LIFE IN IPG

MAY KHADIJA BINTI NAZRI

Hello everyone, my name is May Khadija Binti Nazri, a student of
Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Tawau (IPGKT). I am the
second intake for PPISMP, Jun 2022. I would like to share my
experience of being IPGKT’s student. On 11 August 2022, I
received an email that said I am accepted to become an IPG’s
student but the campus is in Tawau, Sabah which is so far away
from Johor where my home is. I was sad because I had to leave
my family, especially my twins and my mom. But for the sake of
my family and my future life, I have to accept it with an open
heart. My parents were the happiest person on the earth at that
time when they knew I was accepted to be an IPG’s student.

It was a hectic and miserable life before coming to Tawau
because I had to settle all the documents and all the things that I
needed to bring here first. On 15 August 2022, the day to be
remembered because it was my first day in Tawau, Sabah. Everyone’s first experience on a
flight would be their happiest day but not for me because there are so many thoughts going on
in my head. “Can I survive here? What if I can’t?” But look at where I am today standing still and
making memories with new and great friends here. The first thing that came into my head when
I first saw this campus was “it was a big campus”. Indeed, it is a big campus.

I’ve learned a lot since the first day I came here. I learned to adapt to their culture which
is so different from the peninsula. The time to pray is also one hour earlier from the peninsula. I
also got to know their famous foods, for example, lalap’s rice and amplang. I learned how to be
independent and do all the things by myself. To be honest, it is hard at first but now I’m used to
it. I got to learn a new dialect of language too because my roommate and my other classmates
are from Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan as we know they have their own dialects.

I can’t wait to be back at home this December 2022 to meet my beloved family and
friends. To all my dearest classmates and also to my dear self, may we get to fight this battle
together and be the best teacher one fine day!

QURRATU ULFAH DINA BT ABDULLAH

Been regretting all my life with my decision to major in English
Literature. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. Pursuing English
Literature at International Islamic University Malaysia was my plan B.
My plan A was to get into Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG).
Unfortunately, my application was rejected, and I decided to apply
again for the second time. Surprisingly, I succeeded in getting into IPG
even though it was just for second-intake students. I was grateful and
can even describe my feelings by the time I knew I got into IPG. But
here’s the thing, I got into IPG but in Tawau, Sabah??!! What a long
journey I have had to get through for 5 years!

For almost 2 months in Sabah, I think I can say that I’ve
experienced a lot. For the first two weeks, I can say that the desire to book a ticket and fly right
away to my hometown was undeniable. I miss my family, my room, my friends, my cats, and my
bed so much. But the journey must go on. I need about 3 weeks to adapt to the environment
and everything before I can enjoy things here. Before I enjoyed everything here, what was on
my mind was only “Am I going to survive to live here for 5 years??” And that was the experience
I am going to talk about.

By the time I reached IPG Kampus Tawau, I was the last person to be registered. And I
am also the last person to join the class that was held at the administration building. Nothing
much happened on the very first day, it was just a chit-chat session with Sir Rishi at that time.
And I also get to know everyone in my class and my roommate. Everything went well and still
cannot accept the fact that I was in Sabah.

For weeks being a student in IPG, I complained a lot. Starting from the distance from my
room to class, the taste of the food, the food price, the dialect, the environment, and many more.
It’s so tiring and annoying at the same time. The distance was ridiculous, and the taste of the
food was bland but note here I didn’t say all the food tasted bland and I must admit some of the
food tasted so good. The thing that was so illogical is the food price. The food price was so
expensive to afford as a student.

Now, I am still in the process of enjoying things and making memories here and there.
But slowly I accepted all the things and I hope I will forever be able to enjoy and make memories
with all my friends here. 5 years was a long period, what we can do is just enjoy and learn to
accept things. May all of us be good teachers to our students, society, and country. And what
matters the most is that all of us can survive these 5 years full of challenges together because
we always got each other’s back.

SITI NURAINI BINTI ABDUL HALIM J. A SANGKAR

On 17 August 2022, I, Siti Nuraini binti Abdul Halim J. A Sangkar
registered as a student at Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus
Tawau (IPGKT), Sabah. When I arrived here, the first step was my
parents and I went to the Student Affairs office to meet Mrs. Flora.
My impression when I saw the scenery and the beauty of this
IPGKT, was wow! Huge and fantastic. The cornea of my eyes is
filled with the greenery of beautiful blooming plants that are
photosynthesizing.

