Pillars of support: Hon Wai (centre) with his parents at his diploma convocation ceremony.
THE pursuit of education and personal development is closely tied to willpower.
From willpower emerge the motivation, persistence and endurance essential for seizing opportunities and overcoming challenges along the way.
Education empowers us to discover our true potential – capabilities we may not have realised we possessed.
In 2018, I was introduced to a pathway for entering my dream university, Universiti Malaya (UM).
After completing my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, I embarked on a two-year Diploma in Human Resource Management programme at the UM Centre for Continuing Education. I aimed to secure a spot at UM for my bachelor’s degree thereafter.
During my diploma convocation ceremony, I was deeply honoured to receive both the Vice-Chancellor’s Award and the Best Student Award for my course. It was an unforgettable moment.
My success stemmed from the unconditional love and support of my family. One particularly impactful event was when my father drove me to visit several local public universities to rekindle my passion for education during a low point in my life after receiving my SPM trial examination results.
After graduating with a diploma, I applied for bachelor’s degree programmes at the tertiary level.
Under the Malaysian public university system, admissions are managed via UPUOnline, the platform that handles applications for all public universities in the country.
In addition to the implementation of UPUOnline, universities have their own direct admission processes. For instance, UM’s Open Channel allows Malaysian students to apply directly to the varsity.
The primary difference lies in the fees: students who apply through UPUOnline benefit from significantly reduced tuition fees due to government subsidies, whereas fees for students admitted through direct pathways are higher.
When I received my UPUOnline university admission results in 2021, I burst into tears because I did not receive a single offer. I appealed the decision, but during the appeal stage, the available course options were limited, as previously selected courses no longer appeared in the system.
Feeling despondent, I enrolled in another university to study law through its direct intake pathway.
However, still hoping to pursue my dream of studying law at UM, I decided to appeal my results in person to all relevant parties at the varsity.
Two weeks later, the Faculty of Law at UM reinterviewed me and reconsidered my appeal. A miracle happened: I received an offer to pursue my Bachelor of Laws at UM under the conventional UPU fee structure.
For this, I am deeply grateful to all the individuals who gave me a second chance to pursue my dream of studying law at UM.
After admission to the course, I was awarded the Public Service Department’s Domestic Degree Programme Scholarship to fund my studies at UM. With that, my retired parents no longer needed to worry about the fees for my studies.
Looking back, I recall how deeply disappointed I was before receiving the offer from UM. I struggled to focus on anything. My “never take no for an answer” mother became my greatest motivator. She encouraged me to appeal to UM in person, saying: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. At this point, what do you have to lose? Just try again and appeal in person once more.”
Following her advice, I took the leap – and the rest is history. This July, I will be completing my final semester.So, here is my advice for students: It is vital to understand the initial requirements of your desired bachelor’s degree before choosing a pre-university programme. This includes verifying whether the chosen programme’s transcripts meet the entry requirements for the degree and ensuring the course is recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. These are crucial first steps to securing a university spot and future job opportunities.
Fortunately, public universities today accept international qualifications, such as A-Levels, as part of their entry requirements.
However, the SPM is still required as proof of status for Malaysian applicants.
Without an SPM qualification, applicants cannot apply through UPUOnline and may only be considered as international applicants or through direct intake under special circumstances, often with additional conditions and higher fees.
In conclusion, strong willpower and a positive mindset are essential for navigating one’s educational journey without regret. For this, I express my deepest gratitude to my family for their unwavering support and encouragement.
Hon Wai, 24, a student in Kuala Lumpur, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.
For updates on the BRATs programme, go to facebook.com/niebrats.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 Do you have a dream university and course in mind? Do you know what’s required to enrol in that university and course? Research and plan your pathway to achieving your dream.
2 Stories of people who bounce back from setbacks often serve as motivation. Find an article in today’s newspaper that exemplifies this. After reading it, retell the story to your class to inspire everyone to persevere through adversity.
The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes the use of English language in primary and secondary schools nationwide.
For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
