IELTS versus MUET

Hi readers! (sapu habuk dan sawang)

Okay ni betul-betul dah lama tak menulis. Lately, sis dapat banyak sangat dm dekat IG from you guys yang bertanyakan macam-macam perkara. Sorry kalau lewat balas, kadang-kadang tak perasan, kadang-kadang busy hehh. I am truly glad that I can help a lot of you guys. Dan sebab itu jugalah sis tergerak untuk update post kali ni.

I’m gonna switch to English now for this post.

Today’s topic, IELTS!

What’s that?

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS). It is the world's most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration. Basically, it’s an English test that is a pre-requisite to entering international universities (mostly in the UK, Australia, NZ, USA and many others) or to migrate.

The test that I’m gonna talk about here is the one to enter universities which is the Academic IELTS.

So let me walk you through the process.

#1 Registration

I can’t remember exactly how much was the fee, but it was about RM800++. Refer the official website for the latest information. I registered myself on the official website 2 days before the test date that I chose. HAHAHA!

My advice is to apply early to ensure that there’s still a slot for you. Mind you, the slots are always full. I took the nearest test date because the other slots within the same month were already full. It is also important to keep in mind regarding the location of the test. I took my written test at Park Royal Hotel in KL and my speaking test at the British Council Exam Hall in KL. My speaking test was right on the next day after the written test.

Just follow the instruction on the official website for registration.

#2 Preparation

So I had 2 days to prepare. OMG. Hahaha. I have no books or classes whatsoever to prepare. But when you register, the British Council will give you access to like an online learning program. I referred to it to learn the format and do practices and all that. But you can also search online for test practices (there’s A LOT out there for free). Personally, I don’t think a book is THAT necessary to prepare for IELTS.

#3 Format

I don’t know about you but I’ve sat for MUET (Malaysian University English Test) before, so the format is actually similar.

There’s 4 parts: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The written tests (L,R,W) are exactly like MUET. For listening, you listen to recordings and answer questions given. Most of the questions would require short answers (less than 5 words). Read the instructions carefully because if you write more than asked, your answer will automatically be marked wrong. The only difference with MUET is that the recordings in the IELTS Listening test will only be played ONCE as opposed to MUET which plays twice.

For Reading, it’s basically just reading articles and answering questions. Some articles are longer than others. Question type could be multiple-choice, labelling, arranging and others. But the answers expected are just short answers. This is how it is different from MUET whereby MUET Reading test is fully multiple-choice.

For Writing, there’s 2 parts. Part A requires you to describe a given table/chart/diagram etc. Just a short write up, there’s a word limit for this but I can’t really recall (sorry) but probably around 150 words? In Part B you’ll have to answer an essay question. The essay is usually argumentative. The question I got was “Arts is as important as science for human development. Discuss.” Something like that, again, I can’t really recall (It has been 4 months).

The Speaking test is really different from MUET in which it is an individual test, not in group. The interviewer will ask a series of questions and you’ll be given a certain time limit to answer each question. The questions vary from one another but it sort of fit in one similar theme. You can sort of see in general what it’s about towards the end of the test.

#4 Exam day

Arrive, put your belongings in the provided safe room (you can’t bring anything inside except for your IC and the test slip. Pencil and eraser are provided. Water is provided as well), register yourself (your picture will be taken to be inserted in your result certificate), they will scan your body with a detector to ensure you don’t bring anything with you, enter the hall, find your table number (there’s a slip pasted on the table with your name and other details), test starts.

P/s it is super cold so wear something thicker. You can’t go to the washroom during the test. You can only go in between the papers which is super short amount of time. I suggest you go to the bathroom before the whole test starts.

The papers are a marathon, first would be listening, then reading and lastly writing. They will provide 1 answer sheet for listening (on the front page) and reading (on the back page) so make sure you don’t fill up your answer at the wrong side of the page. It’s of a different color so be alert.

For speaking, be there according to the time given to you. If possible, come earlier than given time because sometimes if the person before you starts earlier, you can go in earlier as well. The sooner it ends the better right? ;)

Oh and regarding attire, you can wear anything. You don't have to be formal or whatever. Some just came wearing a t-shirt. But for the speaking test you might want to dress up nicely because you will be facing your examiner. Just for good impression, it's always safe to dress up than dress down.

#5 Result day

Results will be out about 2 weeks after the test. You will have to collect it at the British Council. You can also request for your result to be sent to your house but you will need to fill up a form AFTER YOUR TEST. So be alert.

#6 My opinion

I think what a lot of people are wondering about is how hard is this IELTS test right? Just to give a little perspective, I got a Band 4 out of 6 (6 being the highest) for my MUET (back in 2013), that was with a year of formal classroom learning mind you. But then again, I was taking STPM at the time hence my studies were conducted entirely in Malay.

For IELTS, I had 2 days to prepare, no formal learning at all and I managed to score a Band 8 out of 9 (9 being highest). So, my point is, it is not impossible to prepare within a short time. But it's probably also worth noting that I speak as much English as I do Malay in my university years. So, you judge your abilities alright? RM 800 is not cheap (at least not for me), so you better be sure you come well prepared.