After completing registration, I was permitted by Dr. Asri to buy essentials that are
incomplete yet. Therefore, my parents and I went to Tawau town to buy shoes. Before that, we
stopped to eat at a restaurant. At that time, I already felt that the food in Sabah is distinct from
the peninsula, especially in terms of the taste of the food. However, I remind myself to
constantly try to accept their food throughout my studies here.

While we were eating, suddenly a boy came towards us and held out a bottle of drink
that was cut in half. He asked for money. As long as we don’t give it to him, he waits there and
watches us with his hand holding out the empty bottle. After completing all my personal
belongings, my parents sent me home to the student residence.

Then, my tears began to flow non-stop. I shook hands and hugged my parents very
tightly. My feelings at that time only God knows where I was happy to come here to continue my
studies after Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), but at the same time, I wanted to continue to
always see the face of my parents. Various pieces of advice and orders they left for me here.
Sorrowful! I sent them back to the homestay with tears streaming down my face because it was
the first time I had been away from them so far.

Finally, I went to my bedroom, accompanied by my northern friend named Shahida. She
helped me pack my things into the big closet while getting to know me better. Later, we took the
food from the guard’s tablet after receiving instructions that the food had been delivered to our
residence. That’s when Shahida introduced me to Atiqah, Sakinah and Khadija. We ate together,
accompanied by our laughter. The next day, I went to the lecture accompanied by my other four
friends as well as other days.

NUR ALIA SHAHIDA BINTI SAFARI

Hello everyone, my name is Nur Alia Shahida binti
Safari from class BM3. I’m now furthering my education
in Malay Language in primary education at Institut
Pendidikan Guru Kampus Tawau, Sabah (IPGKT). My
first day on campus was a new beginning for me. Being
away from the family has taught me to be independent
and strong. The first night on campus, I had to sleep
alone in a new place as my roommate had not come yet.
I was scared, but I know I have to be brave and strong.
Besides that, the experience I got was also the change
of prayer time. For example, the morning prayer time is
early, so I have to wake up earlier than before on the

peninsula.

Therefore, this experience to some extent educated me to immediately obey the prayer
time. Next, I also got the experience of eating food at this campus food court. To my taste, I’m
not interested in the food here because I’m not familiar with the food culture here. For example,
lekor crackers with pepper powder. For me, it doesn't suit my taste because I only eat lekor
crackers with chilli sauce. However, I try to accept the cultural food here because I have to be
on this campus for five years. I think that’s all of my experience that I created during my first day
here. I Wish to create a lot of happy memories here.

NUR SAKINAH BINTI SAIDIN

Hello, everyone! My name is Nur Sakinah binti Saidin, and I am currently
a student at IPG Kampus Tawau, Sabah. So, let me share about my life at
IPGKT. The first time I entered here, the IPG area's view was picturesque,
which was fascinating because I could explore the area here. If asked, did
I experience culture shock? The answer is definitely, yes. Why? Because
of the change in terms of time, food, atmosphere, and weather which is
different from the peninsula.

On my first day here, before entering the class, I went down to the food court to have
breakfast and was intrigued when fried bananas were sold in the morning, and I found out that
bananas are routine food for people in Sabah. Subsequently, I entered the class for the lecture
session and got to know my classmates and the lecturer. Then, we were exposed to coursework
information, and the lecturer started giving assignments to be completed.

Sometimes in the evening, I will relax with friends while looking at the atmosphere
surrounded by green plants to relieve stress. Interestingly, dusk here is earlier than on the
peninsula, and almost every day, I can see a stunning sunset behind the mountains. At night is
the time for my friend and me to complete assignments together and do revision. My current
challenge here is to complete assignments as the due date for each subject is approaching.
Because of that, I have pressure to complete the task. But, I am proud of myself because I could
deliver on the set date because nothing is impossible. I am grateful because my friends
supported me in completing the task together.

