USM, PENANG, 23 March 2016 – The Grand Prize winner for ‘Kaki Lima Short Film Competition 2015’ and ‘Yeo’s I Love Malaysia Video Contest 2015’, Teh Chun Yen, 24, chose to enroll for his undergraduate studies at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Communication due to the high ranking of the USM school in Malaysia.

 “I was offered two choices four years ago, but I chose USM without any hesitation at that time due of its geographical location and being well-renowned,” said Teh.

He said the School of Communication at USM was truly his first choice in pursuing his dream to study mass communications, as it is one of the best communication schools in Malaysia.

“I felt that USM is unique because its environment does not only reflect itself as a university, but also as a garden, a ‘heavenly’ space which sometimes would provide me with a lot of inspiration for my creative work,” he added.

He pointed out that he is enjoying life at USM as the students are all amazing and talented, and how they would provide him with the motivation and inspiration throughout his learning process.

Besides, the School of Communication is definitely a right choice for him because the lecturers are all very supportive. They have encouraged him to take part in different competitions in order to gain experience and in building his portfolio, as such experiences in life are important especially in an industry.

Throughout the process of producing videos, he has faced many challenges, mostly relating to time constraints. As a student entering a competition which is non-academic, he needed to race against time in order to achieve a balance between academics and competition.

However, Teh’s lecturers have always shared their views with him to produce a good video and he would always get technical support from the School of Communication. The school has allowed him to borrow the necessary equipment such as lighting, slider and tripod whenever he needs to go for shoots.

He further explained that, USM has always offered a platform for him to achieve a better future as the policies of USM give a lot of opportunities for students to strive for their dreams, other than to excel in academics.

“USM offered endless activities in which students are able to gain experiences and improve themselves,” he further added.

He would encourage USM students to appreciate their life being at the university. It has been a truly priceless moment for him, and that is the time for everyone to metamorphose into a better and more unique self.

Text: Loh Mei Fang (USM Internship Student)