Higher education for a better future

EASB ticked all the right boxes for Ms Hazimah Abdul Razak when she decided to further her studies to step up her career plans

By Gel Cabotaje

October 23, 2019

Finding the right university was the main challenge for Ms Hazimah Abdul Razak when she wanted to pursue a higher level of education to advance her career.

The 21-year-old, who only had a diploma from a polytechnic then, eventually chose the East Asia Institute of Management (EASB), enrolling in its one-year programme for a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in business and management studies in 2017.

It was not an easy decision as she felt that she needed to weigh the pros and cons of each university that she was considering. She made her choice based on the programme’s comprehensive curriculum, which she felt met her expectations. Moreover, she found the study fees at EASB affordable compared to other universities.

When she started her degree programme, Ms Hazimah noted that the teaching styles of lecturers at EASB differed from her polytechnic lecturers, and that the lectures were more problem-based than her former ones.

“My lecturers were not just welcoming and approachable,” she says. “They also helped the students to understand theories better by applying them to real-life cases as examples.”

Attaining her degree last year has prepared Ms Hazimah to perform better in the customer service jobs that she has taken up so far. She joined the Ministry of Health earlier this month as a quality service executive, which sees her liaising with clients with healthcare concerns.

“Now, I know how to communicate more effectively with people at work, thanks to what I’ve learnt in the human resource module in my programme,” she says.

Having benefitted from gaining new knowledge and skills at EASB, she feels ready to advance her career prospects.

She would advise those who are considering pursuing a higher education to start paving the way to reach their goals and dreams.

“Go for it, regardless of whether you are pursuing it straight out of polytechnic or junior college, or waiting to stabilise your finances or career. A degree will help you to pursue your goals,” she says.