Hello people of the earth except for those who support Dai Syed.

This post is going to be a random post- just to remind myself I got a blog to update sebab sekarang ni macam tengah free sikit muehehe. If you are not aware, I've started my postgrad journey (master of sciences by research) at UTHM in September 2019. Setelah beberapa kali tukar tajuk, dari evolutionary genetic, kepada behaviour and ecology, akhirnya research aku is on DNA and feeding behaviour of primate (tajuk betul dirahsiakan selagi paper tak publish). Walaupun takde yang kisah, bagilah aku chance nak fefeeling macam public figure sikit (#FollowersPerluTahu) ahahaha. Alhamdullilah, after a year, I've submitted my thesis and currently getting ready for my pre-viva next week. Even study plan terpaksa extend sikit dari yang dirancang disebabkan pandemic ni, alhamdullilah urusan masih dipermudahkan. Weekends, public holidays dan tidur sepanjang tahun ni yang aku korbankan untuk pergi ke fieldwork, buat lab dan writing pun nampaknya have been paid off. Alhamdullilah, alhamdullilah. Terima kasih kepada kawan-kawan yang sentiasa membantu dan menemani (especially Syu, Meng, As, Jimi dan sayang saya Iqram). It was a hella journey but it was worth it. Sebab banyak experience, new skills and knowledge I've learned and acquired along the way (pictures attached below). Yang penting, kena sentiasa terbuka untuk menerima ilmu baru dan grab every oppurtunities yang ada, do not focus only on your research. Tips aku, banyak-banyakkanlah membantu kawan-kawan postgrad korang yang buat research lain when they need a hand, alang-alang tu, belajar dari mereka (make sure kerja korang pun jalan tau, jangan tinggalkan pulak haha). Selain tu bila kita tolong orang, urusan kita pun inshallah dipermudahkan.

I learned taxidermy, how to extract plant phytochemical, DNA extraction, DNA metabarcoding, analysis using various software and many more. Through all that, I was fortunate enough to know ramai orang yang baik who help me- dari UKM, PERHILITAN, GeoPark and banyak lagi (😭💓) So, here's some of our photos :) My first time extracting DNA of primate- menangis weh time ni sebab tak berjaya and baju terkenal fecal ew. Sebab I was a fieldwork girl, observing primate behaviour in the jungle is my kind of forte.

To be honest, waktu awal nak sambung study tu I wasn't so sure nak sambung ke tak sebab takut tak dapat focus and tak dapat graduate on time. After few consultations and prayers and after I've gone through this, yes, IT WAS NOT EASY, AT. ALL. lagi-lagi if your postgrad mode is by research yang everything is on your own. I breakdown too many times and even ada satu masa tu I burnout, can't do my works for more than a week. BUT, don't worry. As long as you know how to manage your time and you have clear goals on what you want to do, inshallah everything will be fine. Siapa nak tolong decide and guide? Your supervisor. Your supervisor will play a very important role in your postgrad study, can't deny. So choose your supervisor wisely, get to know them first, do some background research, ask his/her students how s/he is before you decide. Kalau kau beriya nak cepat siapkan but your supervisor doesn't have the same intention as you are pun tak guna. I've seen so many cases like this. Alhamdullilah my supervisor is not like that and he's the one who guides me and believes in me when I don't even. So, bila dapat supervisor yang baik macam tu, don't take them for granted, meet them regularly to update and discuss your next move, respect them and try not to disappoint them. By "discuss your next move", I mean you are the one who presents your plan and then baru ask them for suggestions and advice, bukan expect them to spoon-feed you pula, you are not an undergrad student lagi. Banyakkan membaca articles and research papers regarding your topics, that helps a lot.

And, I personally think one of the reasons why my postgrad journey sangat exciting is because I have someone I can emotionally rely on other than my family *uhuk as in someone I loved*- mannnn, I am so glad I got you this year. So, adalah juga exciting moment sekali-sekala dalam my stressful and exhausting journey ni. Walaupun kami dapat jumpa once every 6 months, I don't mind (tipu) because we can focus on our self-development, ceh. He's been focusing and hustling with his study projects and works (yes, he's working while studying which is so wow, I am impressed), so we understand each other struggles and try hard to be there for one another. If you read this, I wanted to say that I am proud of you and your achievements. May you achieve all your dreams, including me, your dream girl muehehe. Ok taknak cerita banyak pasal ni, malu ihik.

So, he met my family and I met his, hampir gugur jantung saya ye haha. Mohon doakan yang baik-baik.

I'm going to end this entry with my acah scientist picture. We once had a photograph session in the lab, so here's the outcome. Bye guys, till later. Pray for me, semoga Heidi dapat buat pre-viva dan viva dia dengan cemerlang dan gemilang. Aminnnnn 💗

Labels: Advice, Life