After graduating from a foundation programme at Sunway College, Lee Hui Ru found herself at a crossroad when choosing between a degree in business and interior architecture. After long consideration, she settled on pursuing her dreams through the BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture, a course she was truly interested in. Thanks to the Jeffrey Cheah ACE Scholarship, she was able to relieve some financial burden.  

Hui Ru’s first semester in 2020 was immediately met with unexpected challenges, as the start of the programme was delayed by a couple of weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO). In fact, about half of her degree life was spent in her own house with online learning or hybrid classes. “It was really an unexpected and new learning experience for us,” she recounts. “It was tough at the beginning to learn and get used to new apps and study methods.” Meanwhile, her cohort had to find different ways to reach out to their lecturers for guidance and conduct group discussions for projects.  

Despite the challenges, Hui Ru is thankful for her lecturers who were responsible and patient in handling the changes brought by the pandemic. Apart from providing informative lectures via various online meeting apps, her lecturers held frequent tutorials and discussions to follow up on the student’s progress and assist with any issues. They went beyond their duty by making themselves available to answer the students’ questions at practically any time, with the understanding that studying online could be challenging for the students. Hui Ru credits her lecturers for helping her build and develop a strong foundation in interior architecture, stating she would not have achieved her goals or graduated without them.  

In the BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture course, Hui Ru and her cohort learned the A to Z’s of design – from concepts and design ideas to learning drawing and rendering software. Notably, the course taught her how to use a complex 3D modelling and rendering software, 3Ds Max. Picking up the software was difficult at the start, to the point where she questioned why students were not offered easier rendering software to learn. However, the move proved beneficial as Hui Ru received several job offers due to her familiarity with the software.

Toward the end of her degree, Hui Ru did an internship with Deco Style Sdn Bhd, marking her first steps into the industry. Through her manager and seniors’ guidance, she had the opportunity to produce detailed drawings and select material finishes for her own projects. She is thankful for her fruitful internship experience, which caused her to improve immensely. Now, she is an Interior Designer for Inch Theory, bringing her prior experiences straight into her first full-time job.  

As I’m still new in the industry, my biggest weakness is the lack of experience,” Hui Ru admits. At her current job, she faces challenges in figuring out the usage, sizes and prices of different types of material finishes – a challenge that can only be overcome through experience and gaining industry knowledge. However, she is optimistic that work is a continuous learning process and is dedicated to learning despite having graduated from the classroom.