Kalau sesapa kenal aku, they sure know aku suka tgk bola... Dulu kt Msia, bila makcik aku dapat tiket free pastu offer kt aku, mesti aku tak tolak punya ;) Kalau tiket bola pasukan negeri dlm msia tu, aku beli la, affordable... tp kkdg bantai tiket free gak.. hihi (budget punya org)
Kali ni, aku jauh beribu batu, mmg payah le nk dpt tiket free from my aunt... so this time, I look for free or discounted tickets for any football matches dkt Fast Friends & Student Union...
Kebetulan two of my Msian friends kt sini pun berkobar2 nk pegi & dh ambik tiket, aku pun join la... We went to watch Manchester United vs Newcastle United at St James Park Stadium...
View drp tmpt ddk kitaorg..
Dlm perjalanan, masing excited, ye la, first time nk tgk EPL live.. selalu tgk kt tv je... plus my friends tu pulak peminat setia Manchester United... Tp sbb study kt Newcastle, so memasing control.. konon peminat Newcastle... heheh
We left quite early, sbb nk smpi awal... singgah Cottage Chicken beli makanan....
Memula nk masuk stadium, jenuh tanya sana sini, which pintu masuk ... pusing2 gak then baru jumpa... obvious first time... huhu...
Then, dh masuk, they checked our bags, then kami naik atas ke tempat duduk... we all dpt tiket kt Millburn Gate... adoii, banyaknya anak tangga dia... boleh kurus mcm ni....
Bila sampai, happy tak terkira... dpt posing jap & duduk makan our dinner sebelum start game..
Among the earliest to arrive
Bila stadium dh penuh... aura makin terasa... Kelab penyokong Manchester United antara yang paling bising... ... Aku sempat ambik video suasana stadium sebelum start game... Kelab Penyokong Manchester United kt atas sebelah kiri tu...
Masa kt stadium, sempat jugak masuk sports bar dia... quite big & nice... Then masa nak balik, sempat la g tggu dkt tmpt player keluar tu, saja nk tgk player live in person.. kot2 la dpt amik gambar or sign autograph ke kan...
Tp, aku ni perempuan, yang berebut2 semua besar2 drp aku... so sempat tgk je la, & snap gambar Chris Smaling drp dekat...I notice players Manchester United masa tu, xde la friendly sgt.. maybe sebab main kt Newcastle kot...
Hampa, aku jalan la ke tepi... sekali tgk kt dlm bas, Chris Smalling notice aku... ya, he saw me lepas naik bas tu... ok, suka la jap kan... Then, bila bas nak jalan, aku senyum & lambai kt dia... & Dia, Chris Smalling, lambai balik and senyum kt aku... ya, personally at me! Ok, walaupun aku idak le minat sgt kt Chris Smalling & Manchester United nie, tp his friendliness tetiba buat aku tanya Uncle Google pasal dia...
Balik rumah, happy... senyum sblm tido.... huhu....
Itulah my first experience gi tgk bola kt sini... nak pegi semua match maybe tak mampu, well student maaa.... budget kann... tp oklah.... maybe u guys ada pengalaman or tips tgk bola kt UK, boleh la nanti share with me ;)
Bulan 2 hari tu, aku yg duduk up north ni sempat la jugak jalan ke Manchester... it was just one day trip... but worth it. Sapa ddk Manchester mesti happy duduk sana kan... boleh tgk bola selalu.. release tension lepas pulun study... hehe...
Sebagai peminat EPL, aim aku kalau dapat melawat Manchester ialah, nk pi Old Trafford & Etihad Stadium. Oh, btw, aku bukan la peminat setia dua team ni, tp feel dpt pi EPL stadium tu, priceless... selalu tgk kt tv je, nk pi selalu, takde la mampu sgt buat masa ni...
Masa induction week, I got the info about Fast Friends, kelab universiti yg anjurkan trips around UK. So, apa lagi, aku pun join la. Aku straight away sign up utk join trip ke Manchester, which only cost me 15 Pound. Tapi, naik bas la, pegi balik 15 Pound kira berbaloi.... nak naik train pun dh berpuluh pound, naik bas, one way pun plg murah tak kurang drp 10 pound...
So, my advice, try your best utk join universiti punya induction week, and rajinkan diri ke student union... universiti selalunya ada anjurkan budget trips ni sepanjang tahun... boleh pegi tempat2 menarik dan meet more people, tanpa mengeluarkan belanja yg banyak...
