I'm planning to join July intake for A levels in Methodist College KL. I've seen many different reviews about this college but most of them were posted long time ago which is like 2011 and so on. Is MCKL a good college for A levels? heard that their lecturers aren't that good and i need some feedback.

Why do you want to take A-level at the first place?

With my results I am offered with 100% tuition fee waiver from MCKL. I heard that STPM is harder than A level. My secondary school teachers also do not recommend STPM. I'm choosing A level other than foundation because I am still not sure what career pathway to go in the future. Do you have any other suggestion other than A level?

I've considered TARC too due to the price is cheaper. But my parents dont really recommend TARC because they said that the students speak mandarin all the time. They feel like I should improve my English so they chose MCKL. I dont understand about STPM tuition part. You mean I can go STPM tuition for A level subjects? Are they the same? I'm planning to take chemistry physics maths and further maths

Why do you ask me to go for STPM tuition?

MCKL is a heavily english speaking community, maybe or that was due to my batch.
That's the reason I came here tho, but yet still "rojak" with English and Chinese a lot.
Some of the lecturers doesn't speak fluently tho. One particular in the Physics Department.

Yes technically you can, as the STPM syllabus shared the same content information.
You must know how inflated prices are for Tuition for A-Levels, ranging RM 20-50/hour.
STPM Tuition is the cheapest you can afford on top of your college tuition fees, where as STPM they will always be "bundled packages" for a cheaper price.

Basically, what I'm hoping that, if you take A-Levels, please go for tuition for Mathematics (T) or Pure Mathematics, as most students struggles with this subject of Math.
(If you join May/July intake) Please join STPM Tuition as an earlier introduction to prepare well for Pure Mathematics 2&3, where your lecturer will be rushing to teach during your AS, while you might might be still struggling with Statistics or Pure Mathematics 1 past year, ignoring the importance of Pure Maths 2 & 3. (refer Option 2 in Diagram)

Application Mathematics like Statistics 2 is optional, but normally it will be your A2 subject, and your examinations for AS will include Statistics 1 but taught in Semester 3 of STPM.
Unless you plan to sit AS and A2 together in one sitting (refer Option 3 in Diagram)



Anyhow, for Science Stream students:

For Mathematics:

Normally it will be:

AS:
- Pure Mathematics 1
- Statistics 1

A2:
- Pure Mathematics 2 & 3
- Mechanics 1 (Science Stream) OR Statistics 2 (If you are in Art/Mixed Stream in MCKL)

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Anyhow, I don't really condemn you come and study here, as cost of living is high, and transport and parking here is a headache.
KTM and Monorail will have frequent break downs.

Life in TARC isn't that horrible despite the Chinese Community there, I heard tons of praise, about good and cheap food and accoms.

Do note that MCKL doesn't provide Tutorials Classes , where you solve question at home and bring them up to lessons to discuss.
So it is up to your lecturer to either prepare materials or past year for you to do. Else wise, do the horrible textbook questions that will never come out like some lecturers here do.

Also a lot of colleges are hiring part time lecturers as they come as go at the end of the semester, if students gave bad reviews about them, or the lecturer left the college to another one.
What's more, some you see them having a respectful "Dr" PhD title, but can't really teach...

This post has been edited by iSean: Mar 30 2017, 01:08 AM

Good luck maintaining your results if you firmly decided to study here, in my batch I see tons of students lost their Merit Scholarship after their first semester, and can't regain the scholarship for the second semester.
Eventually end up in an emotional state of depression and lack of motivation to study.

If your results are good enough for MCKL 100% scholarship, might as well go for Sunway College or Taylor's.
Also that 100% Pastor Scholarship I saw really shake my head...

Anyhow, STPM and A-level are both hard from the jump from SPM transition.
The reason why STPM is hard because they learn slightly more detailed than A-level students in terms of Maths and Chemistry content.
Some more if you school's Form 6 is shitty, where the teachers literally read from the textbook but can't explain, no point of even attending class. You can read on your own.
That's why most students eventually went to tuition.

And also the MPM board always never check and run through their question properly, especially those who took Chemistry.
Where errors and erata are filled everywhere, causing confusion and misleading students.
But there will be "two" sets of answers given to students tho.

STPM will be a better option if you aim for CGPA for 3.70 and above which is 3A and 1B, but most of you guys might not do STPM, because of the compulsory General Paper/Pengajian Am in Public School must be a firm Pass in order to get your Certificate.

But ask yourself can you write 2 "300 words BM factual essays" within an hour with 15 MCQs and a Sturcture Question? I certainly can't, that's why I opted for A-Levels

Benefits for STPM:
- Have more time management at home/tuition study, where classes 8AM to 2PM, most likely close to you, A-Level 8AM to 4-5PM, if you travel by public transport, your life will be miserable.
- Don't need to focus of CCAs, if you ain't planning to study IPTA and Medic courses in IPTA, as long you have a good enough attendance with some competition certificate you are good to go.
- Paper 4: Coursework 20% of each subjects, are marked by teachers where they can ask your to improve certain criteria. So instant 20%.
- Able To Easily Retake Semester 1 and 2.

Unlike A-Levels, AS you have 3 papers for Sciences, if you want to retake AS, you need to redo all 3 papers, you can't just take 1 paper, and normally you retake with your A2. Which is very stressful.

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Anyhow, if you guys plan to do A-Levels, do consider STPM as a backup plan.
You can sit Term 1-3, after your A2 exams. No coursework required for private candidate except for Maths.
And no need to apply for General Paper (PA) if you don't plan to study IPTA.