That’s all that I have for now. If you’re taking the test anytime soon, good luck to you! If you’re thinking of taking the test, I hope my insights have helped you decide.

Bless y’all!

Misconceptions tentang Sarjana Muda Ekonomi, UM

Hai gais!

Dah lama tak menulis, tapi baru-baru ni ada pembaca yang bertanyakan soalan tentang kursus sis iaitu Sarjana Muda Ekonomi. Jadi, entri kali ini sis akan ceritakan dengan jujurnya macam mana kursus tersebut supaya mungkin boleh membantu anda membuat pilihan.

Asalnya sis merupakan pelajar aliran sains tulen semasa SPM, jadi sis tidak terdedah dengan subjek Ekonomi langsung. Selepas SPM, sis memang dah pasti yang aliran sains tulen is not for me. Jadi, sis pun sambung pelajaran di STPM dengan aliran kemanusiaan (Ekonomi, Perniagaan, Pengajian Am dan Sejarah). Sis belajar semuanya dari 0 sebab tak pernah belajar semasa sekolah menengah.

Dari situ muncullah minat dalam Ekonomi. Sis apply to UM as my first choice dan alhamdulillah diterima masuk. Tiga tahun setengah selepas tu (sekarang), sis pun berjayalah habiskan pengajian dengan First Class degree alhamdulillah. Jadi sekarang sis nak ceritakan secara amnya macam mana sarjana muda ekonomi di UM ni dan macam mana anda nak tahu anda sesuai atau tidak dalam bidang ni.

Mari bercakap tentang MISCONCEPTIONS about Economics Degree in UM:

#1 Tanggapan bahawa tidak melibatkan matematik atau kira-kira.

Okay, ini sebenarnya adalah tanggapan sis sendiri dan rupanya kawan-kawan sis pun sama. Semasa di STPM, sis memang tak ambil subjek Maths jadi dengan konfiden je ingat degree Econs pun takda Maths. SALAH! Sangat banyak subjek kira-kira hokayyy. Boleh dikatakan setiap semester akan ada subjek pengiraan.

·         Quantitative Analysis B

·         Statistics 1

·         Financial Management

·         Statistics 2

·         Intro to Mathematical Economics

·         Basic Econometrics

·         Maths in Micro and Macro courses

Hambik, banyak. Untuk seorang pelajar yang dah 2 tahun meninggalkan dunia Matematik, bagi sis memang sangat mencabar. Dan secara jujurnya sis tak minat/mahir dalam kira-kira. Tapi alhamdulillah lulus dengan jayanya. It is difficult but it is not impossible.

#2 Tanggapan bahawa Ekonomi lebih kurang sama dengan Business Admin dan Accounts courses.

SALAH! Lain gila huiii. Jika anda ambil Ekonomi, anda tidak akan belajar langsung Accounts atau apa-apa subjek dalam kursus Business. Ekonomi ni lebih kepada policy-making, national-level and working towards development, ada sikit Banking, Finance dan Analyst-inclined subjects. Anda tidak akan belajar Human Resource, Accounts, Marketing etc. Faculty of Economics and Administration but the Administration refers to Public Administration (pentadbiran kerajaan bukan business).

#3 Tanggapan bahawa anda tiada peluang pekerjaan.

SALAH! Antara peluang pekerjaan untuk anda:

·         Banking Industry

·         Analyst (Finance, Investment, Risk)

·         Researchers in research institutes for example Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), IDEAS etc.

·         Public sector (policy-making in government bodies)

·         Politician

·         Insurance industry

·         Academician

·         Consultant

Banyak je kalau anda pandai mencari peluang. Semua course pun sama je, kalau anda bijak mencari peluang akan sentiasa ada kerja untuk anda. Cuma kena rajin join events yang inclined to your industry. Jangan belajar je, banyak program, forum, conference, summit, competitions yang diadakan mengenai ekonomi dan lain-lain di UM dan luar UM, jadi join ye.

#4 Tanggapan bahawa kursus ni sangat mudah.

Fuyooo, mungkin yang menganggap kursus ni mudah ni kategori pelajar genius kut. Tak mudah gais. Mencabar. Tapi kalau minat tu ada, usaha tu akan lebih. Kalau tak minat, tolonglah jangan ambil kursus ni sebab nanti jadilah golongan yang group assignment tak function and individual assignment tiru orang. Buat kursus yang anda minat, kerja tu akan wujud. I mean, kerja-kerja yang wujud dalam pasaran sekarang ni pun, tak terfikir dek akal 10 tahun yang lepas kan?

