School Of Computing: UTEM Delegation 2019
From March 8-10th of March 2019, PERSAKA club under School of Computing had organize a delegation between UTM and UTeM, Melaka. The delegation was between our school and their Faculty of Technology and Information System. The motive of this event was to gain more exposures from their side of story regarding how they study and manage their clubs and activities in their faculty. I participated in this activity when I was in my first year and honestly that was the first, I have ever joined this kind of programs. We departed from our college by bus. Most of the students who joined were Persaka Members and we were the lucky ones to be invited since there were few spots left for the trip. I went there with my group of friends and we arrived their campus in Alor Gajah after about two hours of safe journey. I was mesmerized by how beautiful their campus looks from outside. It was a new building after they had some renovations. We were briefed about their activities and we exchanged stories about our life in respective campus. Soon after lunch, their organization Ficts, brought us around the campus. They showed us their classes, different labs and studios, and their main library. It was an eye opening to see their beautiful campus. Along the way I made few friends from UTeM and Persaka too. That evening, we checked into our homestays since we could get a place in the campus. There were two homestays each for one gender. It was huge and sufficient to allocate everyone in one house. Ficts from UTeM invited us to dinner in their campus since there were organizing an event for their students. It was like a night market with some activities too.
The next day, we went to Bandar Melaka for sightseeing. It was a historical city with old buildings but modern too somehow. We were given half of the day to walk around and explore so my friends and I went to Taming Sari Building took some pictures. We went to eat the famous Asam Pedas dish in Melaka. That evening, we went to the state’s zoo, Zoo Melaka that is stated to be the second best zoo after the National Zoo. It was huge after all. There were quite a number of animals and unique too. The experience gaining more friends with UTeM was meaningful and informative. There were so much to take during this whole trip that includes the one in a lifetime to see world in another perspective.
Everything that happened during the trip makes me learn so much things about my education. Though I am taking my degree in UTM, I get the experienced to indulge into other university’s study life and take it as lesson and to improve my study skills to. The Persaka members gained a lot of ideas to come up with interesting programs during exchanging of ideas session. I felt lucky to be given such opportunity to improve better. Even though some of their degree programs were different, they somehow learn something alike. Their graphic and multimedia lab was so cool. Each student was provided with an iMac in that lab for education purposes. The lab was comfortable and spacious too. We took it as something that we can bring back and improve for our labs.
When talking about their labs, our Persaka president mentioned that we too have the same kind of lab just that it was particularly meant for certain subjects only. The lab is located at UTM Digital formerly known as CICT. It was a very educational trip though we were also brought to their watermill. Similarly like our well-known UTM lake, they have amazing views too. We were lucky to be there in the evening just in time when the water splashes formed rainbows and obviously, we would not miss a chance to take pictures. From my observation, other than I had educational inputs I also gain some general knowledge from sightseeing in the city and zoo trip too. How the tigers are sick and near to extinction, facts about reptiles and there were a number of monkeys too.
My trip to the zoo was simple yet still informative. My friends and I talk with other Persaka members and they actually encourage us to join the committee for next season. It was definitely a once in a life time thing where you will get more exposures and knowledge. I can see how flexible and how they can manage an event on their own without any lecturer supervising them. During the trip, Sir Iqbal was responsible to take care of us. However he still let us enjoy and trust us that we can take care and manage ourselves. The whole delegation experience makes me feel a whole like a new insight that I gain and I would love to experience this kind of event again. The way Atikah and Batrisyia talked about Persaka and their activities makes me want to be an active student while also learning.
The whole delegation trip was beyond my expectation when I thought it was going to be a boring school trip but in fact it was not. We were asked to enjoy ourselves during the whole trip, ask as much questions as we want and it was a great escape from academic routine. It somehow reminded me with my primary school trips where we would go to fun parks, or factories and get mesmerized with the whole process. This time, we are the ones organizing and planning the trip from scratch. We decide the itinerary of the program and ensure that we it was also a short road trip with our friends. The Ficts Team was very helpful and welcoming when during the whole time we were in UTeM. They even suggested for a returned trip to UTM the next time. Luckily, they came last semester. We treat them just like how we were treated and we showed them the best landscapes and labs from our campus and faculty. Though I had class to attend, I did not miss my chance to bid them farewell before they went back. Some students were from the previous session that I met in Melaka too.
Other than that, this event has given me new input for my soft skills where I sharpen my communication skills and be able to manage my time. The activity we had was pack as well but we work together as a team to make things work. This event had made me closer to my friends too since it was my first year of degree. We get to know each other and that was where I knew one of my close friend is living just a stone thrown away from my house. We had good memories and it surely was unforgettable.
One time we had to manage ourselves without the highest management teams during lunch. It was a nerve wreaking task to shout out to ensure everyone have taken their lunch meal. We needed to ensure that the foods were enough for everyone and there weren’t many leftovers behind. I believe that I can overcome my fear of being in the crowd and step up. So I did. Back then, I hated doing my task in public. I do not like being the center of attention. But I realized that I want to change and become a new person. That there is nothing to be worried and scared of. Now I am in my third year of degree, and I can say that I am actually proud with that goal. I manage to participate in many events after my first delegation trip. There were supposed to be more events than I volunteered as crew, however due to unavoidable pandemic crisis, most of the event had to be cancelled. I still look out for events that I could participate and join to improve myself too and wished that I could return back to UTM safely and continue a normal life.
As a conclusion, I would say that I have gain so much new experience as a junior student in this faculty. My seniors do help me a lot in giving advices and pushing me to join more activities for my own benefits. All I can say was if it was not because of the trip, I might be a bookworm until I graduate would never experience fun activities and enjoy my study life. Though I was just a participant during this whole trip, I feel like I am one of the crews too. I am able to experience what they had and learn through the trip. I get to take lessons from their stories and experience they share whether from Persaka side or Ficts side.
From this trip, I also had a new goal and mindset where I want to be out from my comfort zone. I want to make new connections and new friends other than my classmates. I also would love to use and sharpen the skills that I have in me. I picked up new skill along the trip which is also about enjoying the moment. One of the students told me to enjoy learning so we actually gain more than we ever anticipate. Do not make learning just in class but also through extra-curricular activities as they helped more than hard skill. At the end of the day, life is all about learning. So always enjoy the moment and make new friends.