I don’t know what course I want to take
First, ask yourself what do you like the most. Perhaps you like nice looking flash, website and programs or perhaps you are fascinated by the latest technologies in automotive and cars. This is the first and foremost thing you must first consider. One of the most common mistake people make is to look at the $$ factor and their own results. It is not to say results are not important, it is important but not to an extent it’ll influence too much of your decision. However, please do note that you shouldn’t stray too far away from reality. For example, you found that your interest is in music yet, you can’t even identify what a flat/sharp is in theory. If this is the case, you should then re-evaluate your second interest as trying to study something you have no knowledge in, will get you no where near far.

I don’t know what to do and how to start
Well, to start, the first thing you should do is to understand what you like as stated on the first post. After that, try looking at your results and will your results be able to help you to gain entry into the specific institute. For some if their results are slightly off the standard or aren’t looking that well, there’s always foundation courses available.

I have chosen my course and what should I do now?
After you have chosen courses that you find interesting, the next thing is to short list all the institutes that are offering them. In this time, let’s just leave every other factor out and short list all your choices. Then from your choices, evaluate the details of each institutes for example, are they offering accredited course by LAN? Are they having positive feedbacks or are they just a phony institutes? How well do they rank among the other institutes which are offering the same course? Try sorting out all this and cut out those that don’t fulfill those criteria. In my humble opinion, the most important thing is to look at the accreditation of the institute and the course itself.

I have short listed all the institutes, then?
Well, after you have narrowed down your choice, you should then consider one of the most important factor, the $$ factor. This is one of the cruel realities you must face. First thing is to look at your budget including tuition fees, living expenses and miscellaneous expenses and compare them with the information given by the institute, if they go out of your budget, the institute shouldn’t stay on your list as regardless of how good the institute is, if you can’t support all the fees, then it’s not really a wise choice. After all this shortlist, you will most probably be left with a few (like 5) choices.

A short note to above, even if they are over your budget, you can always check if any of the scholarships are available for such institutes, if yes, then you can try to apply for the scholarship. Well, everyone loves a prestigious institute compared to a “cap ayam” institute.

So I can apply now?
Wait just yet, after you have short listed all these, one of the important things is to check this out institutes by visiting them and talking to their course advisor. Never trust too much of the information you found on websites as most likely, they are showing all the nice wonderful information and most probably, you wouldn’t see something that is negative. After visiting all the institutes, do check for some online feedbacks from current seniors or you can ask your friends in the institutes about the status or their view on the institute.

Generally these are some simple guides to how you can choose an institute. However, do not make these mistakes when you are choosing some of the institute.

1) Do not follow the crowd or your friends in choosing a course or institute, don’t worry about friends as you’ll make new ones once you are there. Following the crowd is a fool’s theory and it shouldn’t be followed.

2) Undeniably, $$ factor is an important factor and it’s one of the rules guiding your choice. However, please do not choose an institute because it is cheap, do check the credibility and accreditation of the institute. No point getting a cheaper education where no one will hire you as they don’t recognize the institute.

3) Don’t give up just because you messed up your SPM results. Remember that results are not everything, it’s just a measurement tools to see how well you fair in school, stick it to your mind that A doesn’t mean everything and results only meant something, not everything. There’s always a second chance for you to improve yourself like foundation courses or form 6.

Additional Information
1) Culture Shock - Tony C
2) What to do after Form 5? Form 6, Private college or Uni? - LaR_c
3) Extra information on Form 6 - soccergod
4) Additional information on foundation courses - cynthia_tss
5) Choices after SPM - azarimy
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A simple list I wrote based on the frequently asked questions in the education section... Hopefully this may clear some of your doubts...

If you think something is missing, please add them in your post .... thank you ...

Everyone is welcomed to ask questions and get their doubts answer here instead of creating new threads with little replies

This post has been edited by Geminist: Nov 30 2005, 06:28 PM

A very good and basic guide indeed. I couldn't think of anything more to add. However, I reserve my post here for future guides and comments.

