University College of Dublin - A new beginning..



Assalamualaikum adik-adik..^_^

Macam mana ye flow perjalanan kita beberapa hari selepas menjejakkan kaki di bumi ireland ni? Mesti ramai yang tertanya apa yang akan berlaku. Hari ni akak nak cerita sedikit –sebanyak sekadar apa yang akak ingat berlaku kira-kira 9 bulan yang lalu.

1st Day
Memandangkan akak pelajar JPA, selalunya JPA akan hantar student fly sehari sebelum pendaftaran ataupun hari pendaftaran tu sendiri. Student MARA pulak sampai beberapa hari sebelum tu.

Sebaik sahaja menjejakkan kaki di Dublin Airport, kami disambut oleh wakil JPA, MARA , pegawai Malaysian Hall serta beberapa orang senior. Kami diberi taklimat tentang borang-borang yang perlu diisi dan dilengkapi untuk diserahkan kepada pegawai berkanaan dalam tempoh masa yang ditetapkan. Adik-adik jangan risau kerana pegawai-pegawai ini sungguh ramah dan sedia menghulurkan bantuan jika diperlukan. Mereka ibarat ibu ayah kita di sini.=)
Selepas itu, kami dibawa menaiki bas ke kolej kediaman; Merville dan Belgrove. Masih ingat lagi hari tu hujan sangat lebat. Bak kata Carl Lusby(international student officer) sudah lama ireland tidak hujan lebat camni sejak 3 bulan yang lalu. Basah kuyup kami dibuatnya dengan hanya memakai baju nipis daripada Malaysia ditambah dengan angin yang kuat, sejuknya terasa hingga ke tulang! Kalau adik-adik nak tahu, angin dekat ireland ni sangat la kencang. Silap-silap bole terbang kita dibuatnya.o.O
Bermulalah proses pendaftaran- membuat student card serta check in apartment.Pastikan adik-adik menyimpan semua dokumen di tempat yang mudah dicapai untuk memudahkan segala proses,k. Kalau simpan kat dalam 1 file lagi bagus.=)
Selepas semua proses selesai, kami semua ada taklimat dengan Carl Lusby. Dia mengucapkan kata-kata aluan dan sangat gembira menyambut kami di sini. You can feel her warm welcome.=) Akak masih ingat lagi dia bercerita tentang anak dia yg juga belajar di luar negara, sangat inspiring. I’m sure she will tell you the same story again.=)
Sepanjang minggu orentasi ni adik-adik akan ditemani oleh Orientation Guide (OG) di kalangan senior dari Malaysia sendiri. Adik-adik akan dibahagikan kepada kumpulan-kumpulan kecil. Di sinilah adik-adik akan dapat berjumpa dengan teman baru. Masih ingat lagi kumpulan akak dulu dijaga oleh senior berbangsa Cina dan ahlinya ada yang daripada Singapura, Sarawak dan juga pelajar tajaan PAMA .(papa mama)

2nd Day
Proses orientasi diteruskan lagi. Hari ni kami membuka akaun di bank. Hampir semua pelajar Malaysia di sini membuka akaun AIB untuk urusan kemasukan alaun. Mudah jer prosesnye dan kita akan dapat kad bank dalam tempoh seminggu.yey!=) Selepas tu, kita juga akan teruskan proses pendaftaran dan dibawa oleh OG mengelilingi UCD. UCD ni besar sangat; ada sport centre, pelbagai blok akademik,makmal,restoran, tasik yang sangat indah,dan tak lupa juga surau UCD yang baru jer siap tahun ni.(2011) Alhamdulillah=)
Pada sebelah petang pula, kami mengikuti majlis sambutan pelajar baru yang diadakan oleh pihak universiti sendiri. Rasa macam tak percaya pula sekarang kita duduk di kalangan pelajar dari seluruh dunia. Ade seorang kawan selalu cakap ‘ macam kat dalam tv la kte sekarang.mcm tak percaya!=)’ Mendengar chanselor universiti memberi ucapan, kata-kata semangat timbul perasaan ‘Wah, sekarang saya sudah menjadi pelajar universiti!’ Gunakanlah peluang ni untuk timba ilmu sebanyak-banyaknye.

