Tag Archives: part time study

OUM Convocation 2025 (MK29): Part 3 – The ceremony and afterthoughts

Posted in Everyday Life by

I have to admit. I was a bit jealous when other graduates received flower bouquets from their loved ones. What’s more, a flow of congratulations messages from those who matter. Anyway, perhaps better things are coming my way than flowers and validation messages, cause well, some families are just built differently. It is a repetitive mistake where we accept discomfort as permissible flaws when to others, it could be red flags. Hmmmmmm.

I wish I had brought a mini fan with me and clipped it onto my OUM pouch. It was blazing hot standing outside the hall, even though it was less than 30 minutes. However, things began to cool down once we were inside the hall. As usual, there were speeches after speeches with performances in between. I had 2 seconds of fame inside the montage video of OUM. Time passed quickly when the scrolls were given out. Then, it was over. I recognised some names among the list of graduands in the convocation book, although there were a few more that I hoped to see. Perhaps they have graduated earlier.

I sent back my robe on the same day in exchange for my certificate and my academic transcripts. I had wanted to take more photos with the robe at the stand and other places but my husband was unwell with his man-flu/rhinitis syndrome which translates in my head as ‘I have no mood/dipping energy levels to entertain you’ sort of thing. The complimentary photos were available for pick-up the next day.

The recorded LIVE broadcast is accessible here.

I was inspired by our Inspiration Icon. Mr Lim Yew Yi acquired blindness due to glaucoma at 20 years old. He had to learn Braille and managed to do it in 3 months. From there, he was unstoppable in gaining knowledge and skills for the betterment of life. He is an IT graduate, and from the short video, despite his disability, he excels in his field and in everyday life. I look forward to other recipients of other awards from other Sidang sessions.

An afterthought

Bachelor of Psychology (with honours)
Pass with Distinction – 13/93 graduands
CGPA 3.84

Attaining this degree does not make me a specialist of any sort. It is just added value to my work and life as a muslim. However, deep inside I somehow believe I am destined to do great things by making use of this knowledge in psychology. I just do not know what yet. I suppose this is something for me to figure out in the many months to come.

I remembered embarking on this journey in January 2020 when Covid-19 just started. I was excited to attend the weekend classes and doing my assignments. I was thrilled with the idea of crafting essays as I wanted to share my ideas and thought processes with my tutors. I loved the online library resources and I know I will miss this once my student account is terminated. The selection of journals and E-books were tremendous and insightful.

Even though Chatgpt was seeping into the world later on, I find that my ideas were somewhat more genuine and refreshing than the suggestions proposed by the AI. I suppose I am one of those ‘oldies’ who still stick to pen, paper and brain. After all, a wise person once said that we should be confident in our own cloud of ideas and thoughts. While AI seems convenient, shouldn’t we be proud that we were able to figure things out on our own? I second that opinion greatly. AI platforms are enticing. So are those ‘assignment helper’ accounts on social media. I actively removed and blocked these accounts on social media. Though a student may use AI to help generate ideas, I feel that as diligent and honest learners, one should be able to articulate these points in their own words properly. Only then would we know if we understand the theories or concepts accurately.

So what’s next?

I am tempted to further my studies in Organisational Psychology. However, I also have personal life milestones to pursue. My priorities are ever changing. I shall focus on my kerja hakiki for now and see where the flow takes me.

OUM Convocation 2025 (MK29): Part 2 – Sunway Putra Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Posted in Leisure & Travel, Reviews by

Apart from Sunway Putra Hotel, graduates could also choose to stay at Seri Pacific Hotel, which is located 30 steps from PWTC. I chose Sunway Putra Hotel because it is attached to a mall, and it would be easy for me and my husband to do our 10K steps and have our meals without leaving the premises. KL is a nightmare to drive in. After all, Sunway Putra Hotel is still within (safe) walking distance to PWTC. Just use the bridge. It took me less than 10 minutes to walk from the ground hotel lobby entrance to PWTC. In fact, it is cut down to less than 5 minutes if I use the exit at the mall.