As much as I hate mentioning, this little advice here never seem to work. Common phrase that I've been hearing from students --- "everyone studies there!". And typically, it applies to most students who end up in University of Melbourne. No offense, but it's true. Imagine 15 of my peers going to UniMelb and me being the only one heading to Sydney... Homesick and friendless? Bulls**t!! You'll get over it!

This is something I encounter often especially for new school leavers (SPM) as they are pretty much attached to their friends for few years ...

That is why I'm mentioning this issue here ... And hopefully in return, they will take their time to look at this issue ...

In case anyone have anything they would like to add in to the first post, please drop me a PM with the details ... And of course, credits will be given to that person ...

Something for everyone, especially Form 5 grads, to think over... You can add this to the first post and delete it if necessary, Geminist.

The term "culture shock" is perhaps no longer a stranger to international students studying overseas. It's generally what individuals face when they first get into a new environment - be it with or without friends they've already knew. The only difference, I guess, would be such that if you already know someone beforehand, you tend to overcome the culture shock process in a shorter period of time.

Having an open mind is very important when you enter a new environment. There are things which are normal and usual in the environment of which you find strange. Well, the thing is you don't have to convert to it in order to fit in socially, but be ready to be open-minded and accept it as you go along.

Speaking of socialising, your social life is as important as your academic's (i.e. studying). Academically, you might think it's just getting straight A's and being the smart alec. But in the real world (i.e. when you're working), social skills are much more important than you could ever imagine. There will be a high level of communication between colleagues, clients, and superiors. These communication must be effective in order to avoid conflict which might deteriorate the relationships, of which would affect the business! So as you can see, bad communication skills not only prevent others from understanding you, but can also create plentiful of misunderstandings! Well, you might not believe me as for now, but I'm speaking from my personal experience, so I'll let you decide...

So what's the big deal about culture shock? Personally, it's no big deal. I've had it, I've reasoned it, and I think I've handled it rather well. But of course, I've seen other people struggling to get used to the new environment but reluctant to change a fair bit just to adapt to it. And that is exactly what I'm worried about (maybe with a little bit of disappointment). Everytime I listen to these stories, I feel sorry for them, but also think that they could have done much better than they what they have been doing all the while.

What's important is to mix around. The message is, you don't have to know someone beforehand to survive in a new environment. In fact, when you're alone, you will get to know more people because it forces you to socialise. It forces you to make first contact with strangers. I must point out, however, that it depends entirely on your own personality and mental strength. Can you bear that sort of pressure? Can you accept that challenge? Are you willing to make a change for once in your life? Some students can't take that sort of pressure of being alone, and they tend to break down mentally, which in turn gives them a really harsh time getting through the bad emotion as well as uni work. I can say that I'm the type of person who can get along pretty much with anybody, unless of course people refuse to bother me.

Communication is another thing. Some people, even some of my friends, just refuse to open their mouth and start a conversation. How bloody difficult is that?! Just say something like "Hi! How's it going?" and you'll be on your way! And never answer questions in a Q&A fashion. E.g. "What's your name?" "John" and silence thereafter... Add another question to it! Spice up the conversation, pile up the questions, you'll soon find something which is of mutual interest! And particularly international students, some of them refuse to speak because they are shy and they are shy because their English isn't good enough. And all I can say is, bullsh*t. If you never speak, you never get it wrong; and if you never get it wrong, you never learn from it; and if you never learn, you never improve, and then you're screwed for the rest of your life.

And if it's of interest for any of you, I've written a feature article on The Backbench about international students issues. The article can be retrieved here.

That's all for now.

Hi Tony, thank you for your contributions ... Instead of putting the article on the first post, I'm thinking of linking it instead to the first post ... I hope you're alright with it since your article is quite long

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As for the culture shock, I didn't really experience much of it when I came to UK as I'm already used to being away from home ... But when I first left for college after I finished my SPM, the change of environment is really shocking ...

