| Lyna Mohamad |
HARD work eventually pays off, or so they say.
For five Cosmopolitan College of Commerce and Technology (CCCT) graduates, this rang loud and true as they shared their happiness at completing their studies with the Sunday Bulletin.
Speaking at the convocation ceremony last Thursday, Hajah Siti Fariza said that it was “no easy task at first” to juggle between her work and studies, but with encouragement from family and friends, she was able to do her work and cope with her studies.
“The most important thing when pursuing your studies is time management. I would like to express profound gratitude to the Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam for this golden opportunity and will always be grateful for the support,” said the HND in Business Management graduate.
Hajah Siti Fariza, who did the programme as an in-service student, gave some education advice to her fellow Bruneians. “As long as an opportunity arises and you have the will power to pursue your further studies, you can do it even if you are employed. If you can improvise and contribute more to nation building, then you should grab the chance to go for further studies.”
Meanwhile, Muhammad Wafi bin Injeo, who achieved 11 distinctions and seven merits in his HND in Business Management programme, noted that his preparation for his finals was the same as his other exams during the semester.
“I do the best as I can and stay focussed and pay full attention during every lecture,” said the academic excellence award recipient. “I really didn’t expect to be awarded the academic excellence award, as my initial aim was to upgrade my education level and enhance my career. Alhamdulillah, somewhere along my studies I received a partial scholarship from CCCT. This helped me focus more on my studies and worry less about the financial burden.”
Another graduate, Azme bin Haji Julaihe, a civil servant working at the Land Transport Department, expressed gratitude to Allah the Almighty for enabling him to pursue his studies in Business Management at the college under his own expenses.
“For individuals who strongly believe in gaining knowledge, there is no age limit to learning as it is a lifelong process,” he said. “One should always re-educate oneself and learn new skills and gather new experiences. The world today is not the same five years ago. What is important is the commitment, passion towards learning, discipline and organising your time properly.”
He said that his determination to pursue his studies and upgrade himself is due to his desire to realise his father’s dream for him to achieve this educational level.
“I’m currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Kolej International Graduate Studies (IGS) and hope to be able to do better in this next journey of studies,” he added.
As for Mohammad Hazman bin Ahmad, a Best Student awardee in the HND in Business Management programme, his decision to pursue his further studies at CCCT was to prepare himself in the challenging working environment.
“I wanted to be ready to meet the rapid changes in the business environment. This was what triggered my interest in going for further studies,” Mohammad Hazman, who has been working at BIACC Sdn Bhd since 2003, said. “Thanks to the Ministry of Education’s initiatives in providing options for us be able to further our studies. My advice to every student is to gain as much knowledge as possible and grab every option that is available.”
Norhafizah binti Zaini, another graduate in HND in Business Management, noted that it wasn’t easy for her as a part-time student and juggling responsibilities as a working mother and a wife.
“It was hard but my husband and family always supported and motivated me to pursue my studies. Another reason why I chose this programme is that I love to learn and at the same time I want to gain more knowledge and upgrade my skills,” she said.
“My biggest hope following my graduation is to practise what I’ve have learnt and to achieve my life goal of advancing my studies further should an opportunity arise in the future.”