SEKOLAH TUN FATIMAH, JOHOR BAHRU VISIT TO KOLEJ YAYASAN UEM

On the 23rd of October 2015, 36 form four students accompanied by four teachers of
Sekolah Tun Fatimah paid a visit to Kolej Yayasan UEM, a prestigious A-level college
located in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Most of our students jumped at the opportunity to join,
while some had difficulties making up their mind since the trip was held smack in the
middle of final examinations. The bus ride was long and tiring, especially with our
students having to awaken at 4 a.m. and sacrificing their precious hours of sleep.
However, it was an enjoyable one. Being surrounded by friends in an extremely
comfortable environment with an endless supply of free movies? Definitely a good idea
for a great weekend.
After around five hours of noisy fun and sleep, we finally arrived at KYUEM at
around 10.30 a.m. We were greeted by kind and friendly staff, who helpfully guided us to
the lecture theater. The haze didnt faze us, we were so excited. Seated and settled, we
were of course very happy and grateful for the complimentary gifts and brochures, as
good youngsters should be. A short presentation was given by Encik Azman Bin Zainal
Abidin, KYUEMs zany, genial and quick-witted Academics Manager. He introduced us
to the courses the college offers, the abundance of facilities, how A-level education
works, the local and international universities that they help us to enter, and a whole lot
more. This was an important part of the trip since the briefing was what initially captured
our attention since a few aspects of KYUEM were elaborated upon beautifully. At around
12 in the afternoon, we stopped for a lunch break.
It was refreshing to see our alumnis in the dining hall wearing matching black robes
and joining us and our teachers for lunch. The food was taken in large portions, being the
eternally ravenous children we are. Yet the food prepared for us had not finished, proving
just how well we were taken care of in KYUEM. Lunch was followed by Zuhur prayers
at KYUEMs mosque, Surau Al-Saad. The space was clean and comfy, relaxing in its
own way. We hung around the college while waiting for Friday prayers to end, chatting
up some of the students to get a feel of what it was like to be studying in such a place.
Aside from a few comments about how stressful life after school is, it seemed that this
college had established its place in a lot of our after school choices list. The students
were eloquent and were kindly willing to spend a bit of time with us then.
All of us gathered at the lecture theater once again, all eager to proceed with the next
agenda. We lined up as KYUEMs staff lead us to various places in the college as part of
the tour of the campus and its facilities. First of all was the resource centre, a peaceful
place for the students to study and deepen their knowledge on whatever they want. It was
spacious and just the right temperature for us warm-blooded creatures of Tun Fatimah.
The Biology and Physics labs were next. There was enough apparatus already arranged
for the students fair use, something most schools cant afford to have due to the sheer
number of students in need of equipment. We also paid a visit to the multi purpose hall,
where all the sporty facilities were at. We, of course, ogled at the olympic-sized pool,
some of us even trying to jump right into the sparkling water. The highlight of the tour

was the accommodation provided at KYUEM, the villas and chalets. They were
exquisitely comfortable and spacious, each student getting their own room. This was
what attracted our attention the most and was the ultimate factor in a lot of our choices to
apply for KYUEM when we get out of school. Our last stop on the trip was the Great
Hall, a huge space used for holding events and such. Overall, the facilities were excellent
and this showed how much effort KYUEM puts into caring for and nurturing students
who will one day prove themselves to be useful on a national and global scale.
A short photo session was held, along with Dr. Paul Rogers, the colleges headmaster.
A well-spoken and infinitesimally cute man, he dominated most of the pictures due to
sheer charisma. We said goodbye to the students, teachers and staff of KYUEM before
departing and making our way back to Johor. We were quite reluctant to leave since the
college was such a wonderful place to be staying at. Honestly, we were all looking
forward to starting a future in KYUEM, for a better future and foundation for the path to
achieving our dreams.