If you are still oblivious to the fact that
University of Toronto comprises of three campuses, well now you know! And
yes, Malaysian students do exist in the other two campuses, despite small in
number and are often shy away from the spotlight. (go easy on us, okay? hehe). One
of them is situated in Mississauga, just west of downtown Toronto. Some call it
Sauga, others nickname it as The Row, but we here like to call it Missi. So, this
time we’re going to see what’s it like to be a student at University of Toronto
Mississauga (UTM)!
1. Small lectures are really a plus!
Most of the lecture halls in UTM
hold approximately 300 students or less and we find it as a huge advantage! It
makes it easier to come up to the prof and ask questions during breaks or after
class. This is the chance to get to know the prof and hopefully they would acknowledge your
existence!
2. We get easily spotted on campus.
All of us here have had at least one
person randomly claimed that they “always see you around campus”, which is
usually responded with an awkward laugh. Due to the small-sized campus, we tend
to bump into the same faces every day. However, I guess being a hijabi and
having a “sawo matang” Pan-Asian look
make us distinctly recognizable amongst the sea of other races and colour in
UTM. This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on what type of person you
are. According to Nayli Farzana, it gives her a sense of belonging in the UTM
community, where everyone knows each other. But for others… well, let’s just
say that being easily recognized in public might not be at the top of the list!
3. Discovering home close to nature’s heart.
Oh, yes, serenity and peace greets you in this suburban neighborhood of The Credit Woodlands. Even the name
sounds like something you would’ve taken out of a Winnie the Pooh story book. As
an aesthetic nature-lover, Sakinah Kamal finds herself right at home here in
Mississauga. Unwinding session means a trip to the closest park and having
picnics with friends. Not to mention that UTM is literally surrounded by forest
and seeing a deer roaming around campus is pretty normal.
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| The mystical-looking bridge behind UTM campus. |
4. We got the best of both worlds (or cities).
Living in Mississauga does have its
own share of downsides. Besides the usual trip to Square One, there is a lack
of interesting things to do here. But fret not! UTM students are privileged
with free bus rides to and fro downtown Toronto, where all the fun stuff
happens! We get to experience the best of both cities!
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| The famous Marilyn Monroe building. |
5. Everyone seems nicer here. :)
Maybe it’s because of the friendly
homey vibe that this town has; we make friends with the locals everywhere we go!
Being one of the most diverse cities in Canada, you get to meet folks from all
walks of life. And if you ask politely enough, they would just love to share
their journey of making Canada their home.
So
there you go! A sneak peek on how it is here in Mississauga! Come pay us a visit sometimes or maybe consider taking up some
classes here. You are more than
welcomed!
All photos credit to Sakinah Kamal.
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Malaysian Bazaar 2016 was by far the most exhilarating yet entertaining one not only for the attendees but for all of us here in MASAT as well!
The event started off at 5p.m with anticipated attendees already lining up to get their food coupons and for their friends and family as well. Our registration team led by Thiiban welcomed all customers with smiles and welcoming gestures! While some waited in line, other attendees were having some fun at the colourful photobooth prepared with the theme of sawah padi or paddy field.
At around 5.40 pm and after all the attendees have settled in, the Master of Ceremony that evening, Syamil and Nadhirah welcomed Amier Faudzi, our Malaysian Bazaar 2016 Chair with his welcoming speech thanking everyone for coming to the event and some notes by our proud sponsors.
With a lot of awesome performances in line that evening, we started heating up the hall with the Indian cultural dance performed by Abbi, Aarthi, Jason, Jeeva, Dalila and Nelisa! The opening performance surely grabbed the audiences' attention.
The next performance by the amazing Christopher Tee was surely one of a kind! Geared with the diabolo , a chinese equivalent of yo-yo (but a more cool looking one!), Christopher wows the audience with his undeniable talent!
While enjoying the performances, the attendees also got their hands on as many foods and delicacies as they could!
The next performance was the Zapin dance traditionally performed by the Malay culture. The graceful performance was performed by Fathanah, Sabrina, Zubaidah, Fatin, Yung Xin!
The performances are then continued with compilation of classic songs by the band comprises of Amin (saxophonist and drummer) , Syamil Khairi (electric guitarist) , Syamil (Bassist), Alice (pianist), Izzatee (ukulele -ist) and E'zzati and Darren as the singers. Songs performed are Bunyi Gitar, Kampung Boy and Jelingan Manja.
The last performance (and definitely not the least!) was the Fashion Show! The Fashion Show showcased traditional clothings from all parts of Malaysia. Some of them are Cheong Sam, Baju Kebaya, Orang Ulu's tradtional clothing and many more.
The event ended shortly after the last performance at around 8.45pm with a photoshoot session of all the volunteers, performers and Malaysian Bazaar 2016 commitee!
We would like to say a massive thank you to all the attendees and volunteers who have devoted their time and efforts into making Malaysian Bazaar 2016 a reality. There were a lot of new challenges that we encountered this time around but we definitely pulled it off together as MASAT members!
Not to forget, a huge thank you to all of Malaysian Bazaar 2016 sponsors; Yeo's , MATRADE, Restoran Malaysia, and Malaysian Association of Canada.
Until next time!
Hello everyone!
Introducing our first MASAT Newsletter in 2016! Check out what's happening this semester and tell us what you think. Enjoy reading!
