MBA and Me

Assalamu'alaikum...

Hello Oktober! 2 weeks ago, on Sep 22, saya terima surat yg paling dinantikan sejak bergelar student Master USM - Surat Pengesahan Konvokesyen. Alhamdulillah, I have officially GRADUATED! 

Alhamdulillah, penat lelah selama 4 tahun akhirnya membuahkan hasil. Yes, you read it right, it took me 4 years to complete my Master. Dah sama macam buat degree dulu. 😅

Semuanya bermula pada tahun 2019. Umur saya 35 masa tu. Saya buat keputusan utk sambung study, specifically in MBA sebab saya rasa ada sesuatu yg perlu saya achieve sebelum berumur 40 tahun. I told myself, 

"I will be 40, if panjang umur. Why can't I be 40 and have a Master degree?"

Dan penting utk saya tekankan di sini, masa saya decided utk buat Master tu, both me and my husband were thinking that we should take a break from going through all the hospital appointments, fertility treatments, etc like we had in 2018. So, saya perlu sesuatu utk isi masa lapang dan jugak take my mind away from all this TTC thing. 

Dan Alhamdulillah, Allah bukakan hati saya utk buat MBA. So, post kali ni, saya akan cerita sedikit sebanyak about my MBA journey, subjects, specialisations yg saya buat di USM, Penang. Dan since USM is in Penang, so it is very, very convenient for me.

Alhamdulillah, on Sep 5, 2019, I started my journey in the USM MBA program. Ini ialah "Study Plan" saya. At first saya plan nak habiskan dalam masa 3 tahun, tapi because of unforeseen circumstances, saya postponed 2 semesters (bukan tahun yg sama).

Duration program MBA ni ialah minimum 4 semesters atau 2 tahun dan maksimum 10 semesters atau 5 tahun. Ada beberapa specialisations yg USM offers for MBA program:

1. International Business
2. Service Science Management and Engineering
3. Sustainable Development
4. Governance and Control
5. Business Analytics
6. Digital Leadership

As for me, I decided to go for Service Science Management and Engineering (SSME) since my work involves management and engineering. Specialisation #5 and 6 were the latest additions memandangkan dunia skrg menuju digitalization. Kalau bukan sebab kerja saya sekarang yg lebih kpd management and engineering, I will surely go for one of the new specialisations. So, for every specialisation, there are 4 electives. USM allows the students utk amek any elective subjects without specialisation ataupun ambil lebih drp 4 electives. Tapi, utk saya, cukuplah 4 electives ni. 😄

Sedikit nasihat drp seorang yg dah lalui MBA ni. Firstly, ingat, MBA or other postgraduate programs is not a sprint, it's a marathon. One's mental must be prepared all the time. For me who completed my Bachelor's in 2007, it was a real struggle. To juggle between work, family and study, especially on my third year when I was pregnant with Nuh. Tak terkira berapa kali saya burnout. Assignments, presentations, quizzes, mid-term exams and final exams. Week-by-week. That's why, I felt a sense of fulfilment, a relief, lepas habis saja viva-voce dan final exams. No words can describe how I felt at that time. All I know is, it is finally over. Sep 2019 to Sep 2023. Alhamdulillah. Secondly, please make sure you have a very strong support system - your closest inner circle. You will be challenged mentally. And you need all the help you can get.

Anyway, despite all the emotional rollercoaster that I experienced in the last 4 years, I am grateful for meeting all those people in the program - lecturers and students. So, at the end of my MBA journey, now at 39, I got my MBA, I made new friends and I had a story to tell. What a journey! 😉

Ok, some additional info if you are interested about this program. On Aug 1, 2023, USM Graduate School of Business (GSB), my school, received Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. As quoted from The Star and USM, https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2023/09/03/usm-business-school-gets-global-nod, 

"Founded in 1916, the AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting learners, educators and businesses worldwide.

The AACSB accreditation recognises institutions that have demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curriculum development, and student learning.

Less than 6% of schools offering business degree programmes globally is accredited.

Based on the ratification for 2023, a total of only 988 institutions across 62 countries and territories have earned the AACSB accreditation in business.

The accreditation is a testament to the GSB’s commitment to delivering excellence and high standards in business education, and is in line with its mission to nurture business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to drive business sustainability."

So, kalau ada yg berminat utk buat MBA atau any postgraduate programs, saya encourage utk buat di USM. For MBA, feel free to visit USM Graduate School of Business (GSB) at https://gsb.usm.my/programme/master/ for further info. Best of luck! 💋

p/s: Tuntutlah ilmu hingga ke liang lahad.

Today..

Assalamu'alaikum..

It's Friday again.. Dah 2 minggu seluruh dunia menantikan kepulangan MH370.. As Mat Luthfi said in his current video, 'Buat Kepala', "If we can't help, Let's not make it worse".. True enough.. Let us pray for their safety..

*****************

I just don't feel like writing today.. So, hope these 14 short stories can somewhat make your day.. (^_^)

14 short stories worth reading, feeling and forwarding to those you care ...... by http://www.fropki.com/

1.       FALL AND RISE

Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground.  He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago.....! 

2.       A FATHER'S ADVICE

Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic......

3.       THE POWER OF UNIQUENESS

Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  

He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.....!

4.       LOOKING BACK

Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.....!

