Form 6

[eunice]

Does anyone know when Form Six is starting?

[Moozy]

isn't it 17thMay. The sooner, the better. I'm rotting out of boredom at home. :cry:

[chenchow]

Make full use of your time. If you are really bored, share more of your thoughts in ReCom. Or go to ReCom's elearning and learn more knowledge. It is all available on public domain.

[weechin]

Does anyone go 2 the matriculation(government) 1??
Which is better?Matri. or F6??
As i know, matri is faster 2 get into local U.

[lilet]

Odd to find last year's SPM leavers feeling so bored due to unlimited "nothingness" to do... Maybe because i am so and very busy right now and most of my ex-classmates are so busy too... Why stay at home and slack? Surely there's many other things you can do~! ;-) But I'll say that slacking at ReCom is a commendable pastime~! :-)

Some of my friends are in National Service, of whom some are picked while there are those who volunteered too, unfortunately, the latter is with the objective to get the monthly RM100 that they offer to participants!=) Others who are typical academic-orientated-and-going-on-to-Form6 ones will be spending their time 'happily' at the tuition centers right now... As if the tuition centers are not earning enough money already~! =) Whereas, the more money minded ones are of course, working! Some luckier ones are overseas already, such as in Japan and Australia... Quite envious of them... =)

On Matriculation and Form 6, I guess it depends on one's own preference cause they both are quite different systems if you really compare. Just choose the one that will suit you better if you only have those 2 choices, I guess. IMHO, self interest always come first cause that decides how well you will perform. As far as I know, though I don't know a lot cause I didn't apply for it, Matri takes one year that's why it is faster to get into U but seems that it is a little more difficult to get in by Form 6 compared to Matri. But of course, if you are good, then there's virtually no problem~! =)

[eunice]

Anyone has any tips on whether to study biology or physics?
I heard that physics is really hard? What do u all think?

[lzyee]

hi..
i will be the one go to matrik....if ...if i do not get the JPA scholarship
is there anyone is goin to matrik kedah.....
:cry: :cry:
so sad..so sad ..if i really have to the campus alone..

[solace]

eunice says:

Anyone has any tips on whether to study biology or physics?
I heard that physics is really hard? What do u all think?


hm.. i think the degree of difficulty of any subject depend on ur related interest in it. iMHO, those who are reli interested in either physics or bio will relish the challenge of the subject, instead of shying away from it.. taking bio in f6 will get u places if u do reli well if im not mistaken..gettin gud results in bio in spm will easily get u into any desired uni i guess.

as for me, i cant wait to get on around physics in f6~! :)[/quote]

[chenchow]

I think doing well in F6 or matrics will bring you admission to the courses of your choices in IPTA. However, grade inflation is happening too and it is getting more and more pertinent. So, not sure how will this problem be solved. More and more people are getting straight As in STPM as well...

[widagdo]

gettin gud results in bio in spm will easily get u into any desired uni i guess.



True, but not any desired course. As far as I am concerned, Physics is the required subject for most IPTA engineering courses, not Biology.

[ElansarGelmir]

Anyone has any tips on whether to study biology or physics?
I heard that physics is really hard? What do u all think?


It depends on your interest and the kind of studying that you would like to do... if you are the type who enjoys memorizing, i doubt physics is the one that you are looking for... However, if you think that you are better in solving problems, then Physics is your choice . . .

[lilet]

More and more people are getting straight As in STPM as well...

Does this mean that the quality of STPM is dropping or are our students getting cleverer? :P Though I hope that it is the latter, have to admit that the former has a higher possibility... =)

[gal_flower]

tads a possiblity, but i donno for sure. it's hard to say, isn't it nowadays.

matriculation or form 6, well, u haf to ask urself, can u live one year as a very minor minority in an environment really diff from home? food wise, language wise, etc...of coz, ppl has been telling me tad matriculation is easier n faster so it's really up to u whether tads the life u want....

though i haf to say i admire those who r in form 6....

oh, i had a fren, a fellow scholar from NJ who left for matriculation...juz smtg to ponder on...

[trishotiwuth]

You can actually survive Matriculation even if you're a non-bumi. But you have to make some sacrifies and adjustments, especially with regards to dressing and lifestyle. Obviously matricultion centres aren't posh colleges where you can 7uhm, 'express' yourself freely.

Anyhow, go for Matric if you're aiming for those expensive courses like medicine or engineering. But remember that you've gotta do really good in your Matric exams or you'd be stuck with some other undesirable courses. There's a chance you have to take, you see.

Whatever it is, best of luck!

[weechin]

Hi, Lzyee...
i'm the one who oso goes matric....but i'm in johor 1......
Fortunately, i got some other friends who oso will be going there v me. At least, still hav some rapat friends there....

Well, i heard nowadays even if u din take bio, u can oso apply for medicine for some IPTA, is it true??

[chiunlin]

Anyone has any tips on whether to study biology or physics?
I heard that physics is really hard? What do u all think?

Its your interest that matters the most. Some people may say that biology is harder, as there are tons of facts to remember while some may argue otherwise as physics requires a higher order of problem-solving skills. And if you really like both subjects, then take up both, if you think you can cope with the extra subject.

As for grade inflation, when I was still in form 6, my math teacher used to lament that the qualities of students nowadays are deteriorating. Here's a simple question that he asked in the class:
What is the definition of an even number?
If you know the answer, good. If not, that goes to show that your math education is far from being complete.

[naturesimple]

without taking biology as a subject will that make my chance of studying engineering in IPTA less???

[widagdo]

without taking biology as a subject will that make my chance of studying engineering in IPTA less???

Really? Why do you need Biology in Engineering?

Typical STPM subjects combo for Engineering:

PA, Math, Physics, Chem or

PA, Math, A Math, Physics, Chem or

PA, Math, Physics, Chem, Bio --> This one works best for all science, tech, engineering, medical courses in IPTA.

[Moozy]

Well, i heard nowadays even if u din take bio, u can oso apply for medicine for some IPTA, is it true??

Yes, that's true. For USM, u dun have to take Bio in order to study Med, but u have to take Phy. Chem and Maths.

[ElansarGelmir]

Well, i heard nowadays even if u din take bio, u can oso apply for medicine for some IPTA, is it true??

Yes, that's true. For USM, u dun have to take Bio in order to study Med, but u have to take Phy. Chem and Maths.

Bio in Form 6 is kind of redundant for Medicine, if you ask me... You don't learn anything related to Medicine, it's mostly about ecology . . . In India, I heard that to study medicine, the first year you will be studying phys, chem and maths, no bio...

[chenchow]

I think if we look from another perspective, merely on the perspective of whether learning another subject, I think learning deeper in another subject is good. You do not need to memorize for biology or for that matter history. I learn history without memorizing. you just need to build an awareness of it and understand the process. It is not a test of your memory skills. You can definitely do well in SPM History without memorizing even a sentence.

[wawa]

I suggest that for those who have quite a definite career objective to choose either BIo or PHysics, avoid taking 5 subjects lah. I have quite a number of friends who took it, and believe me, they really went 'steam' in the final month before exam.

[widagdo]

I think if we look from another perspective, merely on the perspective of whether learning another subject, I think learning deeper in another subject is good. You do not need to memorize for biology or for that matter history. I learn history without memorizing. you just need to build an awareness of it and understand the process. It is not a test of your memory skills. You can definitely do well in SPM History without memorizing even a sentence.

Not everyone has such awareness and interest. To most students, history is just bullshit.

[Randomphantom]

history - the reading part is fun. I remember my history teacher telling stories to the class... we could just listen to it for hours. But when it comes to exams, its time to ME-MO-RIZE~. Not full sentences, just the keywords, you could even get marks for bad grammar...

I believe Form6 emphasizes memory work. How much cram can your brain take?
Without Bio you might have to go to private U for medicine. EG IMU.

[Moozy]

history - the reading part is fun. I remember my history teacher telling stories to the class... we could just listen to it for hours. But when it comes to exams, its time to ME-MO-RIZE~. Not full sentences, just the keywords, you could even get marks for bad grammar...



Yeah, I used to look forward to History lessons in F4 cuz we studied World history. It was very enjoying just listening to my teacher telling stories. Sometimes, she'd even tell ghost stories or use famous characters like Beckham to enliven the lessons. Those good old days were gone when it comes to F5. Boring M'sia again...

Has anyone received offer letters from their F6 school? I'm going to Sam Tet.

[ElansarGelmir]

I think if we look from another perspective, merely on the perspective of whether learning another subject, I think learning deeper in another subject is good. You do not need to memorize for biology or for that matter history. I learn history without memorizing. you just need to build an awareness of it and understand the process. It is not a test of your memory skills. You can definitely do well in SPM History without memorizing even a sentence.

Not everyone has such awareness and interest. To most students, history is just bullshit.

