Recipients of the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal and the University Silver Medal shared their experiences and advice during an interview on the sidelines of the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Medal and Book Prize Awards ceremony held yesterday at the Chancellor Hall, UBD.
Recent graduate Nur Amal Batrisyia @ Syasya binti Mohamad, the only recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal, said, “I am very thankful that UBD is recognising all my hard work and I am very grateful for my support system – my family and friends. I would like to extend my gratitude to my lecturers for the guidance and knowledge they have given me.”
Her advice for students of UBD is to “try to be receptive and find a sense purpose and passion in what you are doing. You have to have a strong mind set when faced with any setback or struggle. Turn the negativity into positivity”.
On her plans post-graduation, she shared, “I am still trying to explore my interests. If there is any rezeki, I would be interested in joining the military. My passion for the military began at UBD, where I joined the army cadets.”
Meanwhile, University Silver Medal recipient Mohamad Nur-Hafizuddin Abdullah Mohamad Norajame said, “Alhamdulillah, this is such a prestigious award. I believe the award is given to students with high GPAs in the faculty. I achieved a GPA of 4.56, which reflects my hard work over the past four years and my ability to adapt from sixth form to university life.”
On his secret to success, he said, “I did a lot of independent study outside of lectures and often found extra resources in the library.
“You should also render assistance to your friends in need, you can exchange knowledge and gain each other’s perspectives.”
He also said, “I would like to thank my parent and sibling. They have always understood my struggle in studies and are the backbone of my success.”
He also expressed gratitude for his friends for support during his final year and to his supervisor Dr Elvynna Leong, who has inspired him to become a lecturer.
His advice to other undergraduates include avoiding last minute studying, “because you can’t cramp all your knowledge in one day”, to study hard, put in the extra work and “make good use of the UBD library”, to not be afraid to ask lecturers for help, as well as to take good care of both your physical and mental health.
Mohamad Nur-Hafizuddin shared that he has applied to various jobs and is also considering applying for UBD’s chancellor scholarship for postgraduate studies.
He said, “I want to be a statistician or a researcher, with my ultimate goal being a lecturer.” – James Kon