Finally, many sweet and bitter experiences during my time here, but those are the life
experiences that taught me the meaning of life. I didn't expect to be here because I never
imagined being away from my family. Time flies so fast; I've been here for two months and miss
seeing my family on the peninsula. However, I am still grateful to be here because the various
things I can learn can be used as an experience in life.

NOOR IRDINA BINTI MOHAMAD NOOR

My journey to enter IPG started a year ago when I graduated
high school, SPM 2020. When I first applied to IPG, I was
devastated because I got rejected. Currently, I can't see myself
furthering my study and achieving my dream as a teacher. Little
did I know that I would be admitted into IPG one year later. So
here I am, three months, becoming an IPG student on an
unexpected campus. I was sent away from family, away from
friends, and away from home at the IPG Tawau campus in
Sabah.

My first week here flew by in the blink of my eyes. It was
so hectic with all of the orientation programs and document processes. Not to mention the class
started immediately because my class was late for two weeks. Well, that was bumped,
considering that I felt like I was floating for a fortnight, roaming and wandering like a passerby
here. Life progressed as I tried to comprehend how things work here in IPG. I was assigned
loads of assignments. Did I mention that I am the head of the unit for my class? Yup that means
I have extra work to do.

Above all of that, I also met new and great friends here. They come from various
backgrounds, and all my classmates are from Semenanjung. We helped each other adapt to a
new lifestyle here in Sabah. I can say that we are like sisters, having each other's backs and
ready to lend a hand to anyone in need of help. All of the lecturers here are also nice. They
welcomed us with bright smiles and open hands. My lecturers surely helped us not only with
assignments but with our problems as newcomers too. Cheers for another four years of student
life here in Tawau! ( Noor Irdina binti Mohamad Noor)

NURUL KHAIRINA QISTIN BINTI ZANUDDIN

Okay first of all let me introduce myself. My name is Nurul Khairina Qistin binti
Zanuddin but it's hard and too long for some people to say it, so you can call me
Qistin. I’m a PPISMP student 2022 specifically the second intake. 16th of August.
The day I was placed at Institut Pendidikan
Guru Kampus Tawau. To be honest, entering into IPG is not my choice and I
never dream that my uni life will end up in IPG. But for the sake of my family, I
willingly. Huge, very pleasing on the eye- the first word came out of my mouth
when I saw this big campus. But that thing does not impress me and takes away
my sadness at all. This is because I came to Sabah without my parents and only my brother accompanied
me here. Have you guys imagined entering university without being sent by your parents? Sad,
heartbroken, unhappy and downhearted is it? That is how I felt on the registration day. But then, I
remembered this one quote by Mac Miller says, “When you feel sad, it’s okay. It’s not the end of the
world.”
My brother just had time to drop me and all my stuff in front of the hostel because he had to go
back to West-Malaysia. He had to work on the 17th August. But I didn't even care that he can't wait until
I'm done with my registration because he had made time to accompany me here. Then I went to the
dormitory office in front of Wisma Alamanda for hostel registration. I was instructed by this one female
lecturer to do a saliva test before moving to the other part of registration. After the hostel registration, the
other new students and I were taken to the administration office for the process of submitting documents
and so on. Afterwards, our class started because we were already two weeks behind. Everything went
smoothly until Friday that week. Saturday 20th of August- the beginning of a tiring day for me. We have to
attend a briefing session with the lecture and MPP for two days. After the end of the session, the life of
two hectic months began. Assigned to complete assignments and must be sent according to the deadline
that has been set. There’s also assignments with overlapping due dates. Not sleeping at night for me is
normal.

َ‫نَُنا نّ نِ َ وْ وَ َ دَ وُِنر ىى دأ نسِن رَ دْ َن وْ دَ إ رَ َ لّ رِی نَ ین دَِن دَْر وُِ نَ نِ دَ رَِنا نَِرى نَین دَ وِل وُ نَ نَ نَ ن نَ نَا رِ رِی ن‬

