Hiking: It's a Climb!

We all find our lives becoming a little dull sometimes. the days become mundane and we seek something more interesting. Nobody hopes to look back on their lives and reminisce fondly about how boring it was. I've gone through the same issues in my life too. I said to myself, this is the right time to pick up a new hobby. Normally we choose a hobby that fulfills our time in a good and fun way. At the same time, the new hobby must involve some physical activities and new adventures. As for me, I couldn't find any hobbies that suits me; until I came across to the fact that my uncle is a hiker.

Through him, I learned few things about hiking. He also showed me some of his hiking pictures. I was amazed by the scenery captured by him. Since I've never hike before, my uncle decided to take me hiking for the first time ever. So, I prepared myself mentally and physically, bought myself a new pair of sport shoes, backpack, and other necessary equipment. 

Alas, the day has come. I followed him to Bukit Gasing Forest Park, along with his friends who are professional hikers. Oh, they even conduct classes for amateur hikers (how cool is that?). The hiking was so tiring, yet worthy. Especially when you reached at the peak and witnessed the sun rise. It was such a beautiful feeling when you get to witnessed God's creation through our naked eyes. From that moment, I realised that I have to add hiking to my current hobby list.

The first experience is always the best, and you will definitely get the best of both worlds! It'll motivate you to keep moving, and at the same time you'll get to witness the beauty of nature. 

So, what are you waiting for? If you are interested to be a hiker, you may contact the person-in-charge below.

See you at the top! 

Prepared by,

Kalaiarasi A/P Nadarajan

Lecturer, Diploma of Health Science

Vision College

A Giant Leap for a Brand New Experience

I wanted to share with you the career transition from a financial institution to an education sector. I used to work in a financial institution for a few years before I took a leap of faith into education line. There are a lot of differences between those two industries in almost every aspect of work. However, I will only touch on  a few here.

During my previous job, I was a Risk Management Officer. My task was mainly to investigate incidents that occurred every month, the loss incurred, how to recover the loss and to chase all H.O.D to submit monthly report to me. The summary was presented during monthly top management meeting. Other than that, we do perform Internal Audit & Risk Framework. The most interesting thing about this job is that I am able to travel to other offices/branches when carrying out investigations. I don't do similar things every day, and getting to know a lot of people while representing Malaysia in some international conferences. 

The not so fun things about the job is definitely super high stressed, investigating is not an easy task to do as I need to look back the process flow from the beginning to find gap that causes the error to happened and to suggest ways to mitigate the risk. I was having a good life before, but I left it all of that just to complete my thesis, which I have already extended 1 semester for it. Plus, I kind of feel that I have been working too long in that company. I needed some fresh air. 

After completing my studies. I decided to tap into different industry, be it Oil & Gas, Real Estate etc. And there was Vision College, a step into education line. To be honest, I never heard of Vision College before. It was an unfamiliar small college located near my house because when people talk about education institutions in Kelana Jaya, the name Unitar will always popped up. 

I had a totally different experience in Vision College. Though it is a small college, but it has been surviving for the past 12 years. To my surprise, it has good courses like Diploma in Medical Imaging, Diploma in Nursing and even Postgraduate Diploma in Ultrasonography.  And now, they have Diploma in Law Enforcement.

Working with Vision College gave me a mixture of feelings, but as time goes by I started to feel enjoyed being part of them. I used to be among the youngest in my previous department and suddenly the opposite way here. Other than that, they don't have a proper system for everything, most are being done manually. After all, Vision College is still a growing company, all of that will come through time. 

My current job allows me to travel across the country but not to those tourist spots but mainly deep into all the rural areas which I never heard of before. I am like an explorer, finding potential students every time I'm on the field. Recruiting new students more or less reminds me of my study time as a student leader. Doing consultation, helping out with their problems and dealing with the parents is basically the same thing I did before. 

I love the job that I'm doing now, it gave me a pleasure seeing all these kids decided to change their future by pursuing their studies. Watching them grow and becoming a much more responsible person is the best gift in life for me. Thanks Vision for that.

Moreover, I get to know all of the staff here unlike my previous company there were thousands of staff and I barely know half of them. The people are very nice here and young; like me. Because of that, I also become a much more playful person. I guess it must be the young blood that runs through my veins. Last but not least, I never had a chance to work in a small company before. It is actually very good for starters. You will get to learn a lot of things, multitasking. All of this will definitely help you in building a good career ahead. Just spend a couple of years then you're good to go. 

In summary, I do experienced a lot here, I have a good and very young team and I love them so much, I get a chance to travel, I rarely get sick, and I even developed a whole new experience that I never faced before. Working, be it in education, financial institutions or anywhere are mostly the same. It is all about how you manage yourself, how you handle the situation and to cope with the environment. I do miss my life as a young corporate, but I am more keen to learn more about education industry and how far it can take me to.

