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Briefly introduce yourself and how are you related to STK.
Kia Ora, everyone! My name is Nur Fatin Aqilah Mohamad Shukri and people known me as ‘Fatin’. I am 20 years old and I was born and raised in Kluang, Johor with my other siblings. I am the third out of five siblings. I am currently pursuing my degree in accounting at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand under the JPA scholarship programme. Previously, I studied at Kluang High School (STK) about 3 years before moving to MRSM Tun Ghafar Baba in Jasin, Malacca. I was an active student when I was in STK and most teachers and friends know me because of my great achievement in academics.
Describe your experience studying in STK.
When I was studying at STK, I made lots of memories and went through a lot of things, some of them were good and some were bad. Friendship, betrayal, joy, heartbreak, dedication, burnout, mistakes, and lessons were part of my dramatic high school experience. All of these experiences have influenced me to become the person I am now and I am so thankful for that. During my first day at STK, I was very nervous and I was still not ready to become a high school student but both the students and teachers at STK were very friendly which made me feel welcome. Everything began when I was allocated under the Rancangan Khas Programme and I was placed at 1 Rancangan Khas 1. This place is where I first met my best friend, Nabilah Ghazali, and other amazing people which are my fellow classmates. I stayed at Rancangan Khas 1 till I was in form 3, and I had been to 4 Sains Akaun (SA) before moving to MRSM TGB. Studying at STK is not as easy as it seems. STK students were highly competitive when it comes to both academics and co-curricular. Thus, I struggled quite a lot to achieve good grades and to become a top student in STK. However, with the help and unconditional support from my teachers and friends, I managed to score 10 As on my PT3 test, and then I received an offer to further my study at MRSM TGB, thanks to them.
Describe your THREE BEST/STRONGEST QUALITIES.
One of my strongest qualities is flexibility. I am a very flexible person in which I am able to adapt quickly in any circumstances and I am always ready and well prepared at all times. Because of my flexibility, I am able to multitasking and I tend to view the world through bigger and wider perspective. I believe that most people are comfortable with me because they see me as an easy-going person due to my flexibility trait. Next, the other best quality that I have is resiliency. Even though my life is tough, I will never give up until I finally achieve my goals. I will find the best solutions to overcome and endure my problems. I am willing to take any risks in order to achieve whatever I dream of. Furthermore, I believe that the strongest quality that I have is self-awareness. I am highly aware of my strengths and weaknesses and I am able to manipulate them to achieve my goals. By being self-aware, I am able to manage my emotions and understand how people truly feel and think about me. Therefore, I can evaluate my own personal growth and able to regulate my emotions accordingly.
Describe ONE best moment you had in school.
I believe the best moment that I once had in STK is the moment that I received my PT3 result. I still remember the smiles on my parents’ face after knowing that I scored 10 As for my PT3 test. I love seeing them happy because of me. They told me how proud they were and this what motivate me to keep going and study much harder. At that moment, I was thrill because I knew that my hard work paid off. Apart from that, I also remember how my friends were so supportive back then, cheering for my excellent results, and celebrating the day with me. Every single person that bumped into me never miss to congratulate me and I was so thankful for that because it really made my day. Moreover, the day that I received my PT3 result is the day that I remembered the most when I was in STK because I was so proud to see my friends which struggled with their studies before, obtain a much better result that was beyond their own expectations. I was so happy for being able to help them with their studies by tutoring them after class hours and help them to achieve better results.
Describe what you are currently doing (what, where, why).
I am currently studying accounting at University of Canterbury, New Zealand and inshaAllah I will be graduating in July 2024. One of the reason I choose to pursue accounting because of my accounting teacher named ‘Puan Haslinawati’. Her passion and dedication during accounting classes had inspired me to further my studies in accounting field. The way that she explained and portrayed the essence of accounting had been motivating me to continue studying in accounting field. Besides, I am pursuing my degree in accounting because I have my own goal. I always determine to work at one of the big four accounting firms after I finish my studies. Hence, I believe that majoring in accounting during my degree is one of the most vital steps to make my dream comes true. Apart from that, I am an active member of Active Muslim Explorers (A.M.E) in Christchurch and I had participated in many volunteering activities organized by this particular club. By joining this club, I am able to engage with Muslim communities all over New Zealand and explore new things with them.