History is fun - but not in Malaysia . . . We don't really learn history here... Just things that they want to insert into our young minds . . . I like our American Cultural Studies, where we have to the War of Independence and Civil War... Those are very exciting, at least better than Ekonomi Malaysia or kepentingan sungai kepada pembesar-pembesar tempatan . . . You know, those boring stuffs . . . And no offense, the whole chapter about Islam . . . Yeah, Islam plays a role in shaping the world's history, but so do other religions . . . And what i heard is that the new world History syllabus consist on 50% of Islam, and there's no part about revolutions or whatsoever . . . IMHO, if we want to know about Islam, we would have taken Islam studies, right?

Luckily there's no Malaysia History in F6, i guess. . .

[gal_flower]

american cultural studies was ok if not for the boring classes....
actually, i din quite mind our spm history...i only din like the part when it came to development in the later years in msian history (the dasar baru etc)....
hmm...actually bio is quite redundant nowadays...do u noe tad in a-levels spore, u don even need to take bio in sec school (o-levels) to take bio in a-level...n bio is not even a pre-requisite to do med in spore n US as far as i noe...chem is THE pre-requisite nowadays....

[naturesimple]

actually bio is quite redundant nowadays...do u noe tad in a-levels spore, u don even need to take bio in sec school (o-levels) to take bio in a-level...n bio is not even a pre-requisite to do med in spore n US as far as i noe...chem is THE pre-requisite nowadays....


is that mean there is no need to take bio???

[weechin]

Can i choose both physic n bio in matric?? Bcoz i'm now still wondering which field i'm more interested in..I heard bio needs a lot of memory work..n i wish 2 pursur biotech...but i prefer understanding to memorizing

[chenchow]

Just would like to check on how is the exams in our IPTA and IPTS conducted. Is it open book? Guess, memory was something that was thrown away from my mind and if I am asked to memorize something, I would definitely fail it.

Exams have been try to understand and then open book exams. I don't see any reason why exam should be closed book, since in real life, we have all these books, internet etc as our tools.

[Randomphantom]

Well I guess if they give open book tests it would be near impossible to find the answer straight from the books anways. Exams without memorising... how refreshing... i hate memorising

omg... weechin, is ur surename "tan"? no way...

[gal_flower]

don u haf anyone to check wif? sorry i cant help much coz i din go form 6 or matriculation or private college for the matter...

i choose form 6 instead of matrikulasi---it is a stupid move?
well,it is true that matrik save us one year,but then we oso have to face many things,and form 6 give us a better foundation,rite?
anyone going form6 rather than matrik?i will be glad if u tell me this!

[chenchow]

Open books exam typically test on your design skills, perhaps that is related to engineering, but I think it tests on your analytical skills. So, say in exam, you will be asked to design an appliance with certain requirements. So, basically you will take bits and pieces here and there that you have learned, weigh it over and design it out. There is no right or wrong answer.

For instance, I took a course in Business Law. Exam is open book. I am not sure how law is taught back home. But over here, exam is just like you were thrown a court case. You will be given your sides say you are representing the defendant, then you need to argue on that case with all the codes of law (available to you, since it is open book) and basically you need to put forward a good case for your client. So, it will depend on how good you argue for your client.

I think this is more practical as in reality, lawyers do get the chance to refer to books when they are representing their clients in court. I am not sure why, but I have the impression that law exams back home may test on what is the General Law Sec 3.5.4 ...something like that, where students need to throw out what they have memorized...Hopefully those who know can prove my impression wrong...

[ElansarGelmir]

Open book exams? Heard of it before, but dunno how is it carry out. Are students allowed to go to the library, or anywhere, just as long as they hand in their essays within the time limit? Or they have to bring their books to the exam hall and refer to the book? If it's the latter, then I can imagine one would have a stack of books that piles high up to the ceiling :P

[jiinjoo]

i choose form 6 instead of matrikulasi---it is a stupid move?
well,it is true that matrik save us one year,but then we oso have to face many things,and form 6 give us a better foundation,rite?
anyone going form6 rather than matrik?i will be glad if u tell me this!

I recall a few months ago, some ignorant teacher bluntly wrote in to Malaysiakini, stating that Form 6 is better becuase when he goes around the university sampling the students, he find the Form 6 students better adapted to the environment, and carry themselves better, behave better, have better results etc. It was followed by a number of angry responses.

Let's take your point: "better foundation". It is perceived (and partially true) that Form 6 students are expected to learn more as compared to their matrik peers, simply by glancing through the syllabus. If there is some inherent logic that I'm not aware of, that maps syllabus to foundation on a one to one basis, then this argument works.

However, depending on which school you go to, what your environment is like, how dedicated your teachers are, what field of study you eventually choose, a "better foundation" might not be what you get from Form 6.

Instead of elaborating on this point, let me give you some alternate points, and see if you can justify / contend it. What if we say Form 6 is better because of the sheer amount of homework you have to do? The constant vigilance trains the mind to be constantly ready for battle, hence it is a better when you enter the university? Can you say anything about this?

If you can draw a conclusion, you probably (I think) have this: that no matter what "course" you choose, (unless it is a very bad course, no doubt that we do have some lying around) you are personally responsible to make the best out of it, to give yourself a "better foundation" so that you can use it as a platform to reach higher goals. Don't fall into the spoon-feeding trap - don't expect to be given a better foundation, build one yourself. If your teachers aren't giving you enough to learn, go out there are find more. You're lucky, you have the web (else you won't be reading this), you have your school's library, you have friends whom you can ask to be your teacher. Don't let a structural barrier impede your eagerness to learn.

[ElansarGelmir]

In the end, it doesn't matter what you have decided. Most of us choose to regret in our lives coz we didn't do this, we didn't do that. Take the Road Not Taken by Robert Frost for example. He could have inherrited his father's large estate and work on it and live a comfortable life like his other counterparts. However, he chose the career path which very few people did, and he was also successful... In the end, he contemplated to himself what would become of him if he had opted to be a farmer like his dad. He did not regret it, and i believe he wouldn't regret either if he chose to give up literature and be a farmer (if he wanted to be a farmer).

Like i've said again, it doesn't matter where you are now. The most important thing is, you know that you are happy with it, and carry on travel on the path that you have chosen, coz ahead of us is an unknown future. Remember, no choice is stupid or not. It's just that how you (like what Jin Joo said) make the fullest out of it, knowing that you've done your best. Life's not easy, dude!

[ElansarGelmir]

littleprince, try reading this:

1) Lost and Possession

Once, there was a very successful and famous business man. During the time when he reached his peak in his business ventures, he accompanied his dad to a high class and elegant restaurant for dinner.

In this superior and luxurious restaurant, a famous pianist was performing to the diners with his heavenly bound music and skill.

While indulging in the music coming from this prominent and reputable pianist, the businessman recall that he learnt to play piano before when he was young and was so crazy with deep love on piano. He then turn to his dad, "If in the past, I seriously practiced piano, now I may be performing like a pro here in this luxurious place to all the distinguished diners."

"Yes, my son", replied his dad. "But if that's the case, you will not be dining in this luxurious restaurant as a distinguished diner now."

** LIFECOACHES: "We often sigh and regret over lost opportunities and achievements, but always forget to count our blessings for what we have now. Start counting your blessings, and treasure what you are possessing now. What are you possessing now? **ponder and list down** - health, youth, love, touch, taste, family, friends, wealth... and mostly, be glad and happy that you can still taste O2 (oxygen)"

I've posted it in SIG of Jokes and interesting articles, but you may not happen to browse it there.

I hope that you get the picture. Since you've given up matric and opted for F6, then go ahead with it. Cope up, read, study, if you must. Who knows if you end up better? Nobody knows. Only you, after you've tried your best in Form 6. Nothing's gonna stop you, nothing's gonna make you regret your decision. Only you yourself will.

10x for advices. Jin hoo,maybe the syllabus is not the sole factor , is that i donno whether i will do locally or abroad.(sigh)i know many ppl will think i am stupid or what , but i just think matriks narrow my ways , so i take the risk to study form 6.Ya , i really hope i have made the right choice

[chenchow]

littleprince, basically there is no right or wrong path... In either F6 or matriculation, as Jiin Joo mentioned, it is up to you to make good of it.

I know of a friend who got ASEAN Scholarship and studied in Junior College in Singapore. However, after his SPM results are out, he didn't do well in English and BM and his scholarship was terminated mainly due to english grade.

Then he went to a school near his home for STPM. He was the ONLY science student in the school. He started a few months late, since he spent the first few months in JC in Singapore. Basically he studied on his own and he took 5 courses: Math, Further Math, Physics, Chem and PA.

He was quite sad initially, after being terminated of the scholarship, but he never gave up. He worked part time to support his family, while going through STPM on his own. In the end, he got 5As and now, he is back in Singapore (NUS or NTU) on ASEAN Scholarship again.

