I GOT INTO UiTM SHAH ALAM FOR CAT-ACCA!

Hello my beautiful readers,

As you all can tell by my caps lock and exclamation mark, I am very happy and pleased with myself. Alhamdulillah, I got into Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam for the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) professional qualification.

I found out on 10th of May 2014. 11th of May was when I could print out the Acceptance Letter and the forms I have to fill and bring on registration day.

I also found out what I got for UPU. I asked for Diploma of Accountancy at UiTM and they gave me Diploma Analisis Pelaburan (which is Investment Analysis) at UiTM Johor in Segamat.

I already rejected the offer for that one and accepted the offer for CAT.

I have loads of things to do. I need to buy stationary, clothes, food, toiletries etc. It's overwhelming really but I'm sure I'll get through it in the end.

I'm going for the registration on 2nd June 2014 at Kolej Seroja. As of now, I'm finished with certifying all the copies of my certificates at school.

I might write a new blog post when I get there but as of now, I'm pretty busy. I apologise in advance.

Yours,
Ainna Dean.

Read More

The Dreaded Interview

Hello

It has been quite a while since my interview and I haven't told you a thing about it until today, now as I'm typing this.

But first, let me tell you a little bit about why this interview was held. You see CAT-ACCA is a globally recognised UK qualification. All syllabus and exams are printed, answers and taught in english. Surely to learn it, you must be used to the language. This interview was to seek out first and foremost, the students who could understand and communicate in English. 

Shall we begin?

It was the 21st of April 2014, a Monday. A day dubbed by many as the worse day of the week. On that fine day at 8.30 am sharp, my interview will begin. I woke up at 5 and did what I normally do in the morning, shower, breakfast, the works. I had to go with my  father because my mother had to take care of the kids.

Slowly but surely we drove to UiTM Shah Alam and reached there in the nick of time. We were told the interviews will be held in "The Menara" as my father calls it on the very top floor, the 14th. I strut into the building with my head held high and armed by my high school transcripts I had in my hands in a green file. 

As I walked in, I could see people queuing for something. My father told me to queue while he went to check what was going on in front. We were queuing for the written essay test. They gave us 15 minutes, a topic and a rule, not more than 200 words. The topic that was given to me was "The Role of Accountants in Businesses and how this inspires you to continue your studies at UiTM". I wrote what I know in the best calligraphy that I could manage.

Afterwards, they told us to stay in this room, probably a classroom from the looks of it. It's funny how I imagined myself learning in a humongous lecture hall and it turned out to be just a regular classroom. I saw my schoolmate and felt relieved that I have found someone to share my anxiety.

We talked and talked until one of us were called upon. It was a group interview. Mine was 2 interviewers, 3 interviewees. The interviewers I got were both female, one a Malay and one a Chinese, both with extremely good fluid english. I was joined with two other boys, one from Kelantan and one from Gombak.

I was interviewed first, the questions were:
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why did you choose to take this course here?
3. Tell me two strengths of yours.
4. What trait should an accountant have?

All three of us got the same questions but the boy from Kelantan got a few more. You see, he didn't have his mother's birth certificate on the reason that his mother is somewhat "missing". The Malay lady told him that there were  procedures he could have taken to obtain the birth cert. Poor boy, he was struggling with his english as it is.

The other boy though, the one from Gombak was confident even if he knew he couldn't speak as well as the others. He had ambition, you could see in the way he presented himself. Sadly, he did not showcase his transcripts in a clear folder like the rest of us did. Sure they didn't ask for it but they thought we would've known what to bring.

Afterwards I went to my father's office and sat there until it was time to go home.

I'm not confident that I'd get a spot into the program. If I do, then that would be great but if I don't there's always The Diploma in Accountancy. Whichever I get, it would ultimately be God's decision. He knows what's best.

My acceptance/rejection letter comes on the 5th of May. But until then, this is all I have to tell you. Feel free to ask me any questions. My email is ainna.dean@icloud.com


With grace and kindness,
Ainna Dean.

Read More

What's Next?

Hello,

I realised I haven't told you lot about my exam results so I shall, now, if that makes any sense. I'm deeply sorry for the delay, I have a lot on my plate right now and updating my blog isn't on top of my list. However, since I have some spare time, I might as well get on with it.

On the 20th of March, SPM results for the candidates that took them on November/December of 2014 were released. My school had gotten 56 all A students. 8 of them are Malay. 7 of them from my class and 1 of the from the Technical Drawing class. In my class, there are only 8 Malays. Could you guess who didn't manage to bag 9 A's? If you guessed me, you are correct, congratulations.

I had gotten 8A's and 1B+. The B is for my Bahasa Melayu (BM) Paper. I guess it wasn't as depressing as I thought it would be. I actually thought it was going to be Additional Mathematics but it wasn't. I guess it's not a depressing, it's just language anyways...