#5 Tanggapan bahawa kursus ni susah nak masuk

Honestly, sis pun ingatkan macam tu jugak. Sis masuk dengan pointer 4.0. Lepas masuk tu tanya kawan-kawan yang lain pun macam tu la pointer diorang, 3.7 above gitu. 4.0 ramai gila. Tapi kan, pointer masuk dengan selepas dah masuk tu sangat diverted. Pelajar sama yang masuk dengan 4.0 lepas sem 1 result 3.0 pun tak sampai. So, pointer pre-U tu tidak menjamin apa-apa. It’s a totally new beginning for everyone. Sejak dua tahun lepas, UM ambil ramai gila pelajar setiap kali kemasukan. Sampai ada yang second-intake and third-intake. So, mungkin taklah susah sangat nak masuk kursus ni. Kalau nak tengok syarat kemasukan and blablabla tu boleh check post sis yang lepas. KLIK DISINI.

#6 Tanggapan bahawa kursus ini diajar dalam Bahasa Malaysia.

SALAH! Ye, di SPM, STPM dan Matrikulasi belajar ekonomi dalam Bahasa Melayu tapi di UM, oh tidak. Pembelajaran sepenuhnya dalam Bahasa Inggeris (buku teks, bahan kuliah, assignment, tutorial). Tapi, ada lecturer yang baik hati benarkan juga pelajar hantar kerja atau jawab exam dalam Bahasa Melayu (tanya dahulu pensyarah anda). But trust me, kalau dah belajar dalam Bahasa Inggeris, macam mana nak tahu terma-terma ekonomi dalam Bahasa Melayu? Lagi susah jadinya. So, my advice is to brush up your English. It is REALLY CRUCIAL!

#7 Tanggapan bahawa lebih banyak kira-kira dari pembacaan.

SALAH! Sebenarnya banyak teori dan graf yang memerlukan pemahaman dan pembacaan yang mendalam. Kira-kira dan penggunaan software untuk statistic juga ada tapi tidaklah sebanyak pembacaan (itu pun kalau anda baca la :p). Kalau nak lebih ilmu, bacalah lebih dari sekadar nota kuliah, banyak gila benda yang boleh anda pelajari.

#8 Tanggapan bahawa anda tiada banyak pilihan dalam kursus Ekonomi.

Batch sis je ada 10 pengkhususan (majoring) to choose from. Hambik. I chose to major in Political Economy, a majoring which is really not popular amongst Econs students. Batch terbaru ni rasanya dah digabung jadi 4 pengkhususan untuk dipilih oleh pelajar. Boleh semak post sis yang terdahulu untuk details. KLIKSINI.

 #9 Tanggapan bahawa kursus ini sangat susah kerana persaingan dengan bangsa lain yang ramai.

Batch sis majoriti pelajar berbangsa Cina. Ye menurut pemerhatian sis, bangsa Cina memang tidak dinafikan kerajinan dan ketekunan mereka belajar. Jadi tak peliklah kalau diorang berjaya kan? Tapi ni tak bermakna Melayu tak boleh berjaya. Kalau anda pandai berkawan, mereka sebenarnya akan bantu anda jika anda juga bantu mereka. Kalau anda expect mereka je nak supply anda dengan jawapan memang mereka akan boikot anda. Haha. Siapa-siapa pun akan boikot anda k.

Sis sangat ramai kawan berbangsa Cina di UM. Some of them I can say are my best friends who are always there for me through ups and downs. They are amazing. We help each other grow and learn. Semangat mereka belajar tu buatkan sis juga bersemangat. Persaingan memang sengit tapi kalau anda nak duduk je di zon selesa, anda tidaklah sebagus yang anda sangka. Bagi sikit statistik la, untuk batch sis, dean’s list terdiri daripada lebih kurang 20-25 pelajar Cina, 2 pelajar Melayu dan 1 atau 2 pelajar India. Nilah kebiasannya setiap semester. Hard but possible.

#10 Tanggapan bahawa kursus ini bosan.

Kalau ini tanggapan anda, sudah pastinya anda tak minat bidang ini.

Okay, there you go. Ada apa-apa lagi misconception yang bermain di fikiran anda? Sila tinggalkan comment di bawah ye.

 Bye!

History of Economic Thought

Heyya!

Here I'd like to share my final exam notes for History of Economic Thought which I took with Dr Roza during my undergraduate studies. She is an incredible lecturer and I have indeed learnt a whole lot from her. My buddy requested for these notes but I figured that if it could benefit more people, why not share it with everyone right?

The notes include:

Adam Smith & David Ricardo on Future of Prosperity.

Adam Smith's Natural Vs Market Price and Productive Vs Unproductive Labour

Alfred Marshall on Increasing Returns to Scale

Cantillon Effect & Price Specie Flow Mechanism

Ricardo & Malthus on Corn Laws

Shift of Feudalism to Capitalism

J.B Clarke on Fair Income Distribution

Menger & Jevon's Refute Labor Theory of Value

Possibility of Gluts

Product Exhaustion

Ricardo's Falling Profit

The link is here.

Hope it helps!

Peta Minda Ekonomi Sukatan Pelajaran 2017 SPM

Hai semua, Selamat Tahun Baru 2018! Tahun baru semangat baru okay?

