What I Heard

Before getting started, I briefly introduced myself, my name, Saw Wan Ting, taking course architecture in University Sains Malaysia (USM), Pulau Pinang. I come from Taiping, Perak.

Yesterday, 12/07/2010, Monday, I have my first lesson (course RUS 101) in my first semester. Started from 9.00am, we have been in E48B, our studio. Mr. Wan Burhanuddin has been given us a talk which mainly contain 2 parts. First we discuss about the APEX University and then, the concept of 3P.

Before this, a very interesting question has been asked is why we choose USM? There are quite many reasons that why I choose USM. It is because it near my hometown, save the transport cost, pursuit my study to a higher level. The most important of course is the USM is an APEX University. It is also the top 1 university in Malaysia.

What is APEX University? APEX which called Accelerated Programme for Excellence actually is the status just gives by Ministry of Higher Education to USM. Started from 2009, USM has been run this programme with a concept entitled “Transforming Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow ”. We hope that a transformation can make from the existing state not only to good, better, best but the excellence on year 2012. This is a rapid, fast programme to produce a generation which have a high understanding in certain expect and together with soft skill. USM try to achieve a top 100 and above among the university in the world.

To be success, we need to have intention. For example, to have intention to study, to have intention to get a better future, to be excellence and so on. We cannot do something without a purpose. For me, I do intend to be an APEX student and become pro people in my study field. Next, we must act. If we just have a plan but without an action, it forever will stays as a dream and wouldn’t become a truth. It is useless. After we work hard, spent time on what we want, then we will have a product. This is the seed what we get from our hard work. Beside, the person or people who have done all 3 components above is called actor. Actor plays important role also. Every condition or situation must base on the rule. As a good actor, we follow the rule. In addition, we must have a right place also. A world cup player wouldn’t get a best performance if they are place at the school field. That is the meaning.

To achieve an APEX University, therefore, we can conclude that we must have an APEX intention, APEX act, APEX production, APEX actor, APEX rule and APEX place. To be summarized, we make it into 3P ( People, Place, Principle ). The 3 main requirement we need to have to gain our goal.

Beside, here we have follow a hierarchy which are student, studiomasters, USM community, Penangites, et al. There are 15 studiomasters in our School of Housing, Building and Planning which included Mr. Mohd Najib, Mr. Ilias Said, Mr. Mazran Ismail and others. They have give some advise to us. The main idea are the same which is to work hard, enjoy your university life but at the same time put effort on study also. This is because as a student, we must take our responsibility.

Last, I set a target to myself to become an APEX student in USM, based on this, I promise that I will follow the rule of university and work very hard to achieve my goal in my life.