By, Halimatul Saadiah Pairit
GOMBAK, 17 November 2024: Given the expertise she wanted to pursue was offered only at the IIUM, Syarifah Zahrah Syed Khalid seized the opportunity to be a khalifah educated in the university also known by the slogan, Garden of Knowledge and Virtue, by enrolling in its postgraduate program—Master of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Heritage in Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion. She was conferred her master’s degree and presented with the Best Student Award in IIUM’s 40th Convocation at IIUM Gombak, today.
In an exclusive interview with IIUMToday, she commented on the uniqueness of the IIUM as the only university that teaches its students to critically learn not only from one perspective but from many perspectives. She conveyed that she was blessed with the opportunities to understand different views from different religions, which acted as an eye-opener for her.
She claimed that learning has been her passion since the beginning. Be it learning formally from the lecturer or informally from any stranger. However, learning face-to-face is always her favorite because she is able to constantly interact with other people, although many might favour online classes due to their flexibility. “Knowledge is everywhere, even if it is from different perspectives. We are able to learn such new perspectives and learn their points of view,” she added.
Still, life is never a bed of roses. A best student also faces challenges like every person does. According to her, the master’s course required her to learn the Arabic language, which covered 30 percent of the coursework. “But it is not a big deal. Everyone is facing similar challenges,” she commented, proving herself to be one of the passionate learners that always faced difficulties and perceive them as a new stepping stone for a improving herself.
When being asked about her advice to other students who are struggling in their studies, she mentioned that the struggle is real. Most important is how to deal with all the challenges. She believes that one has to search for the best solution for themselves and not depend on solutions from others.
“Regardless of the perception of others and what they said to you, just do it. Do it for you. Regardless of the difficulty,” she added. Motivation plays a vital role in overcoming challenges. “If you do not motivate yourself, then who’s going to do it?”
Apart from that, studying at the IIUM has always been a joyous moment for her because of the culture and the food itself. She mentioned that as the Garden of Knowledg and Virtue, the IIUM brings together different people from different backgrounds, be it the language, nationality, culture, or even food. All of the fascinating differences caused her to fall in love with the IIUM and truly want to be a proud product of the university.***
