In a glimpse of an eye, we have reached the end of our first semester in ASASIpintar. Time sure flies when we are having fun. Truly, the past few months studying in Pusat PERMATApintar Negara had been enjoyable because of the complete facilities and the conducive learning environment, thrilling as the variety of courses attempts to develop different rationales of the mind and challenging at the same time because these tough subjects are structured in a way that it probes the reasoning ability and true understanding of students toward a topic. One of the most exciting feature of the course for me is the manifestation of independent learning. Students were sundered from the norm where educators tend to conform to the spoon-feeding approach, and instead were required to self-study, where the importance of initiative comes to view.  

If you’d ask me, I would say that my favourite subject in the course would definitely be Language and Literary Appreciation. I for one am a keen English learner who loves to read and would always strive to improve my language skills. This subject certainly aided me to comprehend and appreciate the language more. By studying poems, stories and novels of different genre, I was exposed to more mature topics such as patriotism, crimes, traditions and religions, war, social pressure and love. I was able to adopt the different styles of writing – the fun, chick-lit and liberating style of Love in a Headscarf, the stern and harsh way of Independence Day, the random but clever style of The Tell-Tale Heart…. It is obvious that these had molded me into a better writer and a wider reader.

Another fulfilling experience obtained from the subject would be the production of our Creative Project. I now understand the hardship, stress and struggle behind every movie produced, as the process is not as leisurely as it seems. It is true that one would not be able to grasp its arduousness and complexity unless after a first-hand experience. All the sacrifice, toil and labour from actors, producers, and crew, be it on screen or behind-the-scenes, contribute to the perfection of the project. A movie is surely not a something that can be accomplished by a single person only because it needs a collaboration of many teams for various tasks, working as one along the way to completion.

Last but not least, I was able to equip myself with a handful new skills and tools in the language. An intriguing exposure was the training in academic writing, where we were taught on how to draft and finally produce a research proposal. As enthralling as it sounds, research is a world without bounds, where all sorts of questions are continually being generated, and answers unfold themselves to the researcher. Academic writing, which differs from freelance writing in every way, plays a crucial role in research, and through the help of the course, I have embarked on my journey as a young researcher, and believe that it will go on along the way to university and post-graduation, searching for and unveiling solutions and answers that will make the world a better place, and would assist in shaping mankind as a race that is most knowledgeable and capable. I have realized that research is the key to wisdom – the more we adventure, the more we will discover.

As a whole, the course had sculpted me as a more mature individual, and I have forged friendships which I am sure would last forever, while the subject had reinforced my foundation of the language and had elevate the height that I could reach as a user of the language. The casual and moderate delivery of the subject was what made me passionate and energetic about the language, and had caused me to look forward to every lesson to come. Despite the unwanted ending of this semester, I vow and resolve to be persistent in enriching myself with the command and competence of the language which is yet to be acquired.

Quatre Plat,

Josh