Top 10 Tips on Choosing the Best Degree Course after UEC 考试

What to Study with SPM/O-Levels 3 Credits or UEC 3 B’s?

Best Guide on How to Choose the Right Degree Programme to Study after Completing Your UEC 考试

In order to choose the right course to study after your UEC 考试, you will need to identify your interests, values, passions, academic achievements and abilities. Combine that with the future job demand and salary for the courses that you are looking at. Choosing a course is basically coming up with a plan for your future.

A plan will give you something to work towards. It’ll also help you make the most of the opportunities that come your way.  It can be confusing to choose the right course after UEC 考试. If you read this guide from start to finish, you’ll know the best courses in Malaysia that would suit you.

You should carefully think about what are the options available to you, look at your results, interests and budget. If you are not sure what to study, do ask a trained counselor and always make decisions based on evidence and facts. The decisions that you make now, can change your life forever. You don’t want to graduate after 3 to 5 years and find out that you actually don’t like the job related to the course or that the job is not in demand anymore or that the salary is very low.

Choosing the right course after UEC 考试 is just the first step in the right direction of achieving a life with stable or high income. The ever-increasing cost of living in Malaysia & high graduate unemployment rate is making it challenging for fresh graduates and working professionals to support their lifestyle. In light of that, it would be important for students to plan ahead what career that you want to enter into so that you can choose a course that has future job demand and high salary in Malaysia.

After having counseled thousands of students since working in the education line in 2000, I have come up with 10 tips that will help UEC 考试 graduates to choose the right course to study in Malaysia that would best fit you. You can contact us for a free career test to help you understand yourself better so that you are able to make the right decision.

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Best 10 Tips on Choosing the Right Course in Malaysia

EduSpiral advised me to study Finance because it had high job demand & salary. Darren, Finance & Investment Graduate from UCSI University
EduSpiral advised me to study Finance because it had high job demand & salary.
Darren, Finance & Investment Graduate

Choosing a course or career is not a science, it is a process in finding out who you are and what you are good at. Some people find out faster while others take more time.

In addition, choosing the best possible course to study is a very important decision to make, and often a challenging one.  For some people, choosing the course is simple as they have always wanted to be a brain surgeon or a dentist or an engineer.

There are many courses that you can choose to study in Malaysia. If you plan to work in Malaysia, then you should choose courses that would be in demand  in Malaysia and has a high salary so that you can support your family.

One of the aims of education is to get a job. One of the aims of getting a job is to obtain a salary that can take care of yourself, your future family and your parents. Therefore, keep in mind what kind of lifestyle you want and whether the course that you are choosing will give you the salary to sustain that lifestyle.

Furthermore, many students in Malaysia tend to choose their course based on what their parents or relatives recommend, rather than on what they are good at or really like to study. The end result is that a lot of Malaysian students discover that they have started on courses that may be unsuitable to them after studying a few semesters. Worse is when they start work, they find that it is not what they like.

One of the main problems why some Malaysian students have no clue on what course to study is because they have not participated in various types of activities at school or organisations. When you join clubs and societies, you are able to discover your talents, as well as develop leadership, critical thinking and other valuable skills.

Top 10 Tips

Here are 10 Tips for Students after UEC 考试 to help you choose the right course to study:

