Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+

 Best Destination for A Level in Malaysia

views
     
LightningFist
post Dec 6 2010, 10:07 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
The place which is "good" to do A levels is one which you enjoy.

Seriously, in Malaysia, it's not which school is "famous" or "reputable".

You might think a school is great (and you will have a better chance to succeed, in A levels and/or afterward) because of its "rep", but this is never the case.

Go to the school that you can afford, has the environment you would like, and is convenient for you to attend.

If you hear about good teachers, there's no way of knowing how good the teachers you'll be getting are.

Similarly, there are students with extremely bad results in just about every school, no matter how high their claimed passing rates are (remember an E is a pass at A level).

This post has been edited by LightningFist: Dec 6 2010, 10:08 PM
LightningFist
post Dec 7 2010, 01:37 AM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
Are you suggesting people who paid to attend Taylor's or Sunway are foolish?
LightningFist
post Dec 7 2010, 02:20 AM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
Then that is an apt metaphor, to an extent.

I don't think the Subang campus is glamorous. And unless Sunway was recently renovated it is nothing of the sort.
LightningFist
post Dec 7 2010, 12:58 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
Well, I can only think of two or three top London unis. All sorts of students from all kinds of schools go there, so "sending" some students there is not much of an achievement on the school's part.
LightningFist
post Jan 14 2011, 02:42 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
QUOTE(SRLee @ Jan 14 2011, 01:52 AM)
Hey guys,

I'm interested in studying medicine (MBBS).

What subjects should I take in A-Level (Edexcel)?

Does taking more subjects do any good?

Or is it recommended to just take the minimum requirement?

Thanks!
*
You better have Chemistry and Biology, both to A level, plus Maths and Physics if you can. The minimum requirements are often not very demanding, and expect fellow candidates to have more than satisfied those.

Taking more subjects does do good (assuming you do well in them) because in the UK and elsewhere many students take more, and places are limited as it is.

Someone who took 5+ subjects among Maths, Further Maths, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English Literature would have a far greater outlook (in terms of university applications for every kind of course except strictly non-scientific humanities/arts/languages subjects like design, French, history, but not including social sciences like politics, government, anthropology, and satisfying course prerequisites of course).

QUOTE(SRLee @ Jan 14 2011, 12:19 PM)
How difficult is this 4 subjects?

Are these P1 and P2?

And thanks for the straight answer!
*
These four are very difficult, assuming they're done within 1.4 years. However, getting As are not very difficult (you will rarely be asked for more than 1 or 2 A*s at even the most competitive of schools).

What do you mean by P1 and P2?

Sciences have P1 to P5 (AS = 1, 2, 3 and A2 = 4. 5) while Maths has options (2 AS and 2 A2 with conditions from P1 through 7).
LightningFist
post Jan 14 2011, 07:44 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
You can apply anytime, it is only A level after all.

1.4 years was the time it took my class (and others from the same intake) to do it. Like I said, there're 2 intakes so timing is different.

For the best of the best, and even some below those, 5A*s is never enough for an extremely high chance of getting in. Even assuming your predicted grades are 5A*s (and you actually achieve these after your application), it is ultra competitive, to the point where someone with lower grades (maybe fewer A*s) but a better application and history overall could be better off. Some schools ignore predicted grades (or dismiss them partially), and needless to say AS grades are relatively identical for most applicants so it is not given thought (when deciding amongst qualified candidates). Luck is far more important than one might think.

Yes, medicine would be good with those four. There are alernatives, but almost none are more appropriate.
LightningFist
post Jan 14 2011, 10:08 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
The personal statement is a factor (mind you, I have seen very poor personal statements from students who have gotten through - probably because of results and their international status). It has to be average to above average at least. For some, there's the interview, and one or more entrance tests. There's also academic history (the rest of your secondary results) and personal history (achievements, work experience etc).
LightningFist
post Jan 19 2011, 01:58 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
If it is CIE, the level is meant to be the same, but there are different variants for each paper/exam - so the actual questions asked (and hence level/difficulty/topics) are sometimes different, either quite minimally or rather significantly.

