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Sunday, May 20, 2012

A Reflection on 4 Years University Life at International Medical University (IMU)

Sze Wei Thing
Written by Sze Wei Thing - You may share your fun and meaningful university life with us too!

I'm Sze Wei Thing, 24 years old, just recently graduated from International Medical University (IMU) with a degree in pharmacy. Love to express myself through words. Love travelling and being a little adventurous sometimes.

In the blink of an eye, I have finally graduated from 4 years of pharmacy degree. Everything went by very fast from my last semester to my last degree exam. It took some time after my last exam to hit me with the realities that my university life is ending, I will be a working woman soon, and I have got new responsibilities to bear (both to my family and to the community). Am I truly ready for this? It is indeed a big milestone, for a carefree university student like me who live by the three Fs - fun, friends, and freedom.
Graduation
As much as I felt I am not ready yet, I will have to face it in a few months time soon. Therefore I do want to do some reflections on my university life. My university life as a pharmacy student in IMU is indeed a hectic one. However, I am not going to reflect about how busy I am as a pharmacy student, but what I have experienced in the midst of the hecticness.

Of adaptation

Adaptation is a cool journey. It is a process that transforms unfamiliarity to being familiar, from hatred to likes and eventually to love. To be honest, it took me like about two years to be fully adaptable to life in KL. Four years ago, I flew from a peaceful small town Kuching to KL, feeling all excited about living in a big city. Nevertheless, for a small town girl like me, I do felt that I am living at a place I did not belong to. I felt lost at times and did not have the initiative to explore the town. When holidays came I just could not wait to go back to my hometown as soon as possible. However as time passed I slowly adapted to the life and was able to appreciate what this city has to offer, and hence enjoyed my university life to a greater extend!
Big City Hectic Life

Of being immune to stress

Do not blame your university if it brings you lots of stress through school work and exams. It does train you to be a tougher and stronger person, without you realizing it in the middle of process. As a pharmacist student, I remember the agony I went through in the preparation for my first few finals, literally complaining 'oh God when can I get this over with' every other minutes while I crammed all the information into my tiny brain. However I discover that as I proceeded along my semesters, I did not feel as stressed up anymore. My mental tolerance towards stress has achieved greater heights! I have learnt to keep those stresses out of my focus. I am focusing on 'doing my best' rather than hanging onto the 'I am very stressed' thought. It certainly makes life sweeter in the midst of stress.
How to Manage Your Stress

Of being young

If you see rooms or apartments with lights on at 3am, it is probably a university student's hostel. He/she is either doing last minute revision for exams or watching football or catching on dramas. Who else can be as hyperactive at the time when most people have gone to sleep, other than university students? Not to mention about midnight suppers at mamak stalls, late night drinks at Starbucks, and late night movies at the malls after a day in college. This is how unhealthy we can get by not sleeping at the time we are supposed to. Nevertheless, this is how energetic we can be by being young.
Mamak
Starbucks

Of treasuring friendships that do not come easy

Coming out from a small town to a big city, finding true friends is certainly not an easy process. As university students, we meet people everyday in lecture halls, cafeterias, and during events. We interact with people and get friendly. Our Facebook friends list increase on daily basis. But deep inside our hearts, we desire friendships that are more than just saying Hi and making small talks. We need to connect to people on a more meaningful level.  There comes the time when some friends will stand out from the crowd, being there for us when we need them and share life's moments with us. From this we learn to treasure friends that stick with us through ups and downs. True friends help us to discover more about ourselves, pointing out mistakes that we are not aware of. They are like angels and guardians when our family is not around. I could not be more grateful for the friends that journeyed along with me in IMU till we reached the graduating finishing line together. The journey has ended but the friendships have not, they last a lifetime.
Friendship Forever

Of being inspired and inspiring people

University is like a potpourri of talents being gathered at one place, everyone is so differently gifted from each other. Some are outspoken, some are intelligent, and some are always behind the scene yet never cease to contribute so much. Everyone is just purely inspiring in certain ways. One can learn from even the quietest person, of his meticulous mind and thoughtfulness. And you will never realize that by just simply being yourself made you an inspiration to someone out there. The process of learning from each other for the better takes place in university, shaping characters constantly.

Of growing up

I know I was not exactly the same person like who I was four years ago from now. I might still have the same personalities, but I have definitely grown up a little, if not a lot. University is a path for a person to experience growth. Some grow up overnight, some experience it slow. You grow up when you face internal struggles; when you overcome the fear in you; when you learn to have faith in difficult times. You grow when you learn to be less judgmental towards others. You definitely grow when you stands up for what you believe in; when you decide to follow your dream; when you are brave to take the roads not taken. All of these experiences, some which are mine and some witnessed from others' life, happened within the short four years of university.

I have learnt great and useful knowledge from university, but I realize that at the end of the day, what I am going to reminisce the most is not the knowledge, but the experiences, memories and the people I have met. So for you guys out there who are about to start uni life or still in your uni years, enjoy and appreciate what university life has to offer you! For those like me who has finished university, take along your own unique learning experiences with you to the world out there and continue to make dreams happen.
Have a little faith
To be honest I am sad to bid my sweet university years goodbye, and perhaps, bidding farewell to freedom too. Hello to a world of responsibilities that come forward. Though there is a whole world of uncertainties lying in front of me, I know it is going to be another great journey. I am going to apply the same principle as I did in uni: have faith :)
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