To prepare to study in the UK, this Malaysian watched all eight ‘Harry Potter’ films back-to-back every day

There are many ways people could learn English besides just going to classes. Indonesian rapper Rich Brian learned English from watching lots of YouTube videos and befriending an American on Skype. Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi learned English by listening to a lot of Eminem – profanity included.

For aspiring Malaysian fashion stylist Dzarith Camelia, she perfected her English language skills by watching all eight of the “Harry Potter” movies back-to-back. The full list, one after another, every day.

“Every day, I have to watch ‘Harry Potter’ from the first movie until the last so I can improve my English,” she says.

Dzarith Camelia learned English so she could fluently communicate with peers and professors. Source: Dzarith Camelia

The reason why she would spend more than half a day (19 hours and 39 minutes to be exact) watching the JK Rowling film adaptations was to prepare to join Sheffield Hallam University.

As part of a twinning programme with INTI International College Subang, she would complete a portion of her bachelor’s degree in Fashion Management and Communication in the UK university.

Her passion for fashion stemmed from an early age. Right after her SPM (Malaysia’s answer to a GCSE), she had a part-time job working with the merchandising team at Vero Moda, a high street fashion brand from Denmark. This short but eye-opening experience paved the way for Camelia to pursue fashion seriously, particularly in marketing.

Instead of following her father’s footsteps in architecture, she decided to go her own way by pursuing fashion business. Source: Dzarith Camelia

And where else to learn fashion than in one of its major capitals, the UK?

“I always loved the UK and used to travel there often when I was a kid because my mom used to work there. So, it always felt a bit like a second home for me,” she says.

Plus, her father is a University of Manchester alumnus.

But instead of following his footsteps in architecture, she decided to chart her own path at one of the top 20 universities in the UK, which is a good place to study fashion, according to her friends there.

Lost in translation

Although Camelia had been to the UK often, visiting and living there are two different situations. For the first time, she had to live on her own, depending on her survival skills to navigate her way around a new city and country.

At the start, the hardest part was finding accommodation, transportation, and the nearest local market to get her supplies. Then came more challenges: making new friends and connecting with the locals.

t was all very overwhelming.

“I think I had a mental breakdown for a few weeks because, of course, I miss my family and friends,” she says.

Exams didn’t help with her stress either. Camelia had only two semesters to go when she was on the brink of giving up.

Dzarith Camelia impulsively took a last-minute bus to Edinburgh to destress. Source: Dzarith Camelia

To give herself some space, she escaped to Edinburgh, Scotland — the very city where the Harry Potter books were written.

“I impulsively took a last-minute bus to Edinburgh. When I arrived, I ended up discovering a small town called Melrose, and I decided to stay there for a few days,” she recalls. “Being alone and walking through that town gave me space. I needed to reflect. I think I realised that I have been close to giving up, but something inside me just reminded me that I have already come this far. So that moment became a turning point for me to just [say that] it’s okay. Don’t give up.”

Although her journey was not as easy and smooth as she had hoped for, her passion, determination, and willingness to learn shaped her to become the personshe is now. Today, she is working as a content specialist for Thailand’s #1 cosmetic website, where she does most of the company’s social media campaigns.

“What matters is to stay committed to your goals. You have to take the first step,” Camelia says. “Studying or working abroad can feel really overwhelming, but it’s one of the best ways to grow personally and professionally.”