Namira's Notes

As I study for Imperial College London's interview, I might as well share my knowledge on carbon capture methods (something that I wrote in my UCAS Personal Statement!). There are many "colours" to carbon: 1. Brown Carbon Brown carbon compounds refer to the organic compounds formed from the incomplete combustion of biomass, typically from plants and wood. These brown carbon are known to absorb sunlight, contributing to atmospheric warming and influencing climate change. They produce complex mixtures of organic compounds with light-absorbing properties. They are sourced from wildfires, agricultural burning, and biomass burning (or in other words, brown carbon = dust).  2. Black Carbon Black carbon is composed primarily of carbonaceous particles from incomplete combustion processes, such as burning of fossil fuels and biomass. These particles, like brown carbon, are very effective at absorbing sunlight and are responsible for atmospheric warming, thus they are a significant...

On a random Wednesday in late August, I received a text from my friend, Kasih. "U nak ke apply oxbridge?" "Do you want to apply for Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge)?" To which I replied, "How about we apply together?" And that was how my Cambridge journey started. Did I want to apply for Cambridge in the first place? Maybe (since the only top universities I knew as a child were University Malaya, Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard). But after surviving a year of KY, in which people quote as 'the place for the cream of the crop', I realised that Cambridge applicants are the real cream.  Don't get me wrong, getting a university in the UK is already as hard as it is! Especially with getting good predicted grades and matching your university choices to your sponsor's list of top ten universities in the UK. But going for Cambridge? That's a new level of insanity. I did expect a heavy workload for applying to Oxbridge, which includes early submiss...

Smores the Kitten Have you ever wondered what your pet sees when they look in the mirror? My housemate's kitten, Smores, might have the answer—or at least, she’s trying to figure it out. My housemate recently adopted a Siamese kitten she named Smores. With her dark-tipped ears and tail, the kitten supposedly looks "burnt", but to me, she resembles a cotton bud. One of Smores's favorite activities in our house is staring at her reflection in the mirror.  I’ve never seen a cat do this before. Most cats glance at their reflection and quickly lose interest, but Smores locked eyes with her mirrored self for a solid two minutes, occasionally sneaking curious glances at me. Then, she seemed to realize the mirror wasn’t just showing her but reflecting the space around her. Smores took a tentative step toward the “other cat,” only to bonk her head against the glass. Startled, she spun around to find me standing behind her, not in the mirror where she expected. This might seem ...

Flowers from KYUEM's Bubble Picnic Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), or more commonly known as aspirin, is a household staple often used to reduce fevers and relieve pain. But did you know it can also help your flowers live longer? In my case, I wanted my flower bouquet from my school's bubble picnic to last more than just a few days.  Does it really work? Let's dive into the science and investigate!

SPM 2022 Results Day at my previous school If I could go back in time, I'd tell my younger self to pray for scholarships—not just straight A's in SPM. A week after the SPM 2022 results were revealed, I found myself catapulted into a whirlwind of scholarship applications, scrambling to gather my achievements and pour them into essays. With 9A+, 1A, and 1B+ (later rechecked to an A-), I was confident I’d have my pick of scholarships. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Now, as a student at KYUEM, I’ve learned that the scholarship application process isn’t just about grades—it’s a journey that demands preparation, confidence, and persistence. In this post, I’m sharing three lessons I wish I’d known earlier to help other Malaysian students navigate this challenging but rewarding path.

The monsoon season in Peninsular Malaysia starts in early November and lasts until late January. During this period, the Northeast monsoon brings heavy rainfall, cause inland flooding, while powerful waves from the South China sea relentlessly erode the shores of Terengganu. In my hometown, Kuala Terengganu, this has led to concerning changes along the coastline, such as shortened beaches and steepened shores. Residents living near the shore face dire consequences as their homes and livelihoods are increasingly threatened by ongoing erosion. Alarmingly, the coastline is shrinking by one to two meters annually, jeopardizing both the safety of the local population and the sustainability of the coastal environment. To combat this crisis, authorities in Terengganu have taken proactive measures, including the construction of wave breakers—structures engineered to reduce wave intensity and mitigate coastal erosion.