Sherlyn Chan Huei Shan (in the photo above) at the IMU Pharmaceutical Chemistry Programme 10th Anniversary Celebrations
I have a huge interest in the cosmetic field since I was in secondary school. After completing my Unified Certificate Exam (UEC) under the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (MICSS) system, I started looking for degree courses that can prepare me for my future career. I was introduced to a degree course, BSc(Hons) Pharmaceutical Chemistry offered by International Medical University (IMU) at an education exhibition. I went through a series of good reviews and feedbacks about this course from the Internet and I started my university days 2 months after I received my UEC results. It was the best decision I have ever made, and I never regret it.
The journey began where an island girl like me put herself in a new environment to thrive and grow into a person where she always dreamed of. I was shy and was not a very sociable person, and I was afraid that I could not blend into the new environment well. Fortunately, however, things turned out much better than I had expected. The people at IMU, my course mates, lecturers and mentor are friendly, thoughtful and accommodating.
University days were tough, but I was so lucky the have the support from my peers and family when there were hard times. My course mates and I always study and do revisions together after class. Everyone was not egotistical, we shared and exchanged our knowledge to ensure that we all passed the semester together, leaving nobody behind. Furthermore, I always kept in touch with my mentor to update him about my recent activities in the campus. I shared everything with him, my secrets, my thoughts, my happiness and also my problems. He was never tired of cheering me up and giving me valuable advice, telling me that I can do better all the time. It was a pleasure to meet all these kind-hearted people and I still cherish the journey I had with them.
Besides attending lectures in class, there were assignments, presentations, problem-based learning and other different kinds of teaching and learning sessions. All these had built in me a strong foundation in presentation and academic writing. With all these practices, I am now able to view my ideas and point of view in the meeting room together with my colleagues from different backgrounds at work.
Furthermore, we had field visits to several companies to observe and to explore the working world led by our lecturers.
There was a field visit for each semester to companies such as the wastewater treatment centre, the Malaysia Nuclear Agency as well as a pharmaceutical company. We got to ask a lot of questions regarding the process, the history and others.
I gained a lot of new knowledge, and it also expanded my worldview. I was even more determined in choosing the cosmetic field as my career path in the future that time.
There were a lot of events organised by us, the Pharmaceutical Chemistry students, such as the annual Pharmaceutical Chemistry Week. The purpose of this event is to appreciate the hard work of all the researchers, lecturers and students and showcase it to the public. In 2019, we built the largest 3D periodic table made from recycled materials which marked a new anecdote in the Malaysia Book of Records. It was a big achievement for all of us.
During the event, there were different counters showing different simple experiments where all the visitors could join the hands-on activity such as making soap, lip balm, edible caviar and extracting crystals from aspirin tablets. It was a great experience for me to demonstrate the hands-on activities and to socialise with the people around. Organising an event was not easy, but with the cooperation, support and assistance of everyone, the event ran smoothly from the beginning to the end.
These were a small part of my university days. There were a lot more exciting activities and events held on-campus or off-campus. I really enjoyed the days attending lectures, organising and participating in activities together with my course mates and friends. I believe it will be one of the best memories of my life. I have already graduated, and am now working in a cosmetic OEM company, which I have always dreamed of. I am glad that I had made the right decision of pursuing my tertiary education at the International Medical University.
Written by Sherlyn Chan Huei Shan
Related article: The Elements Revealed: IMU Built Largest 3D Periodic Table From Recycled Materials
