Of Choosing your Overseas Experience

Dear Readers,

I took my SPM in 2002 and got my results in 2003. During that time, I guess I was really bored with the country I live in, thus I applied for overseas degree programme.

I still remember how I was considering several countries to go. Each and every one of them with their own pros and cons. I believe it is during this time of the year that SPM leavers start to apply for these scholarships. \

Jadi, apa kata Abang Bils beri sedikit nasihat tentang memilih negara untuk melanjutkan pelajaran?

Kita mulakan dengan negara-negara arus utama atau mainstream.

1) USA

Aha, in the USA, the big CIA, the Bloodz the Cripz and the KKK adalah antara mutiara kata dari Black Eyed Peas. Umum mengetahui dahulu ada serangan kapal terbang terhadap menara di Amerika. Selepas itu semangat kebencian terhadap orang Islam atau Islamophobia mula tersebar dikalangan orang Amerika.

Itulah antara faktor yang menyebabkan saya tidak jadi memohon untuk ke Amerika. Saya rasa itu jugalah sebabnya di zaman saya, pelajar perempuan yang memohon untuk ke Amerika tidak begitu ramai. Kalau nak buat pasukan bola sepak mungkin tak cukup. Kalau cukup pun, semua kena pastikan tidak tercedera, kerana tak cukup pemain gantian.

Tapi saya rasa itu semua sejarah. Sekarang, sudah ramai yang memohon untuk ke Amerika. Ada banyak universiti yang ternama di Amerika. Namun saya berpendapat jubah graduasi mereka tidak cantik jika dibandingkan dengan jubah graduasi universiti-universiti di UK atau Australia misalnya. Upacara konvokesyen pun biasa sahaja, tidak seperti New Zealand siap ada lagu berbahasa Maori sambil berarak masuk.

2) UK

Saya mulanya mahu menggunakan lawak Ulu Kelang disini, namun rasa ia terlalu lame, jadi kita terus ke poin utama.

Di UK ada banyak universiti-universiti ternama. Peminat-peminat bola sepak pula haruslah tidak melepaskan peluang ini untuk menyaksikan perlawanan EPL dengan mata sendiri. UK sangat luas, merangkumi England, Ireland, Wales, apa entah lagi, kalau nak tahu lebih lanjut mainlah Geo Challenge di Facebook.

Jurusan-jurusan yang boleh anda ambil juga sangat banyak, daripada Engineering dan Medicine sehinggalah Pembaikan Kapal Terbang dan Seni Membancuh Todi. Namun berdasarkan maklum balas dari rakan-rakan yang belajar disana, cuaca tidak begitu menarik di sana. Biasanya mendung berarak kelabu, maka mengikut pengalaman saya biasanya orang-orangnya pun akan mendung juga.

Saya juga masih ingat bahawa saya dahulu tidak memilih UK kerana kadar tukaran wang yang tinggi. Namun bergantung kepada penaja anda, mungkin ini tidak menjadi isu yang besar. Saya percaya rata-rata biasiswa yang ditawarkan adalah mengikut kadar yang semasa yang dikaji semula setiap 5 atau 6 tahun.

3) Australia

Ada yang berpendapat Australia dan New Zealand sama sahaja. I shall reply with a slap on the back of their heads and say "no they're not the same." Bloody pansies.

Ok, so Australia is also a big country. One with kangaroos, and koalas. Australia also has Gold Coast, where you can head to the beach and..you know, swim. hohohoho.

Personally i've never been to Australia. This is basically just a recollection of stories people told me and some improportionate bias and exaggeration. But, Australia's not bad of a country. Great views (although New Zealand's greater), friendly people (New Zealenders are friendlier), great atmosphere (depends on how you define "atmosphere", if you're thinking nightlife it's Australia, if it's peace and serenity you seek O young traveller, than it's NZ).

A lot of top universities are there, Melbourne for example. But bear in mind you need to really excel in your foundation if you really want to get into these top universities. There's an established community of Malaysians in most cities by the way, so adjusting shouldn't be much of a problem.

My advice : focus on your preparation program (most probably it would be Australian Matriculation)

4) New Zealand

Again, this would be heavily biased. Great atmosphere, calm and peaceful towns, friendly people, well established universities, not-so-bad currencies, sheeps, bungy jumping, skiing / snow-boarding, i could go on but why not you go and figure out yourself.

Fine, recently Christchurch for example has been hit with earthquakes, but hey that's what overseas experience is all about. It's the experience that matters.