3rd Day
Hari ni kami dibawa bersiar-siar di City Centre oleh OG. Akhirnya dapat jugak melihat susana bandar kat Dublin ni. Kami dibawa ke tempat beli belah yang selalu pelajar Malaysia pergi. Asian Market, restoran halal, kedai runcit halal dan banyak lagi. Pasal makanan halal di sini adik-adik tak payah risau,k sebab ada banyak pilihan makanan halal. Insha Allah tak kan mati sebab kekurangan zat.hee=)
Waktu ni la adik-adik boleh beli sedikit sebanyak barang keperluan rumah. Yela, kita kan baru masuk rumah baru. Barang-barang dapur semua tak ada lagi. Kiranya ni la shopping pertama adik-adik di ireland.=) Masih ingat lagi kami dulu selalu cuba nak convert euro ke ringgit. Penat kakak-kakak pesan jangan convert, tak makan awak nanti!hee.. Betul, adik-adik, kalau kita asyik nak convert memang terasa sayang nak gunakan duit tu sebab nilainya tinggi. Nasihat untuk diri sendiri jugak sebab sampai sekarang tabiat tu blom hilang..>_<
Adik-adik jangan risau, cuak dan bimbang ye sepanjang minggu orientasi ni. Adik-adik akan dibantu oleh OG dan juga seniors yang sangat ramah dan baik hati. Kurang sikit perasaan homesick. We’re more than happy to help you guys!^_^

p/s: rujukan article ni adalah daripada memori sendiri semata-mata. Sebarang kesilapan,mohon maaf ye.

National University of Ireland, Galway

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

-NUI Galway is the Sunday Times University of the Year 2009-10
-NUI Galway has more than 16,000 students from over 90 countries across the world
-13% of our students are international
-There are 82 student societies and 41 sports clubs


Facilities

The newest facility provided by the university is Kingfisher sports complex. The complex includes:-
- A six-lane, 25 metre swimming pool, with a moveable floor (international competition standard)
- Dedicated squash and racquetball courts
- A National League basketball arena and sports hall with bleacher seating for over 600 spectators
- A 100-piece cardiovascular gym with 35 pieces of resistance equipment
- A dedicated elite training gym
- Two fitness studios, suitable for aerobic training
- A competition-style climbing wall
- Saunas and a steam room

The are two prayer rooms available; one is located in the main campus and the one in the Clinical Science Institute.


Course

Medicine is the main course of choice among Malaysian Students. There are about 120 medical students for each batch, with an average of 15 Malaysian students.


Accommodation

There are 10 student accommodations available for NUI Galway students. Most of the years, first year Malaysian students are being placed in Dunaras Village and Atlantis Apartment.
Dunaras Village is situated within 20-25 minutes walking distance from the campus while Atlantis Apartment is less than 10 minutes walking distance. Buses to the campus are provided.
All Malaysian students will move out and rent a house nearer to campus and hospital after a year.


Halal Food

Mediteranean shop (known as 'Pak Mat') and Aroma store are the only two halal stores near to Malaysian community. The price is affordable. Malaysian foods are also available in those stores such as maggi, habhal soy sauce, maggi chilli sauce, milo and etc. Raw ingredients to cook Malaysian foods are also available. These includes green chillies, lemon grass, coconut milk, basmati rice and more.


Malaysian Community

There is approximately 100 Malaysians including undergraduates and post graduates.


What to Prepare

All important documents!


Credits : JOM! - http://www.jom2011.com/
Have you registered for this UK&Ireland pre departure program?
Just click on the JOM website to register - i't's a great opportunity to learn how life as a muslim is in overseas and to make new friends =)
Let's be part of this wonderful experience, insyaAllah =)

University College Cork

Assalamualaikum w.b.t =)

Cork County is The Rebel County. So yes, we are always unique to the rest of the state.

Personally, when I first heard of it, I was like, ""Cork? What an uncool name!"" Well, indeed it is! but definitely not the people! Believe me!~ Cork has such a vibrant and positive aura, exception - on Thursday and Friday nights where the roads are busy with drunk people *sigh*. The people are friendly and we have a significant number of Muslim community here.

UCC is considered not only a respected University but also one of the nicest 'gardens' belonging to Cork as a whole. The campus is situated along a riverside garden setting, radiating a warm, personal charm, which greatly enhances the learning environment. I took this from the university website. But, I can assure you, it is not something like "indah kabar dari rupa". Needless to say more. It is better for you to experience it yourself.


