3.the Inspirer Third Edition


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1 TheInspirer|April 09

ADVISORTn. Haji Abdul Jalil Abdullah

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFAhmad Bakri Zubir

EDITORSSit i Sara Lyana Badly Sham

Nawal ShamsuddinMohd Ashraf bin Nor AzrolMuhammad Abdul Hadi

TECHNICALMuhammad Sufiyan Abd Rani

ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORSAhmad Firdaus M. Fariddudin

GRAPHIC DESIGNERAhmad Bakri Zubir

Why time man-

agement isessential for

students?

Page 2-3

From

Failure toSuccess

Page 4-5

Put First

Things FirstPage 6-7

Get High

Grades by JustAttending

Lectures -

Page 8-9

Assalamualaikum wbt and Good Day!

Everyone in this world has their responsibilities. It is a fact that older wegrew, the more responsibilities are put onto our shoulders. As universitystudents in the campus life, we are engaged in many curriculumactivities such as classes, tests and assignments. Some of us who are

more active also got themselves involved into extra-curricular activities byjoining clubs and organizing many student related events. Thus it is critical for allof us to have effective self-management skills in order to accomplish these tasksorganized and produce great results.

In this edition, The Inspirer brings you gripping views and opinions abouthow to manage your life by AP Dr Hilmi Mukhtar. Next, we bring to you theremarkable story of Dr. A Vasu - of how he triumphed his life from a failurebeginning to success. Besides that, this edition also include how-to's andinteresting articles from students which we can use and apply together to enrich

our lifestyle.

sometimes it goes up; and sometimes it goes down. Self-management is verymuch important so that you can keep balance of the part to always make it up.

Just in case you fall down good management can

quickly rotate your life back up. Ultimately, effective

management cannot be in just theories. You have to

start doing it to get a good feeling of the outcome. BakriAhmad Bakri ZubirEditor-in-chief

Wassalam,

Editors Note

My litt le Story

- Page 10 Managing Your lifethe Simplest Way

Page 11


3/12

Exclusive Interview


TI: As most of us agreed, a good and well managed lifestyle isalways regarded close to the issues of effective time manage-

ment. Can you share with us your view upon this matter?

DHM: Effective time management means that you should be ableto spend your time in the meaningful activities. It is how youarrange your t ime for your academics, co-curriculums and to buildyour well rounded characteristic. It is also how you allocate your

wise. Not should be forgotten is the religious aspect of life as youshould also build your sahsiah and akhlaq.

TI: How highly do you rate effective time management in terms of

such as parental/peer support and revising?

DHM: Time management is very important. As a student youshould know, your prime job as a student is to study. Same goesto me as a lecturer, myprime job is to give lectureto student. I also need toprepare for my lecture. I dosome reading and researchbefore go to class. So forme, students shoulddedicate their time to study

and rest. I f you fail to plan your time, many implication will happen such aswhen you sleep late at night, when you come to class you will feel sleepyand does not understand the lecture.

The university life is very differentfrom the life we have had during

our previous school years. As uni-versity students, we are free to dowhatever we want to do at any-

time we want. There a very few restrictionswhich are imposed onto our lives now. Free-dom is a right for everyone. But too muchunmanaged freedom can lead to wastage oftime and personal resource. Thus, effectivetime management is crucial to manage ourlife according to bring out the most of ouruniversity life towards gaining success.

The Inspirer (TI) has consulted the Directorof Undergraduate Studies, to obtain furtherinformation and expert views from thisprominent figure of UTP. Holding the Doc-tors of Philosophy from the University ofWales with specialization in various fields in

Chemical Engineering, lets hear it from AP

Dr Hilmi Mukhtar.

Effective timemanagement meansthat you should beable to spend your

time in the

meaningful activities.

