A LA CARTE

South Australian Matriculation at INTI IU in 2010 (and some extras on other pre-U courses)

2011-01-13T22:54:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is something about studying the South Australian Matriculation (SAM) at INTI International University (INTI IU) in 2010.

Trivia: None of the people I asked in INTI were able to tell me definitely the meaning of the name of the campus (INTI).

Intro

SAM is one of the pre-U programs offered by Australia. Another popular choice is the Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT). When they say ‘SAM is recognized internationally’, it is not exactly true. For example, most US universities prefer prospective applicants to take some specific SAT papers as supporting documents. UK prefers A-levels over SAM.

So beware.

Check out with the university you have in mind about the programs they prefer. But, if you got some real good results (‘real good’ is pretty subjective) with some involvement in subject-related activities (competitions, research etc), the universities don’t really care which program you took. I hope.

Hence it is always better if you know beforehand what course and where you wish to study upon enrolling for your pre-U course. If you are not sure, choose one that provides wider options.

To compare all common pre-U programs in Malaysia, let’s see…

STPM / Cambridge A-Levels (shortened as A-levels)

ADP (American Degree Transfer Program)

AUSMAT

SAM

Canadian Pre-U

We have the list of programs in decreasing difficulty going downwards (STPM and A-levels hardest). This list might be wrong.

People who are sure of their career directions usually prefer foundation / university-specific pre-U programs, but I’ll skip that due to unfamiliarity.

STPM, Malaysian Matriculation (shortened as Matric), A-levels, AUSMAT or SAM

Yes, the eternal question. I remember getting stuck here.

STPM is cheapest. And you study a lot and get into university late. But you get to study near your house. It is true that STPM is a good training for teens to get stronger, and the curriculum content prepares you well for undergraduate studies.

Trivia: During Form 5, friends always discuss on what pre-U course to take in future, and STPM was always out of consideration. But many of them took it in the end anyway and coped with it okay, so do not be afraid to try it out.

Matric is also economical. Your study load is a little bit less than STPM and you do it within a year (read: not easy). The student population has a majority of Malays. So, you eat Malay food, mix with Malays a lot and you study far, far away from home (I got a NS friend who got Penang and a Penang friend who got NS, but this is not absolute). You live in relatively badly furnished hostels with at least 4 roommates and involvement in co-curricular activities is compulsory. But it is still cheap, not to mention a ‘guaranteed’ place in a local university.

Trivia: Many of my friends who detested matric during Form 5 joined it anyway when they got their offer letters.

A-levels is difficult, said my friend. My lecturer told me that A-levels exam questions are similar to that of SPM (read: do lots of past year papers and you won’t go wrong too much). Their lab experiments are quiet elaborative compared to SAM. Some people say that A-levels is pretty much STPM in a private college. But more expensive.

AUSMAT is um… I am not sure. I heard it is like SAM, but definitely harder.

SAM is the easiest (has the least curriculum content). If you like to do assignments and tests and quizzes regularly, that is. The total 100% of your final marks is earned partly from internal assessments (tests, class assignments, lab reports, essays) and partly from your public exam (final exam). Internal marks take into account some, not all of your year’s work (you won’t know which works are chosen because the lecturer chooses the works in which students get the best averages marks at the end of the year). Consistent performance is required to get better cumulative marks in the end. If, let’s say, you did badly for your usual tests and assignments, and you get real good results for your public exam, your total marks can be downgraded. This is known as moderation. No last minute studies here. Plus, the test questions generally require good knowledge application skills to solve (read: past year papers can only do that much). Suffice to say that if you are self-disciplined and persistently hardworking, you will perform. Throughout the year, you are tested again and again, week after week, with a few proper exam experiences (semester exam, trials). In the end, your total marks are compared with all other SAM students all over the world, and you are given a ranking known as ATAR. For example, if you get an ATAR of 95.00, your marks are then in the top 5% of the population. Got it? This means you will not know what your actual marks are, but you will know where you stand in relation to other students that year. The highest ATAR you can get is 99.95 (top 0.05%). It takes amazing marks to get that score, but we got one in INTI this year.

http://www.newinti.edu.my/global/news-events/group-news/inti-student-global-top-scorer-in-south-australian-matriculation-exams/

Keep in mind that the education method in the US, UK and Australia are different. Malaysia follows UK style. US and Australia are more on creative thinking, application, that sort of stuff. In choosing the best program for yourself, try asking yourself questions like:

- What is your financial status?

