An Experience To Remember

“One day, I was driving to a work commitment but also had to attend an online class. I joined it through my phone. The class was for my coursemates and I to make our final presentations. When my turn came, I parked my car by the roadside and made my presentation with the aid of some slides I had prepared earlier. Alhamdulillah, it was very well received by my lecturer and coursemates. I will never ever forget that experience.”

Mohd Ismail Sulaiman, 42, is a Master of Islamic Studies learner. Originally, he had enrolled in a public university but it required him to attend physical classes at a campus in a distant location. “I spent my first semester driving 70km each way for classes. It not only swallowed up a lot of time and money but also left me exhausted.”

Then, he chanced upon OUM’s learning centre in Simpang Renggam, Johor. “It was located just 6km away from my home. And I didn’t even need to go there for classes as I could study online. So, I changed universities. No more driving long distance to attend classes.

“If I needed any help or info, I could contact the Learning Centre and get it from the staff immediately. I could even get important info through an OUM app on my phone.”

This fitted Ismail’s routine very well. While his days are spent teaching teenagers at a secondary school, he is also active in the religious lecture circuit. “I regularly give talks at mosques and suraus in Simpang Renggam. I’m also a mutawwif, which means that I guide groups of pilgrims in performing the umrah.”

Ismail actually had no need for a master’s degree. He already had a diploma in teaching and a bachelor’s degree in human resource development and is gainfully employed as a schoolteacher. However, he could not shake off the urge to study further. “I wasn’t satisfied with the knowledge I already had. I wanted to learn more, for self-satisfaction, to quench my curiosity, and to challenge myself.”

Mission accomplished, he now looks forward to graduation day. “I had a great learning experience with no stress and acquired a lot of new knowledge. In my opinion, OUM is at par with other well-known universities in terms of its classes, technology, and student portal.”

For information on OUM programmes, call the speedline at 03-7801 2000, e-mail enquiries@oum.edu.my or visit www.oum.edu.my.