By Sr Gui Hun Chuen
“Architecture, to me, has always been a love-hate relationship”, quipped one of the alumni, as he faithfully recounted his roller-coaster journey of studying in UNIMAS over the course of 3 years. The moderator grinned beamingly with eyes wide-opened in response to the answer he just received, as if unsure of what to comment next. But deep down, everyone could grasp what that truly meant. There were days when you questioned your sanity, owing to multiple tight datelines honking incessantly at those magical inspirations you yearned for but still eluded you no matter how hard you tried to find. Equally, there were days when you felt so proud of yourselves after winning the titanic battle against the rigorous scrutineering by both the internal and external examiners, who were almost certainly donned in blazers exuding the unmistakable aura of seriousness. Those were the moments that moulded our students into the graduate Architects and graduate Quantity Surveyors they are today. Is the faculty proud, you bet.
Another alumnus vividly reminisced: “During my years in FBE, my mentor always told me to ‘Find your soul’, and I hold on to that advice until this day”. The audience were struck, as it elucidated how much that particular mentor meant to him. This shows the duties of lecturers go beyond teaching and researching. They also carry the responsibility of imparting wisdom that hopefully will function as lodestars for the younger generations. The same goes for our alumni, whose engagement serves to inspire and motivate the juniors to dream big, and to steel through every obstacle along the way, simply by emulating their seniors’ footsteps. The message “everything is possible” will always be the takeaway.
Apart from the sharing by alumni, the juniors were of course given the opportunity to raise questions and to seek for advice. Among them, what non-technical skills the alumni wished they could have learned more of before stepping into the industry. On this matter, the alumni reflected that they would like to acquire more financial management, entrepreneurial and people skills, as they realised a job and a life as working adult require much more than just technical competencies. They also wished to see more collaborative learning activities between the Architecture and the Quantity Surveying programs, as this approach will help prepare the students better to work effectively in the field of Built Environment – one that involves a significant amount of teamwork to ensure the success of every project endeavoured. Ergo, the ability to negotiate well and to convince others, plus personal financial planning and entrepreneurship were among the life skills that the alumni urged the juniors to equip themselves more with.
“Kerja sebab suka atau duit?” the bombshell question reverberated through the hall. Immediately, every varsity member in attendance burst into roaring laughter, not unexpectedly. “Well, while money is very important, you have to also romanticise your job in order to feel good.” We couldn’t agree more. Every job has its own ups and downs, and not everything is going to be love at first sight. But it doesn’t mean we cannot nurture enjoyment towards our job. It takes time and effort. Everyone’s preference will always be different, and therefore it is up to every individual to discover their own unique ways. One alumnus told the story of how he self-learned interior design during his free time to fulfil his passion, and even suggested barista as an attractive part-time job as it can stimulate creativity. The juniors all listened attentively and nodded in agreement, while contemplating their own futures. The takeaway? Everyone got to chart their own pathways.
These heart-warming conversations were exactly what transpired on the 5th of June 2024, at Dewan Seminar PITAS, during an open and cordial session entitled “Pathway to Success: A Day with Alumni – Experience in Education to Work Transition”. On that sunny morning, time flew by swiftly, and without much realisation, the curtains needed to be drawn at noon to conclude the session, as some alumni still needed to return to their respective workplace. A time for goodbye it seemed, but the much better farewell would be ‘see you again, our beloved alumni, you have made us genuinely proud. We want to wish the very best to all of you.’
Graceful yet impactful. Nostalgic yet authentic. Whimsical yet magical. That, in essence, sums up FBE’s idyllic date with its alumni.
This article is related with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) – Quality Education.