The SPM is but a Stepping Stone to Greater Heights

by StudyMalaysia.com on May 31, 2023 | Top Stories

The SPM is but a Stepping Stone to Greater Heights - StudyMalaysia.com

The SPM results will be released soon. Congratulations to those who have done well and those who have achieved what you set out to do. It is inevitable that some students may not have got the results you want. However, there is no reason for despair as there are many alternative routes open to you. You only need to know the vast options open to you by consulting relevant authorities or your school counsellors.

Most students will consider continuing your studies (Foundation or Diploma) right after SPM as many want to earn a degree or diploma the soonest possible to be able to carve out a niche for yourselves in the workforce. Choosing a course, however, is an overwhelming task. While some students without hesitation would say they want to pursue a degree, there are others who think that a college degree is not their cup of tea. There are many factors to consider when you want to further your education - from financial commitment to the marketability of your degree at the end of your studies. Studying something that you love and are interested in can be both comforting, motivating, and life-changing.

Options open to you after SPM

Foundation Studies programmes which take one year, fast-track your progress to a Bachelor's degree after your SPM. Regardless of what you choose to study, most universities will have a Foundation programme for you (e.g. Foundation in Science, Foundation in Business, and Foundation in Arts).
Diploma programmes are suitable for those who wish to enter the job market the soonest possible - a degree can take 4 to 5 years with one year of Foundation, but a Diploma will only take around 2.5 years. With a Diploma, you can enter the job market right away or continue with a degree course with some exemptions.
Matriculation (by the Ministry of Education) after SPM gives you a chance to get into a public university, and of course, the attractive part is matriculation programmes come at a low cost.
STPM (Malaysian curriculum and qualification) is another cost-saving option after SPM. It gives you a greater chance of getting into a public university and is also recognized around the world, giving you more options for further studies beyond Malaysia.
External pre-university courses such as A-Level/IB Diploma/AUSMAT/SACE/HSC could be among your choices, especially for those who are looking for opportunities to study overseas or foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia. Students of this category need to ensure their English is good. Go to StudyMalaysia.com to find out more.
Those who are less academically-inclined may want to opt for a TVET education that includes formal, non-formal, and informal learning that prepare young people with the knowledge and skills required in the workforce. A highly skilled TVET programme for SPM graduates provides them with the opportunities to further their studies at the Diploma and Degree levels.

Other alternatives:

Get a job (Note: if it is relevant to your intended course, you can use the working experience when you are aged 19 and above to apply to study for a Diploma level course).
Take a gap year before deciding.
Enrich your life experience by traveling.
Doing volunteer work.
Doing something online to build an audience.
Create an impressive portfolio of your work to gain experience.
Do freelancing for writing, translating, drawing, designing, editing, animating, programming, etc.
Start a small business offering a specific product or service.
Get an internship or apprenticeship at some professional workplace to gain valuable experience.

Before going any farther, let's take a look at the following poem (The Road Not Taken) by Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other; as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

All SPM students have come to another forked road in their lives (two roads diverged). As a single person, you can only choose one path, but if you contemplate long enough (And be one traveler, long I stood), to make an informed decision, there should be no course for regret. You must be decisive even if it means choosing 'the one less traveled by'. The poem advocates for individuality and perseverance. You should make a choice not based on what others tell you to do or on what your good friends have chosen. You should seriously consider your aspirations, interests, experience, and capabilities before making a choice. The choices we make, be they big or small, shape our journey through life.

How to make an informed choice so as to avoid regrets.

What is the choice about - choosing a course or a college?
Gather information about the course or college.
Think about the end-result of your decision - what are the pros and cons?
Talk about your options with others.
Take some time before making a decision.

No matter what path you choose to take, you're committed to follow it wherever it may lead as it is not possible to turn back to the same point in time. And yes indeed, the path you have chosen will make all the difference to your life when many years later you take a look back in time and see that moment as one of great significance. So students choose - and choose wisely!