This is an example of someone who had made good, despite not having any teacher to guide him. He didn't go for any tuition class or anything. Self-study. And he not only studied STPM on his own, he worked. So, I think if there is a will, there is a way.

10x chenchow , i think i really need to do what my heart tell me to do so-----form 6 , yup , i have to be determined to do so , and i think i dont wanna regret afterward ,so i will try my best !

[jaclyn]

Anyone has any tips on whether to study biology or physics?
I heard that physics is really hard? What do u all think?

let's see....... when i went to f6 in malacca high school, i enrolled into the physics class cause i heard bio is a major killer. well, i dun quite agree with the bio syllabus in malaysia anyway(too much memorizing, if you ask me) sides, my physics was better than my bio in secondary school. so it made sense that i chose to do physics instead of bio.
however i started to realize that my main interest lies in biology (i'm fond of genetics) and well, if i choose to do physics, chances are i won't be able to do the course i want in uni later. so after two months in physics, i switched to bio =) weird huh? but it's a matter of interest. choose something you like, not something easier, for if u do something you like, it will be enjoyable to you regardless of the amount of work.

however, to address the other point of view, my teachers in MHS highly recommended physics because even though physics is more difficult than bio in terms of studying, it is definitely an easier subject to score an A in stpm.

[DFish]

One of my school ex-student reject JPA scholarship to Germany and choose to continue his study in Matriculation (UTM). I would say what a waste. But his reason is that he prefer to study not far from his home.

And, actually matriculation is not really bad. Cuz some ppl complain about the food before, and so the non-bumis are given allowance of about Rm300 per month for their food. They can eat whatever they want outside the campus. This happen in UTM, i'm not sure of other place.

I din get Matriks, so i'm going to Form 6.

[Moozy]

Yeah, I'd choose matric if i get it. But, unfortunately, i didn't. Is it true that ppl staying in luar bandar stand a better chance in securing a place in matric?

[masterof_none]

i choose form 6 instead of matrikulasi---it is a stupid move?
well,it is true that matrik save us one year,but then we oso have to face many things,and form 6 give us a better foundation,rite?
anyone going form6 rather than matrik?i will be glad if u tell me this!

actually littleprince, it's really up to you.
I still remember when I opted F6 rather than going to matrikulasi (b4 jpa offer letter came)

I have to face several obstacles including a lecture from my uncle and constantly convincing my dad that "everything is fine".
I always said "don't worry dad, I believe F6 is better".

That's because I believe so. whether it's true or not, I don't know.
it's just a gut feeling.

So, it's up to you!. if you think F6 is better, just do it.
If in the middle of F6, you feel that F6 is not good for you, then you have 2 choices :
left school for other private college (like Sunway)
or come back to Recom, and ask us what to do.

But, as long as you're happy, we're happy.
have fun at F6. I believe there's always a future after F6.
In fact, there's always a future for everyone.

[topdog]

actually littleprince, it's really up to you.
I still remember when I opted F6 rather than going to matrikulasi (b4 jpa offer letter came)

I have to face several obstacles including a lecture from my uncle and constantly convincing my dad that "everything is fine".

wow!! as one who chose to circumvent form 6 (opting instead to cabut to utp) ,masterof_none, i tabik you la!

[lzyee]

i am goin to the kedah matrikulation college.
is there anyone goin to there ?pls contact me!!pls

[chenchow]

moozy, I think that the government does give slight advantage to those from rural area to get into matriculation.

i have decided to study form 6 , and i will stick with my decision , donno la , i try my best not to let myself regret.......

[masterof_none]

i have decided to study form 6 , and i will stick with my decision , donno la , i try my best not to let myself regret.......

why regret?. If I were you, I would've been proud.
the education is yours. you're the one who'll study, take the exam, and use it. right?. so, don't regret. if you feel you need help, just shout it here at Recom.
if you have any specific question about F6, I'm sure USSdefiantNX74025 ( I hope this is right) would be happy to answer.

[masterof_none]

wow!! as one who chose to circumvent form 6 (opting instead to cabut to utp) ,masterof_none, i tabik you la!

thanks topdog. heh, I know, I'm the rare species. that's why I would give moral support to all the form sixers. Go Form Six!

[naturesimple]

i have decided to study form 6 , and i will stick with my decision , donno la , i try my best not to let myself regret.......


me too . actually i feel very dissapointed in failing to get any scholarships n things turn out to be very dull n confuse. but now i only hope to get good results in f6 n enroll in local u with the course i hope to do.

chen chow,what make u keep study,read, n trying to absorb knowledge all the times??? or it is already a habit in u???

haha, donno la, once i have decided to study form 6, i feel so relieved............what u guys think of taking 5 subjects?i will take bio,is it very hard to score?between fizik and math lanjutan-----which is harder?

is that form 6 really hard?

[ElansarGelmir]

is that form 6 really hard?

Well, HSC is the second hardest paper in the world. So you should be proud of yourself for taking such exam... Hehe. There people who score straight As, and some who got themselves a handful. Believe in what you can do, and do your best lor... Difficult is very subjective... It varies from one individual to another. But do allocate your time for other activities. All work and no play makes littleprince a dull boy....

[b_ronick]

is that form 6 really hard?

it is quite tough.. i dun mean to scare you or anything..but to give you a rough picture so that you won't have a culture shock when you enter f6..
it is a whole new ball game from f5...
i was in form6 for i think almost 2months..there are a lot of things to cover for that two years of study..it does require a lot of hard work to do well...
if you can balance your time carefully, i think you will be able to well..it depends on you yourself...
understanding and developing a passion for the subjects you are learnin is really important...
and also as ElansirGelmir has said you have to have fun too!!dun just study study and study only..cos there are other things in life too..
balance your time well...
about the 5 subjects thing...take it only if you are confident that you can take that much pressure and willing to put in a lot of effort...

[b_ronick]

Well, HSC is the second hardest paper in the world.

i thought it was the third hardest?

[ElansarGelmir]

Well, HSC is the second hardest paper in the world.

i thought it was the third hardest?

Oh, really? Hmm... Someone told me once it's the 2nd hardest... Anyway, as long as it's in the top 3 list ...

[USSDefiantNX74205]

if you have any specific question about F6, I'm sure USSdefiantNX74025 ( I hope this is right) would be happy to answer.

Well I'd be glad to answer any questions anyone has about F6. Beginning with this one:

is that form 6 really hard?

I'm not really in a qualified position to say anything about this, since my scores are just average, if not below average. So for me, I would say that its really, really hard. Not trying to scare you guys, but that's the truth from my point of view at least. Form 6 chemistry, for example, is split into 3 books each as thick as a telephone directory. As a rule, students are expected to memorize all that in 18 months (less than 18 months for this year's lower six batch) and finally, they might decide to ask you about anything from those three books in the STPM. I wouldn't say its impossible to get straight As, but it requires a lot of effort, and when I say a lot, I REALLY mean a lot. In fact, teachers here have been telling me that once you're in F6, there's virtually no life except your books and countless exercises in order to secure that elusive 'A'.

In agreeing with some of you, the STPM is indeed one of the hardest exams in the world, some say even harder than the British A-levels which it was modelled after. I'm not sure if its the hardest, second hardest or even the third hardest, but it definitely IS one of the hardest. Well, that's my opinion on it anyway and as usual I add my disclaimer here: I may be wrong, so don't just accept whatever I say here at face value. Smarter people might beg to differ...

[eunice]

what about physics? is it that hard too?

[chenchow]

I would hope that those who have done Form 6 and have axed it to share their success stories over here. Lin Lee, she just got straight As in STPM with 1 in all papers. Perhaps she can shed some lights on how she prepared for her STPM.

For the matter, she missed many days of schools, as she was preparing for Physics Olympiad and she was actively involved in various activities.

There are also Shien Jin, who was National Champion in both Math and Physics. Jiin Joo who was 1st Runner Up in National Maths Olympiad.

[naturesimple]

I'm not really in a qualified position to say anything about this, since my scores are just average, if not below average. So for me, I would say that its really, really hard


then how can an average student to cope with that???

hi,who are science students that------gonna reject matrikulasi and go for form 6??

[DFish]

In my school, those who got matrikulasi dont have name in Form 6 list.
And students from PTS also dont have name in the list. The reason the teachers gave me is that we are underage, and so the computer miss our name...Didnt the computers have all the name of SPM 2003 candidate? The PK told us go holiday for another year. Hah!
In order to get into Form 6, we have to fill an application form,get all document certify and see the principal to certify the form. The date due for the form is 15 June. So, if the Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah gonna check all this form after 15 June, we are not "qualified Form Sixers" on 17th of May. Anyway, teachers allow us to report at school on 17th of May. But still we have to wait for our offer letter. Hope the PPD work faster on our form...

i got matriks and i also "underage",so i got 2 reasons for my name not appeared in name list.It is silly to miss out PTS student coz it was the government who introduced the test.........rite?but then my principal told me just come on 17 and all thing will be settled,is it because my school got form 6?