Pengalaman mendewasakan kita, ok? Bukan semua orang mampu cemerlang meskipun dilanda gempa. Jadi sekiranya anda mahu dihormati kerana berjaya mendapatkan kejayaan cemerlang sambil mengharungi gempa bumi, pergilah ke New Zealand.

Each town has their own uniqueness. Auckland if you like the feeling of living in a big city and love hiking, Wellington if you like being blown away by strong winds, Christchurch if you love to be awesome, and Dunedin if you're..well..why do people go to Dunedin anyway? oh yeah right, medicine. (Jangan marah orang Otago!)

Oh, and NZ's chocolates are awesome. You can basically survive on chocolates alone, should you feel lazy to cook.

5) Japan

The reason i didn't choose Japan (despite my love for animes and mangas and such) is due to the fact that you'd have to learn the language. Honestly, I suck terribly at learning languages. I took Mandarin in high school and all i could remember is the word "library" and some random basic characters such as "thank you" or "i want" or "curry mee".

But if learning a new language is no big issue for you, then by all means go to Japan. It has a very good culture, and technologies that far outpaces us. Not too sure about food though, but after all these years there should be an established Muslim community there.

6) Korea

I mentioned in Facebook before that there must be a lot of applications for Korea due to the increasing trend of K-Pop with teenagers nowadays. So yeah if you love K-Pop, go Korea.

I honestly don't understand the craze. They must've have a lot of talented singers / dancers that a band is formed with 15 or 16 members in it. What is this, a choir? Choral speaking?

Also, the hairstyles. Tak sakit ke mata dicucuk rambut begitu?

7) Germany

I should probably mention Germany also, since I mentioned Japan and Korea. Again, it's the language. If you don't mind, go for it. Good for technical degrees such as engineering.

Come to think of it, it would've really helped a lot if i learnt German. The majority of machines are German, with instructions manual filled with words that seemed to me like the instructions to soldiers in the World War II.

8) Russia / Ukraine

Another case of language barrier, but in my case it is also due to the degrees applicable. More to those pursuing medicine perhaps, or military technology (just kidding)

The winter's probably super harsh there, so be prepared to spend on clothing i guess. Whatever you do, stay away from booze (especially if you're Muslim). Regardless if you're too cold or whatever, that's no excuse to indulge.

9) Canada

During my times, Canada was not even in the list. I have no idea why. But it does seem to be a good country to live in and study. You'll be loving ice hockey i reckon. or that sport where it involves letting a puck slide down the ice while you clean the ice so that it slides down further. Seriously. If you want to mop the floors that badly, come do my bathroom la.

10) Middle East

Hui saya tak berani komen lebih-lebih tentang hal ini. Anda boleh pergi belajar macam-macam disana, perubatan, kejuruteraan pun boleh kot. Tak lupa juga syariah, usuluddin dan pelbagai tajuk lagi yang saya pun tak tahu nak sebut.

Tapi seingat saya, yang pergi Middle East semuanya muka baik-baik belaka. Alhamdulillah.

11) Indonesia

Kelebihan anda adalah anda boleh balik Malaysia selalu. Nak naik bot pun boleh kot. Difahamkan bahawa bidang perubatan di sana tak kurang hebatnya. Tapi agaknya anda harus berjaga-jaga dengan ancaman keselamatan. Tapi tidaklah sepanjang masa. Ok saja saya lihat rakan-rakan saya di sana.

12) India

Lebih kurang Indonesia. Tukaran wang agak murah berbanding negara lain. Bagus untuk pelajar perubatan.

Itu sahaja rasanya yang Abang Bils boleh kongsi. Sekiranya nak tahu lebih lanjut, boleh tanya kepada orang yang pernah belajar di negara-negara yang tersebut di atas. Namun sebenarnya dimana anda belajar tidaklah begitu penting. Jika anda belajar di UK sekalipun, anda tidak pandai membawa diri, akan hanyut juga bersama arus budaya asing.

Namun sekiranya anda pandai membawa diri, belajar di Alaska sekalipun anda akan berjaya. Cuma saya galakkan anda merantau untuk belajar. Kerana belajar semata-mata tidak dapat membentuk peribadi anda. Pengalaman menyesuaikan diri dengan keadaan, itulah sebaik-baik guru dalam hidup anda. Jadi merantaulah. Sekiranya anda orang KL, pergilah ke Kedah misalnya.

Sekian, terima kasih.