Interview by Muhammad Sufiyan Abd Rani

ME - 2nd year 1st semester


4/12

Hotl ine Counseling ServiceMrs Maznah Ramli05-3688430

UTP Counselor

Face to face counselingHj. Abdul Jalil Abdullah05-3688438

UTP Counselor

Exclusive Interview


TI: Taking on an average basis of most students, whatdo you think is the best division of time to be appliedin their daily routine to become successful physi-cally and mentally? For instance, is it 60% studies-40%activit ies or 50%-50%, or is etc?

DHM: For me there is no specific time division of

time. As you can see, in a day we already spend atleast six to eight hours just for sleep. Besides thestudent does not have the same responsibility assome student have their other commitments such asclubs and society. Student also should know environ-ment of study. Some people cannot study when therewere too many people around. This is a process oflearning. Student should know academic is the toppriority.

TI: In your opinion, considering itsoverwhelming significance, why is

it that students continue tooverlook this aspect and perpetu-ally commit procrastination, thethief of t ime?

DHM: Student continues tooverlook this aspect because theyhave forgot what they have beentrain at home and school on howto manage time. At home or atschool the student have to followthe time which had been set bythe school, which time to eat,

which time to study and to sleep.Besides, most students are alsohighly influenced by their com-rade. The environmental factor also contribute to thisphenomenon. Some student does not know theirpriority and distracted by the environment.

TI: As we all know, UTP students always strive to bewell-rounded. However, sometimes in the quest forthis goal, we end up being sidetracked by obstaclesand glitches. From your point of view, what should astudent do if his/her involvement in activities and

events is limiting his/her study time?

DHM: Student must put their priority for the tasksthat have been given to them. As the more senior youget it require more demand on time. So, know yourjob priority which is academic and prioritize it well.Could you suggest to our readers methods on howUTP students should go about in their search for

what stage will they realize when they have obtainedit?

It should start from the beginning. Student shouldknow to manage time properly and it should start

and tend to finish it when it was too late. You alsomust know what you have to do. Make a do list for

each and every day. In other word, have dailyplanner, weekly planner monthly planner. Youshould plan ahead what you are going to do.

TI: There is a saying that goes: old habits die hard.Surely one cannot just transform into an efficientperson in just the blink of an eye. So what do you

suggest students can do to gradually incorporatethis att itude in them?

DHM: Have a mind set and always be positive. Dosome reflection of the day. What you have done forthe day? Is it good? Or is it bad? If it is good, keep itup and if it is not good, try not to repeat it again. Inwhatever you do you should try to strive for the best.

As a companion of our prophet

determination in your heart and

you should be successful.There are many tools out therethat supposedly help in managingtime: Gant chart, schedules,timeline. Do you think any one ofthese is practical for the currentcrop of university students?

Yes, the method is practical for thestudent. Like I said before, studentshould have their own scheduleand there should be no problemfor them to apply it in their daily

life. The question is here whetherthey want it or not?

TI: Adding to that, would you mind sharing some ofyour personal methods or habits which have helpedyou in managing your time so efficiently?

DHM: When you do something you should do thebest. Know their priority when to do something.Know which things you have to settle first and whichcan do the last. Student also should put some keyperformance indicator (KPI) for themselves. As for me

as a lecturer, I should obtain my KPI by the end of thedate line.

TI: As a final word on the topic, could you give somewords of advice for current and future well-roundedstudents?

DHM: Take this opportunity to strive for excellent tothe fullest in term of academics, characters andspiritual. Make use all the facilities well for the goodactivit ies and not for the bad.

something youshould do the best.Know their priority

when to dosomething. Knowwhich things youhave to settle f irstand which can do

TI

Everyone needs counseling and advices:


5/12

Exclusive Interview


The INSPIRER was fortunate

enough to have an interview sessionwith this inspirational figure. Dr. A Vasuis a member of the Royal MalaysianPolice Force with the rank of Assistant

Superintendent of Police. Currently,he is a Senior Prosecuting Officer,attached to the Ampang JayaSessions Court, Selangor. To havereached this position in life he

started from very humble begin-nings. He was born in Georgetown,Pulau Pinang into a family of

eleven and he is the second child.He grew up in a Malay village inwhich he described the communityas if it was a close knit family

regardless of the boundaries ofdifferent race, religion andlanguage. He shared, that duringthe Ramadhan month he wouldalso join the other villagers for

beside his house.