Your Lord has proclaimed, “ Call upon Me, I will respond to you. Surely those who are too proud to
worship Me will enter Hell, fully humbled.” Thanks to our endless prayers, we are allowed to submit
assignments a week later than the other classes. Sometimes, I ask myself. Am I able to complete all of
the assignments according to the given period? I’m a SPM graduate student who doesn’t know anything
about university. How to study here, how to manage time and others. However, God’s plan is always
beautiful. I was placed in a room with former matriculation students who were familiar with university life.
She is the one who taught me a lot, especially in completing assignments. Besides, I am also trying to
adapt here because Sabah is totally different compared to West-Malaysia. Their food, religious beliefs,
dialect and the most significant is the time zone. I once prayed Zuhr at 3.30 P.M. when it was already the
time for Asr prayer. I’ve also bought and eaten curry puffs consisting of mee which I thought that curry
puffs consisting of curry with chicken and potatoes. That was some of the culture shock I faced at the
beginning. Now, I’m still in the process of adapting to my life . There are still five years for me to explore
and adapt to the environment here. For the sake of my family and my country, I still have to continue
living here despite many challenges and I promised myself to study hard until I can make my parents
smile happily. Lastly, please pray that I can survive here for five years and become an authoritative
teacher one fine day! :)

NAJWA AMEERA BINTI AZHARI

Hi everyone, my name is Najwa Ameera binti Azhari, you all
can call me Najwa. I’m Im from Terengganu, but my journey
started from Tawau, Sabah. This is so illogical because I
never imagined I would be here and this is not my dream list.
Institusi Perguruan Guru kampus Tawau (IPGKT) intake Jun
2022 is my second home and I have had to get through for 5
years. That's a very long journey!!!. I didn’t believe I would get IPG because I was just trying my
luck and at the same time, my counsellor and my parents also suggested that I have to apply for
IPG.

So, as I stay here almost 2 months, I want to tell you all about my bittersweet experience
in IPGKT. By the time I arrived here, the first thing played in my mind was about the
environment. Before I got here, many relatives, friends and also my family said to me ‘keep your
mouth from saying the wrong thing’. This is because they think people here are like the previous
era. But when I came to Tawau, everyone here was nice. Why do I say that?. This is because
the homestay owner is very friendly. She tells me about her experience when she was a student
who lived far away from her parents. But, this happened to me!!.

Another thing, when I see their food, this food is very different from the peninsula in
terms of their texture, taste and also price. I was shocked by the culture and this doesn’t make
sense because how I have to adapt to this food for almost 5 years. But at the same time I was
surprised by the food here such as meehun curry puff, fried banana eaten with balado powder
and their drink is also weird like kichai water and others.

However, I can't wait to go back home when the first semester breaks in December,
because I really miss my family and the whole thing. For instance, I miss food in Terengganu,
ikan singgang, my mom’s cooking and cake. I also miss the environment, sunset, beach,
hanging out at the beach while drinking coffee with my family and many more. Terengganu is
always in my heart and now I’m feeling homesick!!!! :(

NURHALIS BINTI MOHAMAD PAUDIL

Hi everyone!!!!! So my name is Nurhalis binti Mohamad Paudil. I want
to share my experience before and after I came to IPG Kampus
Tawau. Honestly, IPG is one of the best decisions that I have made.
Before I studied here, I studied at Kelantan Matriculation College.
Actually, I enjoy studying in science streams such as biology,
chemistry and physics except mathematics. But, I prefer to learn
Malay because I was inspired by my Malay teacher during high
school, teacher Zehan. She always said that the career of a teacher
is very noble and should be carried out with full responsibility.

I have tried so many times to apply to get into IPG. The first attempt was after getting the
SPM result. But, I have squandered the opportunity given by indifferently making teaching demo
videos. I made the video last minute. Finally I got the result that I have failed to get into IPG. I
have made a second attempt to enter the IPG. I prepare ahead of time because I have learned
from previous mistakes. But, I failed this time too. I felt very sad and began to accept that my
destiny was not to be a teacher. I did not give up and appealed to get into IPG.

On August 11, 2022, I got a whatsapp from JPP IPG that I was accepted to enter IPG. I
was very surprised and cried tears of joy. My dream that I waited for 2 years has come true. The
next day was my birthday. I am so grateful to receive the most meaningful gift in my life. I have
opened the PISMP website to find out where the IPG I have been getting. I was surprised
because I got to Tawau, Sabah. I have read the offer again and again. I told my parents that I
got IPG in Sabah. They asked me if I wanted to go or not. They do not force and give
opportunities for me to make the decisions. I knew that deep in their hearts, they wanted me to
accept this offer. Finally, I have made the decision that I accepted this offer even though I know
that Sabah is very far.

