Life of an architecture student

* This is an entry I wrote for our studio's publication.

When we first entered architecture as an innocent first year, many doubts and questions came to our mind. People will ask us, ‘ Why do you choose architecture? ’  some of the answers are ,’ I want to earn more…’ ‘ I love arts and science!’ ‘ I love travelling!’ ‘ I don’t know why!’ During the induction meeting with the lecturers, ‘Welcome to ARCHITORTURE.’ is what we were welcomed with. Since then, our studio has gone through various challenges and events that strengthen our bond day by day. For instance, Festsena, Archustic Architectural Workshop and studio works which required utmost collaboration between every studio members. We also have some memorable studio trips to Johore, Singapore, Bali, Port Dickson and even hiking at the Broga Hill.     

Pulling all nighters in studio can be fun as we  support each others by giving motivation, sharing ideas and keep each others awake with some entertainment. In this studio, you can often hear the laughter from far away. Our high spirit of togetherness, collaboration as well as having fun brought us to who we are today. We see each other grow for the past three years and knows each other well, even some little secrets.

We are always proud to be an architecture student as we lead an undergraduate life which is totally different from others. We learn things from hands-on experience, to name a few, from hand drafting to 3D modeling, from building physical models to woodwork, from artistic design to on-site technical knowledge and from verbal presentation to multimedia presentation. All these cant be found in any textbook. We learn to be more independent, creative, flexible, good in time management and we develop our personality through the process.  

Now that three years have past, some of us are going to continue studies  and some are entering the reality of architecture world as future architects, graphic designers or photographers. Even though we will be separated,  we will still keep ourselves updated in each others life. Instructors weren’t kidding when they said that we will become a family. I hereby would like to express our greatest gratitude to all the lecturers and staff of Architecture Department, UKM who are always be there to support us, guide us to understand more about life and achieve in our academic. Architecture Department of UKM is where we develop ourselves to a better person and where our sweet memories of youth engraved.    

“Dream as if you will live forever; Live as if you will die today.” James Dean

Carpe diem, my friends!

My growing years in UKM

One of my subject English for Engineering wants me to write a simple essay about my growth in UKM. well i just simply crap a little. too much to say la..

The moment I stepped into the university I know that my life will never be the same. Being a person who loves to explore the world and believe in making changes, I was highly motivated to be a ‘green’ person especially after working in World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF), a global green non-government organization for about 6 months before entering my varsity life. I was challenged by my German colleague when he asked,’ you are working in WWF and you want to be an architect?’ My answer was , ‘why not? The built environment can never stop and it needs some green hands to save it and make the world a better place.’ My goal and expectation to myself before I enter UKM. First, to continue on my green passion and take action. Second, to be globalize and enhance networking nationally or internationally. Third, to live my varsity life to the fullest ,do crazy things and develops skills to be competent to the society. To enjoy my architecture life which will be totally different from my entire study life, design great architecture and inspire the world. Too much goals to mention.

As an architecture student, you live a student life that no one can imagine unless they are in it. The lecturers call it archiTORTURE as the course is intensive, hardcore, require a lot more time or 24/7 involvement and brain juice squeezing for ideas. We need to be as artistic as artist and musician but also as scientific as engineers. This is the tough part. Sleepless nights are expected. Studio is our second home. I can proudly say that I am forever proud to be an architecture student as we are trained to be different compared to other courses. We are creative, against the rules sometimes, flexible, presentation is a norm to us, we are small but united, we are close to our lecturers and we have our personal workspace in studio. Architecture has made me a better person and always confident in front of crowd. We are always dealing with design projects which require intensive progress, such as critique sessions, tight deadlines, dealing with people, sensitive to issues around us, innovation and exploration of the world. One of the best thing about us is we have study trips every semester. For example, Singapore and Bali, my top dream place to visit! In my first year we get to involve in organizing the national architecture workshop and it was a huge and successful event. I also went on an internship in my dream firm,T.R.Hamzah & Yeang which works on international green projects for 3 months. Working in a global learning environment with experts from around the world is indeed a valuable experience. I also attended a few international conferences held in Malaysia and Singapore.

Besides being an architecture students, I’m also an AIESECer. AIESEC is a non-political global leadership organization. Many people think I’m crazy when I apply for it as it is a hectic organization because being an architecture student itself is already super hectic. But my personal goal to be globalize and expand my network and also be competent to the society push me to the application and pass the interview ,finally became an AIESECer. It really challenge me in terms of time management as I startup as a team member of In-coming exchange department where intensive matching and intern servicing job are required. I got most inspired to continue my AIESEC journey after attending the Malaysian Leadership Seminar held in UUM where the AIESECer around Malaysia as well as international facilitators and delegates were involved. This organization is truly filled with inspiring individuals who have personal goals and positive about personal growth. We always have chance to meet with successful professionals and even work with them. During my second year I took up leadership role as the communication director which challenge my limit. I called it double ‘A’ syndrome. Architecture and AIESEC. I manage to survive my second year with the support of my great Executive Board team and also my architecture coursemates. For many times I wanted to give up from the start of the semester, I am now glad that I hold on and never give up.

After that I continue to search for opportunities and I applied for Global Leadership Programme held in Rome. I manage to get scholarship and sponsor for this programme and thus flew to my another top dream place, Rome, Italy. I had the best time of my life in Rome for two weeks intensive course on Peace, Conflict, & Religion and I met a bunch of new friends from around the world. By understanding about Peace, Conflict, & Religion, I hope to find the answer of my doubts that why religions that all promote peace and harmony can cause such conflicts when they meet and to live in the multi-religious community without conflict, where everyone lives together with mutual understanding. As a citizen, I felt that I have the responsibility to improve the situation by taking the first step, to understand the people around me and promoting the importance of mutual understanding among the religions and live in a peaceful environment. I know it may sound too ideal but the issue wont be solved if no one is taking an initiative to make a change by putting ourselves in others shoes. In this programme I am happy to know that I am actually competent internationally among the students. After the programme I went backpacking around Italy with a few friends and we experience the culture, life of true Italy.

I believe that I am able to see things in a broader perspective through discussion and sharing among students from all around the world and learn to express ideas in a more intellectual and holistic way. Critical thinking and analytical skills can also be improved. With that I am able to become a more competitive person in the society as well as in the international arena especially in architectural field that requires a lot of these qualities. I am able to improve my time management and self-discipline by balancing myself between studies and social life which I am still in the process of learning. It will certainly be beneficial for my study or future career that will be full of tight submission deadlines. Learning to understand and work with people from different background through cultural exchange or sharing is also one of the skills that is important to me as I have a strong desire to work with a team of inspiring people from different background in my future career.

The varsity life really impacts me a lot and I believe I will be a competent graduate and achieve my goals. Not only career but my aspiration to contribute to the society with my ability and skills. Money is important but it will not be my priority before achieving impact to the society.

papa happy birthday! miss you alot

i know you are watching me. everything is still under control. I will survive.

love you.miss you. please let everything to be okay or be better. i promise i will lead a happy and quality life and be myself. never give up. forever search for opportunity.love more.smile more.

happy birthday.

do whatever to make you happy.No regrets in life

Found this really true and meaningful.never make yourself regret for life.

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality.

I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never
became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a
result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical
details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end.
That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.