[USSDefiantNX74205]

then how can an average student to cope with that???

An average student can cope by...getting average scores? That's what I'm doing now. But coping and excelling are two different things altogether. Hard work and concentration makes all the difference if you ask me.

For the matter, she missed many days of schools, as she was preparing for Physics Olympiad and she was actively involved in various activities.

Sounds like an interesting person to meet. Say, I'm gonna be participating in a Physics competition too pretty soon. Not sure if its the same Physics Olympiad mentioned here. Anyone know anything about it? Any tips?

[USSDefiantNX74205]

Just got news today that F6 is starting on May 17th. Does it start on that date everywhere else too?

[DFish]

It is silly to miss out PTS student coz it was the government who introduced the test.........rite?
Yeah, really. They should keep record of it even though the exam has already been eliminated.

but then my principal told me just come on 17 and all thing will be settled,is it because my school got form 6?
Er, my school also have Form 6. But, just 3 classes (2 physics, 1 bio). Maybe they scare the PPD dont have our name in the Form 6 list, and there might be trouble during STPM registration.

Just got news today that F6 is starting on May 17th. Does it start on that date everywhere else too?
Kedah also start on 17th although it is Monday. Because 16th is Teacher's Day.

Dunno how they will arrange for NS 2nd and 3rd batch for form 6.

[chenchow]

Just wondering how F6 is done is various schools?

Because in my high school, Jit Sin, was done on lecture and tutorial system. Hence, each subject, say Math will be taught by 3 lecturers, who each specialize in each section of Math. Each lecture will have more than 100 students or so that takes the subject. I know Physics/Chem/Bio each will be taught by 2 to 3 lectures each. Tutorials (where students will be divided into groups of say 20 students or so) will be time to go through past year problems and other questions.

Just wondering is this the way F6 is done? I know that for PA, one lecturer each will teach on graphs/charts, essays, general PA etc... I think is like 4 to 5 lecturers for the subject.

if my principal said no problem about my place in form 6,do i still need to worry?

[Moozy]

Just got news today that F6 is starting on May 17th. Does it start on that date everywhere else too?
Kedah also start on 17th although it is Monday. Because 16th is Teacher's Day.

Dunno how they will arrange for NS 2nd and 3rd batch for form 6.[/quote]

Perak is starting on 17th May too. For the NS 2nd n 3rd batch, I guess they'll just have to miss some classes. As for us, are we taking STPM at the end of next year too? Because we started later(2 months) than our seniors. Has the gov. thought about this?

[Moozy]

Just got news today that F6 is starting on May 17th. Does it start on that date everywhere else too?
Kedah also start on 17th although it is Monday. Because 16th is Teacher's Day.

Dunno how they will arrange for NS 2nd and 3rd batch for form 6.[/quote]

Perak is starting on 17th May too. For the NS 2nd n 3rd batch, I guess they'll just have to miss some classes. As for us, are we taking STPM at the end of next year too? Because we started later(2 months) than our seniors. Has the gov. thought about this?[/quote]

[lzyee]

is there anyone out there is going to the matrikulasi kedah?
i am
pls contach me if u r the one..016-4889533

[ElansarGelmir]

Just wondering how F6 is done is various schools?

Because in my high school, Jit Sin, was done on lecture and tutorial system. Hence, each subject, say Math will be taught by 3 lecturers, who each specialize in each section of Math. Each lecture will have more than 100 students or so that takes the subject. I know Physics/Chem/Bio each will be taught by 2 to 3 lectures each. Tutorials (where students will be divided into groups of say 20 students or so) will be time to go through past year problems and other questions.

Just wondering is this the way F6 is done? I know that for PA, one lecturer each will teach on graphs/charts, essays, general PA etc... I think is like 4 to 5 lecturers for the subject.

Hmm... Yeah, Jit Sin's Form 6 is a little like Singapore's JC system. They have lectures and tutorials for their F6 students. However, I'm not really comfortable with that way. Dunno why. Maybe it's because we can't really clarify our doubts when the lecture is being carried out and by the time we have our tutorials, the tutors are too busy going through the tutorials.

In my alma mater (BM High School), classes are carried out just like other classes. Students are divided into several smaller classes, each classes are being taught by the same teacher for the whole subject. It's kind of bad though, coz if you got the bad/lousy kind of teacher, that means you are stuck with him/her throughout your F6.

P.S. Chen Chow, you're from BM too?

[DFish]

if my principal said no problem about my place in form 6,do i still need to worry?
I think your school will arrange for you. You try to confirm with your teacher when school start. Maybe because my school teacher dont want to take trouble to find out our information or maybe they dont have enough info about us, so they want us to fill the form.(The form require our birthcert and ic and spm result)

As for us, are we taking STPM at the end of next year too? Because we started later(2 months) than our seniors. Has the gov. thought about this?
Hopefully they delay the exam. We'll be study like mad if they dont delay it. Why dont the education ministry website offer a hotline or email for complaint on education issue?
The form 6 text books are really thick and quite costly. I heard there is no SPBT (skm pinjaman buku teks) for form 6, is it true?

[wawa]

For those who didn't succeed in getting scholarships and are entering Form 6 (like naturesimple), don't feel depressed, cause there's always a silver lining for every cloud. I was very sad too when I had to take up Form 6, but it turned out to be one of the best experiences I had in my life. It depends on how you view it, just take advantange of this one and a half years to learn as many things as you can. 8)

For little prince and others who do want to take 5 subjects, i strongly recommend that you think over this decision carefully. Biology, although not very hard, covers many many topics and you're expected to memorize almost all of it. My good friend who was taking Biology-Physics 5 subject combo had to memorize 26 books (from tuition one lah) for STPM. While he has one of the best brains I have ever seen( they type who never studies untill exam is just few days away), he also was very strained during the actual exams, not because it was difficult, but the sheer volume of informtion involved and that a number of different subjects will be examined in a short span of time.

On the other hand, furthur mathematics must be really for the maths inclined people. Since the Maths L has been revised, no mechanics is involved while university statistics has been moved to Form 6, which waas one of the main reasons for me to drop Lanjutan. While engineering-bound students do not really benefit from it, those who like statistics should have a go, but be prepared for plenty of studying. Another friend who had Striaght As (yes, all 1 8O ) with the Lanjutan combo studied university maths textbooks, so those wishing to do 5 subjects must be really prepared to sacrifice.

As for wether its hard or not, er...I don't think its that reaally hard lah. Just understanding mainly, and memorizing all the terms. Compared to China's and Taiwan's syllabus and questions, ours is kacang putih ( they even have Theory of Relativity in their syllabus). Of course, when you compare with matrik or A level, it becomes much harder, mainly because of the volume of info involved. So depends on how you view it.

As for eunice, who asked if physics was hard, I would say it isn't. Physics and Mathematics T were one of the loveliest subjects! As long as you understand the concepts, no problem. No need to memorize thousands of things like BIo or CHem. Of course, if you don't grasp it well, then there'll be some difficulty. Also, STPM physics questions are quite standard, ie the way of asking is usually similar, and all the info you need is in the questions, No need to grow something out of nothing (like in Physics Olympiad)


[/quote]Quote:
For the matter, she missed many days of schools, as she was preparing for Physics Olympiad and she was actively involved in various activities.


Sounds like an interesting person to meet. Say, I'm gonna be participating in a Physics competition too pretty soon. Not sure if its the same Physics Olympiad mentioned here. Anyone know anything about it? Any tips?[quote]

If you're in Upper Six, then its the Pertandingan Fizik Kebangsaaan organized by Institut Fizik Malaysia (IFM), which is self-explanatory. For those entering Form 6 this year, you'll have the option of taking part in the selection tests to choose the Malaysian Team for the Asian Physics Olympiad and International Physics Olympiad, which I did. Its really a great experience that not all people get to have, so I hope you'll take part in it. Anyone who is interested but unable to get the application form can contact me, and I'll try help!

As for textbooks for Form 6, its not set by the ministry, so you have the freedom of choosing any textbook. I would recommend the future Form6ers to get the textbook produced overseas, as I find the textbooks produced locally (Fajar Bakti, Sasbadi etc) usually does not explain the concepts well and are more like revision books. Also, there's no real need to buy, you usually can borrow from the library, so the cost factor is eliminated. Also, physics books like Halliday can be bought from universities, which offers it at a reduced rate.

As for the lecture/tutorial system, it depends in what school you are. However, I believe that whatever system does not really matter, cause the important role is you. Form 6 is the place where we start to learn to gain knowledge independently instead of just being spoonfed by the teachers. I had to go for Olympiad trainning often, and the teacher would be teaching Topik 6 when I leave and finishing Topik 8 when I return. As for the missed topics, I had to learn up myself, which is not that difficult as it sounds.