- Where will you do your degree studies?

- What is the qualification for your course? (sometimes it is easier to achieve one than the other, maybe)

- What is your preferred study method?

- What study environment do you need (not ‘want’)?.

Ask your seniors’ opinions, preferably if your senior’s personality or career options resemble your own as you might have the same priorities.

Subjects in SAM

I can only tell you more about the subjects I took.

The 3 sciences (Phy, Bio, Chem) are okay. If you are planning to do medicine or pharmacy, chemistry in SAM is not enough, said my chemistry lecturer. You need to self-study a lot after your final exam or you can cry in university and self-study a lot (this is not from my lecturer). Biology has a lot of repetitions of the SPM syllabus, even easier. But the questions are a lot tougher, requiring a lot of ‘critical thinking’ and application skills. No dissections (too bad). Physics is okay, definitely more interesting than in SPM, but the questions are still difficult.

Trivia: If you study SAM in INTI and take biology, you get a chance to enter the bio lab that house a lot pets like snakes, tortoises, hamsters, toads, scorpions, stick insects… All pets of a lecturer in INTI.

Besides, I took Maths and English. Maths is, well, maths. English here requires good writing skills to score. Luckily, in 2011 it is not a compulsory subject anymore (yay!). You need to learn to write argumentative essays that have strict grammatical rules. Once again, you also need ‘critical thinking’.

Other subjects in INTI are like Specialist Maths (shortened as S. Maths), Psychology and Economics. Next year there is a new subject that teaches students to conduct research (read: make a detailed and cited folio) in any one subject the students are interested in. S. Maths is very, very difficult, said my friend who wanted to be an engineer (AUSMAT friends said that it is harder in their program). Regarding psychology, I heard from a friend that some lecturers in university prefer psychology students who had not taken the subject at pre-U level yet. I wonder why.

There are some changes to the SAM structure starting 2011 so what’s written above may not be valid this year.

Workload

I joined the January intake of SAM in INTI. Life is not too hectic, with minimum 2 hours to maximum 8 hours (usually 1 day per week) of class per day. If you enter in March, though… You would not have time for a lot of co-curricular activities. You rush through the syllabus. You can still have fun. You can still get good results. Test and quizzes come about once a week alternately. Lab sessions are weekly. Assignments come about every fortnight. There are some essays to write. There are about 5 presentations to make throughout the year, some of them contributing to your internal 50%. So yes, you need to prepare some formal clothes and polish up your speaking skills. Otherwise, you are quite free, to do self-studying and prepare for the tests. And have fun in your own ways.

Exam

Like SPM, you can see a pattern of answers in SAM exam papers. You can get past year papers from the library or lecturers. About 1 month before the public exam, start finishing the papers and you might get something.

Trivia: How good is a result of ATAR 99.95? If you clicked on the link above, you find that the student got 3 perfect scores (kinda like top scorer in 3 papers in the world). Okay we forget about him. What to expect from yourself? The following comes from a lecturer who I hope will not find this citation offending. He said that ATAR 95.00 is possible if you are an average student (academically) but work real hard (and smart). Anything above that needs some luck and maybe some talent. But there can always be exceptions. This is pure subjective opinion. Just a guide to see if you can make the cut-off ATAR of your intended degree/diploma course.

Best place to study SAM in Malaysia

Um... Taylor’s?

It really depends.

Taylor’s has the longest experience in teaching SAM compared to other colleges in Malaysia, not to mention their nice records and experienced lecturers (they know what to look out for in exams). INTI is relatively new in this, and yes, I think it affects the students’ results in some way as some students require extra guidance on answering skills in the exam. Taylor’s is exam-oriented studying and lecturers push you to your limits; lots of homework. In INTI, lecturers are less experienced (not all), but we get to ‘study at our own pace’ and experiment ourselves the best way to get better results. And you get a pretty relaxed study life (unless you do last minute work; does not apply for 1 month before exam). I heard you can get tuition classes in Taylor’s. No tuition in INTI. Lots of entertainment near Taylor’s, but you probably would not have much time for that. Taylor’s SAM is more expensive, INTI cheaper. Taylor’s campus is smaller; INTI IU has a bigger campus. Taylor’s offer more subject choices than INTI. Blahblah so-on-and-so-forth.

