Siti Nur Aisyah Binti Che Adzmi
“In retrospect, my journey in Sunway has been filled with nothing but new experiences and excitements. Although there were times when it got exhausting having to balance both academics and sports, I have never once regretted pursuing my degree here at Sunway University.”
Hi, I am Siti Nur Aisyah, a second-year actuarial studies student, and this is #MySunwayStory. I hail from a small family consisting of just me and my parents. As an only child, people perceive it as all sunshine and rainbows; they think I'm a spoiled child that cannot stop leeching off my parents. But, of course, this is not the case at all. Honestly, I feel an overwhelming responsibility to constantly achieve success and make my parents proud. So, instead of letting people's negativity get to me, I channel their condescension as motivation to excel further and leave them stupefied in my trail of success. Hence, thanks to my persistent hard work, I excelled in academics and sports and was blessed to land multiple scholarships.
However, being a student-athlete also brings its fair share of trials and challenges; managing my obligations and time effectively between the two can be difficult. I remember vividly during my A-levels, I couldn't attend a few exams because I was busy representing Penang in Sukma 2018 for judo. I also had to take a gap year after my A-levels as I was too busy training for the upcoming SEA Games. It was sad to see my fellow schoolmates pursue their degrees without me. But the pride of representing Malaysia reinvigorated me to push further, to make my country and loved ones proud.
After dedicating a sizable chunk of my life to judo, I eventually decided it was finally time for me to focus on my education. However, while researching education pathways, I became aghast at their ridiculous costs; subsequently, I agonized about the financial burden my parents would have to carry. Hence, I decided to apply for The Star Education Fund scholarship to ease their burden. No words could accurately describe how I felt when I told my parents I had gotten the scholarship. It was like a dream come true.
My first year in my course delivered an entirely new and shocking experience. Having always been a science student, transitioning to a commerce degree was not smooth for me. In addition, I was still active in judo, so I had to do a lot of self-study to catch up. I still remember vividly how I broke down during my first semester while video calling with my mother due to the overwhelming pressure of my course. Moreover, I felt inferior to my peers as they came from a commerce background and weren't struggling as much as me. However, I didn't give up. Thankfully, Sunway University offers Peer-Assisted Learning Programme (PALP), which was really helpful to me, especially during my first semester. Furthermore, my lecturers were incredibly understanding and kind; they would make time for weekly consultations to help us clarify our doubts.
In retrospect, my journey in Sunway has been filled with nothing but new experiences and excitements. Although there were times when it got exhausting having to balance both academics and sports, I have never once regretted pursuing my degree here at Sunway University. So, to those who are contemplating choosing between focusing on your studies or your sports, choose both! I will not lie; it can be tormenting, but these moments are what make you grow stronger as a person. To quote what my coach always says, "FEAR has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours."
Siti Nur Aisyah Binti Che Adzmi
BSc (Hons) Actuarial Studies
The Star Education Fund