However, I was lucky in the sense that I had support from many people, ie friends who were willing to lend me their notes ( I never did my own notes at all, I just borrowed,hehe), teachers and friends who were helpful and also my study group mates. Form 6 is a great time to find new friends and learn great experiences (like I did!) You'll never regret, its more to than just studying and memorizing.

Hope this very long post helps somebody. :D

Lin Lee,
post STPM

[DFish]

Thanks Lin Lee. Your reply is very helpful for me. :D
I think my school have a certain set of textbooks that are compulsory. Are a-level books suitable for form 6 as reference?

[gohweihan]

Are a-level books suitable for form 6 as reference?

Actually, any books (be it A-Levels or some translated Russian texts from the 1960s) are suitable for reference, as long as you are able to filter out what's relevant for STPM. As a matter of fact, most of the times these other references are able to provide information for further understanding the syllabus in STPM.

The Internet is also quite good for finding out more about the smaller sub-topics within the syllabus, as the elaboration given at times are more comprehensive and easier to understand than the little description given in the book.

As for eunice, who asked if physics was hard, I would say it isn't. Physics and Mathematics T were one of the loveliest subjects! As long as you understand the concepts, no problem. No need to memorize thousands of things like BIo or CHem.

Actually, there is a need to memorise the formulas, theories and laws in Physics. If one would look at the past year papers, it is clear that formulas were not given - it all needs to be memorised. At the same time, the hard part is also to remember the exact formula to use when answering a question, because a slight slip up at the formula level will give a wrong end answer. The same goes for the description of a law or theory. One accidental ommision of a word, and the whole law or theory is defined wrongly.

In my opinion, it's just a difference on what is to be memorised. In Chemistry and Biology, it's memorising the huge general idea with terms and concepts here and there, while in Physics and Maths, it's memorising the specifics.

[Moozy]

Actually, any books (be it A-Levels or some translated Russian texts from the 1960s) are suitable for reference, as long as you are able to filter out what's relevant for STPM. As a matter of fact, most of the times these other references are able to provide information for further understanding the syllabus in STPM.

Do u really have time to refer to books not custom-made for STPM when u're i F6? I heard that it's very hectic and hard for a F6er. So worry I'll not be able to cope with it. Are u expected to participate actively in co-cu activities in F6? I heard that most of my seniors don't participate at all exp. for compulsory ones.

[gohweihan]

Do u really have time to refer to books not custom-made for STPM when u're i F6?

Well, for me the answer is yes, but it might differ if you ask other people.

I heard that it's very hectic and hard for a F6er. So worry I'll not be able to cope with it.

If you go in Form 6 thinking only about STPM, then of course it looks very hectic. Try taking things step-by-step - looking at the subject as something to be learned slowly, and not in a rush to be finished. The time in Form 6 is usually enough to finish learning the whole syllabus (unless of course, you decide to fool around).

Are u expected to participate actively in co-cu activities in F6? I heard that most of my seniors don't participate at all exp. for compulsory ones.

In my former school, there's no rule which forces Form 6 students to participate in ECA. However, most of my classmates do participate in them, some helming societies, forming ad-hoc committees, and representing the school - all this when they are in Form 6. As for me, I was Head Prefect, and also became sort of a technician for the school computer systems. The reason for our participation is because we enjoy doing so - not because it's something we're forced to do.

[naturesimple]

If you're in Upper Six, then its the Pertandingan Fizik Kebangsaaan organized by Institut Fizik Malaysia (IFM), which is self-explanatory. For those entering Form 6 this year, you'll have the option of taking part in the selection tests to choose the Malaysian Team for the Asian Physics Olympiad and International Physics Olympiad, which I did. Its really a great experience that not all people get to have, so I hope you'll take part in it. Anyone who is interested but unable to get the application form can contact me, and I'll try help


i'm very interested in physic competition...but i never join before n i dunno where do i stand n wat be tested.... can give a detail explanation on that??

[CyberJaya]

Can somebody please explain to me about form 6? How do you get there? How demanding is it? How many subjects can you study?

[DFish]

Can somebody please explain to me about form 6? How do you get there? How demanding is it? How many subjects can you study?

Education ministry arrange us either to Form 6 or Matrikulasi after SPM. So, if u dont get matriks, u will sure get Form 6 if u pass SPM. There are science stream and art stream like SPM. You need certain credit to get into the "course" u want.

Commonly, ppl take 4 subjects. For example, Physics, Maths, Pengajian Am(Compulsory subject for all) and Chemistry can be one of the subject combination in science stream. There's english subject call MUET, that are compulsory also, though it is not include in the 4 subject for STPM and the result are separate from the STPM. I dont know much about MUET. Can anyone tell me?

You can also take 5 subjects as maximum, though expect to study really hard and sleep less if u take 5.

I'm not a form 6er yet.THis is all i know. Any mistake pls feel free to correct me. THanks :D

[CyberJaya]

How long does form 6 last and what are the opportunities available after graduation? After stpm do you have to go to form 6 or can you go straight to university ?

[gohweihan]

How long does form 6 last and what are the opportunities available after graduation? After stpm do you have to go to form 6 or can you go straight to university ?

STPM is the examination in which you sit for at the end of Form Six, much like SPM at the end of Form Five. Generally, you get into Form Six after your SPM results are released, if you meet the requirements. Typically, Form Six would last for 18 months, divided into Lower Six (around 7 months) and Upper Six (11 months). Only at the end of Form Six would you sit for the STPM examination.

After taking the STPM examination and obtaining the results, you would be able to apply to any public universities in Malaysia (if you meet the undergraduate course requirements), or apply to most foreign universities which accepts the A-Levels qualification. This indirectly means that STPM is recognised worldwide.

STPM is always rated on par with the Cambridge A-Levels, although many would say that the syllabus for STPM is far more. However recently, the Malaysian Examination Council announced a revamped grading system which allows for the grades to be compared with the Matriculation GPA system for entry into Malaysian public universities.

Commonly, ppl take 4 subjects. For example, Physics, Maths, Pengajian Am(Compulsory subject for all) and Chemistry can be one of the subject combination in science stream.

The only compulsory subject for STPM is the General Paper (Pengajian Am). This subject must be taken regardless if you are in Arts or Science stream. For students in the Science stream, they usually go for Mathematics T, Chemistry and either Biology or Physics (in addition to the General Paper). This totals up to four subjects. There are some students who opt for five subjects, meaning that they either take both Biology and Physics, or they take Physics and Further Mathematics.

However, it is possible to mix and match the subjects to your liking. This means that if you want to take subjects from the Arts stream (e.g. History) in addition to your Science stream subjects, it is fine. The only thing you cannot do is to take Mathematics S and Mathematics T at the same time. Unfortunately, I am not sure about the maximum number of subjects one can take for STPM.

There's english subject call MUET, that are compulsory also, though it is not include in the 4 subject for STPM and the result are separate from the STPM. I dont know much about MUET. Can anyone tell me?

MUET, or the Malaysian University English Test, must be taken by a student who wishes to enrol in Malaysian public universities. It is a test of the English language, and there is no pass or fail in this test. Generally, those who do not get a good band (explained below) will have to sit through English classes while in university.

There are four components in MUET - Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Each components tests a different ability and command of one's English. Usually, the Reading, Writing and Listening components will be held on the same day, while the Speaking component on another.

There are two MUET exams a year - once in the middle of the year, and one near the STPM examination. Students take the exam when they are prepared to. If the student is not satisfied with his or her results on the first try, he or she may take the exam again.

MUET results are separate from the STPM results. MUET is an exam by itself, thus having it's own result slip. On the result slip, there is a detailed description of the marks one obtained in the examination. The full marks in MUET is 300, divided into Speaking (45 marks), Reading (135 marks), Listening (45 marks) and Writing (75 marks).

MUET results are divided into bands - Band 6 being the best, and Band 1 the worst. To get Band 6, one must get at least 260 marks (upon the maximum 300). For Band 5, it's 220 to 259, while for Band 4, it's 180 to 219. Band 3 range from 140 to 179, and Band 2 is from 100 to 139. Anything less than 100 is a Band 1.

Not to scare anyone though, but for my batch of MUET candidates, only 85 candidates managed to score Band 6, out of 60000+ candidates taking the exam nationwide at that time. The bulk of candidates got Band 3 and 4. Most people who got Band 5 would be satisfied with that results.

Just for your information, I took the 2003 mid-year MUET exam and sat for my STPM in 2003. Sorry for the ultra long post, though. Hope these information help.

[CyberJaya]

So after the spms you apply for a scholorship? And if you get one what happens to you then?