Oh by the way some say due to INTI IU students’ Chinese majority, the students usually speak Chinese among themselves and this might have an impact on your English speaking skills. The former part is true, the latter is… Really dependent on your attitude towards English.

Another thing I notice is that INTI SAM students rarely, if ever, get in touch with former SAM students for guidance. I’m not sure if this is important. I did get in touch with a former Arts Stream SAM student through a session by the counseling center. She was not of much help (I took the sciences).

What to do in College

College is not all about your studies, but your studies are the reason you go for college. Your pre-U results pretty much decides on which courses you have access to. Keep your results up to standard, but do not forget to develop positive attitudes and interpersonal skills along the way, and have fun!

The author hopes that information here is somewhat accurate and wishes everyone good luck in having an enjoyable and beneficial pre-university study experience.

INTI International University - A Simple Review

2011-01-12T01:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a simple review on INTI International University during my one-year study there as a South Australian Matriculation (SAM) student in 2010. Don't take it too seriously for my memory gets tricky at times.

Trivia: INTI was officially declared as an international university in June 2010, faster than Taylor’s (September 2010).

Back to the point. This review is (I think) most useful to prospective students intending to study there at the pre-U level. This is not an official INTI website. No specific names are used in this review and no offense is intended to anyone or group of persons.

I studied there as a SAM student taking the 3 sciences, Math and English subjects (5 subjects must be taken). That gave me direct contact with 5 lecturers from 2 faculties. My public exam result allowed me to secure a place in Australia for undergraduate study, many thanks to the lecturers and friends! The following review is written by a person who is quiet, inactive, loves reading books and hates sports, hence justify them based on your taste.

Academic

INTI IU has fine lecturers. At least, my lecturers are fine. General punctuality (strongly demonstrated by one of the lecturers, often violated by another), eagerness to have one-to-one tutor sessions by appointment, acceptable English, generosity in providing insights to subject-related jobs... Yes, they are competitive enough. Just keep in mind that in the end, it’s up to us as students to go the extra mile to get better results. And if you are dissatisfied with your lecturers, you can always meet the head of program to discuss the issue, which is usually resolved with promptitude. Welcome to the private sector of education.

We don’t get much exposure to talks on science here, but we do often have talks on business and hospitality.

However, the office in charge of helping students apply for universities has room of improvement. Suffice to say that it is better to get in touch with the staff more often to understand more about the application methods and time of the universities of your choice. And keep yourself well informed of your options.

Accommodation

I lived in one of the in-campus blocks, the Einstein (E) block in a twin-sharing room. On each floor you can find:

- A common area with a TV, a water dispenser (hot and cold water) and a sink

- A large common washroom which is seldom without vacancy and often clean, with heaters in a few of them

- An area for washing and hanging clothes (2 large sinks and a small area for drying your clothes, personal rack for drying clothes recommended)

It is a relatively new block. In fact, the ground floor has a wide study area and about twenty (is it? Never used them) washing machines. Wireless internet service is not to be relied on. Bring with you a port wire as each room has internet ports. With that, internet speed is not a problem. My roommate streamed dramas with it. Other blocks may have different features, especially the laundry section. No problems with the inmates. But my friends do. One of them complained of the international students dirtying the washroom; another had problems with his roommate who played loud music late at night (it ended with my friend moving out to the apartments next to INTI); yet another friend had problems with her air conditioner that leaks persistently, even after repeated services; and another friend was annoyed with the car alarm of somebody’s car parked near his room that blares every so often at night. But overall, we lived. Services for spoiled appliances (like the leaking air-con) are in general, attended fast. Security is okay, though I heard of 1 or 2 cases of lost laptops (might be rumours). Just do the necessary precautions. Rooms here are luxurious compared to what I heard from my matriculation friends.