Describe your experiences studying abroad.
For me, I believe that studying abroad is a life-changing experience. At first, I was homesick but I managed to overcome it and live my life to the fullest in New Zealand. Studying abroad is not only some stuffs that are related to academics but also involve meeting and engaging with new people from different cultures, exploring new places, and learning new things that you never heard before. Each one experience that I gained here is so precious and it has change my life forever. People in New Zealand are so welcoming and friendly and they will always make you feel like you are belong to them. I am so thankful that I am surrounded with supportive and generous people which always help me to grow and to explore and discover the true beauty of New Zealand. Now, I believe that I am experiencing personal development as now my personalities are currently growing and I become a lot wiser from day to day compared to when I was still in Malaysia.
Describe the challenges you face there.
First of all, the challenge that I face here in New Zealand is language barrier. Before I came here, I never thought that language barrier will be my main concern but now I do. The way that English language is being portrayed in Malaysia is just different from how the native use this language. You will hear so many different accents in New Zealand and if you are lucky enough, you might understand what they are trying to say and able to respond. Moreover, I think the other challenge is cultural differences. Learning new cultures is great but being able to accept the differences might be quite challenging. For example, in Malaysia, it is easy for you to find toilet with bidet but it is differ from New Zealand because people in here use toilet papers. Even though it doesn’t seem like a huge deal but sometimes the small matter is what concerns people the most. Besides, there are also cultural differences in other aspects such as the customs, behaviors, mindset, and many more.
Share the tips on how you cope with the challenges.
In overcoming language barriers, I believe that we should never be shy to ask for clarification and we should never be afraid of making mistakes. For me, I will always ask for clarification to ensure that I really understood of what had being said by the locals. Not only that, I will always trying to speak as clear as I can and I try not to rush when communicating by slowing down my speech to make my self sounds as clear as possible. Next, in dealing with cultural differences, I think the best way to cope is by trying to understand and learn deeper about the beliefs and norms of different cultures. The more you learn about other cultures, the more you will realize the beauty that lies within them. Hence, you will eventually able to adapt and embrace the differences.
Describe the path that you took that gets you where you are.
Every path that I took in my life is inspired by my older sister. She is the main reason that I went to STK, MRSM, and even studying abroad. Watching her successful life had motivated me to follow her lead to study harder and get out of my comfort zone. That is why after achieving excellent result in PT3, I moved to MRSM Tun Ghafar Baba to gain and seek for new experiences. At TGB, I was a science stream student and I also took accounting principle as my core subject. I achieved 9As (7A+ and 2A) for my SPM and my counsellor suggest me to apply for some scholarships including JPA, Petronas, MARA, TNB, and Telekom Malaysia. After SPM, I was offered with so many opportunities to further my study both abroad and local. With the guidance and advice from my family and teachers, I had accepted the JPA Scholarship to continue my study in New Zealand and I went to INTEC Education College, Shah Alam to complete my foundation for almost 2 years. After graduating from INTEC, I got my passport and student visa done and I flew to New Zealand to continue my studies at University of Canterbury.
What advice would you give to the current STK students?
My dear junior in STK, I wish you all the best in everything that you are currently doing and thriving for. Being an adult is not as beautiful as you think, so my advice for you is just enjoy every single moment and keep as many memories as you can when you are still in high school because you will miss them once you stepped out from the school. Furthermore, I want all of you to work harder and get out of your comfort zone so that you can become a better person than you currently are. Always show some respects to your teachers and treat them as if they are your parents so that you will receive their blessings and ‘berkah’ which are the important key to become a successful person. Last but not least, I want every single of STK students who read this message to always taking care of yourself, love yourself for who you are and stop comparing your life with others because every flower blooms in its own time.
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