To share a short story, one of my acquaintances, he went to Australia to study right after his SPM, guess what? He returned to Malaysia 2 weeks after as he's not used to being far away from home ...

Anyways, an alternative way to overcome such issues is that, stay in Malaysia for like 1 year to do your foundation studies before going for oversea ... That way, you'll experience less cultural shock when you're at oversea ...

Hopefully this helps

Not a problem at all, Geminist! Just hope that it's relevant, and that I've not jumped too far ahead for our Form 5 grads.

Well, what can I say? Your friend's case is one of the extremes I've heard of. There's a student who came to Australia a year ago, and didn't speak a word for the first 2 days upon arrival. He locked himself in his room, sat on the bed, fully shocked. I think he's okay now, enjoying his life in Gold Coast, as of what I heard from my colleague.

I did Foundation Studies here in Sydney, back in 2003. One of the main reasons for that was because I knew I'll need time to settle down and get used to life here, so I'd rather start doing that before uni starts, when the workload starts to get really heavy. It all depends on how you look at it. I treated Foundation Studies as a prep year for my academic life as well as my uni/social life. It's my 3rd year here in Australia, and I'm still learning, but everything's settled and I'm doing well.

Personally, I think I had no problems with culture shock because I'm used to being independent, just like you. Culture shock didn't really get me until I got involved with the Aviation Society and we were discussing what to organise for our members. To my surprise, BBQs and pubcrawls are "must have"s! Inevitably, they love drinking and BBQ. And part of socialising is done in the pub over a couple of beers. Not too much of a problem for me, I guess - I'm used to it.

Culture shock is a very nice topic to look at, especially when people drops in their experience and get a discussion going with it. You do learn a great deal from within.

Which is better after Form 5?

Form 6, Private Colleges or Universities?

That's a common dilemma faced by students right after SPM. While it was a trend to continue on to Form 6, face STPM in the face and hopefully secure a position in one of the public universities in the past, time has changed, and things are different nowadays.

Why you should go to Form 6?
1. Because you feel unprepared for the college/university world.
2. Because you haven't exactly made up your mind of what specifically you would like to study about. Form 6 buys you 2 years of time to actually determine what is your interest, which in turn will decide your pathway for the next several years.
3. Because you feel that you want a spot in the public university, and you're confident that you can score well enough in STPM to secure the course that you desire.
4. Because of financial problems. Form 6 is a cheaper alternative, obviously.

The cons of being in Form 6 that I can think of.
1. STPM is rated among the most difficult examinations in the world. The claim is that it's the 3rd hardest. How true is this, I'm not sure.
2. After you've done STPM, and you want to apply for a spot and a course you want in the public university, you won't exactly be guarantee a spot. You might end up getting courses that are totally unheard of, or that you don't what. That will of course pose a new dilemma then. To accept, or to go into the private education sector?

Why should you enrol in Private colleges/universities
1. Because you've decided what you want to do and specifically, like Electronics Engineering. Nonetheless, colleges do offer general courses such as A-Levels, which will not confine you to a certain field yet, and allows you the freedom to make the choice after 1 or more year of studying.
2. Because some Universities provides their own foundation courses for the faculties, and you're almost always guaranteed a spot in their degree program when you're done with your foundation.

The cons of being in Private colleges/universities
1. The cost. That can be overcome by scholarships, or loan such as PTPTN.
2. The recognition of your education institution when you graduate in the future. This could well affect your interview outcomes. A person graduating in a more well known university/college could be picked over you. But then again, having a good result should be able to cancel out that problem.

So, once you're done with SPM, sit down and ask yourself several questions.
1. What do you want to do?
2. Are you financially secured to pursue it?
3. Do you think you can cope with it?
4. Ask around about the course, and the institution offering it. Do research, visit education fair and open days.


This post has been edited by LaR_c: Nov 20 2005, 02:04 AM

The pros of being in Form 6.
1. Since STPM is rated among the hardest examinations in the world, so you can be more ready for your tertiary education. The most obvious example is STPM v Matriculation.

