By Athira ABD Latiff
GOMBAK, 7 December 2022: Initially pursued the pure sciences stream of chemistry, biology, and physics in her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Wan Nur Aimie Binti Wan Mohd Affendi from the Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS) championed her struggles despite the shift in academic background.
Aimie was conferred with a bachelor’s degree yesterday (6 December) at IIUM’s 38th Convocation Ceremony and awarded the Best Student in Islamic Accounting despite not having a background in accounting upon completing her SPM.
In an exclusive interview with IIUMToday, Aimie admitted that after two years of learning science subjects for her SPM, she did not find herself enjoying it, and learned for the sake of getting good SPM results.
“However, I don’t have any regrets whatsoever having learned the sciences subjects as they are still acquired knowledge that may be beneficial to me and others,” she added.
Consequently, Aimie shared that she obtained basic accounting skills during her foundation years at IIUM as a result of her decision in pursuing accounting for her bachelor’s degree.
“Due to the lack of background in accounting, I struggled a bit during my bachelor years as we only learned basic accounting skills you would learn in Form four,” she emphasised.
Aimie noted that the struggles she faced early on were managed with proper self-studies and group studies, as well as proactively asking questions when uncertainty arose regarding materials covered in classes or for exams.
She stressed that “if there is something you don’t understand, you should not be afraid to ask. When people are asked to assist, they’ll gladly lend a hand.”
“Time management is also essential for one to achieve what they wish for. Accounting requires hefty practice so if there is no time management, you’re only burdening yourself,” Aimie further emphasised as she worked as a part-time lifeguard at IIUM’s swimming pool during her last semester.
In her concluding remarks, Aimie took the opportunity in the interview to express her utmost gratitude to her fellow classmates, lecturers, and most importantly her family members for lending her moral support.
“Without them and the endless support they provided me, I would not be able to achieve where I am now.” ***