Kijang Emas Interview Experience

This month has been the most hectic one where there's scholarship applications to fill, interviews to attend and the fact that I still have to go for driving classes so I can get my driving licence immediately.

I'm actually super exhausted.

March begins with a call I received from JPN, a day before result announcement, saying that I got 9A+ for my SPM. I am indeed very grateful and overjoyed. Alhamdulillah. The days after that follow with scholarship hunting and one of the scholarship I applied for is Kijang Emas Bank Negara scholarship.

So for today's entry, I'll be sharing my experience during the whole assessment, starting from day 1.

DAY 1

I checked in to Lanai Kijang in KL wih my family accompanying me. The place was very nice and there's good food provided there so I suggest not to skip any meals (because I did and I regret it😭). I got a room facing the pool with my roommate, Aqilah who's from Kedah. There's ironing facilities and strong wifi connection in the room as well. Basically, the first day was kind of all leisure and friendly which we had a lot of time to mingle around and be comfortable. All other candidates were very nice and I met some of my AYTR friends too! 

After dinner, we were briefed on some policies regarding Kijang scholarship and Kijang Emas scholarship. Kijang scholarship offers a specified courses and there is a bondage to work under Bank Negara depending on the number of your study years. Let's say your study period is 4 years, then 4x2=8 years of working under BNM. For Kijang Emas sch which I applied for, there is no bondage and we are allowed to choose any desired course and place to study. I applied for medicine course at Newcastle University, UK. After the briefing, we were sort into groups and were told to work on group cheers. My group was Kijang Emas 2 consisting of 7 people including me, Asyiqin, Swaathi, Ng, Iman, Ali and Zafran. 

DAY 2

This whole day was an assessment based on groupwork. There were 4 sessions and teamworking between us in KE2 was the major key to seize the day. Oh and there were 3 assessors in the room watching us while we were doing our task. The first session was a study case. 

Basically, we have to plan on how to improvise Encik Ali's bookstore based on some of the problems listed. There were roles like Project Management, Finance and Accounting, Change Management and Inventory Management. Me and Asyiqin were the change management so we presented on different initiatives we could work on while cooperating with the finance department as the allocation given was only 20 000. 

Second session was a study case too and a bit tougher than the previous one because it was more practical. We have to plan a convocation carnival which we have to show the layout and carried out some calculations to find the profit margin. It was a good exposure to me, anyways.

After that, we had lunch with assessors from other group which we were advised not to be too quiet.

The reason to that is to give a good impression to other assessors as they are going to judge ourselves as well.

During the third session, all the Kijang Emas groups are gathered in the same assessment hall. We were told to sort ourselves based on our desired courses as we were going to make a presentation, promoting our courses to the assessors. Being in the medicine group, I got to work with candidates from other groups but I suited myself real quick that time (prolly bcoz we have the same interest haha).

For the last session, we had to get back to our initial group. The task was to build two towers of 50 cm and 20 cm height, connecting each other. We were only given poker cards to work on that. Any form of it would be acceptable as long as they meet the height requirements and connected to each other.

That marked the end of the first day assessment and by the time our bus arrived to Sasana Kijang to fetch us back to Lanai Kijang, I was soooo exhausted and sleepy that I skipped my dinner for a short nap 😭😭. 

After dinner, we were going to find out who was going to the next stage and who will not. I dont know why but I was acting pessimistic on that night, having thoughts that I would not make it to the next stage and I even had my stuffs packed up! I was planning on having a tour around the hotel tomorrow or maybe hitting the gym before checking out kahkah. 

So Mdm Aireen announced some names which I was not mentioned in and they were instructed to wait outside of the hall. I was calm as I expected it earlier, clapping my hands for the names mentioned BUT THEN after the last name was announced and the hall door was closed shut, Mdm Aireen announced,

"Congratulations, you guys made it to the next stage! And kenapa korang tepuk tangan tadi?" 

I WAS DAMN SHOCK MAN! I took some time to digest the whole situation. I was happy but I was also like, damn it! Gotta face individual assessment tomorrow ughhhh. 😫😫

DAY 3 

Just like day 2, shortlisted candidates were brought by bus from lanai kijang to Sasana Kijang early in the morning. First thing we had to work on is individual presentation. There were 4 topics and we were asked to choose one to present using a mahjong paper with preparation time of 20 minutes. The presentation itself would be 10 minutes and followed by Q&As. My topic was the most selected one among the candidates which is 'Aptitude vs Attitude. Which is more important in the university.'

After the presentation, those 3 assessors (one is my group assessor while other 2 are assessors from other groups) gave some question from my presentation and proceed to interviewing me about my career option. The questions came out like this

🔅why are you interested in doing surgery and not research? Doing research will also contribute to the nation (Well, I told them that I want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon and I press on my desire to contribute to my nation, but they basically will throw questions and provocations based on what you tell them)

🔅Dengue disease has been around Malaysia for years but Malaysia Ministry of Health has not yet able to find the antidote to put the spread of this disease to an end. Why do you think so?

