Clueless about what to study after SPM
How to choose the right course to study after SPM
Written by EduSpiral Consultant Services For more information contact 01111408838
Many students are clueless after SPM about what to study and how to choose the right university that will equip them for a
Xavier Phang, Software Engineering at Asia Pacific University
successful future. But do not worry, it is normal not to know which course that would fit you.
- In a Gallup survey of 1.7 million workers in the USA, only about 20 percent said that they used their best strengths everyday at work.
- In a Rockport Institute Survey, more than 70% of successful professionals thought that they could have done a much better job of making decisions about their lives. They said that they had not know how to go about making choices in a competent way.
- In another survey, 64% of college seniors in the USA said that they had serious doubts that they had picked the right major or course.
It is interesting that most students do not invest time and effort to make a decision about something that could potentially change their lives forever.
This decision on choosing the right university could cost from RM20,000 to RM200,000 and yet students and parents do not really take the time to research on which is the best choice.
I talked to a student who had 3 credits in SPM and would qualify to join a Diploma course. However, he joined TAR College’s Certificate course for 1 year 4 months first before entering into the 2.5 year Diploma.
To enter into TAR College’s Diploma programmes, one needs to have at least 5 credits compared to 3 credits for all other universities and colleges.
Now, he is anxious to transfer into a degree programme at another private university with an English-speaking environment to quickly complete his degree. He told me that he regretted not doing the research to choose the right university and therefore wasted 1.4 years.
He also needed an environment to help him improve his communication and command of the English language.
More time is spent on doing research to buy the right smart phone or car than on choosing the right course or university. Joseph
John Lai Wai Hong, Diploma in Mass Comm at KDU University College
Germani put it aptly that students spend more time choosing their mobile phone covers.
Some of the reasons I hear from students on choosing the course or university are:
- My friends are going there.
- It is cheap.
- It is near my house.
- I prefer a Mandarin-speaking environment because I find it difficult to talk in English.
- My auntie said that it is good. (Not knowing what really defines good or what are the statistics and evidence to support the choice)
- I don’t want to burden my parents so I chose the cheapest university.
- The university counsellor said that it is good.
- The university sent me a letter telling me that I have been accepted into the course even though I did not apply there.
- I like the lifestyle there.
- I have heard about the university somewhere so it must be good.
- I see a lot of their ads, so they must be good.
- I heard that they are the no. 1 college for that course. (Even though there is no external body to say that this college is ranked no. 1 or that the No. 1 claim is something the college is using for the advertising campaign)
- My girlfriend is going there.
- My parents told me to take this course because the future is good.
- It is easy to pass at that university.
Now, some of the reasons above are not totally wrong. It depends on the situation and whether you put in the effort to research. It is important to make the decision that would change your life forever based on facts and evidence.
Please fill up the form for more information. If you do not give your mobile number or full name as in IC, your query will not be answered. Please make sure you give a correct email address and check your email including the SPAM or JUNK email folder within 48 hours as we will email you the information.
Talk to the right people to help you choose the right course
Have you ever asked for directions to a place and your friend gave you the wrong information? It can be very frustrating and stressful. You would have wasted precious time. If you ask directions from someone who don’t know where the place is, they will give you the wrong directions.
Would you ask a doctor on how to repair your car? It does sound ridiculous but most of the time we do ask people who are not trained nor have the expertise for their advise on what to study.
I talked to this boy who was working at Parkson to save money so that he can continue his degree studies in Mass Communication.
He stopped after Year 1. He had graduated with a Diploma in IT and realised that he did not like IT. So, he had to begin all over again by taking the Foundation before going into the Degree in Mass Comm.
I guess he could have saved time if he had asked the right people to help him.
Some of these university counselors have little or no training in career counselling. They are trained in the products that the university is offering and on how to best “sell” them to you.
Their priority is not your future but to ensure they meet their sales targets. Therefore, you cannot believe everything they tell you. You need to check with the proper authorities and people with experience.
Always make your decisions based on facts and evidence. Do not decide based on your feelings or that your relatives say that it is good. Ask, “What are the reasons that it is a good course to study?”
Just because you like the course, doesn’t mean that it suits you
This sweet girl told me she wanted to study Forensic Science. I told her she must have loved to watch all the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) TV series. She smiled.
I then asked her if she had ever seen a dead body without a head or with the intestines outside the stomach. She paused and got what I was trying to get at. What we see on TV may not reflect real life.
Like the people trying out for American Idol, we have seen some who could not sing a tune and yet got angry when the
Vivi Tan, SMK Perimbun
judges told them that they could not sing. We laugh at that, but sometimes, we ourselves also make the same mistake.