2. It is worldly recognised and same level as A-Level. So you have chance to enter local universities unlike A-level (very tiny chance).

Caution
In US Education system, they don't have pre-U. After their students completed their high school, they will sit for SAT (Student Applitude Test) then apply for university. So if you plan to further your education in the United States, think properly because although you can transfer your STPM to US, but the credit hours are limited.

Actually, taking STPM is an advantage if you want to apply to US universities. Even though you might not get much credit transfer, it places you in higher standing. The US Education system has 12 years of education, for us in msia it's 12.5 years with STPM so there's not much difference there.

I would actually encourage people who took STPM to apply to the US as there are a lot of financial aid opportunities in the US. For more information, check out this website on scholarships Tin Kosong

This post has been edited by Datuk di atas pokok: Nov 30 2005, 07:13 AM

I have some additional point, this is my first time here, my first post.

people tend to argue , which is better ?

alevel ? stpm ? matriculasi ? foundation fOR u ? , CPU , SAM , or etc

well , in my view of point , all of the courses listed above serve as a foundation for you to enter into tertiary education , u most likely hear from ppl that stpm is tough , matrix is much easier .

actuali, i see no reason y we hav to compare each foundation course ,
since i have mentioned earlier , each of them serve as foundation , once you enter degree course , the 1st yr subjects most of da time are the further and more deeper studies of your foundation subjects . You may say if u r doing stpm . it provide u a better foundation , but every foundation has it advantanges and disadvantanges .

example , we compare mcD, KFC , A&W & burger king

all are fast food. but McD fries are better ,KFC chicken better , burger king = burger better , A&w root beer better

what i am trying to say is , all foundation course carries its own advantanges and disadvantages .

the thing you should pay more attention is what degree course you want to take after your foundation ? your financial background , your interest ? what career does the course you take provided in future ?

foundation course is just a small path leading you to a degree course .
but it is important as it determine which course you are qualified to enter .

i am from science background, if you need any advice, do no hestitate to email me ok. i will give you advice according to my experience .

thanks . hav a nice day . God bless you .

just to add to cynthia's comment:

different pre-u courses have different features to suit different ppl, so choose one that suits yourself. for example, a-level is 100% exam-based. there's no assignments or whatsoever. so if you're the kind of person who can do well in memorising facts, then by all means go for a-level. but if you're the kind of person who don't do well in exams, but is capable of handling assignments and projects, then go for something else such as SAM or foundation studies.

i've been on this forums for a while, but recently just registered. i'm a lecturing architect in UTM, been here for almost 5 years now. i've been involved in several accreditation processes especially on private institutions in malaysia, and i would like to share what i've come to know. topic owner/moderators, u guys can edit this post as u see fit, for the benefits of all. i might be repeating a few points already made, but i'm just putting it down to preserve a little structure to my post.

AFTER SPM

assuming u're going for tertiary education, here are ur options (applies for both public or private institutions):

i. study for STPM
ii. study at A-level (or equivalent)
iii. study in a matriculation programme
iv. study for a diploma
v. study for certificate level (last choice, my fren)

remember, the objective here is to get ur degree as soon as possible, coz there's no point of settling for anything less. here are the details:

i. study for STPM

STPM is accepted as an A-level qualification. some places regard this paper as even higher than A-level, but lets not touch on that. STPM is cheap. it's quite broad, covers a variety of subjects, and open for all. u can study/sit for STPM almost everywhere in malaysia. and it's quite easy to get in (compared to my time...)