🔅Between a person who took care of their health but got infected with dengue fever, and a person who dont take care of their diet consumption,lifestyle which leads to cardiovascular diseases, which do u think requires extra attention from doctors for treatments.

🔅Do you think depression as a disease?

🔅If u were to be given Kijang scholarship for accounting, but not medicine, would you take it? (Because I put my second option as accounting).

🔅Do you have any questions for us? ( I asked if there is something that I can improve from myself)

Then I left the interview room with huge relief, knowing that I tried my best despite the iv being so intense.

Here's a pic of me at Sasana Kijang, a building made of glasses and looked very exclusive😙

Before heading back to Melaka, I went to Midvalley with other AYTRians by KTM and met some other AYTRians waiting for us there. Midvalley was damn crowded so we had to cancel our movie plan. We had a very good time catching up with each other at Carl's Jr instead. Ahh, it was really a stress relieving moment with inside jokes pulled by these guys 😂😂😂

10 Tips to Fit In

If you're a naturally awkward person and interacting with new people in a new environment becomes a struggle, don't feel bad coz we're definitely in the same boat, probably with other thousands of people out there. This time I'm going to come up with 10 tips to fit in a group of new people which I learnt from several experience and observations.

1. Smile and laugh.

By smiling, it automatically makes people think that you're friendly and approachable. You just have to smile to anyone that you bump into and don't forget to maintain eye contact. This way, especially if you're an introvert will make it easier when the other party decides to take the first step and say hello.

2. Expect various colour of humans.

When you finally able to join in the group, you'll be meeting different kind of person with different story and different way of telling. Sometimes, you'll be comfortable with funny, decent and humble person but don't get offended when a person suddenly speaks sarcasm with harsh words or probably shriek at you. They don't mean harm but they naturally speak that way.

3. Share common interest.

I've seen many of people become best friends because of common interest they have. Share your common interest, be it about songs, guilty pleasure or things you hate. Also, don't forget to be a good listener and voices out your opinion about what they love or hate so they can sense your attention and concern. At early stage, you have no choice but to fit in so even when their interest don't arouse you, pretend it does!

4. Don't feel intimidated.

You should try to make friend with every single person in the community. It's really important that you don't feel inferior to those who stand out more and have more knowledge or those who become famous instantly in the group. You should speak out too and try to talk about their stuff. Always remember that the inferiority that you feel is what they feel as well but they decided to ignore it. 

5. Play important niche.

Volunteer to any task that have to be done in the group so they will find you helpful and useful. There'll be more interactions and a stronger bond will be created when facing challenges together.

6. Come up with significant remarks on yourself.

You have to do something that will make them remember you. It could be a punchline or a pickupline you pulled or a talent you posses like beatboxing, rapping. This way, they'll remark you with what you did in the last 10 years to the day you're having  a reunion with them.

7. Avoid boring conversation.

I don't know why and since when but in our generation, serious conversations are considered boring conversations. We would much prefer a funny conversation compared to a serious one. However, don't get me wrong. Serious conversation is crucial but at certain appropriate timing. Also, don't hesitate to reply with sarcasm or punchlines to loose the tension between both parties as it will also make the conversation more interesting.

8. You don't have to impress.

To me, those who tried too hard to impress others to the measure that they tell about all their achievements really pisses me off. It's vital to just be yourself and stay as humble as you can. People loves humble person and they'll find you more attractive when they figure out your speciality themselves and then only, you can start telling them about it. It's also okay to share your flaws as no one is perfect and no one deserves to be judged. You should accept yourself and others as it is.

9. Know them better.

You have to know more than just their full name, perhaps about their family, friends and personal stories. This is the only way you can discover what is unrevealed behind those smiling faces and you can play your role as a friend. You have to do it right because they'll put their trust on you and treasure your presence.

 

10. Give compliment.

It's never wrong to tell someone that they're beautiful in their own way. Try complimenting someone about their smile or their attire and you'll see them smile for the rest of the day. That's the power of compliment in changing someone's feeling. Just remember that the more happiness you give, the more happiness you'll get. Give compliments!

That's all for this entry. I hope all the tips are interesting enough for you to apply so you can fit in well and be happy. Don't forget to smile! Coz you look beautiful with it😍

Hiking Bukit Tabur

A few weeks ago, my mother came up with a thrilling suggestion on how to kill my boredom of staying at home doing nothing.

"We'll hike up Bukit Tabur with your older sister at 4 a.m and watch the sunrise"

With a bit of hesitation and reluctant, I said, "okay," knowing that I don't really have any option other than to go on with whatever she planned for me. Our days after that gone by with some physical training.

On 18 dec, me and my mother went off to KL, picked up my sister, stayed for awhile at our grandmother's house, and at 10 p.m we drove to a McD nearest to Bukit Tabur. There, we slept in the car while waiting for other hikers as the briefing started at 3 a.m.

