Fatharani Taqisa Nadhira
BSc (Hons) Economics, Class of 2019 Indonesia
How did you discover about studying at Nottingham Malaysia? How is your experience living in Malaysia and studying at the university?
I have always wanted to study at a British university. However, my father was a bit reluctant to send me overseas, far away from my home country, Indonesia, so I started searching for any British universities which may have campuses around Asia. This is when I found out about Nottingham in Malaysia. After doing further research about the university and the economics course, I was keen to apply. Not only does it have a great reputation, but it is also close to Indonesia in terms of location. A win-win situation for both my dad and I.
After living for quite some time in this country, there is one key thing I like about Malaysia, which is the public transport system. Despite the campus being far away from the capital city, the university provides a free shuttle bus to the nearest train station. From there, you can basically use the train to get around the city. It is very practical!
In terms of adjust to the surroundings in the country, since Malaysia and Indonesia are not that different in terms of culture and general surroundings, it was not that difficult for me. However, it was tough at first to be living alone and away from my family. Nevertheless, there is quite a number of Indonesians studying in this university, and they have truly made a "home away from home" for me. In addition, my classmates, my lecturers, and other people I have encountered from the different clubs and societies that I joined in this university have all been very welcoming and helpful, so that made my university experience much more enjoyable. .
Has the degree met your expectations?
Honestly speaking, I have learnt much more than what I expected to learn from this degree in this university. I was not aware that economics had so many different branches to delve into. To add, I feel that our lecturers in the School of Economics are each very knowledgeable in the branches or fields that they specialise in; hence, they are able to give more details from their own perspectives when teaching a certain module.
Would you encourage your compatriots to study BSc economics in Malaysia?
I would definitely recommend to study BSc Economics here in Nottingham Malaysia. Other than the degree content itself, I like the fact that we are a relatively small class as compared to those of other courses. Therefore, you can get in contact with your lecturers or your classmates much more often and much more easily should you need any help with any modules.
There are different branches of economics, have you discovered your passion in one field?
Yes. I was attracted to development economics when I started learning it in my second year. I have always been concerned about the topics of poverty, inequality, and corruption and how these factors affect the development of a country and its people, which development economics touches upon. Finding out that economic theories can be applied to tackle these development issues, it made me want to focus my career on this field. If all goes well, I would like to take a master's in development economics.
What are your career plans?
I am planning to take a master's in development economics. If I do not get that, I plan to work for startups or SMEs which have an underlying aim to positively impact the society, such as SOLS 24/7.