Loetju.id - When people envision the life of a mobility student, they frequently emphasize the positive aspects, yet there's always a flip side that can leave you feeling like the ground beneath you is constantly shifting, accompanied by its unique set of challenges and difficulties. Nevertheless, in the end, the experience is truly invaluable, offering a wealth of knowledge and growth opportunities that are exclusive to being a mobility student. In this opportunity, I would like to share my journey with you.
Radiating rapture, my emotions soared as I stepped into Kuala Lumpur, to commence my once in a lifetime IISMA experience. Grantly, the first few days of the IISMA experience was quite hectic as administrative obligations kept us busy back and forth to finish our VISA process. The excitement of finishing the VISA process was then quickly damped when we realized that not everyone could get the courses we initially wanted. For me personally, I felt quite frustrated as I was only able to enroll in one class, and my home university’s international office kept pushing me about the courses I needed for conversion at Universiti Malaya. I had to reach out to each course lecturer personally to request to join their class, but unfortunately, most of them had to decline my request for various reasons. Currently, I've successfully enrolled in three courses, but I still need one more as we needed to take four courses for the IISMA program.
In my first week of academic life here, I encountered some difficulty in grasping the material in certain classes, mainly due to the lecturer's accent. It took me a bit of time and a heightened level of concentration to adapt and catch up with what I had initially missed. In the second week of my academic journey, during the E-Commerce course, we were tasked with a group assignment that is due the following week. I promptly organized a scheduled group discussion for this task to which during the group discussion, most of the group members were actively engaged and offered a valuable insight. Although two members of the group did not participate, I considered this group discussion a remarkable success.
Of course, my journey here isn’t solely centered on academics, I have also actively involved myself in a variety of social events. One of the events that left a lasting impression on me is 'MAGNET.' This event provided me with the chance to meet and connect with international students in Malaysia. This event united international students with prominent figures in the education sector, including the Director General of Higher Education from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education. Each university that participated in this event gets to choose a country to represent and showcase its unique culture. We were honored to represent Indonesia and served as cultural ambassadors. Embracing our role, we introduced the richness of our culture through food, games, and music, and even shared Indonesian souvenirs with fellow international students from around the world.
Image 1: With Somali international students.
While there are numerous other captivating stories from my journey that I would love to share, the ones recounted here offer a glimpse into the tapestry of experiences that define my life at IISMA. The journey through IISMA has not only been an opportunity for personal and academic growth but also a transformative experience that I hold dear.
In reflection, my journey through IISMA has been a transformative experience, one that I will cherish and immensely grateful for. Although the initial excitement of embarking this new chapter in my life can be overwhelming, it’s the unexpected challenges that have provided me the most profound tests of resilience and adaptability. It is clear to me that the journey through IISMA is a multifaceted one, filled with its ups and downs, but for me personally, it’s these fluctuations that makes it more valuable as they all have contributed in shaping me to become the person I am today and will continue to embrace the unknown challenges and opportunities that lies ahead.
Writer:
Name: Sandrichi Romeo Karnadi
NIM: 12030120190116
Major: Accounting
Faculty: Faculty of Economics and Business
Location:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
