Making the right choice

YOU have burned the midnight oil for 11 years and enjoyed a new sense of freedom after completing your last SPM examination paper.

Unfortunately, this newfound freedom is coming to an end and you find yourself with a dilemma, one that would determine the next few years of your life.

This dilemma is none other than choosing a pre-university programme, which cannot be taken lightly as making the wrong choice would mean being forced to study a programme you have difficulty enjoying.

Another scenario is that even if you manage to complete the pre-university programme without failing any of the subjects or semesters, your acquired qualification may not be recognised as a prerequisite for your desired degree.

While you can always switch to a different course later, you would have already wasted some time, not to mention your parents’ hard-earned money.

It is possible to eventually fall in love with a programme and its related industries after enrolment, but it is an unlikely prospect.

How then do you choose between all the pre-university programmes available and how would these courses affect your degree choice?

Self-understanding

There are a number of things that you need to ask yourself as you begin researching preuniversity programmes.

Firstly, what are your interests and can you imagine yourself working in such an industry? It is one thing to have an interest in a particular aspect of an industry but another thing altogether to be interested in all the processes involved.

Take for example the love for exotic cars and supercars. You may enjoy reading car reviews, admiring the stylish curves of the machines and desiring to push a car past its red line but does your passion carry into knowing the details of car design, aerodynamics, engineering, supply chain management, production or vehicle maintenance?

Once you have clearly defined the industries that tickle your fancy, start researching on the various pre-university programmes that would allow you to pursue a related degree.

Take the time to research the topics and subjects that are taught in these programmes. Do the subjects match your initial idea of the industry? The more you learn about these courses, the more accurate your general perception of the industry as you enter the workforce.

In addition, you will be better prepared in your future classes and not be caught off guard by what is required of you throughout the course.

International education

The other question that you need to ask yourself is if you intend to study abroad and if you have specific countries in mind, as these too will affect your pre-university choices.

Nations such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have for decades attracted Malaysian students to their shores with their extensive list of prestigious higher learning institutions.

If studying in such universities has always been a dream of yours, why not work towards that goal and enrol in a pre-university programme in Malaysia that would prepare you for the move?

Completing the Canadian Pre-University or Canadian International Matriculation Programme will earn you an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, the same qualification awarded to Canadian students who successfully complete

12th grade in Canadian high schools.

The course is known to place less emphasis on examinations, instead focusing on a holistic approach to learning that values classroom activities and competitions such as debating and public speaking.

The American Degree Programme also has an allrounded approach to education, balancing theoretical and practical knowledge via myriad activities such as lectures, group work, projects, presentations and field trips.

The standout feature of this programme is that you would already be on your way to completing a degree even before enrolling in a bachelor’s programme.

Another option to consider is enrolling in an Australian matriculation programme, which is equivalent to the Australian Year 12 examination.

There are two to choose from – the South Australian Matriculation (SAM or SACE), which is graded on 70% coursework and 30% examinations, and the Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT or WACE), which is graded equally between coursework and examinations.

Besides the Canadian, American and Australian preuniversity programmes, there is also the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which is known to set high academic standards emphasising creative and critical thinking.

Students are responsible for their own learning, from choosing topics to devising their own projects, while teachers function as supervisors or mentors instead of sources of information. There is also the internationally popular A-Levels programme. Like all the aforementioned programmes, A-Levels is a good choice for any student who is still undecided on an undergraduate major.

All these qualifications are internationally recognised and accepted as a sufficient form of entry to many universities across the world, allowing you to still have a wide selection of universities and courses to enrol in upon completion.

Laying the right foundation

Knowing your interests even before you leave secondary school is beneficial as it would allow you to narrow down your pre-university options.

Among the most popular programmes are foundation studies, designed to prepare students for the various bachelor’s degrees that are directly related to their fields of interest.

For example, if you are thinking about a career in management, human resources, marketing or even accounting, a business or commerce foundation programme will suit you best as you would be exposed to the general concepts within the various sub-fields from the very first lecture.

These courses aim to complement the knowledge attained in secondary school while ensuring you reach a level needed to be admitted into a bachelor’s degree programme.

You can expect examinations, presentations, individual projects and group assignments to make up the assessment criteria.

Among the main reasons students choose to enrol in foundation programmes in a chosen university or partnering institution is that it increases their chance of, if not guarantees, admission to a degree at that university.

You would also have an edge over other students who come from other pre-university programmes as you would already be accustomed to the teaching styles, assessment standards and study environment of the university.

Making a pre-university decision should not be rushed, so only make your decision after you have carefully considered your options. Make the effort to read about different industries and, where possible, speak to people who have experience in the industry.

Do not let your decisions be influenced by what your friends have chosen to study. After all, your future happiness is on the line so who better to make the decision than you?