THE STAR, THURSDAY 21 JANUARY 2021 EDUCATION GUIDE Making lasting and effective change THE end of the year is often seen likely to engage in new behaviour behaviour after multiple attempts,” as the beginning of something else. when executing it with like-minded she added. Millions of people across the globe people who will encourage us. The Covid-19 pandemic has left make New Year’s resolutions every Do not let failure to achieve Some find pursuing life-changing people exhausted and living with year, hoping to spark change in your goal the first time stop you activities more enjoyable when high levels of uncertainty. their lives. done in groups. It has had a significant effect on But how many of us actually from trying again. Many people Instead of merely relying on people’s mental health, but this follow through with what we plan? are successful in changing gadgets and apps, surrounding shouldn’t stop us from pursuing It is no secret that despite putting yourself with people who will some form of New Year’s resolu- their best foot forward, many their behaviour after multiple support your goals is essential tions. people struggle to stick to their attempts. and more beneficial in the long “There is evidence that people plans. After all, change is difficult. run. who have focused on their These days, there are plenty of For many people, having a resilience during the pandemic and applications and gadgets that Prof Elizabeth Jones qualified health professional on looking for ways they can grow promise to help people achieve may be an important part of their have developed better mental the goals they have set. social support who can help them health. Also, goals that develop our According to the Psychology design realistic goals, identify sense of autonomy, competence Department head at Monash with a health professional or They tend to quit when they fail barriers to change and develop and social connection are always University Malaysia, Prof Elizabeth support group. instead of trying again. useful self-talk strategies. good for our well-being,” Prof Jones Jones, using apps or gadgets to Studies have indicated that over “Set realistic, measurable and Prof Jones pointed out that shared. assist with behavioural changes 80% of people are likely to ditch achievable goals. For example, a rewarding yourself when you have Things like learning to cook new has become a trend. their resolutions two months into short 15-minute walk is more achieved a goal is helpful and that dishes, musical or artistic pursuits, “Gadgets can monitor our their plans and make the same realistic and attainable than a you should not punish yourself or having a regular time set aside behaviour but can’t change it. commitments again the following 5km run. when you don’t achieve a goal. for meditation may all be realistic Though they can be useful, year. “It’s best to have smaller subor- “There are often obstacles in the and achievable during Covid-19 we need to set in place other “Humans are creatures of habit. dinate goals to help you work course of achieving one’s goals. and contribute to the improvement conditions that can help us change It is helpful when we have good towards a bigger goal than making Identifying these barriers is the of our mental health. our behaviour,” she said. practices, but not useful when a beeline for a greater superordi- first step towards finding ways to Apps and gadgets need to be trying to change bad habits,” nate goal,” Prof Jones explained. overcome them. ■ This article is contributed by used in conjunction with other Prof Jones shared. She added that it’s also better not “Do not let failure to achieve Monash University Malaysia. strategies. Someone looking for a She added that many people set to have too many goals. your goal the first time stop you For more details, look out for lifestyle change may find that unrealistic goals but usually don’t Social support is crucial when from trying again. Many people the advertisement in this smart technologies work better put in place the support they need. making changes. We are more are successful in changing their StarSpecial. 2 Education Guide THE STAR, THURSDAY 21 JANUARY 2021 Cultivating innovators WITH the Fourth Industrial various industry partners. Revolution (IR4.0) having reached Students keen on an engineering To ensure safety when operating Mechanical Malaysia, the government has point- or computing career may consider When operating engineering lab equipment such ed out the urgent need for more stu- enrolling in the following prog- Engineering Workshop equipment such as the Lathe as the Jet Apparatus, FEC students are supervised dents to enrol in Science, Technology, rammes. Machine, FEC requires students to wear goggles and a Engineering and Mathematics by academic staff (picture taken prior to MCO). face mask (picture taken prior to MCO). (STEM) programmes. Bachelor of Mechanical For 30 years, First City University Bachelor of Electronic Systems Design, Mobile Commu- E-Commerce Infrastructure and College through the Faculty of Engineering with Honours Engineering with Honours nications, and Digital Signal Technologies as well