5.       TRY AND YOU SHALL KNOW

When I was 8 years old, I wanted to play baseball. I asked my father- "Dad, can I play baseball?" He said "You'll never know until you try." When I was a teenager, I asked him, - "Dad Can I become a surgeon?". He replied "Son, you'll never know until you try." Today I am a Surgeon, just because I tried!

6.       GOODNESS & GRATITUDE

Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug.  When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her.  She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center!”

7.       LOVE CONQUERS PAIN

Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying.  And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face......!!

8.       A DOOR CLOSES TO OPEN ANOTHER

Today at 7.00AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3.00PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too! A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job. I will start my new job tomorrow.....!

9.       LOOKING BACK

Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died.  She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often....!!”

10.   AFFECTION

Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed.  About 5 seconds after he passed, I suddenly realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy....!!

11.   INNOCENCE

Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.”  I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said.

12.    JOY

Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again....!!"

13.   KINDNESS

Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me.  He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon....!”.

14.   SHARING

Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe.  He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy.  Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.  The first thing the man said to him was, “We can share it....!”

p/s: There are always 2 sides of a coin.. We just need to open our eyes and heart to see their stories..

Engineer Oh Engineer..

Assalamu'alaikum..

Are u an engineer? Are u feeling gloomy this Monday morning? This will light u up! (At least it did for me..) =)

There once was an engineer who had an exceptional gift for fixing all things mechanical. After serving his company loyally for over 30 years, he happily retired.

Several years later, the company contacted him regarding a seemingly impossible problem they were having with one of their multimillion dollar machines. They had tried everything and everyone to get the machine fixed, but to no avail. In desperation, they called on the retired engineer who had solved so many of their problems in the past.

The engineer reluctantly took the challenge. He spent a day studying the huge machine. At the end of the day, he marked a small “x” in chalk on a particular component of the machine and proudly stated, “This is where your problem is.”

The part was replaced and the machine worked perfectly again. The company received a bill for $50,000 from the engineer for his services. They demanded an itemized accounting of his charges.

The engineer responded:

One chalk mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1
Knowing where to put it . . . . . . . $49,999

# As sent to me by my x-course mate 4 years ago.. Photo credit to Google image http://www.apartmenttherapy.com..

p/s: Knowledge is POWER.. The one who knows the 'HOW' will always be the worker.. The one who understands the 'WHY' will always be the boss.. ~ Mr. Boss.. (^_-)v

Marah? Think Again..

Assalamu'alaikum..

Beberapa hari kebelakangan ni, I've been feeling or should I say, experiencing a lot of hot aura around me.. Macam gunung berapi nak meletus, camtu!

People will say, “Well, what do u expect? Life is not a bed of roses.. There were also a lot of thorns.. U cannot change it!” True, it's a fact.. U can’t convert the thorns to roses, but u can manage the thorns, so that it won’t be poking u all the time.. The action that u take will differentiate u from others.. Don’t u think so? =)

Tp sayangnya, tak semua orang sedar hakikat ni, n how we react to an occasion will eventually affect our lives.. N who we are as Muslims..

Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda yang bermaksud: "Sesungguhnya marah adalah secebis api yang dinyalakan dalam hati. Tidakkah engkau melihat kepada kedua-dua matanya yang merah dan urat-urat lehernya yang menggelembung? Maka apabila salah seorang daripada kamu berasakan sesuatu dari yang demikian, maka rapatkan diri kamu ke muka bumi (duduk menenangkan diri atau sujud kepada Allah)." (Riwayat al-Tirmidzi).

If something that we planned didn’t turn out to be as expected, what will people normally do? Since I can feel there are a lot of negative charges around me, yg asyik nak meletup je, so I will share this interesting anger management article wrote by Dr. Stephen R. Covey.. (I personally like his book on 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.. U should try reading it..) 

https://www.stephencovey.com/

So, to all readers out there, happy reading! =)

"Discover the 90/10 Principle. 

It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations).

What is this principle?  10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is

decided by how you react. 

What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. 

We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which

throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic.

We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the

other 90%.

How? ……….By your reaction.

You cannot control a red light. but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool

you; YOU can control how you react.

Let's use an example.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee

onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened. 

What happens next will be determined by how you react. 

You curse.

You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in

tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup

too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs

and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy

crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.

Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your

daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph

speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home.

When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse

and daughter.

Why? …. Because of how you reacted in the morning. 

Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?

B) Did your daughter cause it?

C) Did the policeman cause it?

D) Did you cause it?

The answer is "D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5

seconds is what caused your bad day.

Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry.  You gently say, "It’s ok

honey, you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush

upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time

to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and

waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss

comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference? 

Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why?

Because of how you REACTED.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was

determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

• If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.
• How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? 
• Do you lose your temper? 
• Pound on the steering wheel?  (A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off)
• Do you curse?
• Does your blood pressure skyrocket?
• Do you try and bump them?

WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work?  Why let the cars ruin your drive?

Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.

1. You are told you lost your job.
• Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. 
• Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.
2. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. 
• Why take outpour frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on.
• Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse.

Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results.

You will lose nothing if you try it. The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. 

The result? 

Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.

It CAN change your life!!!"

So friends, it doesn't matter how n where u start, but how n where u end will single u out from the rest.. The next time u feel like nak marah somebody, try apply this principle.. Don't waste your time cursing n blaming the cause, use the time to think of the best solution.. OK?! (^_-)v

(Photo credit to: http://endlesslightandlove.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/question-mark.jpg)

p/s: Jangan marah2.. Nanti cepat tua.. Senyum2 selalu.. =)