Yeap, so that’s me in 2009 when I enter USM. oh goodness, I was so much slimmer. Now that green shirt is so tight on me now. Till now, I could still remember 2 years ago when I first checked into my hostel. I never would imagine where I am today (yeah the truth is you would never able to imagine right?) But this reminds me of all the ups and downs 2 years ago…
If someone who knows me well enough of my involvements for the past 2 years, certainly there are networks I am exposed to which offered me other opportunities in which i did not end up with. Well, life’s not that good sometimes when you have too many opportunities or focus on dealing with. I don’t call this opportunity, but rather also alternative path I could have taken up in which I don’t know where I would be if I accepted the path.
1) Assisting Professor Research by photography.
I remember this offer very well where I was recommended by one of the photography club excuse and met with the professor. The task was a semester long, to travel up to Paris twice a month to capture and document any progress of the research there sort of. It was an all covered expense and allowance to buy your own equipment for the research period but you have to return when you are done. However, I did not proceed further after hearing the job scope.
2) Starting YES as a club
There were a lot of things happened before I manage to start up Youth Energy Squad in AIESEC USM. I tried to start the squad and register it as a club itself in USM. I spent few months linking around some networks and wandering around the legal procedures. If I was persistent enough, I could start a club. But I never did, and never knew where it could be today.
3) Kelab Olahraga with the story of running.
And I never did improve anyways. I was in the running team during the first year but did not make much further improvement by training. I never really did excel as much as I went for Malaysia University games and involved in organizing the first ever Open Relay, it was a good start and exposure but did not last long. Even though if I did, I highly doubt I can manage it with my current academic weight.
4) I could have participated more international student exchange/ conference program
Namely, SUSI, SUSI is 4 weeks long environmental issue exposure study trip covering Hawaii and Washington. Of course, it’s by privilege and you have to apply for it. But so yea I missed it out after knowing my local university friend went for it. A lot of other conferences would have attended also but I guess I was still pretty much at my local university events.
So thus, I think yea there are pretty many things I left out. But hey, that was a choice because I took the time to harvest other opportunities. The 2 years I manage to go to Shanghai for student exchange 8 weeks under AIESEC, expanded my network, went Indonesia India for conferences, and Germany for international finals for BYEE, and also started my own project, YES, and now MESYM.COM under my own initiative. and also many others events and exposure. It’s just 2 years. And almost every semester break I am hardly at home.
Well, just how great is it if I have 4 years of academic years then 😉
Life’s been awesome, but truth is,
Opportunities lie everywhere, just how we look at it.
And most probably because I am a person who sees opportunities in every difficultyÂ