DREAM COMES TRUE

According to the dictionary, ambition is a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. My teacher often reminds every one of us to choose our career before sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) which is the Malaysian Certificate of Education. 

At that time, I didn’t have any specific career that I liked. After asking the counsellor teacher and did some researches, I am interested to further my studies in education field. I would like to become a teacher. Generally, a teacher is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue. They help students learn by imparting knowledge to them and by setting up a situation in which students can and will learn effectively.

As the time went on, I finished my high school life. I spent almost three months at home before attending any interview for admission to university. I think I was clueless because I don’t know what to do for the first month. Thus, my father asked me to help him with his work. My father is a modern farmer. He grows chili by fertigation method. I helped my father sow chili seeds, fill coconut coir in the polybags and transfer the seedlings to the polybags after a few months.

It's such a valuable experience for me. My father taught me the difficulties that I need to face in life. If we don’t have money, do some work. Money will not come to you if you don’t have an effort. I don’t quite remember how much I got from my wages but I got almost RM 200. My efforts have paid off. 

My father always says this sentence to me and my siblings. 

“I bought this land for all of you. If it’s not you who helped me, who else should?”

Thanks to my father, I got many knowledge about fertigation method in agriculture. Besides that, I got to know many people especially people from my father’s village. It was so awkward at first because I seldom talk and did not know how start the conversation with outsider. As the time went on, I’m already used to the situation. It is because I met my father’s workers, my father’s friend in agriculture field and the villagers every day.

 Even though I spent a lot of time helping my father, it did not change my desire to become a teacher.

Finally, after a long wait, the SPM results were announced on 8 June 2023. My counsellor teacher encouraged my friends and I to fill all of the online application to further our studies. For example, filled my favourite course and university in UPU website. UPU stands for Unit Pusat Universiti which is University Central Unit. Other than that, I also filled the online application for the Malaysian Matriculation Programme. This programme is a one-year pre-university preparatory programme offered by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Besides that, I filled the online application for Institute of Teacher Education (IPG).

For the scholarship, I tried to ask for Yayasan Terengganu, Public Service Department (JPA) and Young Talent Development Programme which is under Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA). MARA is a Malaysian government agency. It was formed to aid, train and guide Bumiputra (Malays and indigenous Malaysians) in the areas of business and industry. Same goes to Public Service Department.

After a few weeks, I got an interview from Institute of Teacher Education. It made me so delighted. I’m so excited and can’t wait for that day. I prepared and fulfilled all of the terms such as provide teaching aids because I needed to pretend to be a teacher in the interview. 

I chose a topic about prayers during the interview session. I think this topic need to be taken into account by students especially primary school students. As the Malay proverb says, let it be from the bamboo shoot. When they get used to perform prayers five times in a day and perform them on time, it will not be a problem in the future. There will not be an issue about the teenagers who do not know how to perform prayers when they have reached their puberty.

The Prophet says, “Command your children to establish prayer when they are seven years old and beat them (if they do not want to perform it) when they are ten years old. And separate the beds between them.”

It is a suitable age for parents to teach their own children about performing prayers but some parents are too busy. Their children were neglected and did not receive the teachings of prayer from their parents. 

After finishing my interview, I felt so relieved and hoped that I got the offer. While waiting for the result day, I attended some other interviews as well. Thankfully, all of the interviews made me learn something new. For example, my communication skill, my confident level and my knowledge are better than before.

Time passed quickly. I remembered vividly the moment I want to check my interview result on Institute of Teacher Education’s website. I opened the website with a pounding heart. I’m really happy after seeing the word ‘you got accepted’ on the website. My mother cried happily because it is also her dream to make me becoming a teacher. After all, she was also happy that I followed in her footsteps.

Actually, my interest in becoming a teacher partly came from my observation of my mother. My mother feels contented when doing her work as a teacher. My mother once said, “It is a relieve and satisfaction when your students understand what you are teaching in front of the class.” I understand my mother's feelings at that time because I have felt those feelings too. I used to be a young teacher in the study group and teach my friends. My friends excitedly told me that they finally understand the topic we learned in our study group.

Finally, I have taken one step to achieve my ambitions and dreams. I was determined that I would not waste my chance.