Filbert Filbert

“After completing senior high school in Indonesia where I’m from, I was trying to decide which university I should go to. I actually had my sights on an Indonesian university, but my mum suggested I should study abroad, and that’s how I ended up studying at Curtin Malaysia. So, I have my mum to thank for this opportunity to study at Curtin’s largest global campus.

“I chose Curtin Malaysia because of its Bachelor of Engineering in Petroleum Engineering, which is identical to the one offered in Australia at very affordable Malaysian fees. I first joined the foundation program in August 2017 when the campus was still known as Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia. It was later renamed Curtin University, Malaysia, or Curtin Malaysia.

“In the beginning, I had problems making new friends or simply talking with others because I’m a rather timid person by nature and was a bit apprehensive when it came to talking to strangers. But I’ve learned you can overcome that by joining campus activities and student clubs. Student life is not all about studies; there’s lots of opportunities for socialising and self-development too. By participating in club activities, I learned to organise events and developed good leadership skills and I made many friends that I now consider my second family.

“While university life can be tough, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. You just need to strike a balance between your academic and leisure pursuits and manage your time well. As Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pocket!” –Filbert Filbert, Petroleum Engineering student