The tail end of the first quarter for 2105 is fast approaching, and much has happened since January with plenty more to come as we chug along towards year’s end. This April MSU’s collegiate institutions, the PTPL Group, will be celebrating its 19th convocation ceremony. It is going to be a big day as the event marks the coming together of ten PTPL centres across Malaysia for a two-day ceremony.
My congratulations to the graduating class. You have made it and I have every confidence that you will continue to give your best in the coming years. You have harnessed your creativity and hard work well and the 11th and 12th of April is a fitting reward for all your efforts.
I thought of sharing this piece with all the SPM and STPM school leavers, who at this time of the year are normally nervous, apprehensive and somewhat need the guidance on charting their plans. An important crossroad lies before you and the road that you choose will shape your future.
Quite recently, the 2014 SPM and STPM results were announced. As always there were tears of joy and looks of despair among the results recipients. The following day, most of the front pages of the local press were splashed with news of the students’ achievements and success stories. While reading these stories one can’t help but feel touched with the plight of some of these high achievers. It is common these days that students secure many ‘A’s and in some cases all ‘A’s in his or her SPM or STPM examinations. During my time it was a rarity and such a phenomenal accomplishment would probably stir the entire village and in some instances there were also hints of marriage proposal looming !
This year the overall SPM results have seen a slight drop of performance. Of the 455,839 students who sat for the SPM, only 2.6 percent achieved excellent results compared to 3.1 per cent in 2013. There was no significant improvement in the STPM examination with regards to candidates who achieved a CGPA of 4 flat (0.8 per cent 2013 and 0.9 per cent 2014). For these high achievers there are plenty of opportunities available for their continuing education and these opportunities have to be thoroughly understood before a decision is made. If the students are clear of the choices at hand, the rest is pretty much easy. Deciding on a place for further studies needs to be done meticulously as students will be spending a major portion of their youth and money at these places.
Similarly, for students who may not have performed up to expectations, worry not, as places for continuing education are equally plenty. Making the right pick is essential and don’t be clouded with attractive enrolment packages and savvy marketing talk. Quality, recognition, learning experiences and employability should be a high priority in your check-list when selecting a place for further studies. It is also important to note that the challenges you will confront in the tertiary level are different and being innovative and open to the demands of change are required of you.
At MSU we have always been particularly vigilant on the qualities of graduates that we produce. We believe that learning has to go beyond the realm of the classroom. Taking learning away from the conventional settings and inculcating opportunities for personal enrichment among students can bring about a positive impact to the graduates. The ninety-five per cent employability rate of our graduates within six month of graduation is a testimony of the effectiveness of our effort. A continuous improvement on our delivery system is of prime essential as we ensure that our students have had a worthy experience being MSUrians. Regardless of your choice, it is the learning experience that will ultimately determine your placement in your professional lives.
It would be our privilege to share that experience and to be a part of your future success – MSU, your Global University of Choice.