Dr. A Vasu came from avery modest family, his fatherworked as a laborer while he hadmany siblings and was the oldestson in his family. After passingthe Lower Certificate Examina-tion (LCE) at Sek. Men. Kebang-saan Tanjung Bungah, PulauPinang he then sat for his SPM.He was forthright in sharing withus that he failed his SPM and he

was not even eligible to receive acertificate. This was the definingmoment of his life. He said tohimself that he wanted to

The MASTERS degreethat he is taking now inUniversit i Malaya will

be his secondMASTERS degree and

in total his sixth degreeso far.

The first impression upon en-

tering the office of Dr. A

Vasu was one of awe and abit overwhelming. The furni-

tion were warm and inviting enough

certificates and pictures hanging on

the wall of his office, a range of degreesand awards testifying his life achieve-ments. While the average person in hislife time might have three or at mostfour degrees, for Dr. A. Vasu the MAS-TERS degree that he is taking now inUniversiti Malaya will be his secondMASTERS degree and in total his sixthdegree so far.

Interview by Nawal Shamsudin

ME - 2nd year 1st semester


6/12

Exclusive Interview


change his life around and made thedecision to leave Pulau Pinang andjoined the police force.

During his training in Ulu Kinta,he chose to retake the SPM examina-tion at the age of 18 years old. At night

operation exercises where traineeshave to carry bags that weight up to 50pounds, his bag would be slightlyheavier from his other members as itwould be filled with books for hisrevision. Dr. A Vasu would also studyinto the wee hours of the morningwhile his peers would sleep after along day of training. His relentlesseffort bore its fruit when he receivedhis SPM certificate, not stopping there

he then sat for the STPM examination.After passing the STPM examinationshe was promoted to the rank ofInspector police at the tender age oftwenty two. He managed both thesefeats on his own and at the same timeunderwent his training as a policeofficer.

He has served in the policeforce all over Malaysia, to name someare Perak, Pahang, Selangor and evenSabah. Explaining about himself, Dr. AVasu revealed that he practiced a 5year life planning. His plan includedgreater heights and further miles toreach. For each state he was posted hewould save his travel expenses that hereceived, until at one point he man-aged to save up to RM9600. Themoney was used to further his studiesoverseas, his first degree was from theUniversity of London and the rest of

his degrees followed suit. Not only didhe manage to recover from his pastfailure but he also managed to furtherhis studies overseas using his ownmoney earned with his bare twohands.

His true life story of failuresand successes enraptured and inspiredus. Throughout the interview it wasobvious that Dr. A Vasu is a very busy

man. People kept popping up into hisoffice from lawyers to police officers;he treated all of them courteously andwith ease. When asked about what his

daily or weekly activities consistedof. His position as a SeniorProsecuting Officer already hascommand most of his time yet hestill has the time to be an adjunctlecturer for Akamai University,carry out his research for his

MASTERS degree and attendclasses in UM. More important so,once every fortnight he would visitthe Kajang Prison to give motiva-tional talks to juveniles. Life he

says is not all about academicachievement but you have to giveback to the community. Hemanages all of these activitieswhile still spending time with hislovely wife and daughter which hedescribes as his joy and happiness.

The amount of commit-ments that he has prompted us toask how does he manage it all? Hisreply was, all that is needed is

Anything in life thatyou want to achieve or manage,discipline must entail us. He also

stressed on the point of appreciat-ing time and utilizing time to itscapacity.

is asaying that he has practiced in life.We also asked how he avoidsfalling to the pressure of hiscommitments and experiencestress. His response was short and

our question. He explained thatalthough he has achieved manythings in life he realizes life istemporary and our actions in thisworld will be accounted for in thehereafter. Therefore he stressedthat in anything that you do youmust have sincerity and take thingseasy. Be content with what youhave and not be greedy.

