The May 2019 intake saw some 35 new students enrolling in the full-time undergraduate degree programmes offered by WOU.
DIRECTOR OF QA & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DR ANDY LIEW (FRONT, CENTRE) AND PENANG REGIONAL CENTRE DIRECTOR CHING HUEY LING POSE WITH A GROUP OF NEW STUDENTS.
Four of the students who attended the orientation held today at the main campus in Penang share their story.
Following in her dad’s footsteps
Nadia Zulaikha Zainol, 21, from George Town, Penang, is taking up the Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting programme. She holds a Diploma in Accounting from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Arau, Perlis.
She was looking for a higher learning institution to pursue her degree studies after her diploma. “I searched on the Internet for quite a few universities in Penang. I wanted Penang as I can be nearer to my family and it would be convenient to travel to the campus.”
She continued, “Following my Internet search, I came for consultation to the Penang Regional Centre with my parents. At that first meeting, I only looked, listened and surveyed but during my second visit, I signed up straight away.” She was drawn to the programme and the syllabus, and after figuring out that WOU offers the most reasonable price, she decided to enrol.
“The counsellor I spoke to was very friendly, and I like the environment, near to the sea and all,” she added.
Nadia has always wanted to become an accountant since her school days. She finds accounting fascinating and it gives her a sense of accomplishment every time she balances the accounts. She aspires to become accountant in the private sector.
Her father has retired as a banker in CIMB, after having worked for 30 years in the banking industry. Her mother is a full-time homemaker. Nadia has three older brothers.
Siblings start their higher learning together
Ragu Rameswaran, 22, from Butterworth, and his younger sister Divieayaa, 21, have enrolled respectively in the Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Banking & Finance and Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Management programmes at WOU.
Their father is an Assistant Engineer in Bayan Lepas while mum is a full-time homemaker. They have a younger brother in Form Four.
Ragu entered with his Foundation in Business qualification from a private university in Petaling Jaya. He has three years work experience in air-conditioning maintenance.
“My girlfriend, who is studying at a private university in Seberang Jaya, recommended that I come and study here. She said WOU is the most affordable and the fees will match my budget. Secondly, I researched about WOU and the programmes, such as whether they are MQA accredited or not. I found everything to be fine. Also, I like the beach, it is so nice.
“I came here with my sister to inquire. I also checked the syllabus and the short description for each of the courses. I signed up because of the environment, the fees, courses, and the MQA accreditation. I told my sister about WOU as well. I discussed with my parents, and they encouraged us to study, and so we signed up.” Ragu wants to become a financial advisor or work in finance.
Divieayaa entered WOU with her STPM qualifications from SMK Dato’ Onn, Butterworth. She has work experience as she worked as a cashier, waitress and salesgirl during the school holidays.
“My former school mate told me that the degree is cheaper than other universities. She is in her second year of her Logistics and Supply Chain Management degree programme here. She invited me to check out the university and my brother also had nice things to say about WOU.”
“I came here to find out; I think it is good to study here. The university looks comfortable, clean and better than other universities.”
“I chose Management because it’s a good field and it suits my personality. I want to become a manager, like managing clients, teams, and everything. I hope to pick up leadership skills from the courses. I like to be a leader, preferably in the services industry, like hotels or hospitals.
“I prefer to study somewhere that it is not too near or too far from my home in Butterworth. I plan to look for roommates and rent a place on the island. I want to be independent, so I will try to find a part-time job to pay for my own studies and expenses.”
Computer games craze evokes interest in networks
Sim Kian Ming, 21, from Air Itam, enrolled in the Bachelor of Technology (Hons) in Computer Systems and Networks programme at WOU. He holds a Diploma in Computer Engineering from the Penang Skills Development Centre.
“I was looking for a networking programme, and so I came here to inquire. I walked in, and found that WOU is offering this particular programme through full-time study. I visited a lot of universities, but I think WOU is better, that is why I immediately enrolled here. I love the campus and it is not too expensive. My cousin, who studied part-time at WOU and has since graduated, also mentioned to me about WOU’s programmes.
“My ambition is to become a network engineer. In my diploma studies, I had studied about networking but it was not detailed, more of an introduction. But I liked what I learnt,” he elaborated.
Sim is crazy about computers from small, as he and his brother loved playing computer games. His mother limited their time playing computer games to one hour a day, which left him feeling unsatisfied. “I think the more she limited our time, the more it drove my love for computers.”
His father works as a lorry mechanic while his mum is a full-time homemaker. He has two older sisters and a younger brother.
