The bridge between student life and the real world - My Graduation!

On the 19th day of December 2009, I got my first degree in Design.

It was a very memorable day! Entering the hall with butterflies dancing in my tummy, I felt a mixture of different feelings - sad, happy, overwhelmed, nervous, excited, Ecstatic!

We felt like big celebrities as we entered the hall. Photographers, proud parents and other loved ones snapped our photos from every angle as we made our way to our seats.

I was really happy to be selected as an award winner! I won an award for "Best in Advertising Design" and I felt like my hard work had really paid off after all the years of Designaholism :)
This is where I must thank God for giving me the strength to help me through the enduring times, especially in my last semester when I had just lost my father. I don't know how I manage to get everything done. Thank you God.

I also thank Mostafa for his support, inspiration and strength during the breakdowns, company during the lonely days and nights and help in my photography-related assignments by being the best model I could ever find! Thank you so much Mushy!!

I thank my family - Mom, dad and sis for their support and allowing me to go for my dreams. Without my dreams I am just a little living veggie. Thank you so much!

Last but not the least, I thank my friends for the inspiration. Advertising is all about thinking for creative ideas. When my mind couldn't think of any more ideas, discussing them with friends really helped to expand them. My friends also helped lighten those dark cloudy days when stress took over my life!

Oh, I must also thank Starbucks and Coffee in general! Most of my best ideas came over coffee!! :)

As I say goodbye to my student life at Limkokwing University, I feel a sense of pride. I learnt a lot in my stay here. From the little girl who was used to being spoonfed, I have evolved into the young woman who can take care of herself no matter what situation she is in.

For those reading my blog, I will sign off by giving a few words of advice.
- Never underestimate yourself - if others can do it, so can you, they are humans too after all!
- People will always try to bring you down. Ignore them and show them what you can do!
- Loneliness is just a state of mind. You can use your time alone in doing things that you always wanted to do, in building a better future by fully utilizing your time. Do anything. Just don't waste it by feeling lonely. You know what they say about idle minds!
- Don't forget to pray! Always remember God at all times.

I will end here for now; When I am more successful, I will add a few more words of advice. I still have a lot of mistakes to make and learn from for now :)

Reflecting on my Goals

When I enrolled for BA in Graphic Design, I knew that the field I would thrive in was Advertising.
I loved it from the time I heard about it. I enjoyed it from from the time I was younger and would lip sync or act out all those ads that came up on TV!

What should one do when he or she is faced with a dilemma - A love for Graphic Design and a deeper love for writing?
The solution is simple, combine the two and go for Advertising!

That is exactly what I did and I must say, I loved it!

Every waking hour in this field was spent in research and thinking of the craziest ideas for the craziest products! I mean, seriously! It was a wild ride. We had products such as memorial parks, adult shops, beers, singlets and what not!

One person who made this great fun was my lecturer Mr. Henry Lee - he taught with passion and dedicated all his time to students. With him, it felt like working in a real agency. I can never thank him enough for the knowledge he instilled in us.

Now that graduation is approaching, I have discovered I am once again a top student in my Advertising class :) I feel really motivated to pursue my career in this field and I really hope the universe helps me get to that.

Thank you all! and keep checking to see my work posted here! :-)