Facilities

Hmm.. in terms of the facilities, UCC has almost everything a student could want. We have a huge Sport Arena with first-rate sporting facilities; swimming pool, climbing-wall et cetera. And of course, it is FREE for all students. And the new Boole Library is just MASSIVE and SUPERB. Oh, our university ID is better-looking than the other uni as well. Hik hik hik..

For us, the Muslim students, the school has provided such a comfy prayer room in the Health Science Building and it even has a sink and basin for us to take wudu'. Just don't forget about the swapping every Friday between the brothers and sisters. Talk about some day-mare when you open the door to just a whole different species staring at you. @_@

Course

Most undergraduates are studying Medicine and a small proportion are doing Dentistry. There are also Post-graduates who are studying Nursing and Engineering. In total there are roughly 120 Malaysians; so it's a much smaller community compared to Dublin, but hey, we are much more happier and friendlier than the Dubliners!


Accommodation

Basically, first year students will be staying in the Students' Hall, known as the (not-so-white-) Castlewhite Apartment. I hate saying this but you have no choice but to live in an apartment with local students and other international students. It was a good experience anyway staying with non-Malaysians but sometimes, you really have to be extra patient with them.

But fret not, who knows, insyaAllah you'll meet some of the coolest vegetarian Americans and non-party-drinking-Irish ever! Amin to that!!

Life as a Muslim

IT'S AWESOME!! Do I need to say how many times I'm blessed to actually be a Muslim?? Really, Islam pulls you through every single day in Medicine (and Dentistry!!) and when you get to learn Psychiatry one day, oh my...:)

UCC has our own Islamic Society called Muslim Cultural Society; it's a great society which has better themselves (or better, ourselves, insyaAllah) since its beginning. Every single Muslim Malaysian student of UCC have associated themselves wth MCS's history, so why don't you be a part of the history as well??

We also have the Cork Mosque; and the whole Muslim community always try to get together in every single event organized by either the Cork Mosque itself, the Cork Mosque Women Group and UCC MCS.


Halal Food

Halal food is not a problem:) Just come here and we'll show you more (or better, we'll cook for you!! One house has all the machines to become a bakery, really)


Malaysian Community

Malaysians are not the majority here (as you may have pictured); but our experience of living in a multi-cultural country will help us to adapt to new people and the new things surrounding us. Encountering new people, new dialect (oh, the Cork accent can be quite difficult to follow; be ready to speed up that speaking speed!), new buildings, new air and atmosphere can be exhausting at times, but most of the juniors who arrived here, in 3 months time will be obliged to say how happy they are to come to Cork. Oh no, not because they have the most loving and caring seniors ever (thank you¬) but Allah has blessed Cork with great people overall.

Here, we hope that all Malaysians will be able to grow into better people that can shine and contribute their best for the Ummah, Islam and our beloved Malaysia now and in the future.

What to prepare?

Passport. Haha. You need to pass the security check first!

Okay, here's a summarized list. The rest will shared more at JOM:
1. Al-Quran (with terjemahan is better)
2. Stationeries (you thought you wouldn't be needing them, won't you?)
3. Notepads (for taking down notes in lectures)
* don't buy 5-6 of them, just 1-2 is enough for the start of the term. Notepads are pretty expensive here.
4. Clothes- your usual daily clothes, socks, pants, tudung etc3.
5. Rempah makanan Malaysia that you just can't live without. Like Ruski, right? Or serunding! Or your mom's secret ingredients.
6. Medical books!!- contact your person listed below.

Okay, for coat or sweater, DON'T bring the winter thick ones from Malaysia. Because there are still time before winter when you get here and plus, they have better designs here as well. Seriously. If you have to bring one, best to bring the one that have hoodies as well. Cause if you haven't heard, Ireland rains all year round.


When you have reached this paragraph, you'll probably realized that we're trying to exaggerate, a lil bit romanticizing but not distorting or fabricating the truth about living in Cork nor studying in UCC. It's a great city to live in insyaAllah. If you're the city-person type, Ireland is not the place for you anyway; but open your heart and sooner than later you'll be missing Cork each time you went away :)

Credits : JOM! - http://www.jom2011.com/
Have you registered for this UK&Ireland pre departure program?
Just click on the JOM website to register - i't's a great opportunity to learn how life as a muslim is in overseas and to make new friends =)
Let's be part of this wonderful experience, insyaAllah =)