MY FIRST DAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA

MY FIRST DAY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA

I came to Malaysia on the 4th of April 2016. Immediate, I placed a call my Supervisor that I have arrived in Malaysia but she said I should relax that on Monday I should come to the Faculty. That weekend, let me digress a bit, I got used to the weather condition of Malaysia since it was different from Nigeria where I was coming from.

Malaysia weather condition has a similarity with that of Nigeria but has no particular season. The weather condition is unique all through the year, unlike in Nigeria where we have a raining season, hot and harmattan seasons, theirs is quite different. Rain can fall anytime and sun all through the year. Within a month, Malaysia can experience rain as much as 15-25 days, and the sun will still shine the same day. They have a good drainage system and so, no trouble of over flooding or whatsoever, and their economy and electricity are superb. 

Back to my first-day experience at the University of Malaya, I took a grab car from where I lodged to the University (RM25) equivalent to N2,500 Nigeria money. It is a big money and I see it that this cannot be sustainable I had to do something before something do me as a self-sponsor student. From my lodge to the University, the environment is so nice, what I couldn't see in my country I was exposed to it even though I come from the most populous and developed state (Lagos) in Nigeria, this one that I see every day is second to none and I am always angry within myself for what our leaders and politicians have made us pass through as a nation and a people. 

In the University, I saw good road networks, from one faculty to the other. The first point of observation was when we entered the University gate from PJ (Petaling Jaya), it was superb and I saw the University of Malaya Student Medical Centre (UMSC) that I went later for my medicals. A bit of UMSC, after the payment of my school fees within that month of April, I did my medical check-up in this center, it was like I have never been to the hospital before in my entire life. The environment was neat, the doctors and the nurses are friendly and courtesy. They treat patients with dignity and love. They love their jobs and showed concerns to people. When I finally got to the doctor, the kind of treatment I got, I never received such in my entire life. The massage, bone therapy for my legs, and body was excellent and the doctor tried to find out about my health history and recorded everything about my polio (I am physically challenged) and proffered a guide as to what will aid my studies at the University. It was like I have never been to the University or clinic before. 

Finally, I got to my faculty, it is very far from the gate and how will I be going out, I started thinking fast as a newbie and I met few of my colleagues that are doing Ph.D. together in the faculty and they told me the University has a free shuttle for all registered students of the institution and they take people from one place to the other free of charge (FOC), I just need to know the time they operate, a bit relief, I guess.

My supervisor could not make it to school the first day due to her scheduled as the Dean of IPS then and so she directed me to the second supervisor that is eager to meet me too. We met in her office and I introduced myself to her and what I was doing before coming to Malaysia for my Ph.D. and I handed over a copy of my latest book (The use of library: learning, searching and research strategy techniques for students in tertiary institutions) to her as a gift. She looks at the book and was appreciative, I did for the second supervisor when we met also. I donated two copies each to the faculty library and university library respectively.

In fact, the experience was good but was with mixed feelings, because I was new and don't know much about how to navigate my movement until I got few students to guide me through, but in all, I was happy to move to another country to learn and carry out my research as planned.