Course + Career

How many of you are facing problem in deciding which course to choose?
How many of you are unsure of what you going to be/do in the future?

Most of the school leavers will face these problems when proceeding to university/ college life. Yet, how many of them can make the decision correctly and proud to be who they are and what they will do later on?

Being involved in the education fairs and open days for the past 1 1/2 months, I saw and met lots of school leavers that plan to go for higher education. During the education fairs, I saw students everywhere seeking  information about the courses available and suitable colleges, stopped by each and every stall to get advices and compare among the colleges/universities. Some might have clear direction on exactly what they what to go with, but some might still lost and require guidance from their parents, friends as well as those counselors. That's the purpose of education fairs are held and our counselors and all student ambassadors are there ready to help them sorting out their confusion.
But, the student will still hold the final decision on choosing the course and studying in which university/ college. 
  
Most of the time, I will still heard people asked "What course is the easiest one?".
My advice to those students: instead of looking for the easiest course, why don't you ask yourself what course you like the most or what field you interested in? That's no course which will be forever the easiest, if you got no passion or interested in doing it, you will still suffer at the end of your course, even in your career lifetime.

It is just like most of the people think business is an easy course to study and easy to score, but do you like theories? If not, you will face problem in memorize or even understand these theories by heart. Or are you capable to utilize or dissolve these business knowledge into real business practices? If not, you will be stuck in carrying out your responsibility in the organization and hard to be promote to higher position due to low work productivity or weak commitment. etc... It goes same to other courses where different courses have different difficulties to consider on.

Besides, there are also students that faced problem in making rush decision, following their parents' step or friends' influence. But, this causes them ended up getting lost and even feel stress and helpless in the entire of their study life. With blessed, some students are able to detect this problem at the beginning stage of their study and thus able to change to another program without waste long time study for nothing. However, there are some students that get lost in the middle or at the end of the study. If their financial status allow them to change program, it will definitely a blessed and good news for them to know what they want now. But what if they still choosing the wrong program? Or the student's financial doesn't allow him/her to do so? So, it means the student still has to spend time suffer with the course or even entire of his/her career.    

Hence, it is crucial for students to choose the most suitable course for themselves considering their strengths and weaknesses. It is just as simple like an accounting student doesn't like digits and calculation, a medical student is hemophobia.

Thanks God, I am lucky enough to study what I am interested in, International Business Management and 60% of International students in APU allow us to mix with students from different countries, exchange ideas and understand the cultures and business operations from these countries.
Although people always take this course as the easiest course compared to other courses, such as engineering, IT or even accounting. But, right here, I will tell those people "Although this course doesn't require high skills as engineering, IT and accounting courses, without business concepts or management, you can be superior in your engineering field/IT field/accounting field, but the chances for those experts (engineering, IT, accounting) to present or introduce their idea successfully to the society/ market will be comparatively low or even can be say near to zero.".

Look back the past?!

Reviewing back 2012....

January 2012- nothing special in this month.

February 2012- That's the month my friends and I were busying with our assignments, tests and exams for the final semester for level 1. Haha...Still remember I got my very first debating section for business law presentation with other group in this semester. That's a new try for me as least I can defend myself at that point of time and scored a good grade.

March 2012- An awesome month in 2012. This is the month I went for my very first oversea trip with family to Hong Kong right after my final exam. We walked alot from day to night continuously for 7 days!!The craziest thing ever my mother, sister and I did was we walked from Sham Shui Po to Tsim Sha Tsui (if any of you don't know the distance, please google it)!!!...imagine please!!...That's so called POWER OF SHOPPING!!...haha...

My mum, dad and sis (I'm the photographer..haha)

After back from the trip, I went for an internship for 3 months in Nielsen, an International research company. I had applied this internship since February so that I can utilize my 3 months breaks to explore working life and learn new skills. I felt honor for being chosen as an intern in this company as they really do give chances to youths to learn new things (I was just completed my level 1 at that time). The colleagues are really nice and friendly. During the internship, I was also given chances to went for outstation jobs, for example, mini career fair in Sunway University, PJ. Besides, I was also involved and helped out in some events such as annual dinner, bowling competition, Nielsen Global Impact Day held by the company as well.

Internship offer letter from Nielsen

My working desk with the tag "Lim Poh ling"!!!

Lovely colleagues during Nielsen Global Impact Day

My first henna@ Nielsen Global Impact Day

P/S* Apart from this internship offer, I actually got 2nd chance interview from Groupon. But, I decided to joined Nielsen as this was the offer firm on hand, while for Groupon, I still need to attend second interview which I actually short of time for my internship period as my level 2 starts in end of May. However, I did not regret in joining Nielsen for my internship as they (the company as well as the colleagues) highlighted my study life so so so so much, I learned alot more which all these things cannot be found in any of the textbooks or lecture class. This has actually enhance my study in level 2, even for now.

April 2012- Internship on-going...this is also the craziest month which I actually run both sides, worked in Nielsen from 8.30am to 5pm and back to APU for duty till 8pm. Insane me??...Guess so...Make myself tired everyday after work and straight back to sleep and be an energetic me on the next day. Is this so called "live to be work"?...haha...Think back from now, even though I felt satisfied for that kind of life, but, it does bring negative consequences to me for the next few months...TO BE CONTINUE...(curious??..haha...do read my September/October 2012 diary..haha).