So, dari akhir tahun 2017 lagi, sis ada buat kelas tuition one-to-one dengan pelajar tingkatan 4 untuk subjek ekonomi. Mula dari batch 2017 katanya sukatan pelajaran untuk ekonomi telah ditukar dan nama pun telah ditukar dari Ekonomi Asas kepada Ekonomi. Sis tak berapa tahu lah apa yang beza sebab sis sendiri tak pernah ambil Ekonomi semasa SPM (menyesal).

Jadi, bila dah masuk tahun 2018 ni sis akan move on la mengajar pelajar tersebut tingkatan 5 pula. Untuk memudahkan pelajar sis tu untuk ulangkaji nanti, sis pun sediakanlah peta minda yang merangkumi keseluruhan syllabus tingkatan 4. Tetapi, disebabkan buku teks dah dipulangkan, jadi sis buat peta minda ni berdasarkan buku rujukan. Maaflah kalau ada yang tidak lengkap. Ada banyak ruang kosong lagi tu kan? Bolehlah anda tambah sendiri nota anda.

Peringatan: Ini hanyalah peta minda yang akan membantu anda untuk melihat skop keseluruhan setiap bab. Kegunaannya adalah untuk setelah anda selesai belajar secara terperinci, anda boleh refer peta minda ini dan cuba untuk huraikan setiap cabang2 dahan tu. Kalau anda dah boleh hurai semua, maksudnya anda dah faham dengan baik.

Harap bermanfaat!

P/s Disebabkan ini dalam format gambar, jadi kurang jelas. Jika nak yang scanned version, you can click the link HERE.

Have a great day!

Tips & Procedure for Exam in UM

Hello readers!

I am back from the dead! A little update on my life, I have just recently concluded my 14-weeks long compulsory internship at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) from mid-September to end-of December. It was an awesome experience. Really loved it and thankful for the humbling opportunity. Might share about it, but then again, after writing a 8.5k-long intern report on it, I am seriously reconsidering that. Haha.

It’s the best time of year now, STUDY WEEK! Hahaha. You guys are dying, I know. Been there. So, I figured that now would be a good time to share some exam tips/procedures that yall should know. I believe this would come in handy to those who has never taken a uni exam before or is a first year student in UM or has no relatives/senior buddies to ask to. Here we go.

Note: This shall only apply to UM students and information provided is relevant to the current context (2017), any changes to the system from then onwards are not taken into account in this writing.

#1 Exam Schedule:

Where to get them?

Log in to your MYUM account > Click Examination > Click Exam Time Table > Click on each subjects to know details of the paper (When, where and what time).

Important to note that some exams are not held at the exam hall so do check. Other common places are DTC, Auditorium KPS and your respective faculties.

Timely check your siswamail and look out for exam timetable AMENDMENTS. Perubahan yang dibuat pada jadual exam. Beberapa hari sebelum exam pun boleh ada perubahan lagi so check. Double check with friends regarding time and location of exam the night before exam.

#2 Shuttle Bus:

There will be shuttle busses sending students to the exam hall. If your exam is elsewhere along the way, do inform the bus driver to stop you there (DTC, Audi KPS etc). The MPP or university will give out the bus schedule. You will be asked to enter the exam hall 10 mins before exam begins to hear the instructions/fill up forms etc. So I would advise you to be at the exam hall building at least 30 minutes before your paper. For example, if your paper is at 8.30am, take the bus 40 mins before around 7.50am. It’s better to reach early and have time to relax.

#3 Exam Procedures:

Find your hall:

At the exam building, there’s 3 halls (Dewan 1, 2 & 3). Exam hall 1 is at the Ground floor whereas Hall 2 & 3 are at Level 1 (take stairs) and you can see the halls on your right and left.

Where's the exam building?
When you enter UM from the main gate (KL Gate), on your left you will pass the Law Fac, 1st College and there will be a junction on the left. Take that left and you will see a nice big silver building on your left.

Find your position in the hall:

Near the door of your hall, there will be a paper pasted on the notice board mapping the position of each paper’s positions in the hall. For example, EGEE1234 is located near pole A2 facing towards the door. Unfortunately, I don’t have the picture of what the map looks like. But I can roughly draw it for you.

The arrows represent the seating position and which direction will the candidates be looking at. So, you could be sitting near B3 pole but looking towards A3 pole. You know what I mean?

In the map and at the area of your table, only your COURSE CODE will be written out so you need to know what it is. To double check, of course, the easiest is to see if your friends are seated around you or even better, check the question paper laid out on the table. The paper code and title will be written on it. Pick a seat and sit your ass down.

Instructions:

You will need to have your Identification Card (IC/Passport (for foreigners)) and Matric Card. Place them on the right side of the table. Fill up the attendance slip and the answer booklet with the details needed. Read the instructions on the question paper and check for missing pages. Put all your stuff (in the plastic bag given by the university) on the floor. Only put the stationaries you need on the table (table ain’t that big). Wait until instructions are finished and then begin answering.