Berbalik kepada my trip, first destination, I went to Old Trafford..
Depan stadium
Lepas tu, singgah Megastore dia... sempat la beli some souvenirs for some family and friends... amik order drp Malaysia pun ada, huhu.....
Then, I went to Etihad Stadium...
Masa ni, Etihad Stadium tgh renovation... tp sempat la jgk explore the place... the view is nice...
Then, I went to the city centre. Pusing2 keliling city centre, ambik gambar dgn burung merpati yg eksyen, tgk some interesting view around Manchester... tgk Manchester Metropolitan University & University of Manchester (dua2 uni yg aku pernah dpt offer, tp tak sempat nk pegi utk September intake) and singgah makan kat kedai arab...
Then, around 5.00pm, kitaorg bertolak balik.... bas kt sini on time, ok. So, xleh lambat ;)
Total cost transport & makan, around 21 pound... Oklah, kan... Looking for other budget trips after this... Almaklum, student kan... huhu..
Topik hari ni -IELTS - dengar je mesti ada yg tanya is there a way to be exempted, kan? Well, not everyone is lucky enough to be exempted. Takpe.... Don't worry, IELTS is not that difficult... think positive... Actually, taking IELTS can help to enhance your EAP (English for Academic Purposes) knowledge & skills. Plus, U wanna further ur studies in an English-speaking country, right? So, of course u need to prove ur ability to listen, read, speak n write in English.
Cheewah, kemain rationale nk kena amik IELTS tu kan? Sedapkan hati namanya... I myself did ask for exemption, but well, they said I left school more than 10 years ago, so I still have to take IELTS... Ok, fine.
So, what did I do after that?
Apa lagi, pulun cari info la. First, I get the background info of the test, the band descriptors, what the test format is and sample questions.
Ni antara website yg I refer to... (click on the links given)
Next, I pun siap sedia nk book date utk test... I need to sit for the exam bulan tu jugak, so I budget dalam 2 mggu lagi ke... sbb masa tu tgh ada training session dgn student Jepun... sekali tgk date, plg cepat ialah 2 hari lepas my training session with the Japanese students.... next ialah bulan depannya.......... Masak....
So, nak jadikan cerita, I only have about 2 days to really sit down n prepare for IELTS. Canggih, kan? Sgt menguji kesabaran....
Maka, lepas habis training session tu, zooommmm, drive ke MPH Bookstore. I bought Collins Practice Test for IELTS, RM64.90.
Other good books on IELTS Practice Test that u can buy are:
1. The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS Student's Book With Answers (with DVD-ROM)
RM 139.00 (agak mahal...)
2. IELTS Practice Tests: Four Tests for International English Language Testing System (With Key)
RM49.90
3. How to Master the IELTS: Over 400 Questions for All Parts of the International English Language Testing
System
RM74.90
For more reference books on IELTS, boleh refer @ MPH Website : MPH Online
My advice, kalau nak beli buku, beli satu cukup. Unless u have a lot of time to study all the books. No point beli buku tapi u don't have time to read it & jadi perhiasan je, betul tak?
Then, I subscribe to IELTS-Blog - this blog gives very useful tips and sample questions & answers for IELTS. Yg ni free sahaja.... Kalau u subscribe, they will email u some IELTS questions yg lepas drp pelbagai negara, so boleh la practice.
This ebook is also good, promoted dkt IELTS Blog tu... mmg useful (link kt bwh):
Jadi, ini je lah reference I utk IELTS practice... Collins Practice test tu dgn IELTS-Blog. I only have 2 days je pun nk prepare... byk2 sgt pun xsempat nak baca... If u guys xbeli buku pun xpe sebenarnya, u can get a lot of online materials..
So, for 2 days, rutin harianku ialah, bangun pagi, read the tips & strategies... then proceed with the practice test, rehat, makan, tgk tv (sempat g...), tgk facebook japp (sempat gak), sembang2 dgn my aunt, keluar jumpa kwn kejap, then sambung balik... Guys, kalau study non stop pun xsesuai.. nanti tepu ;)
I manage to finish all the practice test on listening & reading drp buku Collins Practice Test but wasn't able to do much practice on writing & speaking. For writing & speaking tu, sempat baca tips je.. So, my advice, prepare awal & manage ur time...supaya ada masa nk practice semua skills tu... Walau sehebat mana pun anda, u might still panic or get nervous kalau xpernah langsung tgk format soalan exam yg u nk ambik...