Ow yeah!!..I went for Malacca trip with friends in this month too!!...haha...It was an awesome trip formed by 5 friends from different major and intake gather together to enjoy the break and fun while waiting for next enrollment. During the trip, we tried local foods, went for tourist attraction, chit chat and so on. Pictures provided for (readers) self-illustration and imagination...p/s* A picture says thousand words...wakaka...  

A Famosa ~ "In the Jail?!"

Opsss*!

Group of 5@Malacca!!

May 2012- Joined level 2 and made new friends.

June 2012- Nothing special??...Should be...Oh wait...how could it be nothing special??!!...It was my birthday month!!!...29 June!!...Guys and girls do remember my birthday...and wish me pretty and blessed for my 2013 birthday...haha...

2012 Birthday indeed was a very special birthday I had ever as I celebrated it two times in a day with full of surprises.

For the first celebration, my close friends (Sam Lee, Li Kien, Jason Kee and Cheng Mun) and I went to Jojo (my favourite pan mee outlet to go...haha) to have a simple birthday lunch. I got a mini cake to eat!!...Thanks Jason and Chengmun for the "obvious surprise"...haha...i knew it since you guys said want to go bakery shop to buy breads...haha...anyway, it was still a touch birthday (p/s jason and chengmun* I said it is a touch birthday because I can still remember it till now...see how touch was it...haha...)

Second birthday party was a last minute one..haha...I said it is special because it was celebrated together with my Student Ambassador friends (Nick Liou, Caroline, Li Kien, Min Yang). We went to Starvillage for our dinner and chit chat. A big surprise came at the end of the dinner. When I was about to rise up my hand asking for bill, Nick asked the waiter to bring up the cake!!...argh!!...（tears dropped for the big surprise)..haha...
p/s* This dinner was not specially just because of my birthday. It is a farewell dinner for our beloved friend, Min Yang (a cute and handsome boy that love to smile alot) who had transferred to Sunway University as well. He took the effort uploaded the photos and wrote a post regarding this for his blog. Strongly recommend guys and girls to have a view on his blog, it is one of the blogs that I like the most. http://alightinmyheart.blogspot.com/2012/06/once-i-am-student-ambassador.html

July 2012- Life goes as usual

August 2012- I did my very first volunteering in 30-Hour Famine. As a student without income, this is the little effort that I can contribute on to the society. During this event, I acted as an usher guiding the participants to the correct seats. As this event fell on weekend, it allowed me to join this meaningful famine without affecting my study. 

Anyone that interested in some volunteering works or For further information about this event, can click into this link: http://www.worldvision.com.my/v1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=77&lang=en

Right after the event, I rushed back to Subang for my mother's birthday celebration.
We went for a simple dinner and Baskin Robbins for an Ice-Cream Cake!!..haha..
That was the most delighted moment for our family, a members of 6 gathering together to enjoy the cake and chat.

Mummy's birthday celebration!!

This went specially precious for me especially just back from the 30-Hour Famine event. I watched the video clips from the rural areas, people are under hunger and poverty. Looked back ourselves, we are definitely the lucky one, living comfortably and luxuriously together with all family members. We should have appreciated the God-giving for what we are now, instead of blow off our dissatisfaction towards life.

September 2012- Assignments, tests and exams going on. Transferred from Taiping to Springhill, Port Dickson. And I had to say "bye bye, Taiping", the place where I grew up!

There are lots of things or events happened in this month. This was the most frustrated and stressful month I had experienced in 2012. I got no idea why, but probably because I had "overuse" myself in the past few months, especially during the internship period. I cannot concentrate on my studies totally. Very very last minutes works are done, reading was totally not in brain, and almost all of the papers are leave 1/4 blank and all these things made me depress to the fullest. But, thanks God!!..All the incourse assignments were in good grades. Exams??!!...The results are good, but they were not under my expectation. And I promise that I gonna work hard in this semester to trace back the CGPA.

October 2012- Exams ended and three weeks breaks!

November 2012- My new semester started.
November 2012, I got my very first smartphone, Note 2!! I am proud to say it is a fully-paid phone by myself using the money I earned monthly from the work as a Student Ambassador!!...Woohoo...am proud of myself...

December 2012- Busy month for University and S.A.. Lots of events were held in December 2012.
~ 1 December 2012- APU Graduation Ceremony 2012...Woohoo...Helped out for the ceremony, glad to see these graduates graduated from APU, especially there is 13 first honor graduates from International Business Management...am awaiting my time to come, stand there as a first honor graduate as well...haha.. 
~ 5 December 2012- APU Commercial Shooting!!

Besides, there are few education fairs, like FACON in PWTC, Persada Johor International Convention Centre and Nanyang Education Fair in Sunway Convention Center that I had went to help out to promote our University. It is a tiring, yet fun and challenging task for me to promote our university, especially the education fair in Johor. There is only two Student Ambassadors included me that helped out in the event. Whenever the counselors were busying, we will approach to the visitors to tell them the information related to our university and share our experiences in term of courses to them. This will allow them to understand better on student perspectives.

Snap photo while waiting the time to reach 12pm @ Persada Johor ICC

Counsellors' briefing before the exhibition starts @ Persada Johor ICC

Counseling @ Sunway Convention Center

2012 indeed a lovely year for me...In this year, I learned new things and experienced different things out of my study life. There are some happy incidents as well as unhappy one. Yet, all these incidents made my year 2012 an awesome year.

Bye 2012, Welcome 2013.