Prepared by,

Zhafri Zanuri

Course Counselor

Vision College

Zumba and Fitness Club

Zumba is one of the popular exercise routines in Malaysia. It was inspired by various styles of Latin American dance and music. Zumba is good in burning fat and calories, as well as providing an extra workout to our body. It also improves one coordination, which is very important as you grew older. 

The idea of setting up a Zumba and Fitness Club in Vision College came along after we decided to change the Aerobic slot to Zumba during Orientation Week intake January 2017. The team started of with only four songs; which are Sakitnya Tuh Di Sini, Pencuri Hati, Aku Ma Apa Atuh and Dealova. We practiced the moves consistently to ensure that all Zumba members know the steps beforehand, so that the session will go on smoothly. Our goal is for the participants to enjoy and have fun while working out at the same time. 

After the orientation week, we continued our routine as usual. But somehow we felt like there is something missing. So we decided to conduct another Zumba session, and surprisingly a number of students joined us on that day. Since then, we are conducting a Zumba session once every two weeks; and the best thing is... it's FREE! We received a positive participation from students and the number increases from time to time. As a team, we challenged ourselves in exploring new songs (i.e. Bailando, Shape of You, Jai Ho, and more) and dance steps to be added to our current selection of Zumba moves. 

The Zumba club is still young, but we definitely have a big heart to achieve a greater height. Started from only four songs to a compilation of at least twenty songs, consists of both local and international songs. We also experienced a situation whereby we were once invited to perform at Media Prima, Sri Pentas for a talk show namely Nasi Lemak Kopi O. However, due to an unforeseen matter it had been cancelled. Well, good things always come in our way; we received an invitation from SMK Kelana Jaya to conduct a Zumba session during the school's Sports Day on 21st April 2017. We are thrilled and can't wait to conduct the session.

The motto and vision of the club is "Shake It, Until You Make It" which means we need to do something with full effort in order to succeed. In Zumba for example, even though some of the steps are quite difficult, our team will keep on practicing to make our moves better. Our future planning for this club is more on profit-oriented, and our target is to conduct Zumba sessions in any organisations or institutions so that we can make profit out of it. We also planned to participate in Zumba competitions and be the best among the rest. Besides that, we are planning to carry out a Kayak Island Expedition whereby we will be conducting a Zumba session from one island to another island. We want to upgrade the image of Vision College as well as setting  new record in the Malaysian Book of Records.

Last but not least, come and join our Zumba Class every Thursday, 5:30pm at the Multipurpose Hall (Level 4). Don't forget to wear your sports attire and put on your sport shoes. So, what are you waiting for? Let's "Just Shake It, Until You Make It!"

Prepared by,

Siti Nurafiqah binti Ismail

Finance and Admin Executive

Vision College

Vision College Open Day

On the 18th of March 2017, Vision College rode the post SPM waves and organised an Open Day event which was opened to all public. The event was a big chance for the public to enquire about the amazing array of courses offered by Vision College.

There were many booths that were set up by our own students; from various food choices such as pasta, sandwiches, and also 'ais kacang'. Students were given the opportunity to show their amazing entrepreneurship skills in the selling activities as well as raising funds for their ECA club.

Students from Diploma in Nursing also took part in the event, whereby they provided health consultation which includes BMI reading, Glucose Test, and also blood pressure. Their main objective was to create awareness to the public on health issues nowadays. 

Besides the booths, exciting performances were presented specially by the members of Zumba Club which were definitely full of energy. The energy and excitement shown by the members proved that the students not only active in terms of academic, but also in extra-curricular activities. 

The event ended successfully at 5;30pm. Although it was a tiring day, we definitely had fun and enjoyed ourselves. Nothing feels so good as this~

Prepared by,

Ooi Say Wei

Finance Executive, Vision College

Travelling: A Stress Reliever

Travelling is a good method to release stress because it gets you away from problems. Planning a vacation keeps your mind off things that can stress you out. Dreaming about where you are going and what you will do when you get there can take your mind off things that have been pressing your mind. For many people, vacations or simple weekend getaways are a great way to get families and friends together; and away from their usual hectic lives. 

Everyone has their own level of stress, including me. Almost a year I have to live far away from my family, and within that period of time I would be a liar if I said that I never experienced stress. I have my own way to release stress, which is going on a vacation. Going on a vacation does not mean that you have to go overseas or other states, it can also be your own hometown. 