[gohweihan]

So after the spms you apply for a scholorship? And if you get one what happens to you then?

If you get a scholarship after SPM and decide to accept it, then forget about Form Six. Just don't attend Form Six and your name will be automatically cancelled.

[CyberJaya]

do you have to wait 18 months to go on to uni or do you go straight away>?

[chenchow]

in terms of getting scholarships after SPM, it would depend on the scholarships basically. For some countries, like Korea, France and Japan, you will go abroad after 3 to 6 months of learning the language. For those going to Australia, New Zealand and US, typically the preparations are about 1 year. For those going to UK and Germany, they would typically taking IB or A Level, which would take 2 years.

I would say that how long you have to wait to go to university does not really matter, but it is on how you utilize the time in learning.

Agree with Wei Han on utilizing internet to find out more on those topics in syllabus. Some topics in Physics, Math and Chemistry, you can find some notes in e-learning sections over at ReCom e-learning.

On memorizing formulas for physics, I would say that the main thing is understanding. Generally you can derive most of the formulas from other formulas and you should Never try to blindly memorize the formulas. As my professor over here keeps on emphasizing, blindly memorizing the formula is even more dangerous than not knowing any formula.

For description of a law or theory, it is important to know the gists of the law or theory. Try your best to be precise, but it does not necessarily need to be memorized. It is the understanding that matters.

On F6, I think if you start preparing since start of F6, it should not be difficult to finish preparing it. However, if you decide to wait until 3 months before STPM to start studying, then you will be hard-pressed in your studies.

In terms of co-curricular activities, it is important that you guys participate in it, because you love doing those activities and not because of points given for university admission. I learn a lot from those activities that I have been doing for the past few years. To those who know me, they would have known that I spent majority of my studying time on activities, rather than books.

Thanks Wei Han and Lin Lee in sharing their success stories.

To those who have particular questions on various subjects in STPM or matrics, feel free to ask over in ReCom. There are many who will be able to help you guys. Check out e-learning section too and make full use of internet!

[Moozy]

Thanks Wei Han for the informative posts! :) Seems like you need to be a superman to excel in STPM and still participate in ECA. Hmmm, when I was in F3, people often scared me that F5 was unlike F3, much more harder, blah blah. But then it turned out that F5 is the best year I have throughout my secondary school years at AMC. Hope Sam Tet is the same(well, if I didn't get JPA.). :)

[MEW_MEW]

hello guys, nice to meet u all, i'm spm leaver 2003, form kedah. i'm waitting for jpa scholarship(but i think i won get it).So, i'am going to form 6 if i din get the scholarship....

Does anybody can intro to me which Form 6 reference books are good for mathematic T, physics, chemistry, muet n pengajiaan am?

school will open soon, i'm so scare to face STPM......boz i worry tat i can't do well. Also, i dunno the right way to prepare it n my english is too bad....so if my reply got any grammatical mistake, pls correct me.10q

[MEW_MEW]

Does anyone knows a web site tat we check out the position of the any examination in the world?if not, how can some of u know tat STPM is no.3 hardest examination in the world?

[chenchow]

On ranking of public exam, I think it is just the perceived ranking by people. I don't think there is any authoritative ranking.

Mew_mew, why you think you can't get JPA Scholarship? Be confident!

There is nothing to be afraid of STPM. Try your best. If you face any problem, come to ReCom and ask your questions here. There are some STPM leavers who have done remarkably well here. They will be more than willing to help you.

On English, speak more, write more and read more. Posting in ReCom will be of great help. It is in fact one of our visions of ReCom, to improve English language standard of Malaysians.

[MEW_MEW]

THANKS YOU, CHENCHOW, u make me feel better right now.........

[DFish]

Thanks a lot Wei Han for correcting my mistake and also for the information. Since all science and maths subject are taught in English, i'm very scare of the essay part in science paper like physics and chemistry. Can we answer in Malay if we really dont know the exact english term? Can we mix Malay and english in the answer?

By the way, there are a lots of scholarships that we can still apply after form 6 to go overseas, Japan Monbukagakusho Scholarship, Commonwealth Colombo Plan, ASEAN scholarship, and also scholarships offer by overseas University. Australia's uni full scholarship receive application around November each year. So, study hard in form 6 and actively participate in co-cu, dont disappointed if you dont get JPA now.

[gohweihan]

You're welcome, DFish...

By the way, the name's Weihan....not Wei Han :D

[ElansarGelmir]

Can we answer in Malay if we really dont know the exact english term? Can we mix Malay and english in the answer?

I'm not really sure about that, but I believe it's not that wrong if the word's really hard to be spelled and the way you spell it is almost the same to that of English's. It's safer to put a " " sign, such as "invertebrata" or "pipet".

However, try learning them in English term... Just practice writing essays or lab reports. Do not just read, but write them down. You'll get familiarized with those terms quickly. You're not the only one who have to undergo this interchange of medium from BM to English. I believe 90% of the people here experienced the same thing. Trust me :wink:

[Moozy]

How many exams and tests are there in the whole Sixth Form? Or do they vary from school to school?

I'm really surprise that Jit Sin conduct their F6 classes like lectures and have more than a teacher(or lecturer?) to one subject. Pardon my ignorance. :wink:

Anyone going to Sam Tet?

[chenchow]

I think the exams and tests throughout the Form 6 are basically helping you to gear towards STPM. So, what matters most is still STPM.

[USSDefiantNX74205]

Can we answer in Malay if we really dont know the exact english term? Can we mix Malay and english in the answer?

There is an unwritten rule my teachers told me. They said that for the first three years or so after converting back to English, students are allowed to answer questions in the STPM in Malay if they are unclear of the terms or just to get the message through more clearly. So to answer your question, yes, I believe you can mix English and Malay in your answers, just not too extremely.

How many exams and tests are there in the whole Sixth Form? Or do they vary from school to school?

The number of exams in each school depends on the school adminisrators. Too many exams (eg. monthly, or even weekly ones) would probably burden students and leave teachers with not enough lesson time while too little exams would probably leave students unprepared for the real thing. IMHO, the right amount of exams would be somewhere in between the two extremes.

[naturesimple]

There is an unwritten rule my teachers told me. They said that for the first three years or so after converting back to English, students are allowed to answer questions in the STPM in Malay if they are unclear of the terms or just to get the message through more clearly. So to answer your question, yes, I believe you can mix English and Malay in your answers, just not too extremely.


what about questions??? is there something like dwibahasa which exist in spm 2003???

[USSDefiantNX74205]

Although dwibahasa questions were set in 2003, I'm not sure if they will do the same in 2004 or the years after that. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

[solace]

wow..after reading ALL SEVEN PAGES of this post.. only one thing can be said:

f6 rocks!!!!!!!!! batu all the way!!!!!!!

[Moozy]

wow..after reading ALL SEVEN PAGES of this post.. only one thing can be said:

f6 rocks!!!!!!!!! batu all the way!!!!!!!

CONGRATS on your getting Petronas! It's heartening n refreshing to know that a top student gets so excited about F6 even before he attends his 1st F6 lesson, while F6 appears to be the last choice of many people. Well, u might want to know that there's someone(me lah) who can't wait for F6 to start too! At least we still can wear uniforms, no need to bother ourselves over what to wear each morning on school days.

[ElansarGelmir]

Haha... For those who are decided to go to Form 6, all the best then... Enjoy yourselves and participate in as many CCAs as you can... I believe you will gain lots of leadership experiences and skills from there... It will be useful for your future, especially in your career.

[solace]

lolz.thanks moo :D

haha~ f6 reli rocks man~aiyo moozy(dun wanna reveal ur name mah, i respect privacy---> and..i havnt forgotten ur name.i still remember it.wait...er..or have i? )say until me top student..ngaiti~haha. im just a normal gila guy who reli loves to pig in front of the comp.

haha. yea, f6 is said to be challenging, so i would love to see how it's like.and it's good to noe that there IS sth to look forward to each morning (dun blame me for thinking that day, i've been rotting away for the past 4 months) killling the boredom, lerning something new each day, meeting new friends..what's dere not to look forward to f6? :D

and dun worry moo, ur sure to get jpa! meanwhile, just ride the f6 wave~!

recom membatu all the way!! hiak hiakZ!

[DFish]

You're welcome, DFish...

By the way, the name's Weihan....not Wei Han :D
Oops sorry for my mistake, Weihan. I thought most chinese name are separated.

[Moozy]

lolz.thanks moo :D

haha~ f6 reli rocks man~aiyo moozy(dun wanna reveal ur name mah, i respect privacy---> and..i havnt forgotten ur name.i still remember it.wait...er..or have i? )say until me top student..ngaiti~haha. im just a normal gila guy who reli loves to pig in front of the comp.

haha. yea, f6 is said to be challenging, so i would love to see how it's like.and it's good to noe that there IS sth to look forward to each morning (dun blame me for thinking that day, i've been rotting away for the past 4 months) killling the boredom, lerning something new each day, meeting new friends..what's dere not to look forward to f6? :D

and dun worry moo, ur sure to get jpa! meanwhile, just ride the f6 wave~!

recom membatu all the way!! hiak hiakZ!