I booked a superior room for 3D2N at a total of RM 656.23 including free breakfast, tax and fees. Upon arriving at the check-in counter, my room was not ready but the nice young man at the counter said, “I will give you a better room!”. I did not think much of it and said my heartiest thanks until I reached the room.

Surprise, surprise, it was actually an executive suite!

I felt so blessed. My husband and daughter have yet to arrive, as it was a Friday. I was expecting them to reach KL by 9pm once my husband finishes work at 5PM. So, I lazed around in the room and went to the mall for dinner.

Dinner was steak at a place called Alya. I requested my meat to be medium rare. The consistency was OK, but it was heavily seasoned with salt. The mashed potatoes were also cold. I was confused about whether it was meant to be served as such or a mistake.

By 9pm, Mr Husband and my daughter arrived. This hotel has 2 lobby. One on the ground floor and the main one on the 9th floor. I registered our vehicle with the concierge. We are free to drive in and out until it was time to checkout without any parking charges. Mr Husband still had the energy to do the 10K walk at the mall once he got to the room.

Graduates for Sidang 1 were expected to be at PWTC starting at 730am. We were reminded to bring our Smart Card and to put our mobile phones and other precious belongings into the little pouch given by OUM. The key point is to travel light. Will write about the ceremony in the next post.

I had a quick breakfast whilst the duo enjoyed a longer breakfast at the hotel coffee house. I paid extra for my daughter. Thankfully, the food options and selections were good. I love that they provide huge mugs for our coffee instead of little cups. Room service is also available at a given price. Or one could just go to the mall later and have a late breakfast.

Mr Husband utilised the gym very well. He used the treadmill. The gym has a good view of the pool. Apart from the mall, he also gathers his 10K steps by walking around the hotel. I used the express check-out service where I dropped the key into a box and just like that, our staycation ended on a good note. I would definitely stay here again once I have enough money to splurge again. Ha ha.

OUM Convocation 2025 (MK29): Part 1 – Getting there

Posted in Good Things by

Open University Malaysia’s 29th graduation ceremony was held at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). My husband suggested that I stay at my father’s or sister’s place and travel from there. I disagreed because I knew that it is easier to travel from Melaka to PWTC than from their places.

Indeed, it was.

Melaka Sentral >> Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) >> TRX Mall >> PWTC

I booked an 8am bus ticket (Mayang Sari) from Melaka Sentral and reached TBS by 10am. My little adventure began as I looked for the commuting line that could bring me to the new mall, TRX.
I am very thankful for this map.


Armed with my TouchNGo card, I took the LRT Sri Petaling Line heading to Sentul Timur. I made my stop at Station Chan Sow Lin. There, I followed the crowd and went down the escalator many floors below to find MRT Laluan Putrajaya heading to Kwasa Damansara. In just less than 2 minutes, I was already hopping off at Tun Razak Exchange Station.

I spent about 2 hours at TRX. I had kebab for lunch and enjoyed desserts at a muslim-friendly cafe. TRX is like a mini Pavilion. You have the marhaen floor and the posh floors that are home to luxurious brands like Valentino, Bottega, etc. I did see the many famous stores that people have been raving about on social media, a like the expensive tea and chocolate place. However, since I was very focused on my mission to find a birthday present for my husband, I skipped window browsing. I ended up empty-handed and left TRX to PWTC.

I am very thankful that ladies-only coaches exist. Imagine the crowd on a Friday afternoon during lunch hour. Especially when the commuter lines are so well-connected with places like KLCC and HKL. Hence, to be able to sit comfortably in the ladies’ coach is such a blessing.

To get to PWTC, I got onto the same Platform 4 heading to Kwasa Damansara. This time, I stopped at Titiwangsa Station. From Titiwangsa, without leaving the station, I boarded the LRT Ampang Line to PWTC.
Just like that, I am already on the pedestrian bridge that not only connects the station to Sunway Putra Mall but also to PWTC. What a lovely and convenient location for graduates! I walked to PWTC and collected my graduation robe.

