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| The portrait of Fasya Tiara Meilenia, a Communication Student at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). (Photo: Istimewa) |
Indonesian students wish to study abroad. Besides enhancing academic experience, studying overseas can also foster self-growth, as said by Fasya Tiara Meilenia, a Communication Student at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang. She was an awardee of the Indonesian International Students Mobility Awards (IISMA) program, who managed to study at the University of Liverpool. At UMMTalks held on August 11, she shared her experience of studying there for 1 semester.
She said gaining the exchange scholarship was challenging for her, particularly since the United Kingdom is the second most popular country for students worldwide. It all started with Faye’s passion for participating in overseas programs, like Virtual Singapore Polytechnic (VSP), by the end of 2021. It turned out that her experience successfully led her to be the selected candidate for the IISMA program, a student exchange program managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of Indonesia.
Interestingly, Faye did not take courses related to her major at her home university in Liverpool. Instead, she studied music and criminology studies and learned more about them. Fortunately, Faye has been equipped with proficient public speaking and discussion skills from UMM; hence, she was not surprised to find that learning in the UK involves much interactive discussion.
As the eldest child admitted, she was constrained in communicating with the local community. Even though having proficient English skills, the accent and mixture of local languages there made him awkward. “The language used combines British English and the Liverpool people’s native language. Thus, it is quite difficult to understand, but I make it a challenge to develop,” said the Communication Student.
Her choice to study in Liverpool is not without reason. As a film buff, she wishes to visit various settings that are commonly used for international filming, like Castile in Wales, museums in the city of Chester, and several places related to art and historical items of the British state.
“(Coincidentally), many places in Liverpool do have the right atmosphere for reading. So I actively visit them when I have the opportunity,” said Faye.
According to her, studying abroad made her discover another side of herself. As a result, she can be more open-minded with others and accept multicultural perspectives. Faye also understands that she is not the sole holder of the truth.
“Never be lazy to seek information and also learn new things. A golden opportunity can only come for those of us who look for it, not suddenly approaches us,” concluded the 2022’s awardee of the IISMA program. (imh/ri/wil)
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