*In 2010 there were quite a number of Denggue cases in INTI, hence pesticide spraying was carried out routinely. Not much of a problem.

Food

A large variety of food can be bought at reasonable prices inside and outside INTI – Chinese Malay Indian Mamak food and all. Food inside the campus is always cheaper, though. The nearest (and probably the only) fast food restaurant near INTI is McD’s (there is also the Ice Room opposite it), and you need a car for that. You don’t need to cook yourself, seriously. But you can.

Fun

If you consider sports as fun, you will have access to pool, badminton courts, squash courts, tennis courts, basketball courts and a swimming pool (girl’s day on Thursday) all in INTI. There is also a cyber café with very low rates in INTI. Otherwise, you go by train to Mid-Valley or KLCC. Or you go further away. INTI is practically in the middle of nowhere, unlike Taylor’s or Sunway. I heard friends at Taylor’s (or was it Sunway?) even get to watch ‘free concerts’ if their rooms are located high enough to view open concerts held nearby. No such thing in INTI. We have Bill Clinton. For outings, student associations usually organize trips such as to Taman Negara, with activities such as kayaking, rock-climbing and star-gazing. There is also a program for students to participate in volunteer work in suburbs (乡下服务计划). You can always opt to organize your own trips.Plus, there is a hiking trail not too far from INTI and I know of a lecture who brings students with him for hiking trips. There are also blood donation programs, free movie sessions, BBQ parties, Halloween Night, Prom Night, INTI Idol, Street Party… Here you can also join musical clubs such as the INTI Concert Band to learn to play brass musical instruments. Note that the student associations have a habit of being unpunctual. Hope they fix it fast.

Trivia: During the World Cup, my roommate and I went to the dining hall, along with some hundreds of INTI students to watch the finals on a large projector screen (like at the mamak stalls). Some students earned extra bucks by selling instant mee and drinks that night for the fans.

Facilities

Washrooms at the academic blocks are in general quite clean and well maintained. Classrooms are also okay, though the projector is sometimes knocked-out (hence we transfer to another class) or the air-con gets too cold (jacket or sweater recommended). The library’s resources are quite satisfying (but you still need to be fast to get some popular titles such as your textbook). Computers for general use are abundant with enough working printers and good internet connection (some of my friends survive without a laptop, although I highly recommend one). There are also printing centers in the campus for general photostatting and printing. You can also find a hair salon in INTI.

Administration

This is something the university must look into. The staff members are frequently ill informed of the appropriate procedure of routine work such as enrolment and fee payment. For example, when I attended the Open Day and wanted to register as a student, the staff member who greeted me was unsure of how I must proceed with the payment since the registration fee was exempted and had to go through half the staff in the office and make a phone call before it was clarified. Then, when I was paying for my second semester tuition fees, the staff in charge nearly forgot to make adjustments on the fee since I was a Merit Scholarship holder. Another case was when I wanted to confirm the date to which I must check out of the hostel after I finished my studies, the staff was unable to give a definite answer until I suggested a date (which came from my friend) which was then assented. A friend of mine, a Leadership Scholarship Award holder was asked to sign the same agreement thrice. However, in the end, things work out fine and you wonder why. These difficulties were to be endured with, but luckily not very frequently. I’m not sure if other colleges face such issues. Just keep your eyes open.

Environment

INTI IU is a nice, quiet, middle-of-nowhere, serene and conducive environment to complete your pre-U studies. Not so many happenings here. Students generally get along with each other well and study groups are highly favoured (but studying by yourself gets more important when exam dates are near). The lecturers are friendly and always (forced to) give us their phone numbers for convenient consultation (and abuse). English proficiency should be attended to as classes are in English and you will find many, many English-speaking friends. But there is always the English Language Center that helps students with such difficulties. Life here is not very exciting (especially on weekends) unless you have a car or you have very strong creativity to invent some spark out of it. Or if you like to indulge in online dramas and movies or go hanging out with friends. Or if you like being lonely or can study non-stop. With your own transport, you can go places and join illegal racing (no you don’t) and so on. So it depends much on your own initiative to make the best out of life here.

