The 75-year-old, who started working after completing his schooling at Bukit Mertajam High School, said discipline and time-management were vital in contributing to his success in gaining a diploma in counselling at Universiti Malaya (UM).
“During my 28 years of service with the fisheries department, I lost sight of my intention to pursue a tertiary education,” he said, citing work and family commitments as the main reasons.
However, his aspiration to further his studies was rekindled when he retired, and led to him enrolling in the diploma course at UM’s Centre for Continuing Education.
The father of three grown-ups had the opportunity to don a graduation robe and put on a mortar board during the centre’s convocation ceremony in the Dewan Tunku Chancellor at the UM campus here today.
Majid was among 812 people who graduated with diplomas, executive diplomas and study certificates.
Fellow graduates cheered as he walked on stage to receive his diploma certificate from UM chairman Zakri Abdul Hamid.
Majid said studying as a married man was rather different from studying as a secondary school student.
“Unlike my teenage years in school, I now have family responsibilities to fulfil,” he said.
“I therefore created a timetable so that I could divide my time between my studies and my family. I had to prioritise what was important,” he added.
Majid was quick to advise students to complete assignments on time.
“Do not delay the assignment until the deadline is near, because what you come up with then may not be good,” he said.
Meanwhile, veteran flight steward Yusri Adam, who has chalked more than 20 years’ experience working in the skies, graduated with an executive diploma in business management today.
He also emerged as valedictorian with the highest academic results in his batch and received this year’s UM Chairman’s Award.
Asked how he dealt with the pressure of studying while working irregular hours as an air steward, he said: “When I return from a local two-way flight, I take a two-hour nap before going through my books and doing assignments.”
Yusri said age should not be a deterrent for one to pursue his studies.
“Is it too late to catch up with our studies? No, it’s never too late,” he said. “And even if it is, it’s still better late than never.”
Yusri, who joined AirAsia two years ago after having served for nearly two decades with Malaysia Airlines, said he wanted to work on the ground after his graduation.
“I am planning to join my company’s administration department and maybe pursue a master’s degree,” he said.