"Art Courses are Useless", Hee En Qi Breaks the Stigma, from Science Stream to Art Degree

I am En Qi from Sungai Buloh, Selangor and I am 22 years old. I am currently studying B.A. (Hons) English for Professionals in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang.

The reason why I chose Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was pretty straight forward: I wanted to study in Penang. I visited Penang with my family when I was 15 and I fell in love with the island. From the lovely sea view to the amusing historical sites, I decided that Penang was my ideal city to live. Hence, when I was applying to UPU, I listed USM as my first few options without any hesitation.

I have always loved writing. I've been keeping a blog since I was fourteen and I decided that I wanted to pursue a degree in English. It was shocking to my friends because I did both SPM and STPM in science. Despite the stereotypes of ‘art courses are useless’, I decided to go after my passion and I have never looked back ever since. Other than my major, I am also taking French as my minor and Spanish as my elective. As a language enthusiast, I am proud to say that I know seven languages (although I only speak four of them fluently).

Picnic with my French lecturer and classmates in USM

Studying languages is very different from studying sciences. Unlike science subjects, there is no standard answer in languages. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. In these art subjects, there are endless ways on how we can create or interpret a language. However, it can also a struggle as there is no formulas on how we could improve and grasp the languages.

Emcee for USM Mid-Autumn Festival

Thanks to the helpful lecturers, I managed to score dean’s list for my first 3 semesters in USM. I was fortunate enough to receive Kuok Foundation Wilmar Scholarship later on to fund my undergraduate study in USM. With the financial aid I’ve received, I get the chance to fully engage myself in my university life. In the past two years, I became an emcee for USM Mid-Autumn Festival and also Chinese New Year Gala Celebration. As I was passionate in performing arts, I played a role in a theatre show and also participated in a dance performance for a charity event. Through these events, I got to expand my social circle and even made some long-lasting friendships in university.

My exchange programme at University of Glasgow, Scotland

Being one of the top students in my class, my deputy dean had also nominated me for a student exchange programme to University of Glasgow, Scotland. With the ERASMUS+ International Credit Mobility scholarship, I got the chance to spend a semester studying in University of Glasgow. It was a definitely dream-come-true because with my financial background, I could never imagine myself studying in the United Kingdom. During my semester abroad, I learned about the Scottish culture such as Ceilidh, tried out gymnastics for the first time with the Gymnastics Club and also met many international friends. It was a truly wonderful life experience.

In the future, I plan to further my study and complete a PhD in the field of languages and linguistics. I enjoy conducting research observing how languages affect the way we think and how our cultures affect our languages. In addition, I hope to write fictional books or screenplay as I enjoy story-telling. Becoming a best-selling author would definitely be my ultimate dream in life.

For the students who are yet to decide which university to go, USM, being the only APEX university in Malaysia, should definitely be one of your choices. The main campus offers student accommodation, sports facilities and two libraries with discussion rooms ideal for group assignments. Co-curriculum activities are also offered, ranging from swimming to archery to latin dance to painting. If you enjoy taking part in events or co-curricular activities, you can expect to have a fun enjoyable university life here!

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