STPM is also internationally recognized, so if u passed ur STPM, u can apply anywhere u want. be advised that u might need an IELTS or TOEFL to prove ur english proficiency (costs around RM400-RM550)

ii. study at A-level

a lot of institutions now offer A-level papers. i cant really say which institution offers the best. A-level is easier to pass than STPM, covers a variety of subject. the only catch is it can be a little expensive (for those who cant afford to pay by themselves). rate varies to institutions.

iii. matriculation

this is one of the more popular choice these days. the reason being, once u're in the programme, u just need to pass all exams to be admitted to a degree programme. but this applies only to the university offering the programme. for example: u cant use ur matriculation results from UM to apply for UPM.

this programme is not recognized outside of malaysia. so only apply if u're really sure that's the degree u r after. they offer limited subjects, and mostly are tuned/focused to the area of ur degree course.

iv. diploma

most universities and institutions in malaysia still offer diploma programme. u can enrol using ur SPM results. this is one of the most common choice amongst those who couldnt get through to STPM or matriculation programmes. the overall costs would be higher too, but with SPM results slightly lower than everybody, this is the best bet.

after ur diploma, u can immediately enrol to 2nd year degree programme, and sometimes if u excell, they'll let u skip 2nd year altogether (very special case lah).

v. certificate

this is ur last choice. certificate usually offers very, very generic skill, and usually does not involve manipulation or implementation of knowledge. (which i forgot to mention: skill and knowledge is two very different things). but due to its short duration, some of u might opt to take a certificate to boost ur application.

these can be very basic certs, for example: "cert of basic PC assembly and repair"; "cert of ledger management"; or "cert of autoCAD" (just to name a few). usually the course range between 3 days to 6 months, depending on the depth. but this will seriously BOOST ur applications.




so that's about all the options u have after SPM in malaysia. i'd be happy to answer any questions or queries.

how about foundation?

is it the same with A-Levels @ different?

which foundation?

in certain courses in IPTAs in malaysia, foundation courses are offered. this is very specific course that is tuned to the degree course they're applying after. foundation courses does not give u a certificate. yet it's different from matriculation courses, bcoz u can use matriculation results to apply for other courses in the same university.

foundation is very course specific. if u applied a foundation course for architecture, when u pass, u'll join 1st year architecture. u cant use it to apply for engineering course even from the same university.

the advantage of such course is simple. all u need is a pass on all subjects to get into 1st year, and whatever results u get will not be counted in ur degree CGPA.

so..

basically foundations offer less subject n more specific

while a-levels still like spm? coz not that specific n everyone's there?

Not really, while memory work plays a part in exams it is not everything in an Advanced level test. It is structured to test how well you know the subject matter.

Some useful input, foundation is a broad term, it is used in many ways. Many institutions offer foundation programs that when completed, allows one to enrol into a degree program awarded by that institution or some partner institution. It is usually assess internally and pretty much tailored for the degree course that you intend to do.

A-levels is simply form 6, british sixth form, it prepares one for tertiary studies. The malaysian equivalent is the STPM. They offer a variety of subjects and the topics covered is far higher than what one has encounterd at SPM or O-levels.




This post has been edited by feynman: Dec 2 2005, 08:34 PM

I would like to ask, what is foundation?
what is A-level.
I'm confuse

Foundation is a Basic Year for the Degree that you are going to pursue.
i.e. If you want to do a Degree in Engineering, before you enter into the degree course, you will have to do a basic foundation. Normally takes 1 year.

A-Levels is just like Form 6. It is the UK version of Form 6 where you will choose a few(4) subjects to study in i.e. Maths, Chemistry, Accounts, Law & etc. A-Levels is mostly meant for people who wants to go overseas to complete their degree in places like UK or Australia.

If you are really sure of what degree you want to pursue in now, do not waste time with Pre-Uni courses(SAM, CPU, A-Levels). Straight away enrol yourself into the Foundation year of the degree and move on.

If you are not sure, think again. It is not advised to go into Pre-Uni courses and giving the excuse that you will have more time to think. You WON'T!(I've been through this)

Even if you know what you want to do, A-levels or stpm is still a good choice as it provides a solid foundation for your tertiary studies, besides you can be very certain that the results you get are impartial as the papers are marked externally. Also doing such courses allows you to apply for a course that you want at any institution.

Foundation on the other hand only allows you to enrol yourself to a a program that you want at certain partner institution and the standard can be questionable as there is nothing that can stop the lecturers from giving out exam tips and hints.