Studying abroad is a great opportunity to carve your own path and make plans for your future. Yaarshvinie is an international student at Athlone IT and in this blog she shares the steps she has taken to develop herself and her career…
As a kid I always had this annoying line to ask my beloved father and our conversations would go a little like this…
- Me: What happens when we grow up?
- Dad: Well, you get education and find yourself a suitable job
- Me: Next?
- Dad: Once you start earning decent income you get a place of your own.
- Me: Nexttttt?
- Dad: If you think you are ready you meet someone nice and marry them
- Me: And then?
- Dad: You start a family and continue your responsibility as a parent to make your kids useful humans to this planet
- Me: Next?
- Dad: Years go on and after some time you will finally be with God.
- Me: That’s it? What happens next?
- Dad: Maybe we should wait and see? It’s not fun if you know all the answers now. Especially when you are just 8! *before proceeding to start the tickle war
Years have passed but my habit detailed above is still the same. The moment I start a new mission my mind rambles on to think of the next. During my teenage years I overworked myself because of this but, eventually I learnt how to stream it into something positive. I personally believe keeping yourself busy helps to keep your mind sharp at any age. In this blog, I wanted to share some snippets of how I keep myself busy…
As an accounting student, I eagerly wanted to apply the knowledge from the finance world to make some cash. At 19 I started investing in the share market with my father. It has been 3 years and as part of my daily routine I check Bursa Malaysia, which is pretty much like the Nasdaq. I read company financial statements, market prediction global financial news to yield profit from my shares. This not only keeps my mind bustling all day long, I get to fund my own expenses and to have the pride of not having to ask money from my dad.
Growing up, I was one of those ‘braggy’ types who thought I had impeccable communication skills. This was proved wrong when I was asked to give an impromptu speech and I completely froze. Since this weakness was identified, I joined Toastmasters International to brush up my public speaking skills. The weekly meetings are one of the best platforms for networking and developing social contacts.
Apart from that, volunteering had to be in my schedule because I strongly believed everyone has to contribute something to the society. As part of the Gateway Project volunteer, my task was to tutor high school students. The satisfaction you receive by helping someone is invaluable and irreplaceable as well. Not to forget sports, I play badminton for the AIT college team and it is probably one of the best ways to burn some calories in a country where it is so hard to sweat!
All these things don’t just keep me busy, they help me to grow, to break out of my shell and explore the vast possibilities. If you are afraid of doing something that challenges you that is exactly what you are supposed to do. Every time your heart starts to beat out of your chest from fear, being uncomfortable, or getting stuck in a new place where nothing is familiar, it’s a great reminder that you’re alive!