STPM may be best option

Sunday January 17, 2010
STPM may be best option

TAKING the STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia) may actually be the best option before entering university, said Star-Jobs Online senior executive Joyce Lee.
Lee, who was speaking at the fair, surprised many students and parents who turned up for the Options After SPM talk.
She said: “If you have budget constrains, or have interest in environment-related courses, the STPM is actually a very good option.”
Lee told the audience that certain courses were more widely available in public universities, which require the STPM for admission.
“Private universities may have less options in certain fields, so it is important to identify what your interest is before ruling out your options too quickly.”
Lee also recommended that students take courses that offer internships, as work experience plays an important role in future employment.
Students busy taking down notes during the talk on How to Approach SPM Add Maths and Physics.
“Soft skills are also very important to an employer, so make sure you join relevant clubs or societies, and try to be an office-bearer because it shows that you have responsibilities.”
“There are no interesting resumes, only interesting people,” she added.
Other speakers were City & Guilds country director (South East Asia) Ian Oswin Noronha, who spoke on the vast opportunities available in vocational training, and Studylink senior education adviser Jerry Tan, who explained the different pre-university options.
During the session on Funding Higher Education, Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (Educational Advising Centre) coordinator Doreen John touched on the various scholarship opportunities available for the United States (US).
Sharing some tips on university applications, she said: “In the US, your academic skills are not the only ones that are important.
“We pay attention to your other skills as well, such as sports and work experience.”
“We even have a beauty pageant scholarship!” she said, to laughter from the crowd.
AusEd-UniEd group marketing and recruitment director James Kon spoke on funding for higher education in Australia.
Touching upon the various loan options for parents, Kon said: “Parents can easily get a loan of up to RM250,000, with up to five years of repayment.”
“There is also the option now to do certain Australian degrees locally, which would cost a fraction of what you would pay if you did it there.”
Meanwhile, National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) representative Zubir Che Embi assured them that there was always the option of taking the PTPTN loan.
He explained in detail the requirements for the loan, and how students could go about applying for it.
Wrapping up the session was Star Education Fund manager Susanna Kuan, who told the audience about the various scholarships available under the fund.
Kuan also reminded students to only apply for the courses they were eligible for.
At his talk, Additional Mathematics and Physics teacher Sunny Yee gave students tips and advice on how to approach the two subjects in the SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) exams effectively.
“Many students do not do well in these subjects due to a lack of understanding of application,” he said.
Students are expected to have an inquiring mind when answering maths and science questions.
“They must study the two subjects using the right study methods.
“Learn from the common mistakes you make and do as many past year questions as possible,” he said.