To me, life in UTAR was more than just earning a degree. It was a chance to rediscover who I really was and what I really wanted in life. More importantly, because it was my first time away from home, the experience taught me a lot about independence. My first year in Kampar was not a bed of roses, it was more like a comedy of errors. The hot sea breeze near the Straits of Malacca and the damp, cold weather of Kampar succeeded in breaching my immune system and I fell ill for the first one month in Kampar. I was a January-intake student in 2014. During the first week in UTAR, in addition to my flu, my handphone died, I had diarrhea, and my laptop stopped functioning, in chronological order. During the last week of January, I skidded off the road while cycling. I was terribly homesick by the time I was supposed to take my first final exam. Life could not get any worse than that.... Or so I thought. In October 2014, my laptop got stolen outside the library corridor. Ouch indeed.

Despite all these unfortunate events, I was lucky. I met good people who went out of their way to help me and comfort me. I became more street-smart. And I also learnt to take responsibility for whatever circumstances I am in, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Looking back, it really wasn't that bad after all. It may have felt overwhelming at that time. But little by little, things got better, stuffs got fixed, feelings got healed, and I grew stronger day by day. All it took was taking one step at a time and remembering to breathe.

Thomas Edison once said that success is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. But it doesn't always have to be that way. Up till this day, I still could not believe I got a distinction in my degree, because I was also very active in extra-curricular activities. I guess the moral of the story would be to always have a team with you to learn and grow together, be creative, change the way you learn and revise from time to time, be outspoken in class, reflect on yourself often, and don't forget to love what you study, even when you are tempted to set your books and notes on fire. Last but not least, I am here to remind every junior who finds themselves drowning in assignments, midterms and finals to MAKE MEMORIES!

Being a Gen-Y, the platform for discussing assignments has evolved beyond our housemates' hostel common area and McDonalds'. It can be as simple as opening a Facebook group and getting the ball rolling from there. I much prefer the former face-to-face interaction alternative. It is where true friendships are made. It is where I learnt to appreciate teamwork, leadership, creativity and relationships. I remember discussing my final year project at the Danish House office common area up till 2am at night until we were asked to leave the premise because the warden had to turn off the lights. I remember comforting friends who were going through a period of depression; I remember engaging in heated exchanges with group mates on assignment problems and the thrill of having solved it; and I remember having durian sessions, birthday surprises, and endless chit-chat in the midst of assignment meetings. Inefficient as it may be, we were making memories. Establishing a bond like that strengthened my will power to not disappoint my group mates when it came to doing my part as group leader, like compiling, printing, stapling, punching holes, taping, and rushing to the lecturer's office from my hostel in the rain, and submitting my Business Ethics assignment at 11:56am, four minutes before the deadline. It was not something to be proud of, but looking back, I couldn't help but miss those crazy and carefree moments.  

As I type this article from my new desk in my new lodging in Kuala Lumpur where I will be commencing my first job tomorrow, the slight drizzling outside reminds me of the nice and cool weather in Kampar after a shower. I still miss cycling to and fro from my hostel to campus with my headphones on, whilst admiring the different shades of hue of sunset and sunrise. Sometimes I would stop by the Westlake pier just to take a picture of that breathtaking view of the hills and the lake. One day, I even spotted the most beautiful rainbow on my way back. I miss the convenience of getting everywhere by bicycle, it certainly made me healthier and slimmer by the end of my degree as I noticed my babi thighs became Barbie thighs.