Most people might think that the hike wouldn't be tough because the name itself is called 'bukit', so it must be a short hike up the hill. In fact, The East Bukit Tabur which was the place we were about to hike was just 217 metre from sea level. However, during the briefing, we were reminded that there had been some tragic death cases that happened among other climbers who tend to be careless.

Moments after that passed by swiftly and only then I realized that I was holding on some tiny rocks, trying to push myself upwards with the guide of the light coming from my headlamps. None of the route was plane.

Bukit Tabur has it's east ( the easiest), fareast(extreme) and west ( the hardest and the impossible). Like I said, we climbed up the east and there were 22 of us on which I was the youngest. There are numbers of challenges along the climb which required some extreme measures such as maximum extending of leg, great hand force to push yourself forward (you'll be needing gloves) and the capacity to face your fear of darkness, height and insects. 

After 50 minutes, we reached the steepest cliff which was the last obstacle before getting to the peak. It was very very steep like literally 90 degree to the ground and there was a huge cliff right beside it.

The mental breakdown began with my mother, who claimed that her journey ended there so she instructed my sister and the others to go on with the climb as she will stay down there until it's time to go home. On the other hand, I myself was in such dilemma, not beacause the climbing up would be scary but I was thinking on how the heck am I going to climb down afterwards.

My mother caught the expression on my face and knew exactly that I would stay with her.

We find a place to rest and performed our subuh prayer. I felt a bit like a slap on my face for not finishing the climb and I know my mother felt that way too. She contemplated for awhile and as if she'd gathered some strength after the prayer, she decided that both of us should continue with the climb.

Soon after that, we found ourselves climbing up the cliff and reached the peak right on time the sun rose.

This was the first picture we got as soon as we reached the top. It was breezy and there was a wide view of nature with ecstatic hills and valley. The colour was magnificent too.

We tend to spend hours up there taking pictures with some crazy poses

Hahaha.

After that, we climbed down using a route which seemed to be much shorter and easier before finding ourselves heading towards the place we parked our car. Here's our last selfie with much kerek expression because we got to do something challenging together with Allah's helps.

Alma Mater

           It was on 5th January 2011 when I was officially a MOZAC student and being a little bit naive, I imagined myself having good times with cool people at that place. I probably got the ideas from the stories that my sister, Sarah, who is older by 2 years shared when we were dining at home. And yeah, I chose MOZAC  out of any other boarding schools because I'm overly attached to my sister. Ok get over it😝              

                                    

Here's a picture of me and my papa. Please don't judge me from my look. My size changes over years ok.😁

I was (not in a narcissist way) famous for the first few years in MOZAC because everyone knew my sister including teachers and seniors so instead of calling me with my real name, they called me sarah. Honestly, I enjoyed it at first because I got to talk to cool seniors which includes good-looking guy seniors🙊 and being teachers' attention but after a while, it became annoying. Haha.

So throughout the years, my life was all about heavy books and struggling for top ranks. I was a struggler, I must admit. Staying up every single night just to cover chapters that haven't been taught so I could stay steps ahead was my routine. But in the end, I'm always the second best😅 

        

                                 I received an Ipad during MAC 😁

To me, entering MOZAC wasn't a mistake after all. It was a life-changing experience. I made friends with funny and witty people who makes me look through my life in a totally different perspective. To give and take, and to appreciate by being grateful.   

                             

I did mention that I was a smartass, right? Haha. Not really tho😂 I was placed in Alpha class (which is the first class) from form 2 until form 5. And I also did mention that I was always the second best, right? I wasn't lying on that. In fact, I've ranked second in the batch for 4 consecutive years. Haha. How bout that, ha? I only got first during mid-year form 5. That was the time my eye-bag was surreal.😭😭

Form 5 was the toughest year. Being the school's target, I was constantly put on pressure by my teachers and parents. Like I said, instead of stressing out over it, I always look at the bright side so the whole time, I keep reminding myself to study and be successful so I can lead the ummah one day. It made me feel different, actually. My trial result was 3A+ 5A and 1B+ (and it was biology) demyu bio, I lost khazanah scholarship. Ugh 

Ok so let's put the books aside and get to the next stories. Friends.

To be straight up, I'm constantly in a love-hate relationship with them. They're like the wifi signal. Sometimes, it was strong and they make you happy and proud to be their friends. They give you soothing advice and listen to your stories. But sometimes, the signal turned so bad that it made you mad and sad. There were times when they just decided to leave you hanging and telling you things that made you feel bad about yourself or only being nice to you when they needed something. But after all, I learned that no one was perfect and you can't expect people to treat you the way you want to be treated. They're only human, right? 

I've always wanted to end these days telling them that they meant so much to me but days had passed, and still, I didn't have any guts to do it 😔 I am so going to miss the days when we pulled lame jokes in class, all the weird sounds bored kids did when the teachers weren’t around, making weird faces and calling each other with names(that is not offensive) because that's just the way that brought us together😄 

'All hail to the memories we created on this hill and kudos to these awesome people who've always been there through my ups and downs' - Nur Syahirah Ain Omar (class of 2015)