activity offered students a different way to test their creativity, observation skills, problem-solving abilities, or knowledge of the Sunway student community.
The Stamp Quest was not simply about collecting stamps, it encouraged students to try activities outside their usual interests. A student who had never experimented with abstract art could give it a go; another could discover an interest in photography through a campus photo challenge; while others could test their creativity through clay or take on puzzles and treasure hunts with their friends. Every completed challenge represented another small “side quest” and another opportunity to discover something new.
As students accumulated stamps in their Hobby Passports, they became eligible to redeem prizes at the SUSC booth. The rewards included phone stands and keychains, mini LEGO bricks, and Smiski figurines, with better rewards unlocked as students collected more stamps. While the prizes added an element of excitement, the Stamp Quest ultimately centred on participation, exploration, and the shared experience of completing challenges together.
Across three days, Welfare Wave: Side Questing transformed ordinary break periods into opportunities for creativity, learning, friendship, and discovery. From making flowers and painting canvases to hearing directly from an industry professional about investing, exploring entrepreneurship, and completing challenges during Stamp Quest, students were encouraged to step outside their routines and find something that sparked their curiosity.
The initiative reflects SUSC’s commitment to promoting student welfare through experiences that support not only students’ academic lives, but also their social, emotional, and personal well-being. By providing students with a space to relieve stress, spend quality time with friends, explore new interests, and engage in meaningful activities, Side Questing demonstrated that taking care of one’s well-being can also mean giving oneself permission to pause and simply enjoy the journey.
Ultimately, Welfare Wave: Side Questing left students with more than painted canvases, handmade crafts, collected stamps, and prizes. It created moments of connection, encouraged students to try something unfamiliar, and reminded them that university life is more than completing the main quest. Sometimes, the most meaningful experiences are found in the little side quests along the way.