#4 To Bring:

You will be given the UM exam plastic bag (Its basically a huge (a lil bit bigger than A4 size) zip-lock bag) to store all your stuff. Your bags will be left unattended outside of the hall, on the floor so I suggest you to bring all important stuff along into the hall. You may bring your phones and wallets as well, just put them in the plastic bag which will be placed on the floor by your side at all times.

If it’s not Ramadhan, I’d always remember to bring drinking water to just insert some oxygen into my system every half an hour of writing. Put them on the floor to not spill it all over your paper (worst nightmare ever).

I will also always place my wristwatch on the table to keep track of the time. But don’t worry, there will be a huge ass clock in the hall anyway.

#5 No Cafes

If you have direct papers, eg 8.30-10.30am then 11.30-1.30pm; don’t leave the hall. Just stay there. Bring food or snacks or whatever you need with you because there is no convenience store/food stalls/cafes anywhere nearby. Be prepared.

I also do not suggest you to leave because after a paper, the traffic at the exam hall is really bad. If you drive, it’s gonna take some time before you get to even leave the parking lot. If you’re taking the bus, you might have to wait for the next bus because it will be super full super fast.

#6 Washroom & Surau (Musolla)

Main washroom is on the right as you enter the exam hall from the main door but there are also another one on the ground floor. On the first floor, you can only access the washrooms during exam time where there will be a door from inside of the hall leading you to the 1^st floor washroom. Otherwise, that washroom is inaccessible.

The musolla is at the 1^st floor, but it is only accessible when it is prayer time (1.30pm onwards if I’m not mistaken). There’s a washroom beside it as well. I suggest you to bring your own telekung because the ones provided is in a bad condition or is not sufficient.

#7 To Wear:

Well, in UM, there is no strict attire code. You can wear anything (except for shorts, sleeveless, slippers). But the hall is gonna be cold (some halls are colder than others), if you're like me you might be freezing 30 minutes after exam starts so bring a sweater with you. Usually students would bring their varsity jackets but it's really up to you.

#8 Other Reminders:

You are not allowed to leave 30 minutes after exam begun and 30 minutes before exam ends. So I suggest that you use all the time given to answer the paper. Do not leave early unless you have an emergency. You studied the whole freaking semester for this, you should at least spend the 2-3 hours to prove yourself.

If you wear niqab (purdah), you MIGHT be asked to remove it while sitting for the exam. It happened to my classmate a couple of times. So, I suggest you to sit far at the back so that you can be a little bit more hidden from your friends in the case that they require you to take off your niqab. But sometimes, they will just ask to see your face to compare with your matric card and then you can continue wearing it throughout the paper. It depends on the lecturer checking you at the time.

Oh and fyi, your lecturer for that subject will be the one handling the exam so feel free to ask them anything regarding the paper if you find some troubles. They might be really nice and give you a good hint for the answer ;) *ask at your own risk :p

I would like to stress this, ASK if you need anything. Anything at all. More paper, calculator, if you feel a little bit sick, if you’re super sleepy and need them to wake you up after 15 mins nap, anything at all. Just ask the pengawas peperiksaan, they will help you. This is a crucial time for you, do not be shy. This is your future we’re talking about.

That’s it for now from me. Best of luck!

Pic from first year when we were innocent babies.

P/s Towards the end of this write-up, I realized that I wrote in English. It's a bit too late to shift to Bahasa so yeahhh... Sorry~

Tips Penyusunan Jadual Kelas UM

Merhaba! Hi semua, fuh lama tak blogging dah berhabuk dah ni. Maaf sebab tak update, sis baru je balik beberapa hari lepas dari Global Volunteer Program di Turkey selama 2 bulan. Sekarang baru habis jet-lag dan mampu ber-blogging semula.

Okay, entri kali ni, harapnya belum terlambat la tapi sis nak bagi tips tentang penyusunan jadual kelas khusus untuk pelajar Universiti Malaya dan mungkin lebih khusus lagi untuk pelajar ekonomi. Seperti yang anda tahu (atau mungkin tak tahu), jadual kelas bukan lagi diberi oleh pensyarah atau siapa-siapa. Anda perlu susun sendiri jadual anda. And this might be very tricky especially for first-timers.

#1 DETIK PEPERANGAN BESAR

Gais, serious talk, setiap kali hari daftar subjek tepat pukul 9 pagi the war is ON! Semua akan duduk depan laptop/computer/smartphone masing-masing bersedia untuk mula mendaftar. Jadi pastikan anda salah seorang yang melekat depan skrin anda jugak sekurang-kurangnya setengah jam sebelum waktu mendaftar.

#2 COME PREPARED!