We like something a lot but if we do not have the skill or talent for that, it would lead to pain.
It is important to choose a course that we are actually good at. There should be evidence that we are good at it such as our SPM results and what our parents, friends and teachers tell us.
I had talked to a student who only had low credits for Physics and Add Maths and wanted to study Mechanical Engineering.
Although he met the minimum requirements, I discouraged him from taking it because he was weak at it and his personality was playful. He insisted and after 2 semesters, he had dropped out of university.
Choosing for passion or for money?
Sometimes choosing something that you love may get you a job that does not pay high or you could not even find a job as well.
Last year, it was reported in the Star that there were 1,100 jobless fresh graduate pilots and yet when I told some students that, they still insist on spending RM250,000 to pursue their passion. Now, there is nothing wrong with that if you are rich.
I did not come from a rich family so I decided to choose to study Communication instead of my passion, Psychology because there were not many jobs for this back during my time. In addition, I needed to go for a Masters too which I could not afford.
Now, with what I have learnt in Communications, I have combined it with my passion for Psychology to work in
Grace Wong, Diploma in Interior Design
marketing with universities helping students to choose the right course and university.
If we do not come for a rich family, we have to research to make sure that the course we choose will provide job stability and a good salary.
The university that we choose is important as well. Star Newspaper has reported that those who have a good command of the English language has a 25% higher salary and fast promotion opportunities than those who don’t.
It is important to choose a good university who can prepare you well for a successful future instead of choosing a cheap university so that you can just get the degree qualification.
If you are not well equipped, even with a degree, you will get low salary for the next 60 years of your work life.
If you need advise on what to study, please feel free to contact me for a free career test and advise.
What to Study After SPM?
Students who are not sure of what to study after SPM can contact EduSpiral Consultant Services to help guide you to choose the right course and university. There are many Pre-University or Diploma programmes that you can go for after SPM so it can be confusing for you to choose the right one.
Choosing the right university can be confusing and depends on a lot of factors like your budget, results, passion, skills and career goals.
Students interested on how to choose the best universities in Malaysia for the particular courses like the ones below can contact me for more information:
Some of the Best Pre-University & Degree Programmes to Study in Malaysia
Pre-University Programmes in Malaysia
Teck Sang, Hotel & Tourism Management at Reliance College
- A-Levels
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Computing and Information Technology Courses in Malaysia
Hoh Ching, Diploma in Creative Media at KDU University College Penang
- Computer Science
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Applied and Health Sciences in Malaysia
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EduSpiral explained the courses in detail and took us around the campus to view the Pharmacy facilities to help me make a good decision about my future career.
Ka Jun, Pharmacy at UCSI University - Nutrition
- Nutrition with Wellness
- Biomedical Science
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Business Courses in Malaysia
- Accounting
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“I met EduSpiral at their Education Fair in Ipoh. I don’t come from a rich family but I very much wanted to go to KL to study. EduSpiral recommended First City UC to me and my parents. We found that First City UC is excellent for design and the fees are very affordable as well.
Eric Lau from ACS Ipoh graduated from Diploma in Interactive Design at First City University College - Business
- Business Administration
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Social Science Courses in Malaysia
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EduSpiral provides counseling that is supported by facts & evidence to help students make the best choice. Pic – Student, with his mother, registering at UCSI University after the tour - Mass Communication
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Design Courses in Malaysia
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“EduSpiral talked to me to find out my interests and career goals. He took me to a few universities to tour the campuses to see which one fit me best. EduSpiral helped me choose the right course at the right university.”
Jia Ping, Mass Communication at KDU University College - Product design
- Transport Design
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Hospitality and Culinary Arts Courses in Malaysia
Education and Music Courses in Malaysia
Top Scholarships Available from Top Private Universities in Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Scholarships 2016
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Study at the Best Private Universities and Colleges in Malaysia & Singapore
Singapore
Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
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- HELP University
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- KDU University College Utropolis Glenmarie
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- First City University College (Formerly known as KBU International College)
- Reliance College Kuala Lumpur
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EduSpiral Consultant Services- Your Personal Online Education Advisor
Established since 2009, EduSpiral Consultant Services helps provide information and counselling on courses and universities in Malaysia & Singapore.
Zhi Kang, Business at Asia Pacific University
EduSpiral Consultant Services represents the best colleges and universities in Malaysia offering a wide range of choices for students to choose from. These colleges and universities offer value for money in the quality of education and excellent facilities that you get.
These universities and colleges are chosen by EduSpiral because they represent the best in their fields in Malaysia and affordable. EduSpiral provides in-depth information and counseling on their courses so that students are able to make the right choice.
If you are still not sure what to study, please contact us and we will send you a free EduSpiral Career Assessment Form.
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