Hmmm...Moo made me sound like a cow la. Haha...maybe i should have thought better before choosing a nickname. Even if u reveal my name by accident, no one will know it's me, cuz u always got it wrong.

Yeah, agree that the past 4 months had been wasted to some degree, but at least I learned some pretty cool things under a training programme in an eng.firm.

[MEW_MEW]

i'm going back to form6 tomorrow, so i plan to buy reference books so that i can start to prepare STPM as soon as posible

Does anybody can intro to me which Form 6 reference books are good for mathematic T, physics, chemistry, muet n pengajian am?

[piiven]

I heard that pelangi's mathematics T is a good reference book. According to a teacher, most of the steps for sloving the math problems printed in the book is very similar to the marking scheme. By the way, does anyone knows what is the best way to study and memorize all the terms in Biology????

[pandaboy]

I heard that pelangi's mathematics T is a good reference book. According to a teacher, most of the steps for sloving the math problems printed in the book is very similar to the marking scheme. By the way, does anyone knows what is the best way to study and memorize all the terms in Biology????

read over and over again? haha...i'm also having problems memorising biological terms..... but once u familiarise urself with the terms, u automatically memorised them...just like how pharmacists know and remember few hundred drug names.

[Moozy]

My school recommended Longman for Physical Chem. and Biology. What do u guys think?

I'm confused over Physical Chem, organic Chem n inorganic Chem. Do we have to study all?

[MEW_MEW]

I'm confused over Physical Chem, organic Chem n inorganic Chem. Do we have to study all?

My school teacher is teaching physical Chemistry for lower form 6. Then, organic and inorganic chemistry will teach in upper form 6. All this you need to study for your STPM and the books as thick as 3 yellow page phone books.

[joebf86]

last time,everyone told me that SPM is difficult. but after I sat for the exam, i still managed to get an A in subjects like biology, physics and chemistry.

now, no doubt STPM is very difficult as others say, but in wat way it is really difficult?

the marking schemes?
they ask u something outside the syllabus?
wat r the scores to get an A?

[USSDefiantNX74205]

now, no doubt STPM is very difficult as others say, but in wat way it is really difficult?

the marking schemes?
they ask u something outside the syllabus?

If you ask me, the tough part would be memorizing. In fact, from my point of view, the STPMs value memorizing more than understanding. The teachers in my school constantly remind us to read our books and remember the important facts, whether or not we understand them. Only then they said, will we be able to get an A for subjects like chemistry or physics. My physics teacher even told me that the marking scheme penalizes you if your definition of something is off by a word or two, even though these words do not change the definition of it in any way. The only subject that requires you to understand is maths I think.

[WantChair]

Reluctant as i am to admit this, i have to: there are two types of form 6 students: those who enter form 6 merely to gain entrance to universities and the like, and those who genuinely want to LEARN something in form 6. The former variant is, unfortunately, more abundant, and if test results are to be believed, sometimes more successful even.
How so? No matter how carefully they design the system, there is bound to be loopholes which can be exploited. Of couse, this... exploitation has been done, and encouraged even, by tuition teachers themselves so that quite often, the students themselves don't pause to think whether what they are doing is against proper ethics as a student.
I'll give one example: the school based practical assesment.. i'm making a general assumption based on what i see in my school, so please correct me if i am wrong.. the teachers themselves are more concerned about completing the practical assesments as soon as possible so that they can focus on the syllabus proper. My teachers throw me practical papers about principles which they have not taught, or even mentioned before, and expect us to give a proper report.. tell me... how can anyone conduct an experiment on the spot when it is not even immediately clear what the purpose of the so-called "experiment" is?
Sadly, it is VERY possible to complete a practical report without proper understanding... i even have classmates who do not do their experiments, but hand in their "photostated" report based on other sources like senior reports, and whatnot.. and since the assesment is based entirely on the report, they might even fare better than the genuine "participants". Not really fair... but that's how it is being done...
Perhaps Malaysian students of all levels have been drilled to place importance on examinations for too long that they have forgotten what it means to be a student in the first place... scholarships, university entrance, all these require a certain prequisite to be met in exam results... but we should be reminded that these standards are set to test our worth as students.
i know i am here to study and to learn, and in that manner, i prepare for the examinations, which become a true benchmark of my own abilities. Though my worth as a student will be judged based on my exam results, i will make sure i am worthy enough to be called a student at any other time..
opps, sorry, got a bit carried away... in other words, while you are in form 6, study, learn... and most of all, be, in all aspects, a student.. ah... and..
Have fun in Form 6 :D

[chenchow]

I fully agree with WantChair on what has happened among fellow Malaysians and I would say it is not only exclusive for STPM, it happens in the whole chain of our education system, from primary schools, high schools, STPM, Matrics, IPTA, IPTS, colleges etc... And I would argue that if you look around the region in particular, Asia, this phenomena is at large. It is indeed sad, I would say.

On what USSDefiant is saying about memorizing, I would disagree. The essence is understanding. May be you could send a PM to Lin Lee (her nick: wawa) and I am quite sure she is more than willing to share her secrets of learning with you. I am quite sure memorizing is not part of it. She managed to learn on her own, the entire Physics Syllabus of STPM well before Lower Six finishes, get National Champion in the National Physics Competition and she was supposed to represent Malaysia in the World Physics Olympiad, but Malaysia pulled out that year due to SARS at the last minute. I am sure you can message Shien Jin (his nick: prince) and he was also former National Champion in the National Physics Competition and I am quite sure he can share you some of the tricks too and again, I am quite sure that he would say that memorizing is not the main part of learning, even for STPM. Shien Jin got acceptance into MIT before he sat for SPM.

[kevinkhoo1986]

I am very confuse right now whether to take tuition class or not for form 6.

I have been taking tuition class since form 4 and i am going to tell you it was a misery circumstances. I took 4 subjects (each subjects last for 2 and a half hour) which considered average compared to my other friends who took more than 10 subjects a week (Included form 4 skim).

Everyday after school session i will continue my tuition class and only reach home at 6 pm. Imagine i started my school session at 7.20 am and just reached home at 6PM. I was totally exhausted. And things get even worsen when i was in form 5. I took form 4 skim too. So the total would be 5 subjects in form 5. But my effort was not in vain since i be able scored straight A1 in spm.

Do you think that you will be able to study on your own without taking any tuition class? But to be frankly, some of my form 6 teachers are not very good in teaching. They just refered to a book and then read the whole book out. If that is the case, i think i am quilify to become a STPM teacher too as they just need to read the whole to the whole class.

[USSDefiantNX74205]

Okay, maybe I should clarify what I said here. I am one of those students who actually want to understand what is being taught, but unfortunately that is impossible, considering the tight schedules we have to finish the entire syllabus and the educators we are 'blessed' with who actually encourage memorizing. You may argue then that I can be resourceful and read it up on myself through the internet, library, etc. but the fact is, I'm a rather slow learner who relies a lot on the guidance of people to help me understand. Books alone do not make me understand a certain subject - teachers do. Unfortunately, most teachers are geared towards the 'memorize and you shall succeed' path. In my school for example, understanding is almost neglected totally in favour of memory power. Teachers here don't care whether or not I understand what they are saying. All they ever tell me to do is go home, and read your books 24/7 because it is the only way you're gonna get As in STPMs. Unfortunately too, this is a very tried and tested (some would even say surefire) way to get an A in your STPMs. That was why I said in my previous post that the STPMs value memorizing more than understanding. My example of the marking scheme further reinforces this.

kevinkhoo1986 has got a good point by saying this:
But to be frankly, some of my form 6 teachers are not very good in teaching. They just refered to a book and then read the whole book out. If that is the case, i think i am quilify to become a STPM teacher too as they just need to read the whole to the whole class.

Shows that my school isn't alone in having teachers like these. Believe me, I want to learn and understand. I just don't have the means, help and time to do so, and something tells me I'm not alone in feeling like this. Wantchair is right in saying that the STPMs have loopholes that can be exploited, and it is terribly unfortunate that students and even teachers have both exploited it, and in some cases, hail it as the only road to success. Don't get me wrong from what you read in my previous post. I'm not a fan of memorizing, but if you're in a situation similar to mine, then its the only way to go.

[chenchow]

It is rather unfortunate to hear the plights in Form 6, because I have been hearing pretty good words about the Form 6 teachers in my school. As my school emphasized a lot on Form 6, all the top teachers in the school are mainly sent to teach Form 6, hence, making the form 6 students having very experienced teachers. Most of the teachers, have been teaching Form 6 for at least 10-20 years.