While projects, assignments, presentations deadlines and final exams are just around the corner, we here at MASAT believe that one should take some time off of all the hassles and enjoy some quality time with each other to regain our emotional strength and determination before the final battle begins for the semester. How do we have fun, you may ask? With some board games, jeopardy and PlayStation of course!
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| Faris conducting Jeopardy! |
The games started at around 12:00 p.m. with the most anticipated round of Jeopardy participated by Viatrix, Fatihah, Zubaidah, Izzatee, Sabrina and Fawwaz. It caught a lot of attention from the audiences as they join in together to figure out the answer to the alleged 'easy' questions. The winner for Jeopardy! was Fatihah with the 'soalan cepumas' or golden question : What is the title of the music video on YouTube with over 2 Billion views ? Congratulations Fatihah!
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| Zubaidah(left) and Fatihah(right) 'discussing' the answer for Jeopardy! |
Aside Jeopardy, we also played rounds of PlayStation games such as FIFA15, Injustice and Mortal Kombat and board games such as Shadow Hunters, Saboteur, Fluxx, Sushi Go! and many more. Although some friendships were 'destroyed' during the games, we sure did have lots of fun!
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| Variety of board games played |
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| Imran, Fathuddin and Hafizul playing Jenga! |
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| Wei Zhen, Boon Yuen and Jeeva enjoying Shadow Hunters! |
Thank you for those who came and made the event a lively one. On behalf of MASAT, we hope you had fun during this event and more importantly wind down all the stress and hopefully perform in all of your final examinations for this semester. We wish you all the best and good luck!
Being in one of the most prestigious
universities is a challenge itself. And in order to hold true to its name, the
students are expected to thrive well and passionately in their field of study
through research and internship experiences. To better equip the students with
the practicality plus giving insight into their own interests, the university
offers various rooms for its undergrads, as early as in the second year,
to get involved in programs such as Research Opportunity Program (ROP),
Professional Experience Year (PEY) Internship Program and Summer Research
Scholarship, to name a few.
Hence, the anticipation of the upcoming season
of research/internship applications can be felt looming over the members of
MASAT. Recognizing the significance of early preparation, MASAT Executive Team,
which is led by Afiq Asri, once again organized Bengkel Resume for
its members. This workshop is constructed to focus on building and polishing
resumes and is designed to be member-friendly. The major change that
the MASAT Executive Team brought to this year’s workshop is having it held in
small group discussion sessions, as compared to the previous one which was a
facilitated resume drafting sessions. A chat with Thiiban, a first-year MASAT
member, shows that this is an effective move as the participants can get a
personalized attention and guidance from the facilitators. Plus, MASAT Media
Crew offered photography service for anyone who wants their professional
profile photo taken.
The workshop was held in the Friday evening of
November 6th at room 304 Galbraith Building. Despite the palpable
busyness of the midterms month in UofT, Bengkel Resume received a bigger than
expected turnout. The workshop commenced at 6.15 pm with an introductory
presentation by Afiq Asri. This workshop also focuses on two distinct groups,
students who are interested in research and the ones who are aiming to dive
into the industry. The first part of the workshop was resume drafting and
polishing sessions. Participants were given handouts regarding resume and cover
letter writing that provide ample information and guidance for the students to
start with. These handouts can be easily accessed at UofT Career Centre or Engineering Career Centre websites.
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| The eager learners discussed strategies from the experienced facilitators over a cup of Tim Hortons |
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| Eddy Zulkifly, an industrial engineering student, is guiding Izzatee Azlee to polish her resume |
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| Some of second-year Science students listening attentively to Afiq Asri giving tips and tricks of producing an effective resume. |
After a short break, the workshop continued with a session called the Upper Year Insights. Once again, participants were free to join any of the two groups which centralized the discussions regarding
industry internships and research opportunities. This was the session that
really gave the members the chance to listen to the first-hand experiences and
challenges in the pursuit of a research and internship positions. Indeed,
experience is the best teacher and who could elucidate the upcoming challenges
better than the facilitators who have undergone it themselves. MASAT did a great job at rounding up competent facilitators.
The group of facilitators consists of upper year students who are currently
active in research and work in various fields, from Geophysics to Art History. The
stories they shared really do inspire the members to network and get involved more
around the university.
Most importantly, we want to know how this workshop
actually benefits the members, because they are our best interest. So, in
the production of this cover story, we had a chance to talk with some of the
participants and these are a few of their reflections;
"As I am planning to intern in Malaysia, this workshop is really helpful for me. The one that holds out to me the most is the tip given by Naveen in finding internships positions, which is to directly email the university or company instead of going through the websites. Be open and try to focus on experience instead of pay." – Jehan Nazri, 2nd year, Biotechnology.
“I like how the workshop is such an active learning platform. The major tip I would say is to start early. If you’re like me, a person with zero experiences in resume writing or work experience, it’s time to plan ways to write your resume effectively and figure out methods to find work experiences so that your resumes are not empty.” – Thiiban Paskaran, 1st year, Chemical Engineering.
“I recognized how one’s persistence can actually bring about opportunities. If one is truly interested and determined to take part in a project/research, go ahead to show your engagement with the subject and commitment to the right persons in all reasonable ways. More often than not it will work in your favour.” – Teoh Wei Zhen, 3rd year, Economics and Mathematics.
True to Afiq’s aspirations which are, in his
words, “giving back to MASAT community and imparting useful legacy to younger
members”, the workshop can be deemed a successful one. Best of luck to everyone
in your future endeavors!
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