User Persona : Meet Our Book Heroes

What Do Students Really Need?

Meet Sarah Amyra — A resilient learner

Sarah is a 22-year-old student at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). She comes from a middle-class family (B40), in Kuala Lumpur and currently lives in a shared campus room at Inasis Bank Islam. It’s not fancy, but it keeps her close to her classes, her friends, and everything that matters in her university life.

She’s bright, hardworking, and deeply motivated to succeed. But like many students, Sarah’s journey isn’t without its struggles, especially when it comes to money.

Every semester, she faces the same challenge, how to afford all the textbooks she needs. New books are expensive, and more often than not, the library copies are already checked out. Sure, digital versions exist, but they’re not always easy to read and sometimes they’re just not there at all.

Sarah does her best. She looks for part-time work, applies for financial aid, and finds creative ways to get by. She’s resilient, curious, and always pushing forward, even when things get tough. She’s not just studying for grades, she’s building her future, one day at a time.

She dreams of a simple solution. Something that could make it easier for students like her to get the books they need without breaking the bank. Something that connects students to one another where someone who just finished a course can pass their books to someone just starting out.

A used book platform built for UUM students could be that solution. For Sarah, and for so many others, it’s more than just saving money. It’s about having a fair shot at success, feeling supported by a community, and turning small, everyday problems into real opportunities.

Time (min:sec)	Evidence
0:56	"I mostly get second-hand books... it’s just cheaper and faster for me." → "Mostly got second-hand book" user persona

Time (min:sec)	Evidence
1:03	"In first year I used to always buy new books at the bookstore... it was so pricey." → "Pricey book" user persona
1:25	"Now I usually buy second-hand books if I can find them... saves a lot." → "I usually buy second-hand book"

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