For Science subjects
-> Paper 1 (term 1)
-> Paper 2 (term 2)
-> Paper 3 (term 3)
-> Paper 4 (thesis: research coursework) or Paper 5 : Written Lab Practical (Similar to A-level's Paper 3 and 5)

For Mathematics (T):
-> Paper 1 (term 1)
-> Paper 2 (term 2)
-> Paper 3 (term 3)
-> Paper 4 (compulsory coursework)

This post has been edited by iSean: Mar 30 2017, 01:29 AM

Hi may I know when did u enroll in MCKL?

I don't really want to go for STPM as I am aiming to achieve GPA of 4.0. And I feel like A level is well recognised by overseas universities like those in UK and US. while for STPM we need to do more things in order to apply for those uni.. Correct me if I'm wrong. Not to say I want to go overseas, I know that local uni provide a good environment to study too. But I really hope that i can enter to those top ranked uni. Classes duration doesnt really matter as I plan to stay in hostel.

This post has been edited by SPM leaver 2k16: Mar 30 2017, 09:00 AM

Environment is alright, hostel conditions from what I've seen is quite miserable + pricy. Lecturers are definitely not the best, but I guess its the same everywhere. If you have the money I guess go to Sunway/Taylors or smth. + It will be very difficult to maintain your 100%, I believe almost everyone in MCKL is holding some form of scholarship, so they have to make the tests unnecessarily tougher.

PS STPM is not harder than A-Levels, especially if you're looking to take further maths.

This post has been edited by Karuo: Mar 30 2017, 11:03 AM

I'm replying based on my elder son's A level at MCKL.

Its not the best but OK. He got 100% scholarship & no problem maintaining it .

He is now doing medicine .

I am sure you will be alright .

This post has been edited by tpleong: Mar 30 2017, 04:07 PM

A level, either that offered by Cambridge or Edexcel, is an examination set in the UK. So, without doubt, it's acceptable in the UK. And AFAIK, STPM is recognised as equivalent to A level, or in rare cases, superior to that. I would say that Singapore A level, which is administered by Singapore-Cambridge together, is on par with STPM.
STPM can get you to everywhere that A level can. Some US universities don't recognise STPM, however they too don't recognise A level. I don't see any difference in terms of recognition between STPM and A level.
Btw, STPM standard is monitored by the Cambridge, it is definitely a well-recognised qualification.
My advice is to get STPM, if you really don't like Pengajian Am, then go for A level.
If you plan to study in Singapore, please consider STPM, it really helps in the selection process.

PS: 4.0 in STPM is hard, but I don't think that 4.0(or 4A*) in A level is easy too.

This post has been edited by icefire123: Mar 30 2017, 05:29 PM

July 2015

The intakes for 2015 were : Jan, March and July
I completed last year.

Further Mathematics was abolished in STPM since 2015 onwards

I thought you said you sent your 16 year old son to either Taylors or Sunway.
Anyhow, the two lecturers that I was given to my batch is either horrible or extremely weak in the familiar with the syllabus content.
The lecturers personally didn't run through the past years with us after each chapter. Only for me is one Chemistry Lecturer in my semester 2.

I do see they hired more new "lecturers", that they can teach professionally especially for Mathematics.
With slides instead of the conventional textbook method.
But that's only a part of the lecturer of the bunch teaching.
I'm consider quite "unfortunate" to met lecturers that don't give me proper homework and answering techniques to score well.

But hope the good ones, they last long before they consider leaving.


Do note tho, Mata Pelajaran Umum (MPU) subjects are very pointless in MCKL. There will be Service Learning and Character Formation.
Which is compulsory in this college and a few other colleges like KYUEM, KBU, Taylors, Disted and etc.
The function of MPU, is for University only. After getting the MPU Subjects at Pre-U Level. It is used for as an exemption for the Mata Pelajaran Umum in University for certain units.
Somehow, the staffs here under the MPU Program are also very blurry about this issue.

So, I'm not sure it is already included in the college tuition fees or not. So just attend and waste your study time on them.
Service Learning - 20 hours of charity work in Semester 2;
Character Formation - do presentations on your "theme" based on MCKL's 12 core values and i.e. do some other programs like do a learning carnival for Myanmar children in Semester 1, if your lecturer is crappy.
If your lecturer was "fun" they ask you go do fun programs, like extreme sports, take a video, as your presentation.

The syllabus for these two Programs are not fixed and dependent on lecturers.

Only Sunway College and TARC College so far doesn't have these type of subject.

This post has been edited by iSean: Mar 30 2017, 01:53 PM

That's my second son

Now, On Sunway , they definitely have better lecturers. In fact, they have more lectures than MCKL , free lecture notes and a lot of past year revision. I can see him much more busier than my elder son when he was doing his A level .

However, I feel that much is still depends on oneself . The college can only help that much . Since TS can get full scholarship from MCKL, why not . Sunway or Taylor isn't cheap . I think I need to pay something like RM50k for the whole course although I did get some discount . My 2nd son is short of 1A+ to get full scholarship.

This post has been edited by tpleong: Mar 30 2017, 04:06 PM

Yes. Taylor's and Sunway College isn't cheap.
But MCKL wise, you will meet tons of non-experience part timer lecturers.
Some might be really good, some might be really bad, and it is very luck dependent.
I do agree tho, Sunway College has the most abundant of study materials to focus on.
Some more they have proper tutorial classes to keep students on track.

Well, hopefully TS could apply for external scholarships for Sunway College or Taylor's.
Because most A-level colleges in Malaysia, hiring tons of part timer lecturers is a big issue.

I just feel like it is not necessary to put on so much money on pre-u courses as Sunway and Taylor dont provide full scholarship and it costs around double of MCKL's fee.

oh I see. Does he always study on his own? What year was he in MCKL?

oh I see. Does he always study on his own? What year was he in MCKL?