UTAR Alumni

JUNE 2019

Believe in Yourself and Never Give Up

Edwin Moses

Bachelor of Arts (Hons) English Language

The Batch of October 2015

The first day of my degree life, I could not describe it better than saying; it was the birth of a new me. After long hours of packing and driving to the one place, I did not anticipate that holds the best portion of my life. Never was my plan to choose Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) to form my journey, yet I knew that would be the best choice to experience indecency from home. The place was new to me, yet I took every opportunity laid in front of me to explore and gain new experiences. On my first trimester of Year 1, people from diverse culture were ready to venture whatever that awaiting in the future for us. They were the people I glad to provide the title as friends. In addition, the lecturers were approachable, which aids me to conform to the new environment. My adventure in UTAR started undeniably smooth with a manageable amount of assignments, and mid-term tests.

Moving forward to my second-long trimester in the same year, I realized that I no longer in the honeymoon period. There were bumps to my surprise came from multiple assignments with the same due date, completing the mid-term tests, and preparing for the final examinations. My most challenging and stressful task was to time management in estimating the assignment completion duration, which I able to manage after I prepared a schedule and strictly follow it. Another challenge I faced was during group discussion, where clashing of ideas that heats up arguments with my team members. Thankfully with the same circle of friend, I able to joke about it now. In my opinion, I believe friendship is significantly more than anything is. We could be what we are now if we did not do what we did back then; we accept each others' ideas and be there for each other. It definitely helped us to expand our viewpoints and think critically. I would never forget the moments when my friend who known as Mr. Kern and I, burn the midnight oil before every exam. We had our own Q&A sessions. To spice up our moments, we always develop our own 'theories' as to understand important notes.

During the weekends, I keep myself occupied by attending programmes organised by Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC). Their programmes helped me to discover and improve my communication, social, thinking skills and so forth. I also would use all the opportunities to participate in programmes that are free of charge. During my spare times, I hang out with my friends from various courses and faculties. We would be making jokes and having a good time talking; definitely one of my ways to reduce my stress besides watching sitcoms. Furthermore, 'my personal advisors' who are my lectures, who earn the title as they were willing to spend time sharing their life experiences and advising me on how to deal with the challenges, as they were in our boats before us and they kept sailing till now.

On July 2016, I elected to be the Chairperson for English Language Society. Being a chairperson is not a bed of roses because I must be able to handle ups and downs in society. I have learned to coordinate various activities and programmes. I knew I should not just lead them but also work with them. Although each one of us had our own opinions and ideas during meetings, we able to reach a consensus. I can see that my leadership and teamwork skills enhanced throughout the journey with ELS. The most challenging part in the society was organizing the Bullying Prevention and Awareness Programme titled "#stopbullying", which featured a talk conducted on 21 May 2018 at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. This was a collaborative program by the English Language Societies of UTAR and USM. We faced many internal and external issues prior to this program, yet my team and I managed to carry out this programme successfully. So, to all the students, 'Never underestimate your own strength. You were born for a purpose and are blessed with the power to achieve it.' - Leon Brown

Here, I would like to thank the following people who have supported me to complete this adventurous degree of life.

i) My parents (Pastor Moses Savari and Jothimalar Sadhasivam)

Appa and Amma, I am so blessed to have both of you in my life. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and love that has led me to this far.

ii) Professors, Lecturers, Tutors, Academic Advisor (Ms Bharathi), FYP Advisor (Ms Indira Malani)

Thank you for the invaluable advice, guidance, inspirations and knowledge throughout my studies. It was an honour to be your student/advisee.

iii) Advisor of ELS (Ms Ooi Zao May)
I greatly appreciate your wonderful advice that has led me to lead the ELS. I have learned the characteristics of a good adviser that should have from you.
iv) EXCO Member of ELS 2016/2017 & 2017/2018

Thank you all for your dedication and cooperation. It has been a pleasure working with all of you.
v) Friends
All of you are amazing people and I am very grateful for our friendship. Thank you for the countless memories. I hope we can meet again sometime in the future. Wishing you all the best!
Lastly, all the peaks and valleys I have been through during the memorable journey have shaped me into the person I am today. I would like to thank UTAR for a valuable opportunity. To all my juniors, do enjoy the moments and make the best out of them. You need to believe that every cloud has a silver lining.