1  What’s the Results in your UEC 考试?
EduSpiral helped me to understand clearly what software engineering is about & helped me to choose the right university. Vincent Chow, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University
EduSpiral helped me to understand clearly what software engineering is about & helped me to choose the right university. Vincent Chow, Software Engineering Graduate, Asia Pacific University
  • What you got for your actual UEC can be used as a guide. This is a good measure of whether you are actually capable of doing well in the course or not.
  • Look at the subjects that you scored high for, they would indicate that you are good at them and like those subjects as well. However, if you have all As for the subjects, then you have to choose based on which subjects you like most.
  • Be realistic. If you are weak in certain subjects then maybe you should not choose courses related to them. Your results are a measurement on whether you can succeed in the course or not. However, if the course is your passion, then you will have to work very hard and study to succeed.
2.  What are your Interests & Hobbies?
  • Make a list of your hobbies.
  • List down your favorite subjects at school
  • A list of your extra-curricular activities can provide ideas of what type of person you are.
  • Students who love to cook can consider culinary arts. In addition, if you like to repair cars or motorbikes, then you could look at being a mechanical engineer or mechatronics engineer.
3. Make a List of the Degree Programmes that you are Interested in
  • List the fields of study that interest you, and come up with a list of courses you would consider studying based on these interests.
  • Do you meet the entry requirements for these courses?
  • Narrow down the degree programme choices and see which Pre-University Programmes would be the best to guide you to the right pathway.
4. Look at the subjects offered in the Course at the University that you are Interested in
Software Engineering at Asia Pacific University (APU)
I was confused about what to study & at which university. Talking to EduSpiral helped clear my doubts. Zen Yi, Graduated from Software Engineering at Asia Pacific University (APU)
  • Read through the course outline of the course(s) you want to apply for. See if the subjects interests you.
  • The titles of the Course may be the same but the subjects are different from university to university. Universities do not offer courses where all the subjects are the same.
  • Because the subjects vary, you must be careful to look at the subjects to see if they fit your career goals.
  • Have a look at the subjects you must undertake and the types of learning, assignments and examination tasks involved.
  • Talk to the lecturers to find out more about the courses.
5. Ask yourself and the People around you, “Are you Actually Good in that Course?”
  • I asked a student interested in Culinary Arts, “Have you cooked before?” and he replied, “No”! It is important to choose a course realistically based on evidence and facts.
  • There is a big difference between the desire and interest in a course and actually having the talents and skills to do well in the course.
  • Your parents have been with you since the beginning and they should know you fairly well. Talk to them to find out what you are good at.
  • Your friends can be a source of information on what you are good at. They can confirm whether or not you have certain skills.
  • In addition, your results would be an indication of whether you would be suited for the course. Other evidences would be your hobbies and participation in clubs and societies in school related to your course.
  • Your UEC 考试 results will show what you are actually good at. For example, having good results in Maths, you can consider Actuarial Science, Data Science, Accounting, Computing or Finance courses.
  • Alternatively you can also think about subjects you definitely don’t want to study at university level and which you can’t wait to say goodbye to. Crossing these off will make your list of options smaller and less overwhelming.
  • An undergraduate degree course in Malaysia lasts three to five years – that’s a long time to spend studying something which you don’t enjoy, especially at a more intense level! First of all ask yourself what you have enjoyed studying at secondary school in Malaysia.
6. Do a thorough Research on the Course that you are Interested in
  • The internet, newspapers, television and people around you are the best sources of information.
  • Talk to people who are working in that field to gain more insights.
  • Check online about the courses you are interested in and find out about the career prospects and the other info.
  • Find facts and evidence to support the career and job prospects. Don’t just simply listen to the counselors or agents
  • Starting salaries and how much you can earn eventually.
  • Go to education fairs and universities’ Open Days to see the campuses and collect the brochures. Tour their campus to look at the facilities. Talk to the lecturers and students.
  • Keep in mind that what you think about the course and career may be very different from the reality of working in that field.
7. Job Demand in Malaysia for the Course that You are Interested in
"I met up with EduSpiral about 4 times in Ipoh & at Asia Pacific University to discuss about my future. He provided me with in-depth information and even arranged for me to meet up with the Head of School at APU to talk to me." Kar Jun (Left), Accounting graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)
“I met up with EduSpiral about 4 times in Ipoh & at Asia Pacific University to discuss about my future. He provided me with in-depth information and even arranged for me to meet up with the Head of School at APU to talk to me.”
Kar Jun (Left), Accounting graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)
  • With the evolution of technology, the current job landscape in Malaysia has changed drastically. In many industries and countries, the current in-demand occupations or specialties did not exist 10 or even 5 years ago. The rise of technology has led to a disruption in the way we work and live. The Digital Era has changed the way we work.
  • As the digital economy grows, Malaysia must be prepared to choose jobs that will be in demand in the future as well as still exist. 75 million job roles are expected to disappear by 2022 according to the “Future of Jobs Report 2018” by the World Economic Forum,. Furthermore, another 133 million roles are expected to emerge.
  • Look at the job prospects of the course before selecting one. Consider various factors such as income, job security, stress, responsibility and other benefits while researching a profession.
  • Look at statistics, evidence and facts. Not just listen to your auntie say that she thinks a particular career is excellent or a university counselor say that the course is good based on their experience.
  • There are reports and statistics which you can Google online to find. Newspapers have also written on the job demand for particular careers.
  • Government Agencies such as ILMIA, Multimedia Development Corporation, Malaysia Plan, Department of Statistics, etc.
8. What is the Salary for the Job that Your Course will Lead you Into?
Graduated in Mass Communication from KDU University College
EduSpiral analysed my personality and results, subsequently advised me on choosing the right course as well as the best university that fit me. John Lai Wai Hong, Graduated in Mass Communication from KDU University College
  • There are many degree courses that you can choose to study in Malaysia. If you plan to work in Malaysia, then you should choose degree courses that would be in demand  in Malaysia and has a high salary so that you can support your family.
  • One of the aims of education is to get a job. One of the aims of getting a job is to obtain a salary that can take care of yourself, your future family and your parents. Therefore, keep in mind what kind of lifestyle you want and whether the course that you are choosing will give you the salary to sustain that lifestyle.
  • Human Resource companies in Malaysia have also produced salary reports and statistics on the demand for certain jobs in Malaysia. You can search for reports from Kelly Services, Hays Recruitment, Robert Walters Salary Report, Jobstreet, etc
9. Will you be Happy Studying the Course?
  • Although the aim of studying is to get a job with a stable salary to support your future lifestyle, it is also important that you would be somewhat happy or satisfied in that line of work. Work is work, it won’t be 100% joy in your job, but it should bring you satisfaction and peace of mind.
  • If you are unhappy with your job, you won’t have the motivation to work hard, hence, will not be able to do well to get a higher salary.
  • Therefore, when you choose your course, you should do your research on your future job that the course will lead to, would you feel happy and satisfied in that line of work?
  • Would you be happy while you are studying the course? If you don’t, then you won’t get good results or even worse, fail and drop out completely.
  • Don’t choose a course because your parents want you to study that course. Don’t choose a course because your friends are studying that course and you want to be with them.
  • Take the time and effort to find out which course you are interested in, like and be happy with it.
10. Ask the right people about the Courses
  • Ask the right Education Counselors. Would you ask a Doctor on how to repair your car? Or would you ask a mechanic for medical advise? Although this sounds ridiculous, but many students do listen to advise from young and inexperienced counselors from universities, colleges or agents’ offices.  Talking to an experienced education advisor would help you to navigate through this confusing time of choosing the best course that fits you.Speak to professionals in your field of interest and find out what it is like working in that job.
  • People who have completed university courses can give you an insight from a student’s perspective – they can tell you the pros and cons.
  • Listen to people who are experienced in the industry or know what they are talking about. Not just simply listen to Aunties or Friends who don’t know what they are talking about.
  • Talk to your school counselor or an experienced career guidance counselor. This is important as you would not ask a Doctor on how to repair your car so you must ask the right person to help you.
  • Ask your parents and friends what type of personality you are and what could fit you however note that some parents may not be objective and want you to choose the course they want for you.