For 5 days I prepared the agreement letter, medical checkup and others. Luckily I got my
car licence. So, I manage the agreement letter and medical checkup without bothering my
parents. I have discussed with my parents about my flight to Sabah. They want to accompany
me but I don’t want to trouble them. I convinced them that I can survive alone to go to Sabah
because my aunt’s friend lives in Tawau. I arrived at Tawau and stayed at her house. The next
day, she sent and accompanied me for the registration process at IPG Kampus Tawau.

I am very excited to learn more about Sabah because Sabah has many cultures and
races. So, I will not waste my opportunity to know more about Sabah. After arriving at IPG
Kampus Tawau, I registered at the registration counter at the Alamanda Block. I have got the
room key and I am thankful that my roommate is from the east coast, which is Terengganu. So,
my experience of being a student at IPG has begun!!!!!!! At first, I couldn’t adapt to the taste of
the food here but over time I got used to it. It’s just that the food here is more expensive than in
Kelantan.

So, I think that’s all the experience I have to tell you all. I still have a long way to go and I
believe that there are many more interesting experiences no matter how happy or sad I will be.
If there are any other experiences, I will tell more stories in this book. PRAY FOR ME TO
ALWAYS BE STRONG, BYE BYE !!!!!

NUR KARINA BINTI ROZLI

Hello, my name is Nur Karina Binti Rozli.On the 10 th of
August. I got a message stating that my appeal was
successful to enter ipg.I feel very excited but divided because
I was placed in Tawau which is far from my family. Actually
this is the second time I have applied to enter ipg because I
failed the first time. entering ipg was not my choice because
my ambition is to become an accountant but my parents were
hoping that.

I decided to accept the offer and quickly bought the
plane ticket because the registration date was on 16th August.
I was given about 5 days to prepare.Registration and
orientation week went smoothly. The facilities provided were
also enough that each room has two people and has a very comfortable bed. For me,life at ipg
was fun because they did a lot of activities such as sports day, celebration of the Prophet’s
maulidur and more.At first, it was very difficult for me to stay here especially with food that tastes
different from my place.

However there are also things that I do not like in ipg, which is having too many
assignments and having the same due date. I felt a little stressed but I still enjoy the assignment
because I can learn new things from that. It’s true that everything that happens has a meaning
and now I realise that this ipg was the best place for me. As long as I was here,I was very happy
with the environment here with friends from different states, seniors who were too kind and
lecturers who were experienced and funny.

NUR AISYA AQILA BINTI ABDUL AZIZ

Hi guys, let me introduce myself first. My name is Nur Aisya
Aqila binti Abdul Aziz andI am 18 years old. I graduated from
highschool in 2021 and got my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
result in June 2022. Thank god my first choice was chosen in the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU)
result which is Foundation in Business and Management Science course at International Islamic
University Malaysia. I am delighted because it is my dream to study there and continue my
studies as an accountant. Then, I got a message from WhatsApp of an offer to the Institut
Pendidikan Guru (IPG) in Tawau, Sabah. My family, relatives, friends and former teachers are
all happy and hoping for me to continue studying as a teacher because it is a noble job. As a
child who listens to words and is pious, I accept this offer with an open heart to make them
happy.

On the 16th of August 2022, it was the most memorable day of my life because it was
my 18th birthday. On the same day, I registered at IPG Kampus Tawau with a heavy feeling of
not knowing whether to cry for joy or sadness for having to be away from my family after this. I
think maybe I will go back to my hometown two or three times a year. So suddenly, it’s been two
months that I have been on this earth of Sabah showing how quickly time flies. Now, I am
adapting the timezone here because the difference in prayer time here is very different. It
happened once in the morning, I woke up and I saw that the sun had risen up like 9 a.m.. Then,
I panicked and quickly looked at the clock on my mobile phone and thankfully it was still 6.30 in
the morning. I quickly got up to perform Subh prayer because I was late doing that one Fardhu
Ain.