Untuk berperang, silalah bersedia dengan senjata anda. What do I mean by this? Pastikan anda dah pun melihat senarai kursus/subjek yang ditawarkan untuk semester tersebut. Susun jadual anda siap-siap di dalam Excel atau bertulis. Apa yang anda perlu fikirkan:

1.       Tarikh peperiksaan untuk subjek tersebut.

Pastikan tidak bertindih dengan subjek lain sebab kalau bertindih anda hanya boleh daftar salah satu sahaja dan kalau terlalu rapat pula (contoh Subjek X exam 3/1 pukul 8.30 pagi, subjek Y exam 3/1 pukul 11.30 pagi) takut anda tak larat. Exam bukan mudah adik-adik sekalian. Nak perah otak tu, at least kena ada gap masa lepas satu paper untuk anda bernafas or if you’re like me I need to nap to refresh my brain.

2.       Tempat peperiksaan.

Jangan main sedap je daftar subjek time rapat-rapat then terlupa yang tempat exam mungkin jauh. Biasanya kalau subjek yang ramai pelajar ambil, exam akan berlangsung di Dewan Peperiksaan tapi kalau subjek elektif yang tak dapat sambutan sangat biasanya exam akan diadakan di fakulti masing-masing. Jadi, just be prepared. Senang cerita kalau tak terdesak tak perlu la ambil subjek hari sama masa dekat-dekat. Dari Exam Hall nak keluar pergi fakulti tu jem dia ya rabbi. Tak sempat nanti dik. Tempat peperiksaan tidak ditulis awal-awal di dalam senarai penawaran kursus. So keep this in mind.

3.       Hari dan masa kuliah.

Semak masa dan hari kuliah untuk subjek tersebut. Kalau bertindih memang tak boleh ambil. Susun ikut keselesaan. Ada sesetengah orang suka letak semua rapat-rapat then ada hari yang tiada kelas langsung supaya boleh berehat. Tapi ada juga yang lebih suka jarak-jarakkan kelas supaya tak terlalu padat boleh meletup kepala.

4.       Tempat kuliah.

Okay ini pun satu hal lagi. Untuk subjek kursus anda masing-masing, kebiasaannya kelas di fakulti masing-masing. Jadi tiada masalah. Cuma berbeza Dewan Kuliah sahaja. Tapi, yang jadi masalahnya ialah subjek wajib universiti. Contoh macam Hubungan Etnik, APK, TITAS, KOK, English dan lain-lain. Disebabkan semua pelajar tidak kira kursus diwajibkan mengambil kursus-kursus universiti, kelas akan diadakan di beberapa lokasi (biasanya fakulti yang ada dewan besar). Dan yang menarik semasa anda daftar, lokasi kelas hanya akan ditulis di dalam bentuk shortform.

Ni rupa dia. Tengok juga pre-requisite conditions sebelum daftar (the description in red)

So, Mora shall come to the rescue!

FSSS – Fakulti Sastera & Sains Sosial

FEP – Fakulti Ekonomi & Pentadbiran

FPP – Fakulti Perniagaan & Perakaunan

FSKTM – Fakulti Sains Komputer & Teknologi Maklumat

APM – Akademi Pengajian Melayu

API – Akademi Pengajian Islam

FBL – Fakulti Bahasa & Linguistik

EDU / PEND – Fakuti Pendidikan

FAB – Fakulti Alam Bina

LAW – Fakulti Undang-Undang

SKET / CITRA – Centre for Initiation of Talent and Industrial Training (sebelah fakulti edu)

KPS – Kompleks Perdana Siswa

Gazebo – A place at KPS (masa MHS mesti pernah pergi)

Sooooooo, pandai-pandai la pilih. Sebab satu subjek tu dia akan tawarkan pelbagai hari, masa dan tempat. So kalau anda dari fakulti perakaunan, jangan la pilih kelas yang terlalu jauh, pilih fakulti anda sendiri atau fakulti yang berdekatan contoh edu, econs or fsss.

5.       Pensyarah Subjek

Okay, ni yang selalunya pelajar buat. Bukannya tengok subjek tapi tengok pensyarah. Pilih subjek berdasarkan pensyarah mana yang tak strict dan senang bagi A. This is a very shameful attitude. Pilihlah subjek yang anda rasa anda berminat nak belajar dan tahu lebih mendalam dan yang akan membantu anda di alam pekerjaan nanti. There’s no shortcut to success okay. ‘A’ berderet pun tapi suruh bagi pendapat tentang sesuatu topik pun tak boleh, acaner tu?

#3 WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOSE IN THE WAR?

Kalau anda kurang bernasib baik dan tak dapat nak daftar kursus yang anda dah plan tu, anda boleh cuba pergi sendiri ke kelas tu untuk slow-talk dengan pensyarah mana tau boleh masuk atauuuu tunggu je lah sem depan. Pelajar tahun 1, 2, 3 dan akhir tarikh daftar kursus adalah berbeza. Pelajar tahun akhir dapat daftar kursus jauh lebih awal sebab nak bagi keutamaan la dkt hakak-hakak dan abam-abam yang nak grad ni kan. Takkan nak extend sem sebab tak dapat ambil TITAS kan? HAHA XD Jadi biasalah tu kalau first year banyak subjek yang penuh, don’t worry cuba lagi next sem.