as Big Data Engineering and Computing (FEC) This four-year programme Processing,” says programme Analytics. has strived to create an ideal, equips students with the essential This four-year programme coordinator Dr Tay Ching En innovative, dynamic and diverse skills to become competent covers areas such as Analogue and Marcus. Bachelor of Information centre for academic excellence, with mechanical engineers. Digital Electronics, Microprocessor the mission of empowering the The course modules, which follow and Communication System. Bachelor of Software Technology (Networking next generation of world-class the Engineering Accreditation “To prepare students for a career and Security) (Hons) engineering and computing Council Malaysia (EAC)-approved in electronic engineering, we offer Engineering (Hons) professionals. curriculum, focus on areas such as specialised modules such as This three-year programme This three-year programme FEC bachelor’s degree students Engineering Materials, Applied Microprocessor and Microcontroller develops students’ aptitude for aims to train students who envi- reap the benefits of First City Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics, Systems, Embedded System lifelong learning, research, and sion a career in the field of infor- UC’s MoU (Memoranda of Thermodynamics as well as Design Applications, Digital IC Design, career development in mation technology, particularly Understanding) agreements with and Manufacturing. Signals and Systems, Analogue industrial, commercial or in networking and security. scientific computing. Through course modules Graduates will develop both such as Biometric Technology, practical computing skills and Computer Forensics and Ethical transferable skills to take on Hacking, students will develop positions such as a software analytical and critical thinking engineer, database administra- skills to solve computer network- tor, systems engineer, ing issues. They will also learn systems analyst, web developer how to design, maintain and and network integrator. administer a computer network’s infrastructure and security. Bachelor of Computer Campus facilities and Science (Intelligent financial assistance Systems) (Hons) FEC students will have access This three-year programme to cutting-edge engineering lab exposes students to Intelligent equipment. Students may also Systems, a field of knowledge take a 360° virtual tour of these closely related to artificial intelli- facilities at http://virtualx. gence. Graduates are expected to my/360projects/firstcity-edu/ demonstrate competent under- Otherwise, they may visit the standing of the concepts and First City UC campus during the principles of Intelligent Systems January and February Weekend through key course modules Open Days by appointment. such as the Internet of Things They may also chat with and Intelligent Systems Integra- course consultants via firstcity. tion, Machine Learning and edu.my or contact the hotline at Natural Language Processing. 017-660 6680. Prospective bachelor’s degree Bachelor of Information students should enrol quickly in the February 2021 intake to Systems (Hons) in ensure that they will be among Business Management the first 100 students entitled for attractive financial aid and This three-year programme scholarships. equips students with fundamen- Graduates are more than tal knowledge, principles and encouraged to continue with skills including analysis, design, their postgraduate studies as implementation and manage- they will receive an attractive ment in business information alumni rate. systems. Students can apply for a range Students will be equipped with of scholarships and financial skills to recognise the impact of assistances such as the First City computing on individuals, organ- Merit Scholarship, UEC Scholar- isations and society, and to exam- ship, Sports Scholarship, the ine the role of emerging technolo- Sibling and Alumni Incentive gies through course modules and the School Teacher’s such as Business Intelligence, Children Incentive. World-class business talent COVID-19 has not stopped the A second team, Curtin development of world-class local Malaysia Team B, was also business talent, as shown by the among the top six finalist teams teams competing in the recent that included teams from Fourth Annual Malaysian Teesneaker Care, TAR University Experiential Business Challenge – College, Azman Hashim The CIMA-EBLM Business International Business School Challenge 2020. and Monash University Malaysia. Among the top talents was Team B comprised Bachelor of Team A from Curtin University Business Administration student Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) com- Raheem Alam and Bachelor of prising Bachelor of Commerce Commerce student Dallas Ngo students Chester Chang Kah Zhau Xuan, who is majoring in Seng, Zhang Zhe, and Lau Hui finance and management and Jean and Wong Cheng Yee, who Essivieta Loren Joaquim Antonio emerged first runners-up. and Sylvia Yap Shi Wei, who Chang is majoring in entrepre- are majoring in accounting and neurship and marketing, Zhang finance. in finance, and Lau and Wong in management and marketing.