10 Top Tips for UUM First-Year Students
The time has come, you’ve finished secondary school and are preparing to head to university for the first time as a first-year student. Are you starting your adulting journey in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)? Ranked Malaysia’s Top 5 University by GreenMetric, UUM is one of the largest universities in Malaysia, land spanning 1,061 hectares!
To put that into perspective, it is equivalent to 1,986 football fields! It’s completely normal for a UUM freshie to feel overwhelmed, worried, stressed-out, plus a mix of uncontained excitement beginning this new journey. To help you along, we’ve compiled TEN top tips for starting at UUM:

1. First things first, Everything student affairs
They have all the information you need to help you thrive as a student and later in your career. Get advice from the Career Development Centre to map out your career path from your first year. The One Stop Centre guides students through processes such as visa application if you’re a foreign student, course fee payments, and other on-campus assistance. Anything student information related matter, they’re your go-to place.
2. Getting Around
Remember how massive this campus is? Familiarise yourself with the amenities and lecture halls on the campus. There is a campus map available on the UUM website. Get your bearings right to avoid getting lost and late for class.
Buses are available to transport the students anywhere within the campus. Soon you will be able to find buses’ schedule and routes in kiplePay e-wallet mobile app. Bus fares will be deducted straight from kiplePay
3. Home Away From Home
There is a total of 15 residential halls, dedicated to 20,000 undergraduate students. On-the-spot proximity to amenities such as the mosque, park, and dining spots allows students to organise daily activities better. The residential halls come with a mini-mart, café and a common laundry area.
4. Eat A Balanced Diet
Stay away from nasty takeaways. UUM students are lucky to have a variety of wholesome food options from 30 outlets on the campus; Kafe TM, Kafe Mas, Kafe Hijau Kuning, Kafe SME, Kafe Muamalat just to name a few. Keep an eye out for seasonal kiplePay cash voucher offers, and you might just get to dine for free.
5. Health Matters
UUM has a fully equipped Health Centre should you in the unfortunate event fall ill. Be in the pink of health and keep informed through frequent health talk organised from time to time for students. You can also get a dental check-up and immunisation should you need it.
6. Look Out For New Friends
Many lifelong friendships are formed during university days. UUM has a myriad of clubs for various hobbies and interests such as hockey, hiking, canoeing, communications, arts and music; the list goes on. Join some and you’re definitely on the path to forming new friendships.
7. Get Moving
You’ll never run out of things to get you moving around at UUM, with more than 28 various sports facilities spanning across 74 acres of land. It’s the only university in Malaysia that has a 9-hole golf course and an equestrian centre. By the second half of the year 2020, you will be able to book a golf session with kiplePay!
Plenty of activities are planned around sports such as 5km Fun Run. Keep up to date with upcoming activities on the UUM website and UUM Facebook fan page.
8. Go-Karting on Campus
This is the one and only university in Malaysia that has a Go-Kart circuit. All these sports and recreational facilities are built with the objective to develop all-round healthy communities. All the adrenaline junkies can easily book a Go-Karting session with a click of a button through kiplePay.
9. Shop Till You Drop At Varsity Mall
The go-to place in the campus for all your daily needs such as groceries, stationeries, food and for sending off mail to friends and family back home via the post office. Leave your wallet and go cashless at the mall with kiplePay.

10. Finally, Some R&R
Never crack under pressure as a first-year student. UUM is blessed to be surrounded by nature and splendid weather. Students can relax and recharge, by going for a walk or hike in the morning when the sun greets you with its rays. By noon, raindrops cools off the heat so you can relax in the evening and have a good night’s rest.
Conclusion
Conclusion:
It is perfectly normal to feel a little overwhelmed at the beginning but with a self-contained campus like UUM, you will feel at home in no time. Just be sure to check back the 10 top tips to how to live your best UUM student life.
Lastly, if you have not done so, download kiplePay. It’s one handy tool in this cashless campus.