New friend: Who graduated, your brother or sister?
I: Myself.
New friend: Master?
I: Nope, bachelor.
New friend: How can it be, hasn't you working many years?
I: Study Part time
........
This has been very common when I tell someone I just graduate.....
How long to obtain a degree, today everyone just want to graduate in shorter time. But due to some reason, I finish my degree using 8 years.....Wow, how is your life in last 8 years????? Always being ask with this.
I also don't know how is my life, but at least it is full of program everyday.
After graduate from TARC, thought that with the scholarship I can study in UK, but it is not so easy, so much things need to arrange especially in terms of financial issues, so after 3 months of struggled, I give up that scholarship and begin my career in Singapore, But reality is my diploma can't let me be a technician in most of the factory as the syllabus I taken just to prepare to continue with degree course.....
So since end of year 2005, start a career as Engineering Assistant (Sound good, but job scope just like a drafter), then by switching different job in different company, finally get more title like Project Engineer, Customer Service Engineer (basically a Sales Engineer), Technical Engineer and Design Engineer......But this is a tough route I went throughout the years.
When I was work as Engineering Assistant, I found that with my diploma, I may not to get a good career path in life, so I set a target to complete my degree when I earn enough money (That time no much choice, only can continue to study in oversea). But reality is no matter how I calculate, also cannot get that amount to support myself if I study abroad.
Then come to a day, just simply surfing internet to find any part time course by any well reputation university, then found UTM Space and I believe this is God's plan as it happen just same when before I apply to TARC, The closing date is just another 2 weeks when I get the information from website, So I quickly go to their office to find out more information especially I just worry will be rejected since I graduated from a private college.
But surprising they just need me to provide more information about the syllabus (seems like I am the first TARCian to apply with UTM), then a interview session attended with all documents submitted, They just want me to wait for the offer later in 3 weeks time, I thought might be rejected already.
3 weeks later, got a letter from UTM, I was offered with condition that most of the credit are not able to transfer, this means that I need longer time to finish all the credit hours than others students.
So nor matter how, I was offered by UTM, this is most important things, so year 2007 onward, I start my part time student life until February 2015.
In these years, study part time train me be more independents and how to find information to apply what I learn into workplace, this is totally different from those graduate from full time.
If ask me when is tougher time, I could say is doing project, as nor matter is group or individual project, in the end, I have to do it myself in order to finish all task as all students are working in different place, some even from other state, if I wait untill meet up with everyone to discuss like full time study time, I think the project will not end. So this make myself today can work independently in a group efficiently.
During graduation, just like the UTM Space officer say, your degree will not different from other full time student, so our convocation do together with full time students and the certificate is same as full time students, just we take longer time to complete it only.
Today with a degree, I complete my target that set many years ago, now a new live begin, and I believe, if you set a target and you try your best to achieve it, sure you will achieve and sure will make you stand in different platform compare to others.Wish those who still struggle in your dream, keep going and don't give up, the susscess is waiting you at the end of your journey.
