First Impressions

By Norlia Sha’ari

It was my first day at UCSI University. And it was the first day of the week, and the first day of the month. I arrived well ahead of the time appointed me and was pleasantly greeted by the counter receptionist who invited to wait in the waiting lounge on the ground floor. At that point in time, the place looked a bit deserted. But as I sat to down to wait, I could see a smattering of students strolling in and the UCSI University staff breezing past to their various work stations. The staff passing through the lounge had a sense of purpose in their stride while the students’ faces were very ‘smiley’ as they met and ‘high-five’ each other.

The person I was waiting for soon arrived and politely invited me upstairs via what I thought was a convoluted way: up the lift to the second floor, then across the opposite breadth of the building up twenty steps up towards the back of the building to the third floor! Phew! Luckily I am past my vain days of four-inch high heels!

Upstairs, I met another lady who was also joining UCSI University then. In a rather soft voice, the UCSI University staff requested that we filled in some forms before taking us to see the doctor for a routine medical check-up. But before we adjourned to the clinic, she gave us our identification cards. I was impressed with the efficiency! I had only submitted my application form on Thursday. That was just three days ago!

Then, she brought us on a rough tour from the third floor, down twenty steps to the second floor to where we could verify our ID each morning (aside from  the car entry point). We then went down a further twenty steps or so, to the doctor’s clinic on the first floor for a routine medical check up; after which we were to return to the third floor.

At the clinic we were told to get our x-rays done. And as the friend with me had her car with her, we decided to head to Pantai Medical Centre in Cheras to do so. I told my new friend I am relying on her totally as I have no idea the whereabouts is this hospital, nor any idea how to get there and back. This was not of much concern with my friend because she is quite familiar with the locality. Her main worry was losing the car park and not finding a place to park her car on our return. Parking space is quite a precious thing here at UCSI University at the moment, as we all know well!

Luckily, we managed to get our x-rays done quite fast and found a parking space on our return. And as it was time for lunch, we decided to have our lunch at the university cafeteria prior to reporting back on the third floor.

The cafeteria was quite packed with students having their lunch. Although empty tables and seats could be found, however the tables were inundated with used crockery that had yet to be cleared by cafeteria helpers and the tables wiped to make it an inviting place to lunch at. Anyway, we decided to queue at the food counters to order our food.

There was a Western Food Counter, International Food Counter and a Local Food Counter - or so it stated. But surprise, surprise, all we saw were  a Chinese Food counter and an Indian Food counter; and of course the drinks, fruit and cake counter. As for the taste, let’s say, though one would not die of food poisoning from eating the food, one would not be dying for the food either!!!

Having had our lunch, we returned to the third floor where we were each taken to our respective work stations. Along the way, we met several of the UCSI University staff to whom we were introduced. I must say everyone I met was most welcoming. What impressed me most was how every staff that I met took the initiative to come and be introduced when they realized we were new to the University. And this has been the norm since the four days I have been here. Daily, I see the staff interacting very congenially with each other.  I am thinking that this promises to be an affable workplace.

Let’s hope so. Maybe I should reserve my comments a few months from today, huh? What do you think?
     
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