#4 SEDIAKAN BACK-UP PLAN

Maksimum jam kredit yang anda perlu daftar ialah 22 (kalau tak silap). Jadi sediakan back-up plan. Contohnya kalau tak dapat ambil TITAS, cuba ambil HE. Prepare masa dan hari apa yang anda free. Cadangan sis, awal-awal ni penuhkan jam kredit. Ambil biar cukup 22 CH (credit hours). Kalau sis dulu, setiap sem sis ambil penuh 22 CH. Jadi tahun akhir kurang la beban tu, sem last tu tinggal 15 CH je lagi haha kelas Isnin sampai Rabu je. Bukan apa, in case anda ada paper yang kena repeat kan, ada la ruang nak sumbat. Takda la kena extend sem. Tapi ikut suka anda la kalau nak seimbangkan 3 tahun tu ambil 19 atau 20 CH je up to you.

#5 SETIAP FAKULTI ADA CARA SENDIRI

Semua yang sis cerita ni adalah berdasarkan pengalaman. Jadi zaman mungkin berubah. Dan kursus yang berbeza mungkin ada cara sendiri. Macam roommate sis, diorang dah diberikan jadual yang tetap untuk kursus diorang dan semua kelas tersebut cukup-cukup untuk semua pelajar. Tapi kalau kursus ekonomi, kita diberi pilihan untuk subjek elektif mengikut pengkhususan yang kita pilih (ni tahun kedua baru pilih so chilllllll). Tapi kelas macam Makroekonomi dan Mikroekonomi tu kena rebut-rebut la kalau ramai yang nak ambil Makro sem ni, cepat la penuh kelas tu dan yang lain-lain terpaksa ambil Mikro (subjek sama je cuma yang berebut tu sebab pensyarah lain-lain setiap sem walaupun subjek sama). Bukan apa, yang pilih pensyarah tu kadang-kadang sebab ada sesetengah pensyarah yang tak okay dari segi tak well-organized, mungkin selalu datang lewat atau cancel kelas atau cara mengajar yang tak efektif. Untuk dapatkan nasihat tentang pensyarah silalah tanya Buddy or your seniors ;)

#6 NAH LINKS & REFERENCES:

https://register.um.edu.my/
Special for econs students batch 17/18: Prospectus (click here)

Okay you guys boleh tengok kursus yang ditawarkan untuk sem tersebut at the "View Offers Courses" link. Boleh jugak tengok KOK courses yang ditawarkan. KOK ni kokurikulum (jangan blur sangat ;p)

Untuk daftar, klik online  registration. Kena masukkan username dgn password anda (sama dengan siswamail, myum segala tu).

This is how it looks like. Letak kod kursus dalam ruangan bawah tu (bersedia awal-awal apa kod kursus jangan baru nak mencari memang tak sempat la). Klik Add Course. Then ikut arahan seterusnya yang keluar. Ni contoh sis punya kursus last sem. Make sure semua tukar jadi warna biru dan tulis "registered" dekat tepi tu. Kalau warna kuning tu belum daftar cuma dah reserved. Kalau just reserved je, nanti tamat tempoh mendaftar dia akan consider tak register.

#7 OTHER TIPS

Tak semua subjek anda boleh ambil. Perhatikan syarat subjek tersebut (contoh pelajar kemasukan sekian tahun sahaja yang boleh daftar, atau kena lulus subjek lain dulu baru boleh ambil kursus tersebut dan lain-lain).

Pastikan daftar subjek universiti dulu sebab yang tu yang selalu penuh. Masa MHS dan boleh start usha dah subjek yang ditawarkan. Sis dulu blur je, lepas tu kelas semua penuh.

Staff di fakulti akan tolong anda daftar untuk sem 1 tahun 1 tapi still, tak cukup tangan diorang nak bantu satu-satu so take initiative okay. Don't rely too much on them. They might not be able to attend to each one of you.

Jangan obses untuk sama kelas dengan kawan. Be independent, buat apa yang anda nak. Rajin-rajinkan diri untuk bertanya kalau tak tahu.

This is what my schedule looks like. Don't forget to spare some space untuk TUTORIALS. Masa dan hari tutorial hanya akan diberitahu oleh pensyarah di dalam kelas semasa minggu add/drop (minggu pertama kuliah). Dalam minggu add/drop ni anda bebas untuk add dan drop subjek ikut situasi anda. Tutorial biasanya sejam dan ada banyak pilihan kelas akan disediakan oleh pensyarah. Kalau semua anda tak free, terpaksalah drop subjek tersebut (cuba slow-talk dengan lecturer dulu).

Okay then, good luck piranhas ;)

P/s This entry topic was suggested by one of my dear reader. Shoutout to Kzshrh :)

If any of you guys have any suggestions or some things that you wish to know do hit me up!

Great Eastern Supremacy Scholarship Experience (2014 Batch)

Hi readers!

So I understand that this is the time of year that high-school and pre-U leavers are looking for scholarship to further their studies. I was once in your shoes and if I have any advice for you, I'd say just go for it!