Obviously Edexcel's A levels would be different.
LightningFist
post Jan 27 2011, 04:44 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
Doh, tests don't count, only the actual exams do. Plus, tests affect predicted grades at most. Predicted grades are wrong most of the time anyway and aren't more important than the other parts of one's application (personal statement, AS results). I would say they are all equally important, and schools lean different ways for different courses. I was lucky enough my predicted grades were accurate.
LightningFist
post Jan 27 2011, 11:47 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
If you plan on failing then do you still think you'll sustain a scholarship?
LightningFist
post Feb 8 2011, 12:08 AM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
I know people who do/did A Levels at INTI, Taylors, Sunway, HELP, as well as places not on your list (MCKL etc). Most if not all are doing/did well. That's not to say any of these are "good schools", because if you look at the good results, there are also the crap results.

I cannot comment on KDU because I haven't been there in years - I definitely prefer Taylor's' environment over HELP's or Sunway's, but I've never been to INTI.

Choose whichever place is the most comfortable to you and the easiest to get to. You'll find straight A* students at most (if not all) of the schools on your list.
LightningFist
post Feb 15 2011, 11:16 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
A* simply means (for the subjects in discussion) the student who obtained that grade has done well enough in his/her exams to be amongst the best 10%-11% of all those examined.
LightningFist
post Feb 18 2011, 12:21 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
Oh well, even I have to respect that.

How many "top of the world" awards did she get?

I heard she was the only one with all four 100s.

We take the same subjects, so she effectively beat us.
LightningFist
post Feb 19 2011, 12:29 AM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
LOL she's not a genius - just smart.

Straight As ain't goo enough smile.gif

Did she get into Cambridge?
LightningFist
post Feb 24 2011, 09:29 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
I would have liked world-level awards, lol.
LightningFist
post Feb 25 2011, 12:26 AM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
4 subjects in KL (including sciences and maths) can cost just about 37k+ including everything to do with school and tuition. But, I don't think, if you have a good alternative, you need to spend a lot on A Level studies.
LightningFist
post Feb 25 2011, 02:39 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
I don't know if you can say that, because I have seen the syllabi, and some subjects have similar syllabi while others are different. Hardly anyone has done both boards for the same subject(s).
LightningFist
post Jul 3 2011, 05:35 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
Define "a link to a school in the UK". Do you mean they communicate and maintain relations, or that they offer twinning/credit transfer programs? The latter would mean you're pretty much stuck with a lower class (or much lower class) British university, which is not worth the fees.

First look up which schools have Mass Communication as it is not a popular undergraduate degree subject amongst the elite or upper class universities. The point of taking A Level exams is to enroll in a good university for a Bachelor degree, and of the course you're looking for is not one, you should avoid A Levels.
LightningFist
post May 18 2012, 03:32 PM

Minion of the Damned
Group Icon
VIP
3,965 posts

Joined: Apr 2009
QUOTE(gigigo @ May 18 2012, 12:03 PM)
Hi, there.

1. Maths, Further maths, Econs + any one subject
2. As long as they offer these 3 subjects, any college should be able to accomodate your need
3. Two different exams board, London Board (Edexcel) HELP; Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) Taylor's, Sunway, Stamford
4. January, March/April (depends on the release date of SPM results) and July intakes...Duration is from 15-24 months
5. 3B's for admission, however for IVY league or higher ranking uni, at least AAB
6. Most of the colleges offer ADP
7. ADP fast track to US uni, A Level international passport to any corner of the world
*
Wrong. Maths is still the only required subject.

 

Change to:
| Lo-Fi Version
0.0498sec    0.32    7 queries    GZIP Disabled
Time is now: 29th March 2024 - 01:55 PM