Besides from spiritualstrength to avoid stress, Dr. A Vasualso leads a healthy life style. Hisexercise regime includes a 10kmrun every week. He is a veteranathlete for the country, represent-ing Malaysia in various sportcompetitions all around the world.He neither smokes, drinks norconsume caffeine. He will obedi-

water prepared by his wife every-day and practices eating healthyand nutritious food. Coming to theend of the interview it was clearthat Dr. A Vasu is an exemplaryfigure in terms of time and financemanagement and an individualthat leads a full life. At the age offorty nine he has no plans for

man? He has set his eyes oncompleting his second PhD and

representing Malaysia in theOlympics. The question left is, whatabout our plans?

The money was usedto further his

studies overseas, hisfirst degree was

from the Universityof London and therest of his degrees

followed suit .

He is a veteranathlete for the

country,representingMalaysia in

various sportcompetitions allaround the world.

TI


7/12

Book Review


By Sit i Sara Lyana Badly ShamCV - 2nd year 1st semester

he Seven Habits of Highly Effec-

Covey listed Put First Things First as thethird habit that is shared by all successful

people. This is very much related to how they actually planand go trough their days.

We spend our time in one of four ways which is illustrated bythe time management matrix. Activities were divided into four

Research had shown that most people spend too muchtime to the urgent matters of Quadrant I and III. However,Quadrant IV was left behind as it represents the unimportant

matters. On the other hand, Quadrant II activities are vitallyimportant as it is very essential for characteristic building andrelationship nurturing. Yet it is always being put aside as it isnot urgent.

The Time Management Matrix Leadersglory of living

lies not in neverfalling, but inrising every timeyou fall

-NelsonMandela


8/12

Whatdoes each quadrant means?

Quadrant I

Both "urgent" and "important" things fall underthis quadrant. Here is where there is a need to handlethings which are under time constrain or emergency.For example, meeting deadline, repair a broken-downmachine or undergo heart surgery. Like it or not, wehave to spend time on Quadrant I. If we ignore it, wemight be buried alive. Red alert! Procrastination andpoor planning caused many important activitiesbecome urgent.

Quadrant II

It includes things thatimportant." This is the quadrant of deception. Theurge of urgency creates the illusion of importance.This is the reason it is called the phantom of QuadrantI. But the actual activities, if they're important at all,are only important to someone else. We spend a lot oftime in Quadrant III meeting other people's prioritiesand expectations, cramping it all in Quadrant I.

Book Review


Quadrant IV"Not urgent and not important" activities are

reserved in Quadrant IV. This is the quadrant ofwaste. Of course, we really shouldn't be here at all.But we often escape to Quadrant IV for survival whenwe are already tired with activities from Quadrant Iand III. Activities such as reading addictive lightnovels, habitually watching "mindless" televisionshows, or gossiping, qualify as Quadrant IV timewasters. Quadrant IV is deterioration. It might makesus happy but it actually makes us forget of the moreimportant matters.

Quadrant IIIThis includes things that are

important." This is the quadrant of deception. Theurge of urgency creates the illusion of importance.This is the reason it is called the phantom of Quad-rant I. But the actual activities, if they're important at

all, are only important to someone else. We spend alot of time in Quadrant III meeting other people'spriorities and expectations, cramping it all inQuadrant I.

Want to stay organized?

Try your own t ime management Matrix

TI


9/12

Highlights


Escapism during lectures is either inevitableor intentional. This article is not meant for

lectures) but rather for those who wantedto but had specific exclusions. They might havehad several events to participate in, pending tasksto be completed or a few meetings to attend. Infact, most UTP students are in this category ofpeople. The key to maintaining successfulacademic performance despite relentless social lifeactivities is actually simple: Do not to escape your

lectures!