There is no denying that the food here is quite expensive. The food court here does not
have a fixed price because I took the same quantity of side dishes and rice as my friend but the
price charged to me is quite expensive compared to my friend. Most of the sweets here are
based on bananas such as fried banana, lepat banana, pempet banana and many more. I have
learned many things about food here such as curry puff but the inside contains noodles or
maggi. It sounds weird right, but it is their culture maybe. We must respect them like they
respect and accept us to study there. Not gonna lie, they all are friendly towards each other
even though they are not in the same religion and culture. As for now, I will enjoy my journey to
study here for five years and looking forward to what will happen to me after this as a teacher.
Here we go, Aisya! Fight for your journey and do not stress while doing your assignment! You
can do it, Aisya!

ATIQAH BINTI MOHD HAMIZI

Hi everyone, my name is Atiqah Binti Mohd Hamizi and just call me Atiqah.
I want to share about life in IPG. IPG was my dream, but in Tawau, Sabah?
I was Terrified because the IPG was too far from my house. But I accept
this as a challenge for myself. I arrived at Tawau Campus Teacher
Education Institute (IPGKT) on 16 August 2022 and I was the second student that registered at
8.00 a.m. I came to IPGKT with my mother and my brother. On the first day, I was so worried
about how to find good friends because I had a bad experience with my latest friends, but now I
have good friends. On the first day, I have English class which is my first class as an IPG
student. There I introduced myself and got to know my other friends too, and also the
English lecturer, Sir Rishijeet. IPGKT really has a great view, food and people too.
Furthermore, here I have to do things by myself and be independent. While the food is a
bit different from the Peninsula which is, I still have to adapt until now, but it is quite interesting
to know about new food. Another thing is, the lekor cracker and fried bananas are everywhere
and can be eaten in the morning while on the Peninsula, I just can see it in the evening. Next,
the thing that shocks me is time. Sabah has a different time of prayers and day to school. For
example, I have to wake up one hour earlier than usual and a different day of school because in
Johor, Friday is a holiday while in Sabah, it’s not. Other than that, I have to do so many
assignments and the due date is almost the same day. This makes me feel exhausted because
I do not have enough sleep. I have to be in IPGKT within 5 years to finish my study and be a
good Malay language teacher. My wish is I can throw up the challenge to get a great pointer and
the most important thing is to make my family proud of me. ;)

MARDYANA BINTI MAZRI

Hi everyone ! First of all, I want to introduce myself first. My name
is Mardyana binti Mazri and I'm from Negeri Sembilan. I am very
grateful for being selected to enter IPG. The interesting thing is that
all my classmates are girls and they are also from the peninsula as

well.

I want to share about my life at IPG Kampus Tawau. When I got here, I had many
feelings such as excited, nervous, happy and of course sad because I needed to leave my
hometown. I got a lot of surprises here. For example, about the time zone. In Sabah the prayer
time is a little bit faster than in the peninsula and also the night time is earlier than usual i feel.
Not gonna lie, the view of the sunset here is so beautiful and I really like it. I can see the sunset
every day from my room window.

What about food ? okay let me tell you guys. The food is the same as in the peninsula
but has a slightly different taste. The first time I ate it, it felt a little strange, maybe because it
was the first time, but now I can get used to it. By the way, I really miss my mom cooks. What I
noticed here is that bananas are very popular. Many foods are made from bananas. In addition,
I found a very unique food that cannot be found at peninsula, which is a noodle based curry puff.

I did not expect that I would spend my time here for two months. Overall, everything is
getting better and I'm starting to feel happy to be here. I can’t believe I've learned to be
independent like this. Lastly, I just want to say that I can't wait to go home this 12th month and
to see my parents.

NUR NADIA BINTI BADLI

Hello, my name is Nur Nadia Binti Badli. So here I want
to share with you guys about my experience in IPG Kampus Tawau. This is my first time coming
to Sabah. Before I entered IPG Kampus Tawau, I had a lot of bad impressions about it. But it
was actually not as bad as I thought. The most gratifying thing is when all my classmates are
from west Malaysia and all of them are girls. There’s no man in our class! While here, at first I
couldn't go with their food because it’s not the same like west Malaysia. But right now, I think
the food here is delicious. But I still miss my mom’s cooking. The prices are sometimes
affordable but sometimes a little bit pricey.

