Paving the way forward
THE whole world has been forced to adapt to the unforeseen circumstances brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, and this has changed the landscape of many sectors within industries, the economy and of course, education.
While many strive to find their footing, there are a few who have taken the situation as an opportunity to solidify their foundations in preparation for future challenges that will arise from adapting to the new normal we all have to contend with today.
Teh Wen Jie joined the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) Foundation in Accounting programme last year, and is currently a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) student. The comprehensive lessons she picked up from her Foundation days have prepared her to take on new challenges, and turn them into opportunities to excel.
“When the pandemic hit, I remembered the advice I was given by one of my lecturers: ‘Challenges can be opportunities, it all depends on how you view them’.
“Thanks to my Foundation studies, I have already adapted to online learning, so the transition to full online learning was seamless,” she said.
“I was also taught to be independent and to pre-prepare myself for lecture sessions so that I would not miss any important lessons during online classes. This saves me hours of ineffective studying, which I can channel towards other meaningful activities like revision sessions or even exercise to keep myself active and alert.”
The 19-year-old also credited TAR UC’s comprehensive student lifestyle for helping her to improve her social skills via club activities.
“Through my involvement as a member of the Economics Society, I have learned the importance of social skills such as team planning, negotiation and communication.
The experiences also spurred me to volunteer for the TEDxTARUC 2019 event as a committee member, which taught me lessons that cannot be replicated in class,” she added.
It was her passion for accounting that first led her to TAR UC.
“I have always been fascinated with numbers, so that was the path I pursued after secondary school. When I heard about how strong the TAR UC Foundation programme was, and its history of producing successful graduates annually, I figured this would be the place that could help me develop my passion into a career. Now, I can truly say that TAR UC was the right choice for me.“
Currently, TAR UC offers six Foundation programmes, namely in Arts, Science, Engineering, Accounting, Business and Computing, which are curated to prepare students effectively for transition to their respective Bachelor Degree programmes and any future challenges they may encounter in their careers upon successful graduation.
To find out more about TAR UC Foundation programmes, visit www.tarc.edu.my/cpus. TAR UC provides sibling discounts for qualified students, as well as attractive scholarships based on academic merit.
Applications for all 2021 intakes are now open, and SPM trial exam results are accepted for Foundation and Diploma programmes for the June 2021 intake. Prospective students are encouraged to apply online at www.tarc.edu.my. Online applications made by June 20 will receive a waiver of the RM60 processing fee.