By Sarah Rashdi
GOMBAK, 16 March 2022: Upon celebrating the day of victory, a chapter has ended and a new one begins, according to Muhammad Aqlan bin Mohd Zaki.
He was a representative of graduands from the Kulliyyah of Medicine (KOM) and was honoured as the Best Student (overall) of undergraduate level from KOM at the 7th session of 36th Convocation yesterday.
“Today, a chapter has ended with this celebration of victory, though another one has begun. It is time to bid farewell to the student’s life, which was full of struggles and anxiety, especially during the pandemic. Those days where the world went chaotic with not a day passed without a single death, truly, the end seems so far during that time,” said Muhammad Aqlan.
He also highlighted the sacrifices of his parents and family that made him the one who stands on the stage, in front of thousands of eyes watching him.
“My parents are always there for me when I truly need them, as well as my family. I can’t ever repay their greatest sacrifice for me and only Allah can repay them,” he said.
Reminiscing through his journey to finish his undergraduate study, one obstacle after another kept coming, as he approached towards the ending.
“I always take good care of my relationship with Allah and never once have I ever missed to make do’a. During my freshman year until now, I have started working, it is a habit of mine to ask my parents to make do’a for me. It is indeed the most powerful weapon for us,” he told IIUMToday.
He also added that keeping a good circle of friends is very important because it acts as one of the contributing factors towards his road to success.
“The support that I received from my friends helped me to stay motivated throughout my study. I started my journey as someone who loves to study on his own but I found that studying in a group added more flavour to my student’s life,” he said.
He emphasised the need to never skip a day without studying in life because it has become the greatest help for him to face the obstacles smoothly.
“Always steal some of your time to study every single day. Cumulatively, I spent two hours per day studying despite being busy with my work. Not necessarily to study two hours straight, but try to break it off to 10 minutes per session. That is my secret to success.”
“Being grateful is the simplest thing ever but the hardest to do when stuck in a hardship. That’s why it is very important for us to always remember to be grateful and be patient when faced with difficulty,” he added.
Muhammad Aqlan has now officially ended his undergraduate study from KOM to face with his new beginning as a medical doctor at IIUM Medical Centre, Kuantan.***