July 17, 2013, by Yvonne Teoh
My Three Years Here… (Part 4)
My first day was nerve-wrecking (as all first day experiences are) as I joined the course a week later than I should’ve due to my late application. As cheesy as it sounds, the memory is still fresh in my mind; I was worried that it would be difficult for me to make friends because I was under the impression that everyone has had the chance to do that during fresher’s week (which I missed) and that everyone had already found their group of friends. I didn’t want to be known as the “new girl”. However, I was proven wrong; after my first lecture, I was asked by two of my classmates to join them for lunch and just like that, I wasn’t afraid anymore. In fact, I was evermore keen to expand my network of friends and be more involved in university life. It’s comforting how a few warm hearts can help lighten the load of a heavy one. One thing I love about UNMC is the magic of its international culture; friendship does not know age, gender, religion or race, and because it’s a small campus, everyone is friends with everyone else and so you rarely feel lonely.
I’m generally not a very science-y kind of person so I didn’t think I’d enjoy some of the modules that they offered here because they’re mostly science based. But as it turns out, it actually wasn’t so bad; the science stuff does grow on you eventually and it’s pretty interesting. It does have the benefit of making you feel like a smart scholar of some sort with all the jargons and whatnot. But that’s beside the point. The point is that, even though you may not be scientifically inclined, the learning process is enjoyable despite the complicated science stuff. I mean, we went to the zoo to observe apes and we also had the opportunity to work with children, if you’re interested in that field like I am…how awesome is that! Of course, there will be stressful times dealing with deadlines, courseworks and exams, but this is university so you shouldn’t expect any less.
The Psychology department in UNMC is probably the most happening department in the whole university with our wacky professors and never-ending experiments (don’t believe people who say otherwise…they’re probably just jealous). The lecturers are friendly and approachable and at the same time, professional. And the experiments…well, you may find that a large fraction of your time will be spent looking for participants and using various methods to reel them in (hint: candy always works). Besides that, I found that the learning environment really pushed me to aim higher and work harder with every semester, which eventually led to my success in graduating with grades that I didn’t think I could get when I first started.
There were also a lot of surprises along the way; one day, I’m a happy-go-lucky first year student and the next, I’m president of a society! I definitely did NOT see that coming! An amazing opportunity presented itself, and I took it. It was a tough and challenging, one that almost brought me to my limit, what with juggling that and the increasing stress of second year. But, it was a learning experience with a whole lot of ups and downs that spiced up my journey and made uni life a whole lot more interesting, and I don’t regret a second of it.
Honestly speaking, I didn’t think I’d get into UNMC. It wasn’t one of my choices at first because being a rather adventurous person myself, I was hoping to experience varsity life in a foreign country. Nevertheless, UNMC, although not exactly in a fancy foreign country, did manage to give me the experience I was looking for. It surprised me in a good way.
In a nutshell, university life was a mix of unforgettable memories, challenging experiences and lasting friendships. Anything can happen. I believe we can never stop learning about ourselves, or finding out who we are. It’s a lifelong search, but university experiences will play a HUGE role in that journey. It’s where you start seeing the bigger picture, it’s a big stepping stone to your future, and it’s probably the most fun you’ll ever have in your life. So live it up to the fullest! Don’t think twice about joining that club/society or trying out for a position in that committee or going on that trip, just do it! And more importantly, don’t be afraid to push yourself to the limit because you may surprise yourself by pushing yourself even further.
Farah Alsagoff
( Year 3 Student in BSc (Hons) Psychology, UNMC)
i prefer the term eccentric but wacky is probably nearer the truth…
may you graduate with honour
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