Why is this so? One problem is that students keep saying that they will revise back the topic they skippedduring lectures but ironically, the majority of them will not do the exact thing they just said. Secondly, if you do noteven have time to go to lectures, will you have time to study? Most probably not. Even if you did study, you would

In the end, whatever you do outside a lecture is not equal to that in a lecture unless you are a super hardworkingperson.

maximise your knowledge and comprehension in the subject. By doing so, even if you do not have the time tostudy, you still can face quizzes and tests with confidence. The following are several steps to help you empoweryour lecture sessions and gain as much as possible.

Read More

By Mohd Ashraf Nor Azrol

PE -- 1st year 1st semester


10/12

Highlights


The5PsofLectureOptimisat ionSkills

PreparationHaveenoughsleepbeforegoingtolecturesandmakesureallthematerialsforthe lecturesareready;notebooks,assignmen

ts,calculator,station-

eries,textbooks,etc.Lackofsleepandforgett ing

tobringanystudymaterialwillgiveyoustress

duringalecture.Stresswillonlydeteryoufrom

concentratinginalecture.Calmdownandrefresh

yourmindbeforeattendingalecture.Tryhaving

lightrefreshmentsorreadanewspaper.

Pre-readingTake5-10minutesbeforeeach

lectureto

browsethroughyourlecturenotes,textbooks

orpastnotestocreateamentalpictureof

thetopicand thingsyouaregoingtolearn

fortheday.Thiswillhelpyoumemorizethe

syndromeduringthelecture.

Powerfulnotes.Writingnoteskeeps

you active in engaging with the lecture. Sleepiness

simple notes.Jot down the crit ical point s and the

topic as well as the subtopic of the chapter. Veryfew know that this will reinforce their memory.Also, personalise your notes (e.g. signing yournotes after each lecture, colour code, etc.) to makeit easier for you to recall them in the future.

Pointof information. Blurand confused? Raiseyour hand and ask.

You can ask yourlecturer or your friends to clarify on parts that you didnot get. Many refuse to ask question, but just think ofthis. Out of the lecture, you might not find another time

really understand it now than later. The busier you are,

the more question you should ask in the lecture. Byasking questions, you develop comprehension whichreduces your memorisation load. Generally, you do nothave to memorise things that you understand. It comesnaturally.

Post-readingTake 5 minutes to read back what you havejot ted down to recap and store the memory

deep inside your sub-conscious mind.Highlight any section that you think you stillneed further reading or explanation on.

Depending on the issue, consider meeting thelecturer right after the class, discussing it with

friends, or plan to meet the lecturer in his/her

office.

-in-onelecture; study, learning and note taking, whichenable you to understand better on your course ofstudy. It helps you to empower your memory andaccelerate understandings during lecture sessions. If

you are able to master your lecture session, you

could save up to 40% of your study time. This isnot to say that you do not have to study, but thatthat 40% could be used for question-solvingpractices (which are much needed for a busyperson) instead of trying to grasp back the

contextual basics of the chapter. By then, highgrades are not very far from you! TI


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10TheInspirer|April 09

Highlights

T

I was a promising kid with full of potentials. Ican still remember my very first day at school; I waspunished to stand in front of the class for being too

my new friends. Destined, at the front I stayed, both

academically and in co-curricular. I was always in the top 3 in my class

both school and state level. Naturally, I was offereda place in a respected boarding school. The future

looked wonderful.

Later, 2000 to 2005 The teenage-bug got me.Everything and everyone was not right. The

studies seriously and hangout with the wrongpeople. My attitude changed. Gone was the lively,bright boy to be replaced by a sluggish, undisci-plined, good-for-nothing punk. I flunked my SPM (5

managed to do just enough to secure a place inUTP, sponsored by PETRONAS. I was offered the ICT

interest at all (I was doing technical science back inhigh school). I started off with the wrong mindset. Ikept telling myself that I can never understand thesubjects, that I was in the wrong place. I paid no

only to stay awake during night times hanging out with my friends.My results were terrible. I was put under academic probation andwarning on numerous occasions. I was only lucky not to be booted-out from UTP (I came close to academic dismissal a couple of times). Itwas by far, the lowest t ime in my li fe.

