We’d like to give you a glimpse of what we go through here in Bali. Mind you, we have the least experience of all the batches, but we can give you the most CURRENT experience that a student will undergo here.

20^th August was the day we left our homes on a plane and was greeted at Bandara Ngurah Rai by a group of strangers whom we have never met in our lives. They put us on a bus with our luggage and took us to our new homes in a place called Denpasar (where Udayana is located).

We’ll start with the important things in life- food!!! Let’s be honest, it’s hard to find food that reminds you of home. But, we’re here to help you out. We’ll give excellent recommendations to the tastiest cuisine you can find in Bali. Don’t compare though. We Malaysians are biased. Nasi lemak and roti canai will always top the list.

As juniors, you will probably be staying together with you batch mates and learn to live in harmony. The guys and girls will live separately but nevertheless nearby.

The first few months will be a killer on your wallets. Be sure to allocate some extra cash (extra RM500- this is for our batch) for official and personal expenditure.

When we first came here, we were totally dependent on angkuts (public vans) and taxis. They were efficient tools of transportation for the first few months, but as time progressed, most of us decided to acquire motor bikes or scooters. This was because we found it more convenient and more cost-efficient. Most of us learned how to ride a bike, here in Bali. Parents, we know the idea scares you, but we would advise you to talk to our seniors regarding this matter. In the long run, a bike becomes a necessity especially in our internship.

Our campus is a brick red building that looks like museum!!! Let’s talk you through a day at campus. Our course schedule starts with lectures in the morning for about an hour plus followed by a break or small group discussion a.k.a. SGD, where we discuss questions pertaining to our lecture. Then we have independent learning. The day ends with pleno where the lecturer clears our doubts about the topic of the day or when we present the answers we came up with in SGD in a group or solo.

Our class is a mixture of Malaysian and Indonesian students. Our lectures are held in English but there are times when the lecturers deviate as they can give clearer pictures in Bahasa Indonesia. Not to worry, Bahasa Indonesia is not unlike Bahasa Malaysia and thus will not present a huge communication barrier.

There are a wide range of things that we can do in our spare time. Many have taken up a hobby. Whether it be barathanatyam, learning to play a new instrument or taking up a sport, there is always something productive that u can do. Or u could just choose to put your feet up and enjoy a student’s most prized possession…THE BED!!

If you really want to mingle with the locals and learn about the Bali lifestyle, you can always join some of the university own societies and club activities like KMPA or Aids Society,TBM or Medical Assistance Team etc. etc. and there are also many sports activities such as tennis, football, badminton, etc. etc. where you’ll get the opportunity to represent your batch.

Well, here is the part that most people are worried about…SENIORS!!!!!!! No! they are not evil, contrary to what most people believe. We had orientation like other universities but it was not the torture most people make it out to be.

Our orientation started with an indoor session where we met some of seniors and played some ice-breakers . They taught us many important survival skills, including basic Indonesian words that would help us in our everyday life. We also got a small taste of what it was like to study medicine when they showed us the correct method of performing CPR and when they let us watch some surgical videos. They even explained to us the procedures for applying for student loans.The orientation brought us much closer to our seniors and most importantly, ourselves. We were no longer 48 strangers. We were 48 friends.

Look out for fun activities like camp, Malam Gala, Indian Cultural day, Sports Day and other annual events etc. etc. Taking part in all these events makes the Malaysians here a close-knit community, or as we would like to call..a family! Who else do we have but each other. Our seniors helped us and are still doing so. They helped us settle down, tell us where to get the best things at the best prices, they still give us loads of studying pointers and the list goes on.

Although Bali may not be home, the people around you help you to learn to love it, whether it be your batch mates, seniors or even local friends. Even though we don’t know how things will be 4 years from now; in this short time here we have made memories that will last a lifetime.