On the day, we were told that we could know our results via text message. I of course went on with it thinking it wouldn't work. I was wrong. Just before my school started announcing the all A's students, my phone vibrated, signalling that I had a text message. 

1 A+, 3 A, 4 A-, 1B+

I walked to my dad, showed him the text and immediately started crying. I had failed myself and I had failed him. The text message didn't specify what I got B so I assumed it was Additional Mathematics.

Then I learned that it was BM. Joy.

I'm sending it for a recheck just incase they miscalculated anything but if it comes back the same then I guess that's just fate.

The next blog post, I'll be talking about my CAT-ACCA application and my UPU application.

Till then.

Yours Sincerely,

Ainna.

Read More

Results, Expectations and Self-Doubt

20th March 2014

T-minus 10 hours until they announce the results of the SPM candidates of 2013.

I can't seem to get my head off it so let's talk shall we?

Coming into the year 2013, I knew what I had to do. I had to study and work my butt off and not disappoint. I was put into (what they call) the first science class which is huge deal at my school and I believe all the other schools in Malaysia (majority thinking). With a class of 35 students, I was one of the only eight Malays in the class. My father was so proud.

Of course, this means his expectations were higher. His expectations are always higher with me. I am the first child after all. I remember when I was in middle school, my father used to get mad at me for getting a B. All my other friends got C's and their parents thought it was okay. I guess he always wanted me to be the best.

I am afraid. So afraid, I could barely breathe. I feel like I'm being forced to breathe underwater. I am drowning in my fears of disappointing him. To see his eyes and to know that I have failed him. To never be able to be the same person again. I can't handle it. Sometimes I get so lost in my depression that I just feel dark, nothing but black emptiness.

How could I make you happy, Daddy? What if I don't get what you want me to get? What if I fail you Daddy?

It brings tears in my eyes to think of the possibility of me not achieving the straight A's that he wants.

But honestly, I feel like I'm going to disappoint. I have this feeling that I will get a B for at least one subject. I'm self-doubting myself and I don't know why. Maybe it's to lower my expectations, maybe it's just a feeling. Who knows?

I think this is enough for now. I feel even more depressed than before. I'm going to sleep because it's the only way one escapes from reality for a moment. Hopefully I'll wake up with a new found excitement. If not, then Allah help me get through tomorrow in one piece.

With love,

Ainna Dean.

Read More

A Tale of The Past

This is the story of a girl who was at the time, around 10 years old. She lives in the brown and yellow house on the corner of the house lot.

On a particular day, she went out with her family. Once they got home, she noticed a new family moving into the house two houses away from hers. Her family introduced themselves to the new neighbours. They had two sons and a daughter.

The new neighbours liked playing at the park infront of hers and their house. So she decided to go out and play with them, bringing her brothers with her. She played and played with them until it was crimson and orange outside. She had so much fun.

Everyday since then, she would go out and wait for him to come out. He is the neighbour's eldest son. She grew fond of him.

There was this once when she went out to wait for him but he never showed up. She asked his maid where he was. His maid told her that he was sick. And so she ran home as fast as she could and grabbed a paper and pen and made him a "get well soon" card. She went straight to his maid and gave it to her to deliver it to him.

He studies in another country, one far away from here. She played alone outside. She was always waiting for him to come back. And when he did, he told her he had a surprise. He told her to sit on the swings, close her eyes and lay out her hands. She was scared he was going to put a bug on her but he insisted that she believed him that it wasn't a bug.

He put something soft and hairy on the palms. He told her to open her eyes and there it was. It was a lion doll. She thought it was adorable and that it was sweet of him to get her something.

Alas, all great things eventually have to come to an end. He eventually had to stay at the country he was studying to focus on his studies. She missed him very much. But she never saw him for awhile. Then little by little they grew apart.

Now they are strangers.

Read More

New Year, Not Quite a New Me.

Let's talk about the new year shall we? Welcome to 2014. Where (or when) the rich are getting richer and well you know the rest.

Most people have already started their "New Year's Resolution(s)" by now with the same purpose. "For a better me!" they'd say.

It's always the same every year, exercise, be healthy, study, eat organic etc and yet no one seems to finish them. Almost everyone will stop in the middle.

I opt to not have a resolution. I want to see where life takes me. I want to experience what fate has in store for me. It might not be what I want, but hey? I don't mind.

My point is that I want to live. I want to explore and learn and create and define and design and interact. Now it might be true, I'll be the same old me in 2014, but I'll end it knowing that I have lived the year to the fullest. And I haven't been able to do that in what seems like a long time :)

Let's all live this year. Focus on the bright side and learn to appreciate life and each other.

Have a great year.
With love,
Ainna.

Read More