Make the Right Choice to Study the Right Course in Malaysia

Written by EduSpiral Consultant Services. For more information contact 01111408838

Choosing the right Diploma or  Pre-University course after SPM can be confusing as there are many out there for you to choose from. Choosing the right course depends on various factors such as your SPM results, budget, personality, learning style, education and capability to handle the course.

Students must ask, “Which is the Best Course that Fits me?” and not “Which is the Best Course?“. There is a big difference. If you just listen to everyone saying that this course is the best one without taking into account your own personality and needs, then you may have chosen the wrong one. It is choosing the right Pre-U programme that fits you and your future goals.

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For a personalised advise on how to choose the right course contact 01111408838

Please fill up the Form below and I will WhatsApp you and provide you with sound advise on how to choose the best private university or college in Malaysia to study at. If you do not give your mobile number or full name as in IC, your query will not be answered. Our knowledgeable & experienced counsellor will send you a message on WhatsApp & provide assistance from there.

How to choose the right course to study?

Choosing the right course to study in Malaysia after high school is one of the most important decisions you can make in your life. This can be a confusing and difficult time if you are unprepared.

With the wide variety of courses available to a student, the time after UEC, SPM or STPM can be a confusing one if not guided properly by an experienced and knowledgeable education counselor.

Preparations should have been made even before this time but fear not it is still not too late if you have not decided on a career path. It is important for you to research carefully the career that you intend to pursue.

At EduSpiral Consultant Services, we have counseled and helped thousands of students to choose the right course and private university to study in Malaysia. Based on our experience we have come up with three simple steps that I will call the GEM method which will help you in your decision-making.

1. Gather Information.
2. Evaluate the Information.
3. Make a Decision.

1.   Gather Information – Gather information relevant and related to your course & career of interest

A.    Gather all relevant information on the courses that interest you. Make a list of your interests, likes, strengths, hobbies and talents. Also ask your family members and friends to tell you what you are good at.

Make a simple list of your interests, your hobbies and what you are actually good at. Don’t put down things that you are interested to do but write down things that you know that you are good at. For example, you are good in debates, sports, mathematics, fixing cars, and others.

Your interests should be realistic and related to your strengths and what you are good at. For example, if you are interested in becoming an engineer but your results in Mathematics and Physics are consistently low, you may want to reconsider your choice or if you want to be a musician but cannot play any instrument, it would be an unwise move to choose music as your career pathway.

B.    Show your family members and friends the list and ask them whether you are actually good at the things you have listed.

Have your friends go through the list and give comments on how good you are at your interests, hobbies and talents. Your parents and trusted friends may give you a different perspective on what you are good at. This is valuable insight that will help you in your decision-making.

C.    Talk to your parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and older siblings who are knowledgeable 

Your parents and older siblings may have good insights into your abilities and offer good suggestions. Ask them what talents they think you have and maybe what career options would be good for you.

Know yourself. Your SPM results is a guide of what you are good at. If you do well in Sejarah, BM and English, you can consider Marketing, Mass Comm, or Business. If you are good in Modern Maths, you can consider Business Admin, Finance or Accounting. For Add Maths & Physics, engineering, software engineering, IT, or programming.

So, choose according to what you are good at, not what you think you are good at. If you are still not sure, talk to your parents, friends, school counselor or professionals in your field of interest to find out more.

Remember some relatives just simply share information that is not supported by facts or evidence. When asking for opinions, ask from people who are knowledgeable and experienced. Would you ask a doctor how to repair your car? If not, then do not simply listen to hearsay and gossip.

D.    Talk to your career guidance counsellor at school.

Your guidance counsellor or Guru Kaunselor from the Unit Bimbingan Kaunseling may have materials and tests that will guide you in choosing a career. Their advice may be useful in finding out the job prospects of a certain career.

E.    Talk to professionals in the field of interest.

Talk to professionals in the fields that you are interested in to find out what they do. Ask them what they do in their jobs, what they like about it, what are its future prospects, what type of talents are required for the work, and other relevant questions.

Visit their place of work if possible to gain a ‘feel’ for their type of work. Talking to the professionals will help you gain a wider perspective and insight into the type of work. They will be able share with you inside information on the work.