I would suggest that if you have any concept that you don't really understand, feel free to post it here at ReCom.org

[Daniel]

Hi i am new here. I am in form 6 this year too

[USSDefiantNX74205]

Cool, man! Join the club...we got jackets! (see if ya people can identify which movie that line came from, hehe)

[kevinkhoo1986]

The teacher that i mentioned just now actually is a malay teacher. To add salt to the injury, she can't even speak proper english in the class. (Maybe i should not blame her since she learn it in Malay and the MOE switch it to english last year) So she end up teach us in Malay and then gives us the notes in english. I found it kinda funny. Sometime she can't even pronounced certain word correctly.

[W-iNNie]

Im also doing form six.....but planning to transfer to another skool.
the skool im currently in rite now, basically all the teachers have poor command of english.yea i guess i agree it's because of the sudden change implemented by the MOE.
The only teacher i believe has proper command of the language is MUET Teacher...and thank god for that.But it's unfortunate, i think they're veeery good teachers.They can actually make me enjoy doing form six...and believe me,im one who easily dozes off in class!haha

[kevinkhoo1986]

Hmm.... Do u know my MUET teacher sometimes do talk to us in Malay?? It is about 70% english and 30% Malay. I wondered why she cant speak 100% english in the class since she is an english teacher. Funny huh? But it is true!

[joebf86]

it seems like the lessons in other school started? tat's good
in my school,lessons haven't begin.even the orientation haven't start.
v just do nothing at school, for the past 2 weeks..

[joebf86]

any former Form6 here?
any1 can tell me whether the teachers can finish the syllabus ,in past years?
especially the 3 chemistry books r super thick...
bsides v start so late...

in my skool, the teacher couldn't finish the chemistry SPM syllabus, which is much lesser than STPM...i m really worry bout that

[gohweihan]

any former Form6 here?
any1 can tell me whether the teachers can finish the syllabus ,in past years?
especially the 3 chemistry books r super thick...
bsides v start so late...

in my skool, the teacher couldn't finish the chemistry SPM syllabus, which is much lesser than STPM...i m really worry bout that

Your chemistry SPM situation reminded me of mine last time. The teacher too didn't manage to complete the syllabus.

For STPM, my chemistry teacher finished all but a couple of parts (towards the end of the book) in Inorganic Chemistry. The mathematics teacher, on the other hand managed to complete the whole syllabus with a month left to revise. For general paper, most of the questions are not like what is in the book, so as much as the teacher can teach, we still need to source out information from other places. Having said that, the general paper teachers managed to finish teaching us the concepts needed for Paper 2 and revise on Paper 1.

Physics is a little more complicated. The teacher managed to teach all except one chapter of the whole syllabus. That chapter which he didn't teach (the last topic on subatomic particles), was never a major question which accounts for a lot of marks in STPM within the past 25 years of his teaching. However, it did came out as a question in Paper 2 in my year (2003), which accounts for at least four marks.

[gohweihan]

Hi i am new here. I am in form 6 this year too

Congratulations, you've just registered to sit for one of the hardest examinations in the world. But nothing to fear about that, as it is not impossible to achieve good results in your STPM. :D

[chenchow]

I believe my school sort of finished the syllabus for STPM around mid year for Upper Six, because forecast exam is usually in may/june. They did the same thing for SPM. We finished most of the courses by may/june/july.

[knkh_87]

Since we are on the issue of STPM, I would just like to bring up the matter of A-Levels vs STPM.

STPM is regarded as the 2nd/3rd toughest exam in the world. Is this ranking a measure of its extensive syllabus or the level of its exam questions? Many teachers have commented that the revision of the STPM syllabus has resulted in the compromising of its standards, up to the extent that it covers as much as the A-Level syllabus does. Others say that the examination questions are more challenging.

Would appreciate views from former A-Level/STPM students on this issue. Thanks.

[naturesimple]

recently i got an offered in UTM n that 's make me very ambivalent. it is all between STPM n dipolma in UTM. which is better???

the diploma is electric engineering(telecom) which is the course that i hope for ...the problem is it is only diploma... i have asked about this issue and the dean said it is possible to pursue degree (2 years) after diploma(3 years).

on the other side, my principal told that government policy always change n last time diploma students r not allwed to enter degree in local U because lack of tecnicians.

if i continue in my stpm, i would scare that i do not get offered for the same course after stpm. n stpm is not that easy....

any1 can enlighten me..???

[salyeo]

thank God i found this forum! this is the best forum i've came across so far!!! i'm currently in upper6 Bio, i was so lost recently as i was searching in the dark finding way out to make myself survive for STPM.... i'm really interested in studying, but then i hate to put efforts in coping with the burdening exams. my academic results were above average throughout primary and secondary... but then i realize i cant seem to apply my 'traditional' study techniques in form6 anymore... hahaha.... well, honesly, i'm a 'last-minute freako' who likes to use shortcut in terms of studying, but it normally sux in the end especially in the form6 syllabus... my form6 school exam results will be rotten as shit when i am not putting time and full efforts in studying as i admit i'm not one of those smarties.

i was planning to do some catch up with my studies during this 2 weeks break, but again, i still cant get rid of my laziness bugs and i'm kinda lost and dont really know where to start with. well, it's only about 4++ months countdown to the STPM exams, and i'm getting more nervous each days. i can sense that the stress is coming to me and i know that my insomnia problem will strike soon~ anyone, please tell me what should i do now and will it be too late if i am only starting my study plans at this time...

the school i'm attending now really terrible, besides my Bio teacher, the rest are all 'so-so'. well, even my Bio teacher, she cant seem to speak fluent English, but then her way of preparing the teaching materials and her presentation was great!!

ok, i wish to know about your opinions on the teaching through electronic devices, such as using the computers and projector. in my case, all our 'so-so' teachers rely WHOLELY on the CDs provided by the government..... if that is the new way of teaching urged by the government, i guess we wont need to attend school anymore.

[chenchow]

naturesimple,

I think it would be a decision that you have to make. I believe there is always some ways to go from Diploma to Degree, either through IPTA or otherwise. There are also opportunities for you to get Electrical after STPM. But both cases, there are some uncertainties involved. I would say that if you are very sure of your interest in electrical, you could go to UTM.

However, if you think getting a degree is more important, then STPM would be a better route, because being in STPM, it almost guarantees you a degree, although it may be in different field.

So, there is kind of pros and cons.

Salyeo, hope that you would be able to work hard for your STPM and definitely if you have any question, feel free to ask in ReCom. There are more than sufficient people to answer. On the use of software, I think it should be used as a help, but not 100%. I still think that it should be a combination method. May be those in other schools could share how F6 is being carried out? Salyeo, welcome to Recom~!

[gohweihan]

ok, i wish to know about your opinions on the teaching through electronic devices, such as using the computers and projector. in my case, all our 'so-so' teachers rely WHOLELY on the CDs provided by the government..... if that is the new way of teaching urged by the government, i guess we wont need to attend school anymore.

Projectors and computers are good teaching aids. However, having able to look through the software supplied by the Government, I would say that the software is anything but useful. I've taught science for a day with this software to Form 1 students, and although it is quite interactive, it still cannot beat a teacher with his books and methods. The Form 6 physics software is no different.

[naturesimple]

However, if you think getting a degree is more important, then STPM would be a better route, because being in STPM, it almost guarantees you a degree, although it may be in different field.


i thought grabbing the skill for work is much more important??

[chenchow]

To those who are in Form 6, be it upper or lower, please welcome to join Guidance For SPM and STPM Special Interest Group. This is a special section for you guys to learn together and to everyone that have taken SPM, this is the place for you to help your juniors!!!

Please help us spread the words around too!

http://recom.homelinux.org:8000/~recom/modules.php?name=SIG&id=SPM

[astraltruist]

i went to form six for a few months n my teachers recomended us to get a levels books cos last year there weren't any english books yet.. now im currently in a levels n i think that form six syllabus is a whole lot more than a levels.. so it's not really necessary to get a levels books but if u are into extra readings then it's fine.. form six books are more syllabus oriented n exam oriented while a levels books(depends which books) are more into university style..

[ElansarGelmir]

Huh? Which A Level Books u got? u mean those text books? Well, it's very expensive to get those kind of A Level text books, unless u borrow those books. I dun think u need those books. Try to get A Level Reference books like Longman... the only difference from the text books are it only explains the syllabus while the latter explains the subtopic in a wider scope.

[wawa]

Almost all top students in my school use university books, of course, I'm not saying we should be of university level (then what's the use of going to uni?) but to provide more understanding into the stuff we're learning for form 6.

[deaf-knee]

I know this is way out of topic, but I was just wondering about the pros and cons of matriculation.

If anyone could enlighten me somehow....?

Thanks in advance.