Not so long ago, 2006 to 2008 People say you get wiser by the time

cal development or life experience itself but somehow I seemed to

have come to a decision to turn my whole li fe around. It was during this

make sense. I was in my ninth semester of studies with three more ofextensions. My CGPA was very low, if I was to just score average GPAs Iwill not be able to graduate at all! And that decision has made all the

difference. I started to go to class (I learnt thatthis is the most important part), do my

homework, and engaged the lecturers forguidance. To my surprise, everything else hasbecome easy for me. Once I made that decision

more than willing to help and guide me. Iparticipated actively in class and started to enjoy

the subjects (even the dry ones). From that

point unt il my f inal semester in UTP, I scored

The first time I did it,

class, but I know should I have started sooner; it

either; I take it as the most precious lesson in mylife.

Now, 2009 I am living the life in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, attached toPETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB). It was not an easy entry, nor aneasy job. PETRONAS expects so much from its scholars and I amdetermined to show gratitude for all that trust and support the

for t his. The most important lesson for me is; learn to love what you doand always live your life to the fullest! TI

millions of times beforethat, but somehow it

started to make sense. Iwas in my ninth semesterof studies with three more

of extensions. My CGPAwas very low, if I was tojust score average GPAs I

will not be able tograduate at all!


12/12

By Muhammad bin Hasan Azahari

Foundation 1st Semester

Highlights

11 TheInspirer|April09

Everybody wants to live happily and get the most out of life in spite of the overwhelming demands of work and tasks.

To accomplish that effectively, it is very essential to take care of The Six Main Elements of Life and nurture them.

MINDWe have to providesome time to feedour mind in order to widen our perspectives andsharpen our thinking. Things that we can do toimprove our life in this aspect are:

Read newspapers, magazines, self-

improvement books or anything that mayconcern.

Play mind-challenging games such as Su-

doku, chess and many more.

Attend conferences, talks, or forums.

BODYIt is very importantto spend sometime to ensure our health and strengthen ourbody. It is a good idea to:

Practice your favourite sport .

-kwon

RELATIONSHIPTheworld is full of relationships. We live in a society

that consists of mult iple ages and races.Maintaining a harmonious environment is veryimportant. The point here is to flourish therelationships that we have.FRIENSHIP CON-SISTS OF A WILLING EAR, AN UNDERSTANDINGHEART AND A HELPING HAND:

Spend some time together with friends to

Contact long lost friends through e-mails,

message.

Do something together such as playing

football, swimming, having a picnic etc.

FINANCEItisa good idea to set apart some time to dofinancial planning and saving in order toachieve financial stability. The followingmight work:

SAVE FIRSTSet a time each week to deposit some money

into the cashbox. For example, deposit RM 10

every Friday. Save a certain amount each month.Open an account and deposit an amount of

per month.

Shopping? Plan your expenses:

List all the things to buy.

Go and buy those relevant things on the list.

These steps will not only prevent unnecessarypurchases but also help to save your money fromleaking out of your wallet. Try it for a month and

taken just 5 minutes before you enter theshopping mall.

SELF-NOURISHMENTEverybody loves tobe pampered and

nourished. Theperson that holds the responsibility for doing thatis ultimately ourselves. Appreciate yourself as aperson in this world. Take some time to do whatyou love to do and eventually it will l ift yourself

upwards. CHOOSE YOURSELF:Listen to music, watch movies, read novels etc.Hobbies such as collecting stamps, enjoying videogames etc.

SPIRITUALThis aspect focuses on your religious rout ines. Inevery religion, there are things compulsory to bedone and also those encouraged to be done. As

Muslims, we should: Pray 5 times a day.

Recite the al-Quran.

Fast a day or two in a week.

Attend religious activities (talks, forums, smart

group meetings).

Wake up at two thirds of the night (qiyamullail).

TI

3.the Inspirer Third Edition

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