Thursday, March 29, 2007

Recently, as SPM result had been released, the issue of whether Matriculation or STPM to take become the hot debate topic. Many students seem like no direction in their future. As usual, I have been littering my two cents here and there in few forums that i used to visit. There is also an article which wrote by myself have been published in Nan Yang Siang Poh last week.

I decided to copy one of my ramblings over from recom's forum. In the following, I modified the text a little bit to make it more coherent and reader-friendly. All aboard! Off we go...

The question posted by the forumer sound:

For those unfortunate souls who failed to obtain straight A1s in SPM, do you intend to go for matriculation if you are offered a spot?Would you opt for STPM instead?Or would it be A levels?Since our chances of getting jpa are pretty slim, let us discuss about the possible ways to continue our education..As for matriculation, can we be guaranteed a place in a public uni of our choice with a course we want if we manage 4As?

As a pioneer of matriculation's chinese student, who are doing my 3rd years in UM currently, i think matriculation is the best and easier pathway to enter local university.
With reference of the past few years record, it is true enough that a large number of the matriculation students get places in local universities. Thus, it is not suprising that we often heard that students who do matriculation are guaranteed of places. I am not going to elaborate on matters deemed sensitive. The poor STPM students despite getting very good results have to fight it out among themselves to secure places for critical courses.


Anyhow, some people may contended that study STPM will be more easier when they further their tertiary in university. There is also some comment of STPM student is smarter or more execellent than matriculation student. For me, that is pure rubbish!
After you sucuessfully entered University, you will realize that everyone is start from zero!(Especially for my course!)


To tell the truth, i got a friend who previously same matriculation with me, did his Pharmacy Degree in UM now. He is one of the Top student in that particular course!!! So, don't simply believe the rumours that STPMers is more execellent! There are intelligent students who originate from the Matriculation system. Even smarter than STPM students. Apparently, if you're intelligent, it doesn't matter which system you originate from.
Besides, noone is going to ask whether you are originated from STPM or Matriculation after you complete your degree...


After the reply, I also get some feed back. One of the forumer contended that matriculation syllabus is very easy if compared to STPM. Here, i would like to quote his word.

"matrics student study the PRE-U course in a YEAR or less than it i would say, whoile STPM students need to undrgo 1.5 yrs of strenous day..do bear in mind, how r them suppose to cover up all the sllybus in less than a yr? i personally doubts the QUALITY and depth of knowledge gained in matricualtion...many of my frens who were stpmers, insist that while there ARE some BRILLINAT matrics student in Uni, but sadly to say, most of them STRUGGLE while in Uni, cuz the knowledge they gain in MATRICS are not adequate, so my main qustion is..how can we claim that the std of matric is on par with stpm? if it is, then y matrics is not INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED and considering the fact thta many MATRICS student dpget 4.0 flat and the absurd ratio between matrics and stpm top scorer do makes me ponder( im not BIASED ,btw), is the std matriculation on par with STPM... and i would like to plead..do plz show some respect to f6 students who have managed to get a spot in local Uni, they deserve ou respect..."

To certain extent i did actually agree with him but personally i think that if you want to score a distiction no matter in matriculation or university, you have to equip yourself with some extra knowledge and studies assiduously. There is actually some student who studied in matriculation but always demand themselves to reach the STPM level!If they themselves do not swotted or hard study, they are definately going to suffer during their 1st years in University. I admit that Matriculation syllabus is far more easier than STPM. (My sis use to be Form-6 student last time...and i myself had also compare the both syllabus before) However, i did come across some point of view of the undergraduate, they opined that there are actually not much difference of level for Matriculation and STPM student... But, undeniable, for medicine course there is still a vast gap for matric student to battle and catch up. Anyhow, as far as what i have seem in UM, matriculation student still not left behind the STPMers. Although some of the matriculation student will struggle for their studies when they notice that some of the syllabus yet covered but what benefit them is they already adapt the uni life. STPMers may not able to accomodate themselves to the change quickly. Matric will never echo to STPM. But it is an easier pathway to get a place in local University.

Matriculation or STPM?
You have to play your cards right.

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