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University A levels in Methodist College KL, yay or nay?

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maximR
post Mar 30 2017, 07:24 PM

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Dear TS, there are tons of students who had a great time at MCKL, and who are now doing quite well at university. There are also tons of students who did not feel that they belonged. It's hard to tell whether you'll thrive or not. Only time will tell. But you can always choose to make the best out of your experience if you try.

Since you are quite sure that STPM is not your cup of tea, and you'll be sponsored, I don't see why MCKL isn't a good option.

Regarding your concerns about resources to help you with A-Levels, please bear in mind that there are loads of study guides, textbooks, video tutorials, past year papers, examiner reports, syllabus, mark schemes, grade thresholds, and more to help you with your studies. Resources should be the last thing you need to worry about. The same cannot be said for STPM.

Note also that if you're willing to work on your own, lecturers don't play too much of a role. It's exactly like SPM; you'll be learning how the exam system works, and in the end you'll be tested on your exam taking skills. There's no magic involved, so don't worry.

This post has been edited by maximR: Mar 30 2017, 07:25 PM
maximR
post Mar 30 2017, 10:22 PM

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QUOTE
Sorry maximR not every student here have capability to be non-lecturer dependent, like you and have the time for 2 years of A-levels.
Most of these colleges just offer a short 18 month program.


I did the 18 month program. How did you arrive at the conclusion that I took the 2-year version?

QUOTE
Do be minded, if the study knows how to find their study materials, and doesn't really need lecturer guidance, even going TARC as a cheaper option is better.
Might as well save a few bucks?


TS is eligible for a full-tuition waiver. I'm quite confident that with enough work, she's able to maintain the scholarship. Also, she prefers the environment at MCKL over TARUC.

QUOTE
Surely you haven't step into my footsteps on "limited time", and encounter financial crisis.
You will see my frustrations within MCKL, along with my coursemates who took the same subject as me.


I did AS & A2 Math in my first year. I didn't start preparing until January, and the AS & A2 exams were in May. So your point about "limited time" is moot. Also, I took the papers as a private candidate; I didn't attend classes. What I'm trying to say here is there is no magic involved in preparing for A-Levels. Anybody can do well in the exam given enough effort. AS Math is mostly SPM Additional Math / Math. The novelty here is A2 Math, which, again, isn't rocket science. I'm countering your tendency towards making the process sound unimaginably difficult, when in reality, a reasonable amount of work will do the trick.

Also, I want to repeat that experiences differ according to the individual. You claim that you had a tough time there, but I have friends who thoroughly enjoyed their studies at MCKL, and are now doing very well. Of course, they were the independent type, and were capable of taking things in their own hands when they realised that their lecturers weren't up to par.

In fact, if one doesn't expect to be spoonfed, then there shouldn't be a problem at all if the lecturers suck. My Economics teacher would print out slides for us to read, and did not know how to engage the students. Nobody was interested, and we would skip classes every now and then. All of us pulled through with decent grades in the end. How did we do it? By looking at enough past years until we got the drift. The same applies to every subject in A Levels.

Merely having studied at MCKL does not give you the final say; just because you had a difficult time, doesn't mean others should.

This post has been edited by maximR: Mar 30 2017, 10:25 PM
maximR
post Mar 31 2017, 12:45 PM

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QUOTE(iSean @ Mar 30 2017, 11:11 PM)
Sorry, I thought you self studied your way through as a private candidate, where I guessed you extended your A2 to the next exam session.
Yes, TS is eligible for the 100% tuition waiver, but don't mean she could really maintained it through two semesters, if TS have a rough start in college her 100% will be instant *poof*, bye bye no more, where she have to pay.

If her foundation isn't strong in a subject, it will lead to a down fall for her other subjects.
She later will only get "decent" strings of Bs and Cs. Not A*s and As.
And also most students who are on 100% scholarship really need to fight it off in the end of Semester Exams.

MCKL Semester Exams are not easy, literally, where the college, pick questions from Cambridge-Singapore A-Level's H2, A-Level Singapore Prelims Trials papers, OCR, AQA boards, with luck only some Cambridge Questions came out. Some of them which requires more intense thinking, time for dissection of questions and answering them.

The only headache moment is that you see lecturers here came out with their own question, where the questions set are wrong, giving students misleading information to answer them.
This bad quality questions does affect the student's results and ultimately their CGPA.
It did happened for Trials for me.

Yes I do agree with you, my recent bad experience, doesn't translate to current and future students of MCKL.
In short, MCKL could be a great place for some, and a nightmare for others.
It is based on students expectations and their way of handling the issue.
But for my experience here, it is not worth the price I pay for, based on my own opinion.

Hence, I wish TS could consider properly in picking a college and try to listen out other students reviews in regards on any college.
Please seek help on the confession pages for A-Level Colleges.

And do factor in "Quality of Life" and "Cost of Living" in your studies. If your study life is "really dry" all study and no play.
You will end of totally miserable and find yourself in a deep corner of depression and frustration in A-levels.

Because it is not fun waking up 5AM in the morning ending up in a cramp train as a public transport, and reaching home after college at 6 PM.
Where you are fatigue and tired, and don't seek any motivation to move on.
Do try proper friends in college as well, that does "healthy activities" because I was kind of a lone ranger.
Because my classmates was mostly girls, I don't have common topics with girls besides studies. And the guys coursemates here are limited, and they in my class are most likely hopeless party alcoholic goers who living the honeymoon life, and eventually screwed up their A-Levels badly.
*
Don't you think you're making a mountain out of a molehill here? This is supposed to be TS's thread, not a "my painful experience thread". sweat.gif You're generating what seems to be mostly very personal, and specific anecdotes... More like how you cope with these things instead of the things themselves.

Since you have a lot to say about your A Level experience at MCKL, and you feel that your experience would benefit others, why not open a new thread? There can be more discussion and feedback that way.

Based on TS's SPM results, I'm sure she'll do well.

This post has been edited by maximR: Mar 31 2017, 12:47 PM

 

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