OUM robe collection

Before this visit, I made sure to do a few things.

  • Completed my payment of RM400 online – this covers the cost of the graduation ceremony and 3 printed convocation pictures
  • Updated my profile on the alumni portal – I get merchandise in return
  • Completed the Kajian Pengesahan Graduan online

Upon collection, I was given a goodie bag with all the stuff. Since I passed my course with distinction, I received a medal that I could keep. I had 2 guest passes, but since my daughter is less than 12 years old, she couldn’t enter the hall. Thus, my husband stayed with her in the hotel room while watching the LIVE broadcast on YouTube. The next part of this convocation journey is coming soon.

MREC – Applying ethical approval for my FYP (OUM) research study

Posted in Adult Learning, Ponderings & Personal Development by

I am currently in the final year of my psychology studies. Initially, I wanted to complete my degree in 4 years but I underestimated the challenges that ensued when you’re a part-time learner. Studying while working is no easy feat. The stress gets to you. A fellow learner was even admitted to the hospital because of hypertensive urgency. I guess this is what happens when your students are in the slightly older group population. Sometimes I took only two subjects in a semester because I anticipated that my work burden would be massive in the upcoming months. Hence, the delay in completing my degree. Nevertheless, this is not a race. There is no rush as there are students who studied for up to 7 years to complete their journey. I am only up against myself to ensure I reach the end with a scroll.

An important component of this degree is to do the Final Year Project (FYP). Open University Malaysia (OUM) would provide the list of supervisors to choose from and I was so glad when I saw Dr Juliana’s name on the list. I have been eyeing her since the second year of my studies when she taught us Social Psychology. If her name wasn’t there, my next option was the HOD himself, Dr Wong.

I contacted her through email. There were a few forms to fill and I managed to submit my topic to OUM’s research unit. Next came the stressful part.

All research studies conducted at any KKM facility must have approval from the Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC). I had a look at the requirements through the National Medical Research Registry (NMRR) website and was astounded by the amount of documents I have to submit for the approval process. What happened next was a race against time.

Thankfully the Clinical Research Centre at Melaka Hospital was of great assistance. They guided me when I had to amend my study protocol and patient consent form. I was relieved when my study was approved after 1 major and 1 minor revision. This is because, by the time Dr Juliana gave her clearance for me to collect my data, the MREC approval had come through. It was a 3 month process. At the same time, I also had to complete the Chapters as required by the FYP assessment scheme. That means preparing 2 sets of different things for the respective bodies.

Once MREC gave me my letters, I submitted a site approval form to the district health office for further action. Hence, here we are now. In my data collection stage. I am trying not to get myself too overwhelmed by taking it one step at a time. Thinking too far ahead would be distressing. Furthermore, I have my supervisor to advise and guide me accordingly. My aim is to send a weekly update so that I remain motivated and on track with my project.

Exam season

Posted in Everyday Life by

April, August and December are exam seasons. This semester I took 4 subjects of which 1 of them was 100% dependent on our course work – Research Methodology. I enjoyed exploring the subject but it does feel overwhelming. There was so much literature to read. I had that submitted on the 4th of August. The other 3 modules also had written assignments but they were handed in much earlier in July. Now are the remaining exam papers.

I have completed the essay exam for Ethics in Psychology and Dynamics of Adjustment. I am only left with Perception and Emotion today. The take-home essay question starts at 2pm and ends at 10pm. With other daily chores to be done like cooking, feeding the family and all, time does run out quickly. I am just glad that I took leave for these papers cause it would be really stressful having to write a paper in just 2 hours on a working day. Imagine getting off work at 5pm, and then having to fetch the kids, prep/order dinner, wash up and finally settle into answering the question. Sakit dada.

I find that trying the questions the tutorials post in the forum is helpful. It gives you an idea of what to expect. Sometimes there are sample questions which are equally mind-stimulating.

Once I am done with today, I can relax a bit before I jump into my next semester. That’s another 4 subjects. And then I can concentrate on my Final Year Project.