Choose EduSpiral Consultant Services for Advise on Choosing the Right Course

EduSpiral gave me useful information & evidence on why I should choose the best university. Philip Sim, Information Technology (IT) graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)
EduSpiral gave me useful information & evidence on why I should choose the best university.
Philip Sim, Information Technology (IT) graduate from Asia Pacific University (APU)

Choosing a course that you are passionate about without job demand and you may end up being jobless.

Look for statistics and research to support whether there is a job demand for your future career in Malaysia or Singapore. Here at EduSpiral Consultant Services, we do our research on the job demand for the careers in Malaysia, Salary Reports, and universities so that we can advise our students based on facts and evidence.

Our in-depth knowledge about the courses, careers and private universities in Malaysia combined with my working in experience in the private universities itself are tools that would help you to choose the right university.

Now why would you want to talk to EduSpiral Consultant Services when you can contact the private universities directly? Well, EduSpiral Consultant Services staff have more than 20 years experience in counseling students. Having worked in the private education industry, we have in-depth knowledge of each private university and college in what they are good at.

EduSpiral Consultant Services has helped hundreds of students to choose the right course and university in Malaysia since 2009.  With our first-hand knowledge of the universities in Malaysia and access to staff at the universities we represent, we can provide in-depth, personalized advise that no brochure or website can.

There are many factors to consider in choosing a university other than the ad in the newspaper. You have to look at the fees, financial aid, location, student culture, teaching quality, accreditation, recognition, ranking, campus size, facilities, university partnerships and more.

With our vast knowledge and experience of the private higher education industry in Malaysia, we are able to help students to navigate through all the information and narrow down their choices to the best courses and universities that fit them.

We are able to offer unbiased information on the many colleges & universities in Malaysia if you are unable to visit their campuses. We will share our first hand knowledge and email you pictures of the facilities, fees, forms and other important information. We will also assist in arranging accommodation and campus tours to the universities.

Let the experienced counselors at EduSpiral Consultant Services take you step-by-step through the choices.

Take Time and Effort to Choose the Right Private University in Malaysia to Study at

My father wanted me to study at the best university for actuarial science & I wasn't sure about my results. EduSpiral met up with us, explained about the course and university.
My father wanted me to study at the best university for actuarial science & I wasn’t sure about my results. EduSpiral met up with us, explained about the course and university.
Min En, Actuarial Science, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

Choosing a university is important as it will help to shape your mind, character and help you to develop the necessary skills for a successful career.

Therefore, not all private universities are the same. You should not choose a university because it is the cheapest, easiest and nearest. It should be based on which university that best fits your needs.

Many students in Malaysia also make the common mistake in choosing a university because their friends are going there. I even had one student tell me that his choice of university depends on where his girlfriend is going!

This is one of the most important decisions that may change your life forever hence it should not be taken lightly.

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