Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) is one of Sarawak’s most well-known universities.
UNIMAS is well situated on the island of Borneo, in Sarawak, to capitalise on the numerous research opportunities literally in its backyard, with its geographical and geological challenges, as well as biological and ethnic diversity.
UNIMAS accepts students of many races and religions from both within and outside of the country.
Students are compelled to travel and are willing to spend time away from their families in order to gain knowledge. For example, students from Sabah who continue their education here.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have been done online in our country for nearly two years.
After the COVID-19 outbreak subsided, students returned to college for face-to-face learning.
Three Sabahan students have shared their experiences while studying in ‘Bumi Kenyalang’.
Siti Norfadilah Norli, 22, is a final-year student in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK). She is from Kota Belud, Sabah.
She shared about her first visit to Sarawak and her stay at UNIMAS following years of online study.
She was excited to be in Sarawak for the first time, but she also grappled with sadness over having to be away from her family.
“I live in Rafflesia’s College, an off-campus residential college. UNIMAS, in my opinion, is a very large university with a range of study facilities and interesting sites,” she said.
She was overjoyed when this face-to-face study was announced because it gave her the opportunity to meet her classmates and engage in various activities arranged by their faculty. She also has the opportunity to visit interesting places with her friends.
She also said that she is still adjusting to the food in Sarawak because it is different from the food in Sabah.
She enjoys the learning environment at UNIMAS and will undoubtedly miss it after graduation.
Nurul Yusrina Yayah Shah, 22, is also a final-year student at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. She is from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
She also talked about her experience at UNIMAS. She was keen to continue her education since she wanted to obtain as much experience as possible while in Sarawak.
Sarawak’s language differs from Sabah’s, which makes her feel a little challenged because the majority of the people here talks in Sarawak Malay. She is, however, interested in learning the language.
“I live in Rafflesia’s College; the experience of living at college is both enjoyable and stressful because we must be independent without the support of our families and must adapt to roommates we have never met. But what’s fun is that when we want to go to class, we have to take the bus provided by UNIMAS with our classmates; the bus makes it easier for students to get everywhere, and it’s a very exciting experience,” said Nurul Yusrina.
Because it was her final year, she was unable to participate in many UNIMAS-organised activities.
However, when it comes to food in Sarawak, Nurul Yusrina enjoys IG Ice cream, which is only available in Sarawak.
When asked if she wanted to continue her education at a higher level, Nurul Yusrina did not deny that she would if there were no obstacles.
Maznina Kalinggalan, 22, is a third-year student at the Faculty of Economics and Business. She is also from Sabah, more specifically Lahad Datu.
” I am grateful since UNIMAS is one of my top choices for furthering my education, and I am eager to begin my life as a university student,” she said.
She says UNIMAS has many interesting areas. She said that the first time she visited Sarawak, “My experience may be similar to that of other students and that I was excited, sad, and afraid all at the same time. Even if I have done enough preparation, I still have that feeling. Because I came here to study, I’m less concerned about meeting friends I’ve only met digitally.”
She lives in Dahlia’s College. The high college fees as well as the excellent facilities clearly demonstrate that this college is beneficial for students to apply to.
She shared a learning experience in which she had several sweet experiences while starting her physical studies at UNIMAS.
One of them is the experience of studying with classmates and tasting different Sarawak foods.
They also tour interesting places and learn about Sarawak’s language and culture.
However, as a Sabah-born child, she does not enjoy the food here because it is diverse in terms of variety and taste.
Last but not least, young people will find it difficult to adjust to a new environment, but it will be one of the most delightful experiences they will recall one day.
• This article was written by a student from the Strategic Communication Programme at the Faculty of Language and Communication, UNIMAS.