Other than that, this ipg is unique because it’s divided by two institutes which is IPG
Kampus Tawau and also Politeknik Tawau. The best thing is I don’t need to speak sabahan in
class. The golden moments here are when everyone struggles to do their assignment in only
one day and doesn't sleep that night. I think I was too extravagant while I lived here because
every week I would go out either to ‘Bandar Tawau’ or ‘Taman Sawit’. I spend a lot of money
when I go out but I'm satisfied because I can release my tension. Last week, I went to Pizza Hut
with my roommate and also Eastern Plaza. Unfortunately, there’s nothing special when I go
there.

The disadvantages of this hostel is that there is often a lock of water and electricity.Can
you imagine we’re back from classes and there’s no electricity until night. But it only happens on
the 2nd level in dahlia. It’s not fair at all ! Sometimes there is a problem with no Internet access.
Nowadays, everything needs the Internet, so without it, it will be difficult for us to do any work.
But, however it is, I need to be grateful. Can't wait for mid sem holiday on 15th of October.

This December, I want to go back to Terengganu. I really can't wait for it. The price for flight
tickets are so pricey since December was a school holiday. But I don't mind. As long as I can go
back home!!! Before the holiday, I need to take the examination first. I only took two papers for
the examination. I hope it is just fine. By the way, that's all my experience since I live in ipg. Until
now I still can't believe that I have to stay here for 5 years. I hope you guys enjoy my story.
BYEEE. LOVE YOU ALL.

HIDAYATUL IZZAH BINTI MUHAMAD SAUPI

Heyy…. It's me Hidayatul izzah binti muhamad saupi but
people usually call me izzah. When I was in high school I had a
passionate interest in being a dentist. I hope that I can further
my studies in dentistry courses but my biology results say no. I
ended up entering Uitm Dengkil taking foundation in
engineering courses. I am kinda scared and worried that I
cannot follow my studies because I am not good at IT. But yeah,
I finally managed to finish 1 year of the foundation.

It's a casual sunny morning. The first rays poured through my window. Another day had
dawned, bringing with it new hopes and aspirations. With a half-wake, I tried to grab my phone
to look at the time. Then, I noticed that I got a message from an unknown number. I opened the
message and surprisingly it said that I got accepted into IPG. I read the message again and
again because I still can’t believe it. I quickly ran to my mom in the kitchen and told her that I got
this offer. My mom was so happy because she was the one who wanted me to become a
teacher. Suddenly, I was stunned for a moment and looked back at the offer letter because it
said that the campus that I got is Tawau, Sabah. My mom asked me if I wanted to go or not and
without thinking my answer was yes.

Then, I started to do all the preparations including doing a medical check-up, making a
passport, filling up all those documents, and many more. It was so tiring because I had to do all
of this in a rush of time and had to catch my flight which is on the 14 of August. 16 August 2022,
was the first time I set foot in ipg. There all this started. There were so many new things I
learned here. The first difference that I felt here was about the food. For me, most of their dishes
taste quite different but are still edible. There were also some foods that I never ate before like
Nasi Lalap and amplang. Besides, the thing that surprised me the most is that we have to finish
a lot of assignments in a short time. Staying awake at night is normal as we have to catch
deadlines. Now, we feel very relieved and happy because we managed to finish and submitted
19 of the assignments successfully and another two to go. There is also a difference about the
prayer time because the prayer time here is earlier than on the peninsula.

I think that's all from me. It seems quite difficult for me to adapt here. But I survived here
because I have many good friends with me up and down. I hope that I can create more
memories here in these five years. I think that's all from me. Thank you for willing to listen to my
story. Bye

NUR LIYANA ARINA BINTI MOHD AZLHI

Hello, my name is Nur Liyana Arina Binti Mohd Azlhi but you can call me
Arina. I’m from Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Before I came to IPG Kampus Tawau, I
studied at UiTM Kampus Tapah with a diploma of accountancy. Last year, I couldn't get the ipg
offer but this year i got the ipg offer and accepted it. At first, I felt very excited but I also felt
scared because it was too far. Due to my mother's strong support, I dared to go.