There are so many interesting places in Sabah such as Desa Dairy Farm. It is also known as the New Zealand of Sabah. You can get fresh air, fresh milk, yogurt, and also witness the beautiful view of Mount Kinabalu. I also went to Desa Cattle Farm with my family and took a pre-convocation photo shoot there. Other tourist attractions in Sabah are Kundasang War Memorial Park, Sabah Tea Garden, Mesilau Pinnacles, Kinabalu Park, Pekan Nabalu, Poring Hot Spring, and more. 

Not to forget, the beautiful islands in Sabah. Some of the islands are Bohey Dulang, Sipadan, Kapalai, Pulau Tiga, Mabul, Sapi, and Manukan. You can also go hiking at Bohey Dulang and see the spectacular view from the top of the island. 

Therefore, studies have proven that travelling is a good method to release stress, and it can improve your health and work productivity. So, why stress when you can spend some of your time with your loved ones and friends...?

Prepared by,

Mardhiah bt Jamaluddin

General Administration Executive

Vision College

Temerloh: The Centre of Peninsular Malaysia

What do you know about Temerloh? A city that is always involved in flood? Since this year, the Tourism Malaysia is promoting Pahang as a tourist destination; I am going to introduce to you about my beautiful hometown, Temerloh. 

The distance from Kuala Lumpur to Temerloh is about 135km, around 1 hour 40 minutes. So, if you want to plan a day trip during weekend or public holiday, why not choose Temerloh? Temerloh also known as Bandar Ikan Patin is the second largest town in Pahang. It is famous for its highly-prized freshwater fish, Silver Catfish or also known as 'Patin'. Although it is expensive, Temerloh is the only place that you can find the freshest and biggest ikan patin.

When you are in Temerloh, you can try the special dish called 'Patin Tempoyak'. Tempoyak is a Malay condiment made from fermented durian, and used as the main ingredient in cooking the 'Patin Tempoyak'. For some people, they can't even stand the smell of the tempoyak, but it really is a nice dish. Especially when you consume it with rice and sambal belacan (Yummmyyyy!!) If you are a tempoyak lover, you can go to the restaurant called 'Go Bang Maju Patin Tempoyak' which is the most famous restaurant in Temerloh. For price wise, it is reasonable (can't say cheap since they are using fresh ikan patin).

Next, you can go to Gunung Senyum Recreational forest for a walk and admiring the beauty of nature. Gunung Senyum takes about 30 minutes drive from Temerloh city. In this recreational forest, there are many outdoor activities provided for visitors. For example jungle trekking, nature and wildlife appreciation or even abseiling and hill climbing. It is really a pleasant place for families, to explore the nature in a tropical forest. 

Besides that, there are a total of 18 caves inside Gunung Senyum, which are interconnected with one another, Yet, there are only 3 caves that are open for public; which are Gua Angin, Gua Taman, and Gua Terang Bulan. The caves are quite easy to be explored, but we still need to be extra careful when exploring; a tour guide might come in handy! Moreover, there are also many rare and unique flora and fauna that can be seen in this tropical forest.

Overall, Temerloh is a very nice place to visit. Besides all the things that I have mentioned earlier, there are other places to visit and not to forget, famous spots to 'jalan-jalan cari makan'. So when you are free, do come and visit the Bandar Ikan Patin, Temerloh.

Prepared by,

Woi Pui Chyi

Lecturer, Diploma of Health Science

Vision College

Bitter Can Be Sweet Sometimes

Stepping out of my own house is a very difficult decision I had to make as a teenager back then. I realised that I had to do all things by myself, taking care of my own health, managing my financial and the most difficult part was to leave my loved ones. Yes, it is common that being far away from home is a stage we have to experience in becoming an independent person. 

Well, it has been 6 years standing alone without having my family around. I completed high school in 2008. I made my decision to travel to the peninsular in search for success. Since then, I have experienced a lot of bitterness along the way, met new people, and faced financial problems when completing my final project. 

Beside that bitterness there are also sweet moments along the way, like meeting new people with the warmest attitude, learning new things that I never knew before and indulging new things that I grow fond with. Bitter or not, these experiences have helped me to be stronger in facing rejection, heartbreak, and even death of loved ones. I have to be resilient within in order to survive. I have also learned that it needs a good combination of good and bad times, highs and lows, peace and trouble for one to appreciate life more. I truly believe that life itself holds many lessons to be learned from. 

Here are some of the moments that I would like to share with you.

Here are my friends during my studies in Kuantan. It was my  first time having friends from different culture and background. 

Saying goodbye was never easy for me.

Vision College is where I started my new adventure.

I meet new friends.

Not to forget, becoming a sister to these boys and girls.

As a conclusion, the bittersweet moments taught me that bitter may be bad but good things always come and find you.

Prepared by,

Nastassia Octovia Maziin

Lecturer, SKM

Vision College