I am Hamza, an Iraqi student in the School of Business and Economics at Asia Pacific University, currently in my second year second semester. I came all the way from The United Arab Emirates where I call home. Since I was young, I always looked forward to joining college abroad and experience what it meant to be an international student. Travelling to Malaysia marked my first time travelling by plane and definitely the furthest distance I travelled, it felt so surreal leaving my family and friends behind whom I have known my entire life to continue my personal journey. 

I was initially overwhelmed upon my arrival, with all the new scenery, looks and appearances made it all sink in. At first, I found it difficult to interact with staffs or anyone due to my inner doubt and fear of sending a wrong message, but once I got over that, I found that the people of Malaysia are very welcoming and helpful. This gave me more confidence to interact more with the locals and learn about their history and culture which had a lot of similarities to mine. 

Once I started my classes, I got to make a lot of friends from so many countries. This gave me a deeper understanding of other cultures and people in general, this was especially helpful and motivating to me since I dream of working abroad and travelling the world one day. My lecturer Miss Gaithri never failed to help us understand how the world works and functions from a business, cultural and social point of view, as well as to appreciate the meaningful bonds I was able to build with them. 

Volunteering in events such as TEDxAsiaPacificU, Program Madani Rakyat 2025, Merdeka Fiesta 2023 and many more helped me polish my skills and knowledge and I was able to connect with wonderful people from all over Malaysia. Also, being a Student Ambassador is such a unique experience, as I help new international students to settle in and begin their journey. This is such a full circle moment for me.  

My experience in Malaysia changed me and helped me learn a lot about myself, but it is far from the end and am still eager for what the future holds. For those who are starting their academic journey in Malaysia, all I can say is give it your all and enjoy every moment it has to offer. You will be surrounded by opportunities; you just need to seize them and make the most out of them.