On the registration day, the sad feeling of being separated from my family arises.
However, I feel grateful for getting a comfortable and beautiful room. I also have a very nice
roommate. At first, it was also quite difficult to adapt because their language is quite different
and difficult to understand. If I don’t understand, I can only smile. The food here is also different
in terms of taste. The price of food in Medan Selera is not constant, sometimes cheap,
sometimes expensive. However, I try my best to adapt with this problem because I will study
here for five years. Even though I feel sad, I must face it. When I saw my Tawau’s friends back
home, I felt so homesick. I’m reminded of my family and I miss them. When I miss them, I will
video call together with them. This way will cure longing for them. But I feel a very comfortable
environment in this IPG. The existing trees beautify this IPG and the view is so nice during dusk.

During my time at IPG, I used to participate in sports activities organised by IPG. In this
activity I entered the tug-of-war event and won first place. At the same time, I was able to get
acquainted with other classes and seniors. This activity is very fun. In addition, IPG has held a
teacher’s day with a theme back to school. All lecturers and students wear school uniforms to
follow the theme. This teacher’s day makes me feel like I have become a teacher.

SHARIFAH AISYAH BINTI SYED ZULKEFLI

Hello, my name is Sharifah Aisyah Binti Syed Zulkefli PPISMP
student intake June 2022. I would like to share my experiences in
IPG Kampus Tawau, Sabah. At First, I felt frustrated because I
got rejected from IPGM. The blessing of my parents' prayers and
all who pray for me, I finally accepted to continue my studies at
IPG as the second intake. But, honestly I was really shocked
because I got IPG kampus Tawau in Sabah. I did not know how I felt at that time.
Because I really want to achieve my dream to become a teacher, I accepted with an open heart.

On 16 August 2022, I finally arrived at IPG Kampus Tawau. Beautiful was my first
impression when I came here. The building was so big and wide. After we finished the
registration, we were instructed to go to the administration block and we started our first English
class with Sir Rishi. My first impression when I saw him is that he is so charismatic because he
is tall, dark but sweet and handsome for sure. I’m glad because all of my classmates are from
West Malaysia. Some of them are from Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor, Melaka, Pulau
Pinang and of course from Negeri Sembilan same as me.

I got room number 223 and my roommate is Nadia. I am really glad to have roommates
like her because she is so funny, crazy and kind. A lot of things are new here such as food,
prayer times and also the accents. I learned a lot of Sabah accents such as “apa maksudmu?”,
“cewek” and others. What can I say as a new student of IPG the most challenging thing is the
assignment and since we entered late from the first intake students, so I feel a bit rushed to
understand a subject. To be honest, I really enjoy studying here because I can make friends
with many friends from different states and also I can travel around the state of Sabah with my
friends. I can’t wait to create sweet memories during my five years of studying at IPG Kampus
Tawau with my friends and successfully completing my studies to become a teacher.

NURHUSNA MAISARAH BINTI MAHADI

Hello. My name is Nurhusna Maisarah Binti Mahadi, and I am from Kelantan.
In this story, I would like to share my life experience at Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) in Tawau,
Sabah. One day in August, I received a message from somebody. The first time I read the news,
my heartbeat was fast. Guess what? I got an offer from IPG. I felt so glad. Finally, I got
accepted to enter IPG, but at the same time, my heart felt heavy because the campus was far
from home in Kelantan. After some thought and getting my parent’s advice, I decided to accept
the offer. I believe that is the best destiny that God has determined for me.

After a few days, my parents and I took the flight booked to Tawau, and it was my first time
on a plane. So, I was a little bit nervous but my nerves got away when I saw the blue sky and
the spectacular panorama of the earth from the plane. A few hours passed, my parents and I
safely arrived at Tawau Airport, and we took an e-hailing to IPG Tawau. I registered and
officially became an IPG student. Right after the enrollment, I went to the hall for the briefing and
orientation.

The next day, I met my parents before they headed back to Kelantan. I saw my mum’s
face slightly sorrowful to leave me alone there, which made my eyes in tears too. But I hold back
the tears to not make my mum worried and concerned. I hugged my mum and promised to
study hard to become an excellent teacher one day,and the most important thing was to make
both my parents proud. Since that day, a new journey in my life has begun, and I will try my best
to encounter all the days coming.

THAT’S ALL FROM
US !!!!

THANK YOU FOR
READING OUR STORY