IF you’ve not read up on the low down of the recent BRATs Langkawi, we highly suggest you to it here. After all, it was loads and loads of fun – we got to hang out with some penguins and seals at the Underwater World Langkawi, sailed the Andaman seas as well as met some talented buskers.

Aside from all that, the 37 young aspiring journalists also underwent a crash course on being journalists, learning all the tricks of the trade from R.AGE and The Star journalists. Don’t just take our word on how awesome BRATs Langkawi was, here are what some of our bright new graduates have to say.

“BRATs teaches you what no textbook can ever teach. It taught me to see things from different perspectives and now I look at everything with more interest than I used to!” — Azrul Muzaffar Mohamad Nizam, 17

“I’m so glad I signed up for BRATs as it is such an incredible platform for people like me who wish to pursue journalism one day! I have definitely learned a lot about journalism through this camp. I now know that it is not easy, and it takes a lot of charisma, skill and passion to master.

“But most important, working with people from different backgrounds really broadened my mind and we’ve learned a lot from each other. Through this camp, I got to experience what it’s really like to be a journalist, and also carved unforgettable memories and formed lifelong friendships.” — Raihan Amir Rashidi, 18

“It’s difficult to point out just one thing I loved about the BRATs workshop, but the most precious thing I learnt was how to develop an eye for story angles. Being new to the field of journalism, I was pretty bad at getting angles for my stories, but after watching some of the best at work, it certainly taught me what to look out for. Watching (Star photojournalist) Samuel Ong at work and listening to the advice he gave has made me a better photographer too.”— Aaron Prasad, 18

“The highlight of the BRATs experience, for me, was when I managed to enter the African penguins’ enclosure because penguins are one of my favourite animals! Besides that, I also learnt more about important journalism skills like how to write news articles, and the correct way to take photos and shoot videos. This has given me the experience I need to move forward and pursue my dream of being a journalist.”— Christopher Kwong, 16

“In the BRATs camp, I learnt that journalists employ a completely different style of writing from what I’m used to. The biggest challenge I faced was in simplifying my thoughts and ideas, as well as coming up with story angles on the fly as the people we interviewed revealed interesting facts we could pursue. I thought I was just coming to hone my writing skills, but now I am seriously considering doing a minor in journalism or creative writing when I get into university!”— Francine Tan Chien Yuinn, 18

“The BRATs camp turned out a million times better than I expected! I thought it was going to be a normal workshop, but I got to meet so many amazing people, from the facilitators and seniors, to the other participants and the people we met on assignments.

“Before I joined BRATs, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life, but now I know that journalism is an option. The chaos that we went through on assignments and while producing the stories, pictures and videos gave me a thrill that I definitely want to experience again.”— Kashmeera Pillai, 16