If you are searching for scholarship listings, do check out afterschool website. They are always updated with the current scholarships available. Here's the link!

I have had my fair share of applying for scholarship after STPM, A little heads up, it's a LOT of work. Every scholarship has its own process and steps to follow through but just be patient because it'll all be worth it :)

Okay so Alhamdulillah, I was successfully awarded with a scholarship from Great Eastern to further my studies in Economics in UM. Here, I would like to share a little bit about the process that I went through just to give an overview for those who are also planning to apply for it. However, I will not share in detail the questions that were asked because I feel that you should experience it yourself as well as to respect GE's confidentiality.

#1 Application

First step is the application for the scholarship. Just go to the website and follow the instructions given. So in the application form, you will be required to provide your personal information, academic qualification, extra curricular activities, personal achievements, family particulars and a brief explanation on why you deserve the scholarship. This should be basic.

#2 Phone Interview

This came as a surprise to me. They called me in the middle of the day (thank God I wasn't asleep) and interviewed me. It was a simple interview, share about yourself, your background, hobbies. I think the purpose of this interview was to see whether you can speak well or not. So yeah, be prepared with your phone at all times.

#3 Essay Assessment Topic

If you get selected, you'll be asked to write an essay on a given topic. I'm not gonna share the exact question here but the theme of the essay during my time was generational gap in the workplace. The length of the essay is not more than 300 words.

#4 Panel Interview Session

The next stage is a group interview with the Human Capital department. If I remember correctly, there were 2 interviewers and 3 candidates at a time. I was interviewed with another 2 candidates. It can be a bit intimidating especially if those other candidates have done huge stuff during their studies that your experiences look pale in comparison. But do not worry, just be confident in yourself. Now before you were called in for the interview, they will place all the candidates in a waiting room. So my advice is to mingle and get to know the other candidates as it will be helpful once you get paired up to be interviewed later.

The questions asked were mostly about your background and your leadership experiences. An interesting question was about the values that you've learnt from your parents while you were growing up. I think this question would give them a little insight on how's your relationship with your parents and what kind of environment have you been brought up in. This to me is a brilliant question.

You'll be asked the same questions and are expected to take turns answering it with the fellow candidates. A little tip, focus and listen to what the other 2 candidates were sharing, don't be too caught up thinking about what you're about to answer because the last question was a killer.

"Tell us why should we give the scholarship to your friend here."

You will die if you didn't pay attention to what they were saying. Hahaha. And and, this is where the mingling in the waiting room comes in handy! You at least have an insight of their character even before the interview and hopefully enough information to sell them :D Also, if you give a great impression on the other candidates, they might be able to sell you good too!

 #5 Computer Assessment

Online computer test. You will be required to be present at the GE HQ for this. This online computer test mainly tests on your logical and mathematical abilities. You are allowed to bring a calculator with you. The questions are not crazy add maths level or anything. Just a basic one.

#6 Final Assessment

This is it. The very last stage. This stage takes up a whole day (8-5pm). From the total candidates present, only about half were chosen to receive the scholarship. So you've gotta stand out in the crowd! The session began in the morning with some ice-breaking games so that you'll get to know the other candidates better. Then, the assessment begins with an individual presentation of yourself. We were asked to draw like a mind-map answering to the questions that they gave. During my time, there were 4 questions if I'm not mistaken, one of it was "Who is your idol" and another was "The craziest thing you've ever done". Couldn't recall the other 2. Sorry hihi it was 3 years ago okayyy.

Second session was impromptu question. We pick a number and we will be asked a question on the spot individually in front. We will be given a short time (3 minutes or so) to answer the question. You've gotta think on your feet here. The question that I got was "Opinion on wearing uniforms in school." which was perfect and totally relatable to me since I was in Form 6 and we had a huge debate about this haha. There were also a one word statement eg "Colour" and you have to sort of talk about it, random questions about animal, "How would you make a snail move faster?", a comparison question like something vs something and you've gotta pick your stand and many more. There won't be a repetitive question so everyone gets a different question. Kinda need your luck on this one.

Third session was a presentation on insurance products. You'll be divided into groups, given time to discuss, provided with a laptop or mahjong paper to display your presentation and worry not because you were told beforehand to study on insurance products and you are also allowed to bring in notes into the assessment. Here I think they wanted to see how well you work in a team, whether you can work under pressure, your presentation skills and how well you can interpret the question.

#7 Award presentation ceremony!

If you've reached this stage, congratulations! You are officially a GE scholarship recipient :D So this scholarship of course comes with a bond, for me its 3 years bond with GE. So right after I finish my studies, I will be working with them for a minimum of 3 years. The thing about being a GE scholar is that they don't just support you financially, they also care about your development. They organize development camps annually for all the scholars and I've had so much fun in every one of it! They always keep in touch with us and asked for our updates on our activities in uni. I am truly blessed to be apart of the GE family.

So, I hope that have been useful. Best of luck! ;)

P/s application is now open until 31st of March 2017 so go ahead and give it a try!

GE Scholars Batch 2014