I’m back to share more of my story. I wasn’t born a genius, and honestly, I never imagined I would pursue education up to the level of a PhD.
The thought of achieving my current position never crossed my mind.
Like many others, I only knew to strive and learn. During my LCE (now known as PMR), my results were not outstanding. Similarly, in my MCE (currently called SPM), my aggregate was just 24.
I was disappointed for not achieving excellent results, especially when many of my peers managed to go abroad with aggregates of 21.
However, I remained determined and strove to enter university. Initially, I wanted to pursue Accounting, influenced by my cousin, but eventually, I chose Electrical Engineering.
My first year at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia was challenging, especially with courses heavy in mathematics.
I remember failing Thermodynamics in my first year.
This was a result of studying until the early hours and not getting enough sleep. During exams, my mind went blank, and I couldn’t answer the questions – leading to my failure and the need to retake the course in the next term (we had a term system, not semesters).
Thankfully, I graduated with a First Class Bachelor’s Degree, alongside four other students.
Two years later, I studied Telematics at Essex University.
Interestingly, this university only offered the course over nine months, unlike other Master’s programs which lasted a year or a year and a half.
While my friends had the opportunity to travel across Europe during their breaks, I couldn’t indulge in that luxury as I returned to Malaysia immediately after the short nine-month period.
A couple of years later, I decided to pursue my PhD but I couldn’t apply for overseas University because there’s no opportunity.
But I still go ahead by pursuing my PhD in the same University where I worked.
I am proud to be the first PhD holder in Telecommunications.
My academic journey might not have started with brilliance, but it was filled with perseverance and dedication. Each step, including the setbacks, was a crucial part of my growth. Stay tuned, as there’s still more to my story.