Frankly I would not recommended INTI IU to friends who like to go to parties or balls or attend functions with important people such as the Prime Minister. INTI would be better (I think) for people who likes entertainment but hopes to get away from them to focus on studies / likes a not-too-exciting college experience / wants to have a break from a hectic secondary school life / wants a cheaper alternative to Taylor’s and Sunway. I heard from my A-level friends in Taylor’s that life was pretty much packed up with assignments and homework as lecturers push their limits (but they found time to have fun). I did not feel that in INTI. We just did what is necessary and some worthwhile extras, and the rest comes from the students themselves.

As a whole, I do not regret entering INTI for SAM. Especially when I thought of how busy my friends studying in Taylor's or Sunway are. INTI is fun in its own ways, besides getting to know new friends and fine lecturers, I especially value the serenity and solitude in the campus.

In the end, it is up to the students’ own efforts to make the best out of college life, and also in getting satisfying results. You can probably settle in the closest college to your house and get decent results if you work hard and smart enough. Unless that college is seriously disadvantaged. So don’t fret too much on it.

Please be reminded that this review may contain biased or incorrect information. Forgive me for the grammatical errors and disordered information where applicable. :P

Comments from other INTI students are welcomed profusely. Feel free to correct my views and provide add-ons.

Next up is a post on studying SAM which is something that I think would be useful to prospective pre-U students.

The author hopes that this review portrays INTI somewhat accurately and could help some people choose the best college for themselves.

JPA Interview 2010 ~ Part 2

2010-04-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

I was not at my best during the interview, but things could be worse, so I consider myself lucky.

The interviewers were trying very hard to look professional, looking into ur eyes when u speak, jotting down notes and so on. 3 Malay intervieweres in black jackets, one was slightly fairer than the others, all looking into the students' faces, holding some files and colour papers in their hands that could be folded into paper planes and fly some of us overseas. They did not introduce themselves, which was unfair.

They did not check our certificates, which waited loyally outside the interview room, placed on the registration desk. Why were we preparing those stuff again? And although 3 of us (my group) are pursuing medicine and 2 for dentistry, we were not asked about anything on health issues, knowledge in related subjects, or even the Program Pendedahan Kerjaya Doktor.

The only question that surprised me was "What is your favourite colour and why".
What?
Anyway, my favourite colour is black because it looks professional, what the heck. There was one guy who said he liked green because it was his school logo's colour and because our country is looking into Go Green issues nowadays. Two other girls said they like red because red represents high spirits, active, go for goal, that sort of things. One of them went as far as saying she wants to be the tiger among the cats. I NEVER knew that one's favourite colour could mean so much.

Another question was like "what if JPA send you to Indonesia? would you accept the offer"?
Yes!
Well, imagine what would happen if you say no. But there were 2 person who said they would rather study locally. But that's for the interviewers to decide. I said yes because, well, Indonesia is not so bad (research), and you can learn the culture there.

Throughout the interview, I got stuck a few times wehen I spoke, looking for the right words. Just look thoughtful on the outside while squeezing my brains for words on the inside. But thank God I did not stammer, just slow and steady. Guy who loves green was stammering when he spoke in Malay.

I thought I spoke too little during the interview, regretted it, but that was because I did not have much to say. Just straight to the point. Which is not appropriate.

Anyway, JPA is the only scholarship I am applying, no regrets. Good luck to friends applying for BN, Khazanah, TNB and so on. Gosh, engineering and accounting are everywhere! =P But I do regret not taking more subjects to boost up my results, especially when academic results account for 70% of the scholarship. If I did not get JPA, hopefully my SAM TER can be of substance and get me into some overseas universities with partial scholarships.

Good luck for me~

JPA Interview 2010 ~ Part1

2010-04-05T01:55:00.000-07:00

So.
Before the main course, a little bit of the story background.

Student: Gan Chin Chin
SPM results: 7A+ 1A 1A- 1B+ (10 subjects)
Course pursued: Medicine
Country of choice: United Kingdom
Chances of succeding: Decreasing as we speak

Based on the letter of interview confirmation, I am to arrive at the Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia, Kampus Raja Melewar Jln Sikamat at 8a.m. I am to bring all the documents as indicated in the letter and arranged according to the list. No additional documents required (as later informed).

