ARIN (3rd year)

“I am in Malaysia right now. I came back home in the first semester of this year to do my internship. It took me a while to find a good internship, one I really liked, but eventually, I was hired by the Malaysian ThinkTank IDEAS that focuses on politics and economics. Specifically, I was asked to research the Belt and Road Initiative. At the beginning of the internship, I was in the office all the time and I got to know my colleagues quite well. Our office was also very modern and cool, so it was like working at Google! It was located in Chinatown, meaning that every break we could go to a different restaurant to have lunch. We’d always rock-paper-scissors for who would get to choose the next place. I really had a lot of fun there. Later on, when the COVID restrictions got more strict, we were only allowed to go to the office in designated groups, and for a shorter period of time, which was a shame. But I still learned a lot, and it was really interesting to use different theories and concepts that we were taught in university. As I said, I researched the Belt and Road Initiative, and I also decided to write my thesis on this topic, so I’m able to use my experience in the field while I’m writing. After I finish my thesis, I have one more semester left, to catch up on some subjects. But I always tell myself to not stress. There is no rush to graduate fast, especially with COVID. And if things get stressful, just take it one step at a time.”

(Arin, 3rd year, Malaysia)