It Is Okay To Study In Malaysia

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

UPU result is out! Congrats to those who get what you want. For those who didn't, cheer up! You still have the chance to continue studying, your life is not over yet and in fact, this will make you even more stronger! 

Here's what I'm gonna tell you today. When everyone else is preparing to study overseas, some of us have to accept the fact that we have to continue and pursue our study in local universities. Either because we didn't get any offer to study abroad, not enough money to pay for overseas tuition fees by ourselves, didn't get the course that we wanted or maybe all of them. But there are also people who prefer to study in local. Some of them are really excel in their studies, just like a few best friends of mine who are studying Medicine and Dentistry in local universities. It's not easy to get those courses.

To those who have read my previous posts, maybe you guys know why I decided to study in local university. Almost one year I have been here and it's not that bad at all. In fact, I am really, really grateful with what I have chosen. No, no, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that studying abroad has no advantage at all and that you should not go there. Every place has its pros and cons. I just wanna say that it is okay to study here, in Malaysia. 

To be honest, even now, sometimes I still feel a bit sad when seeing good photos taken in front of buildings with great architectures, beautiful scenery, different seasons, ahhh you don't know how much I really love photography and I'm longing of that moment, still waiting for my time to really appreciate the beauty of it! 

A cousin of mine told me that she felt a bit anxious and worry because most of her friends already applied for colleges and kept telling her that they will 'fly' to the United States, something like that. Then I asked her what did she want actually. She said she wanted to take either Medicine or Actuarial Science. Then I told her, no need to worry anything, just ignore them and wait for UPU result. She got 2Bs in her SPM so she couldn't apply for MARA or JPA (Medicine/Actuarial Science). For me, a place to study is important, but the most important thing is what you want actually. If you don't have a definite intention, then you can just go on with the flow, but if you have that one dream that you had since you were a child, then stick to it as long as you can. 

I told you right that sometimes I feel a bit sad when knowing that my friends in overseas can easily travel here and there. Even when they were at the university also seems like they're having a vacation! Haha. To be honest, after 1 year I've been here, I just realised that travelling is the only thing that I couldn't get now, but I have lots of things here to be grateful for. 

I have my parents and family near to me. A fortnight ago, I was homesick. Really, really homesick that made me felt like I don't wanna study in IMU anymore. I told ibu and ayah I wanna go home blablabla and they said if I've got no class then just come home whenever I want. From IMU to Melaka takes only 2 hours in the bus, and LRT station is just behind IMU building. I go back home almost every week, anytime I want. The homesickness I felt last week really broke me down for awhile and as a family oriented person, I could not imagine how myself would be if I were far away from here. But well, maybe in that way I would know how to adapt better and can be more responsible haha.

And I'm surrounded by positive vibes and good people, how can I not be grateful? Alhamdulillah for everything. My friends not only help me academically, but also spiritually. We remind and help each other in every possible way we could. No such thing as 'kau susah kau tanggunglah sorang'. Most of them especially those who are close to me, aren't like that.

Some people say that going overseas makes you meet new people, new cultures, mix yourself with more open-minded people. Yes, that's true. But it doesn't mean you can't get that in Malaysia. Like where I am now, I still have the opportunity to meet new people and know new cultures. I make new friends and mix with open-minded people. Maybe the environment and the feeling of having 'mat salleh in my class' is a bit different haha. 

Food is not a problem. I am a big eater and to have a continuous food supply is a must hehe. Alhamdulillah it's easy to find halal food here in Malaysia, obviously. You do not need to worry about missing your mum's cooking because you can easily go back home whenever you want! Besides, there are a lot of newly opened cafes and restaurants, which means more nice food to be discovered. Malaysia is one of the places that has the best food, okay? ;) 

Studying in local also makes me realised that it is not difficult to find happiness in life. Happiness is around you. You are the one who have to appreciate it. The most important thing is to chase your dream and do what you want. I have a friend who studied engineering for one semester in the United Kingdom, but now she's in a local university, taking Medicine. She said it was good to be there (in UK), but the feeling of doing something she didn't like overwhelmed everything else. And of course, homesickness worsened the condition.

And just now I saw a friend of my, Audi shared something on her FB wall. It was about something that related to Medical students. "25 peratus doktor muda graduan luar negara mengalami tekanan mental." Yes, the education system in Malaysia is quite hard. For example like Medicine in IMU, we have to pass everything; theory and clinical skills since the first year. You will be given only one chance to repeat a year, but if you fail for the second time then they will kick you out (uh oh, that's sound a bit cruel err). But then, InshaaAllah it will make us become stronger to face the real life as a doctor later! 

Ibu and ayah also always tell me, "Belajar apa yang awak suka. Tak kisah mana mana. Nanti akan datang kalau dah kerja ada duit pergi lah mana mana awak nak." 

It's just my humble opinion. Opinion is neither right nor wrong, it is just accepted or not. So here I am to say the same thing again. It is okay to study in Malaysia. 

Assalamualaikum :)