I arrived at the interview building at 7.30a.m.. Quite a lot of people arrived already. All interviewees were invited into the library at 8.00a.m.. Punctual. There, we were divided into 3 groups during registration. In each group, the students were arranged in a list according to birth dates. It was found that not all of us were pursuing medicine. Some wanted dentistry, a few pharmacists. We were grouped not according to our desired profession. At the registration counter, we were all given another list of documents, similar to the one in the interview letter. We are to arrange the documents according to the list. There are no special changes, just that they do not require your parents' photostated IC. Advised to bring them anyway. Your photostated documents can be handed in by stapling them together. No files or envelopes required.
Note: You can park your vehicle in the institute but remember to take the "pass pelawat" at the security room.

There are 2 interview sessions everyday. One is from 8a.m. (my session) till finish, another is from 2p.m. till finish. Each session consists of roughly 5 groups of students interviewed.

The interview takes place with 3 panels of interviewers interviewing the students simultaneously. Meaning? 1 group of students (roughly 5 students) from each group (as divided during registration) will be interviewed for every session (roughly 45 minutes) simultaneously. The interview takes place in a spacious room with 3 tables arranged in a straight line for the interviewees, and 5 chairs arranged in a line opposite the interviewees for us students. No round table discussion here. These rooms are located in the 2nd floor of the library, where we were to wait for our turn to enter THE rooms.

The interviewers are all Malay (if not mistaken), with 1 of the panels having a female interviewer. You know what that means. Anyway, back to my interview.

I was arranged to be interviewed by the 2nd Panel, 3rd group. The wait was long. Roughly 1 hr 30 min. The air conditioning was turned off, so if you still feel cold, you're too nervous. Talk with friends. Make friends with others. Read a book (you're in a library). Look around.

When the 2nd group for 2nd Panel was called in for some time, my group was asked to sit on chairs arranged outside the interview room to wait. Just sitting there for 20 minute.

Finally, we were asked to step in 10 minutes after the last group exited. No notebooks, no pens, no bags. Leave your bag outside the room. Just bring yourself in.

The head interviewer (seated center) greeted us and asked us to start introducing ourselves (BM). Hence, we self-introduce in turns. Speak as lengthy as you want (but with substance), they won't stop you, just look you in the eye and listen, make some notes.

Introduction:
Name, secondary school
Family members and their current status (occupation etc)
Academic and co-curricular achievements
Course desired and why
Country of choice and why
(add more if you like)

Next, we were asked to discuss about:
1. The effects of global warming on the socioeconomic status of the country (BI)
2. What our favourite colour is and why (BI)
3. Why JPA scholars are not returning to serve the country and how to curb this phenomena (BM)
4. Why did you choose JPA scholarship (BI)
5. If you were sent to a country not of your choice would you go (BI)
6. Would you consider studying locally (BI)

No time to prepare. We were to state our opinion right after the question was asked and you cannot speak twice for the same question. More like Q&A than discussion. Observe that most of the questions were asked in english (BI) but that is not true for everyone as told by friends interviewed by other Panels. Answers for these topics are not given because I do not know what they really expect from us. A friend in my group kept stammering when answering the questions. DO NOT stammer. Practise your Malay amd English speaking, or you will get nervous when it's your turn.

The whole interview takes roughly 45 minutes, which gives an average of 9 minutes for every student to sell themselves. Think about that. I only realised it after the interview.

Before the interview ended, the head interviewer thanked our cooperation and wished us good luck. He suggested himself that getting a scholarship to UK (as almost everyone wanted to) will be hard, and luck plays its part in the selection of scholars.

End. We go out, the next group is sitting outside, history repeats itself.

Forgive the lengthy text and typos, got no time to edit them. Please share these information with your friends whenever relevant. About my performance in the interview, that might be mentioned in Part 2. Anyway, that was not the point. Good luck to everyone for your interview!

*first time blogging, anyone got any blogs to introduce for me to follow?