Exam Day
Bangun awal, seboleh2nya, buat solat hajat... bertolak ke tempat exam awal, supaya tak kelam kabut. Bila sampai, kena register dulu. Make sure u bring all the documents. Lepas register, ambik gambar, proceed ke tempat duduk. Bila tengah jawap soalan, jgn pandang org keliling... it will only make u more nervous n panic.
Masa listening exam tu, time is given for u to read the questions first. So, make sure u do read...sgt membantu... plus, kalau dia ulang2 perkataan tu, it might be the answer ;) ... Reading tu, use skim and scan techniques... kalau u read slowly, setiap patah perkataan, takut tak cukup masa... skim the text, baca soalan then scan for answers... more tips boleh tgk kt ielts blog, ielts textbook or target band 7 tu..
I made a mistake by being overexcited in answering my Task 1 Writing. Sedar2, dh 25 minutes. Tinggal 35 minutes for Task 2. Then, I start to panic. Tgk org sebelah, tgh laju menulis. Apa lagi, makin panic la... So, u guys jgn buat mcm ni. Abaikan org sekeliling, n jgn panik. Tarik nafas dalam2, concentrate n plan ur essay. Panic ni tak kira usia & pangkat...
My speaking test was 30 minutes after I finished my writing paper. Soalan dia semua general topic and berkaitan dgn diri dan pengalaman kita, and also general knowledge. So, no need to panic or be too nervous. U just need to practice & enhance ur vocab. Yg plg penting, practice cth2 soalan tu.
Bila result keluar, Alhamdulillah... lulus cemerlang... cuma kesal la jugak, kalau xterpanik masa writing, might get a higher score... Cita2 nk dpt Band 9... takpe, dh hampir le tu... think positive... Then, my ex-boss mintak tolong design IELTS course for the university. So, I pun compile la all the tips, strategies, sample questions & answers, teaching materials etc...
I notice a lot of people are anxious and worried, as MARA has yet to open the application for this year. So, today, I would like to share a list of scholarships available for Malaysians, besides MARA & Yayasan Daya Diri.
This is how the list looks like - great, isn't it?
I 'solute' the person who prepares this list. Senang nk tgk & compare, kan? But keep yourself updated as well... mana tau ada apa2 perubahan, penambahan etc.... If I am not mistaken, ada lagi some other scholarships offered by overseas and local institutions, universities etc... Kalau dpt list yg cantik I'll shared it here...
Sgt berbaloi kalau u guys subscribe, as each websites will update u about the scholarships available. Kalau ada masa, pegi jugak educational fair yang ada, kot2 ada lagi info baru...
Someone sent me this video, and I felt overwhelmed watching it.... Keeping a positive mind and being strong is vital in our lives....... All the feelings and thoughts I wanna share now is in this video... Hope it can inspire you or at least give you some motivation in going through life wherever you are....
Lepas seminggu dua kat sini, dah ada kawan nak jalan skit... Mula la explore kawasan.... Masa ni one of my classmate's birthday... Dia ajak pegi Castle Keep, dibina dlm tahun 1080 tak silap... Kitaorg share naik budget taxi untuk smpi sini sbb xtau jalan...
Sempat explore castle ni sikit, dpt feel aura zaman dolu2 kt britain... huhu... cuma masa ni, some kawasan dalamnya tengah dlm renovation, spring nanti baru siap.. So, will come again...
Pastu jalan kaki lintas bridge ke Gateshead... kt sini ada 7 jambatan...
Sampai Gateshead...depan city council
Then, we walked to The Sage
Kt cni masuk free n ada tour guide to show us around... The Sage ni adalah concert venue and also a centre for musical education. Kira landmark for North East Live Music. Ramai world class artists, musicians and bands buat live performance kt cni.
Next Destination, The Baltic..jalan kaki gak sebab dekat dgn The Sage
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is an international centre for contemporary art... so yg suka arts, boleh lawat tempat ni... mcm2 exhibition ada...
Baltic ni, bebetul sebelah Gateshead Millenium Bridge.... Sapa yang dtg area ni, should visit Gateshead Millenium Bridge... antara yg unik kt kwsn ni....
Rupa di siang hari
Permandangan di malam hari...
Ambik gambar lepas lintas jambatan...
Malam permandangan Gateshead Millenium Bridge ni cantik... warna lampunya bertukar setiap beberapa minit... It is actually a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne... so, pejalan kaki n penunggang basikal je boleh lalu atas jambatan ni...