F.     Attend education fairs 

Go for education fairs and talk to the lecturers and counselors but do not register to quickly. Listen to their advise and take the information and then talk to your parents. Remember that the colleges and universities want your money for their “business” so they will want you to register quickly.

Take time to think carefully and do not be taken in by the sales gimmicks of getting a car or iPad or discount if you register on the spot.

Talk to the various counsellors at the booths to find out more information about the individual careers. Ask about tuition costs,

short description of the career, job prospects, facilities offered in the college, and others.

Check with them to see if the course is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), if you can apply for the PTPTN loan and how much you can apply for, how long is the course, etc.

G.    Use the Internet 

Google the Internet to find the information that you need. Use these resources available to you to find out more information about the careers that you are interested in.

2.     Evaluate the information.

After you have gathered all the necessary information then you need to weigh your options.

Go through all the information and choose the careers that you would like to take up and take out those that you don’t like.

Make a pros and cons list for each career that you like. From the information evaluate the points carefully on its workability, your financial viability, future prospects, your interests and results.

You can make a ranking of the top choices down to the least favourable choices.

The entry requirements for the courses and the budget for your studies will also assist in making your decision.

Should you be interested in medicine but is not from the Science stream or have at least 5Bs in the SPM, then it is not possible to study medicine.

Or if you want to study medicine but do not have at least RM300,000 for the fees, then it is no point to choose this course unless you score very high and is able to get a scholarship to study in private or you take the STPM to enter into Public University.

Grading Systems for SPM, UEC, O-Levels, STPM and A-Levels

3.     Make the decision

After evaluating all the information that you have, now you are ready to make a decision. Decide on maybe four career choices. For example, you may want to put your first career choice as Medicine, second in Pharmacy, third in Food Science and fourth in Nutrition. When one does not work out because of grades, finances or interest then you have a back up choice.

Remember two things: It is okay to change career options during your time of study, however, you need to make informed and educated choices. Secondly, the career that you choose should meet your needs and fit your beliefs and character. You must be happy with the choice and one where it would fit your desired financial status.

• List your strengths, what you are good at, your favourite subjects, the subjects that you do well in, etc.
• List your weaknesses, what you are not good at, what you don’t like, the subjects that you suck at, etc.
• List down your hobbies, interests, likes and dislikes, your personality, etc.
• Discuss the list with your parents, teachers, counselors, or friends
• Search the Internet for descriptions of careers and courses
• Does the course you have chose interest you, how much is the starting salary? What does the work involve?

Helping Students in Malaysia to Choose the Best Course that Fits Them

Having worked in the private education industry for more than 20 years, I have counseled thousands of Malaysians students in finding the right course that fits their personality, academic ability, budget and career choice so that they have a successful future.

I have worked in the private education industry in marketing and communications therefore I have garnered knowledge and experience about the many courses and private colleges out there. Having conducted market research, this helps in being able to identify the right college that would fit the student. My work experience includes Monash University, UCSI University, SEGi and a few other education institutions.

Why am I telling you this? Well, it is important that when you ask for help, you ask the right people. You won’t ask a Doctor on how to repair your car right? Therefore, in making this life changing decision, it is important to ask experienced and knowledgeable people who are interested in your future.

I enjoy helping students find their right place at the college of choice.  I love helping students and their families navigate the college and career search process. With thousands of career options and about 500 private colleges & universities out there, it can be a confusing and stressful process.

There are so many different steps involved in applying to college, and I hope to provide clear direction and simplify the process.

EduSpiral gets to know who you are so we can advise you how to choose the best course that fits you

EduSpiral Consultant Services has more than 10 years of experience in counseling students on choosing the right courses

• We review the student’s high school profile, all high school transcripts, projected courses, extracurricular activities, awards, hobbies, interests and outstanding talents.
• Then we discuss the factors that are most important to the student in identifying appropriate colleges & universities that would fit you
• We assist to develop priorities for college selection, including courses of study, location, size, extracurricular opportunities, and many other factors
• Ensure that the student’s interests and achievements are carefully matched with appropriate colleges and universities in Malaysia