Ready to Make an Impact on the World
Nur Jesika Binti Mohamed Zamzuri
Year 2, Bachelor in International Business
My time at IUMW so far
In the beginning, I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to be for me transitioning from a high school student to a university student. With no expectations at first, my journey has been fruitful and I’ve embraced a lot of great qualities being around the culture at IUMW. Being surrounded by supportive lecturers and classmates has promoted personal growth and has given me great strength and confidence. The university not only just encourages us to focus on our studies but also promotes a lot of diverse event management which keeps things interesting. There is a lot left to experience on my journey at IUMW and I’m looking forward to what’s in store for me.
What it’s like studying business at IUMW
Studying a business programme means work leans towards activities and responsibilities that surround running an organisation which consists of planning, delegating, monitoring, obviously a lot of calculating and the list goes on. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my course, it’s that when you work alone or take up duties single-handedly the task won’t reach its full potential. My programme teaches the importance of working in a team where key roles need to be considered.
Leading the TimeToTalk annual conference
I would be lying if I say leading a team of 20 students was an easy task, it wasn’t. But that’s the best part, I was able to challenge myself and get to know amazing and skilled students at IUMW that are just as passionate as I am about the event. One of the major skills I learned being the Programme Manager of TimeToTalk was leadership. I took the opportunity to create several systems and figure out which worked best in the team. Another important skill I learned was time management. The takeaway for the event was an amazing experience. When we started most of us barely knew each other, but I witnessed new friendships developing throughout the process which stayed strong even now the event has ended. With such a memorable takeaway, it comes with its hardships, namely overcoming the public acceptance towards the topic of the event – breaking the taboo of sex education. But collectively as a team, we realised it was much needed for us to break the stigma around the topic because if not now, then when?
What I learned about myself
When I first came to IUMW I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve. The experiences I obtained and being able to surround myself with university friends that are career-focused helped me with that problem. I learned that I’m passionate about making changes and that I’m a natural leader. I love getting to know new people from university staff to students because I believe everyone has something that I can learn from and it’s a great process.
My biggest challenge and favourite highlight from university so far.
The biggest challenge was when the pandemic started and I had to get used to online learning because I enjoy physical lectures and being able to use the facilities at the university, as well as seeing familiar faces.
My favourite highlights are all of the events I participated in at IUMW since my foundation year – they have motivated me to do and achieve great things. The experiences not only helped me embrace the times within university but has slowly helped outside organisations recognise me. During the TimeToTalk event, we worked with YB Syed Saddiq who congratulated and praised me for my work. It was moving to receive this compliment from such a well-renowned figure from the political world; his exact words were “you’re doing a great job for our country”. That motivated me to never settle and to keep going for more!
My plans for the future
My plans for the future are to get my Master’s in International Relations, furthering my knowledge in economics, leadership, and politics. Once I’ve gained all the skills and knowledge needed I’ll apply to become a diplomat and perhaps gain a seat in the parliament because our country needs more female representatives! Who knows, maybe I could be the next Jacinda Ardern?