My Aspiration as MARA Educator

 

When I were born until today, I have experience both formal and informal education throughout my life. When I were a children, I’m going through informal education at home whereby I were thought with basic knowledge of how to speak and respond few words through memorization. I also were thought with several basic good manners such as how to eat with right hand, recite simple doa etc. When I undergo kindergarten school or TABIKA, I were expose with formal and informal education, more deepen than what I has been thought at home. I were expose with good manner and attitude of respect, friendship, social interaction etc. At this level, I were also thought to recognize  and write simple words and numbers. I were exposed with a lot of educational activities to nurture my thinking and creativity skill by doing a lot of drawing, colouring, origami, games etc. I used to reminisce at that time that I were passive boy and not that talkative. I used to let my friends to do something first, then I follow him afterward.

In the primary school, I were thought intensively on how to writing, reading and listening of mother tongue language and foreign language of English. I were also to encourage to involve cocurricular activities to complement my academic. At this stage, this is where my interest to computer started. My father has brought a personal computer to home to enable him to do his work at home. Sometimes, he also teach me the basic computer literacy such as how using mouse, keyboard, word processor and elements in the computers software. When he was requested to fix or format computers by his friends, I would observe him of how he done it. From there, I develop my  basic knowledge of computers.

At the secondary school, I were undergo typical school syllabus of PMR and and science stream of SPM and STPM. Besides that, I were enrolled in a computer club. The instructor of the club teach me a lot of computer productivity software such as word, Excel and PowerPoint. I also were exposed with basic programming of HTML. At home, my father sometimes bring spare personal computer to be serviced again. Sometimes, he requested favour from me to fix the computer by myself. If the computer fixed, he will take back to the office, but if not, he will dispose the computer permanently as the computers were end of life asset of his office which a waste if the computer can be reused again. Hence, I try to fix the computers by doing trials and errors of what my father has demonstrate beforehand. In the end, I able to fix most of the computers that my father request favour with.

At degree level, I enrolled in Computer Science course where I deepen my knowledge in computer especially in software engineering. In this stage of education, I were expose and given with hands on  tasks and assignments,  which I need to constructively apply my skill and knowledge based on the lecture given by my lecturers. In the end of the course, I also need do complete projects by develop computer systems to solve real world problems which sometimes need to be completed in group. This is where my knowledge and skill put to test as I were expose with near to reality of software engineer work environment and challenges.

I’m the second son in average income Malay family which we live in military camp quarters situated mostly at suburban location. My father work in military almost 35 years until retired. My siblings were born in several states including, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Pulau Pinang. I’m undergo my form 1 in my hometown, Seremban before completed the rest of my education at Kuching, Sarawak.

My passion of pursuing knowledge in computer were intensify when I’m in degree level. This is proven as I’m the only one that able to achieve distinct result almost all subject in my class, which enable me to receive several academic awards. I’m quite agree that my merit in my tertiary education were contributed by my own hard work, intelligence and perseverance as well deep passion of computers. I’m always do my very best to solve the assignments and project given by my lecturer. For example, I refer a lot of books and computer systems example to enhance my understanding beside the lecture in class. Then, I do extra mile when completing the assignment and projects to prove my hard work which sometimes rewarded with high mark. Besides that, I’m always become centre of reference of my degree colleagues due to I have richer background of computer knowledge, skill and experience among them. My perseverance to excel in academic at that time because of two factors, which because I were the MARA scholarship recipient; and the first sibling in my family which able to enter the university in degree level. Hence, I would not waste chance given to me at that time to be success in the future.

I believe the major contributing factor of my achievement is the passion of computer knowledge. I enjoy reading articles and books about computer technologies. I used to take much time reading latest computer hardware specification, application and technologies. From there, I develop my inquiry to explore it further to satisfy my “Do you know?” question . Sometimes, I share my reading to my friends to highlight how computer effect our life and its useful potential in future which I feel excited to think and tell about.

                Actually, I don’t have any intention to be an educator from beginning which what I am doing now. But when I reflect back to previous experience, I do enjoy teach and share knowledge to other persons. So, from there, I develop my interest and skill on how do deliver the knowledge and information. That why I choose to be a lecturer from year 2009 until 2017 at private higher institution before I become MRSM Teacher for the last 2 years.

                If a person were given chance to do what they enjoy to do, whether they were normal, gifted or talented, regardless of their backgrounds, most probably, they should able to attain and utilize optimum potential of their abilities. Education in Malaysia do provide several education paths to accommodate these kinds of person and one of it through MARA Junior Science College (MRSM). MRSM provide education opportunity for students especially from poor or rural communities who could not afford to enrol for premier education but have potential to be an outstanding individual if given chance. The main objective Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), a Malaysian government agency to create MRSM to enable this communities to heighten their socioeconomic level through education. Beside the existence of accessible premier education for all, I think that emphasize should also be put on parents and teachers role in education ecosystem. They have ability and more chances to nurture or discover potential of students earliest as possible. If the students given chance to do what they like, most inevitably, they will do at their best due to their passion. Certainly, parents and teachers have important role to motivate the students, so that the students able to maintain their hard work and perseverance continuously of what they do. Ultimately, they students able to become successful person in the end which they able to contribute to society of what their heart and soul content. This is the aspiration I nurture to all my students from the beginning I become an educator.