Lepas tu, kitaorg lepak tepi bridge, sembang2... then balik umah memasing... Ni la first time jalan kt kawasan Newcastle upon Tyne ni.. kira boleh kurang berat badan ni sbb semua jalan kaki, kecuali masa nk gi Castle Keep je... masih byk tempat nak explore.. bila free, boleh la jalan lagi... release tension lepas study buku2 tebal Applied Linguistics tu... huhu
Welcome to my post... flashback masa bertolak & first day menjejakkan kaki ke UK....
I did my packing last minute, and my advice to all of u, JANGAN! DON'T! Kalau ada free time tu, sila lah start packing ... jangan ikut contoh tak baik aku nih... sampai my father n sisters kena turun padang tolong aku packing last minute... huhu... start packing awal ni boleh elakkan kelam kabut sebelum bertolak... n to avoid panicking before departure... kalau nk checklist, ada kt previous post, but rough idea je yg tu... U guys might have ur own checklist..
Hari nak bertolak tu, macam2 perasaan ada... sedih, terharu, gembira, excited... bercampur baur... macam xpercaya je aku dah nak bertolak... Sampai airport awal, sembang2 dengan family and friends yang sudi datang hantar aku... then check in.... pastu tunggu flight.... Then board the plane... I was alone... takde student intake January course aku drp Malaysia.... lain2 student pun xde.. ramai dh pegi September & October...
Aku naik Fly Emirates, connecting di Dubai... Once u go to a foreign land, pastikan rajin baca signboard/signage & rajin bertanya... supaya tak sesat jalan ;) Dugaan masa naik flight? Ada Pak Arab nk ajak kawin... sesampai je Dubai, aku cabut g toilet, lama skit baru keluar.. tgk dia dh takde.. phewww
3 hours tggu flight ke Newcastle at Terminal 3, Dubai Airport. Sempat la ronda2 sikit. Cantik airport dia, plus mcm2 duty free barang kt ctu.... kalau yg kaki shopping tu, mmg dugaan... kena kuatkan semangat utk control diri ya ;)
Dubai Airport
Sebelum sampai UK, the steward & stewardess akan tanya nak Landing Card tak... Sila Ambik & Isi.... u gonna need it bila sampai nanti... kalau tak terpaksa pula isi bila semua tgh sibuk2 keluar drp plane & nk beratur through immigration tu.... So, better isi awal2...U will need to show the Landing Card plus ur passport, TB Test report, relevant docs masa smpi kt Immigration Officer tu...
UK Landing Card
Lepas ambik my luggage, keluar, then jumpa wakil university... Nampak diorg tgh pegang placard Northumbria University, terus excited. Alhamdulillah, aku dh selamat sampai... 17 jam kot perjalanan tu... sensorang plak... Syukur I've made it... They brought me straight to my accommodation, sign semua docs berkaitan then angkat bag masuk bilik...
It really helps to inform the university your arrival date... tak la terpinga2 masa sampai nanti... It is good also to join any fb groups berkaitan tempat u guys nak sambung belajar... Antara Group FB yang aku join ialah : Pascasiswazah Luar Negara Tajaan MARA, Persatuan Pelajar MARA UK & Balai Malaysia Newcastle. To those yang nak pergi Newcastle, Balai Newcastle boleh bantu nak cari accommodation... aku pun dh amik university accommodation baru tau pasal this group... duduk luar sometimes much cheaper drp duduk university accommodation... and diorg pun ada buat byk aktiviti, usrah dan sbgnya utk Malaysian students.. They r so helpful... Cuma jangan la tanya kt fb group tu soalan sama byk kali, yg org lain dh tanya... do take time to read the post and notes... and read up a bit about ur course, n the place u r going... In sha Allah, ramai yang akan cuba bantu... cuma u must also put in your effort... ;)
A few days after arrival, I went for the Induction programme... dapat la jumpa some Malaysians and other International students... Then I went for the course enrollment... settle semua, then proceed register with GP bwh NHS (medical coverage tu, kt sini, consultation free, tp ubat u have to pay...) n apply for Letter of Introduction - yg ni untuk buka bank account di UK... Aku bukak Llyods Bank, Islamic Account... Documents yang perlu hanya passport & letter of introduction from university...
Northumbria University
Lepas settle semua tu, aku lepak je kt bilik and survey kawasan ;) Next week tu baru kelas start... ;)
Maka lepas tu aku pun start explore tempat ni serba sedikit... will write about it sat gi... Cheers!
