A throwback : Life in MJHEP

        Clamorous chatters of anxious students and proud parents filled my ears as I stepped into Hyogo Hall. I took a deep breath and proceeded timidly to the document handling process. “Haih, you did this wrong. You should’ve printed it out separately, not altogether,” scolded the person in charge. It is the first day and I am already being reprimanded. What a record. Was this a bad omen or a sign that my life here won’t be as easy as I had imagined it would be? God knows. After apologizing profusely , I stood awkwardly in the line of excited students while scanning the crowd for any familiar faces. These people are among the best students in Malaysia, be it from SBP or MRSM , they would surely not face any difficulties adapting to life here in comparison to my inferior self who has never stayed at a boarding school.  Having attended a daily school all my life far from the high achieving schools, I felt a tinge of inferiority and a feeling akin to loneliness overwhelmed me every time I introduce myself to my peers.

      “ Kakak, are you okay? a voice pulled me out of my reverie . Two very familiar faces appeared in front of me. Both lined with wrinkles and signs of aging but blossoming with love and warmth. A sudden resolution popped into my mind as I saw my parents’ faces. I had to be a tough cookie and stop wallowing in self- pity!  Mama and Abah had done and sacrificed so much to ensure that I am accepted into this programme. Do I want to be an ungrateful child and let their efforts go into nothingness?

          Two weeks in MJHEP has truly opened my eyes. Having never stayed at a boarding school away from my family has both physically and emotionally affected me. Physical being losing appetite and emotional being homesick to the point that I’d cry every time Mama called me. Fine I’ll admit that I am a mommy’s girl. I have maybe what people call “mother complex”. Does that even exist?

           Seeing my peers enjoying their lives here motivated me to keep head strong and not let my emotions sway me. Along the way, I am forever grateful for the building peer support and also to the ever helpful senpai tachi who never hesitated to lend a helping hand. When the first week of class started, my life began with a hectic schedule. I couldn’t slack off like I had during the holidays or during my mischievous schooldays. The lecturers are very understanding and easy going, with rigorous yet laid back and fun lessons every day, especially the Japanese language lecturers. Learning and mastering a completely foreign language in just 3 years might seem impossible to the pessimistic minds but being with the positive lecturers pushed me to challenge myself and made me thoroughly enjoyed the classes. Nonetheless, we are constantly bombarded with piles of homework, not to mention the seemingly endless quizzes. Huh, it’s a complete 360° drastic turn from my schooldays. Being here is like riding the super-fast “ Shinkansen” not the  sluggish “ KTM” anymore. I have to keep striding in pace with everyone’s expectations, in a way I’d just have to struggle harder and let things uncoil itself along the way. Everyone here is crème de la crème and I wish to be the best among them but of course, nothing worth comes easy. Miracles don’t just work by itself but it flourishes with hard work and belief in Allah. May He ease everything.  がんばります！