SPM sucks. Sorry, kids. Just try your best, get it over & done with. At least pass all papers then get the hell out of school. Pursue your passion with perseverance. Uni is cool but not the only way. Explore all possibilities. Nobody's stupid; we're all smart in different things.
When I said SPM sucks, I meant exams generally & I personally don't like them. You don't have to hate them too. We have our own minds. Nak buat macam mana, dah itu kayu pengukurnya. Jadi hadap & kayuh sajalah. With the bestest effort that you could put forward while you're at it.
Why I said- uni is cool but not the only way? I was a lecturer at private college & public uni for 7 years. Been invited as guest speaker at schools & conduct workshops for the past 10 years. You know what our Form Fivers' biggest fear & worst nightmare is?
"Tak dapat masuk U."
"Tak dapat masuk U."
I asked "Kenapa mesti masuk U?" They answered "Entah / Tak tahu / Mak bapak suruh / Adik-beradik sedara-mara masuk situ / Tempat wajib lepas SPM." I asked again "Kalau tak dapat masuk U macam mana?" They all turned pale. Like it meant death. Like uni IS the only way. No way else.
They're very clever academically, tapi bila ditanya minat apa- "Entah / Tak tahu / Semua biasa je." Yes, passion is discovered at different ages, but at 17 y/o many of them don't have at least the slightest idea of what they love. That's scary. We're raising robots. Not thinkers.
We (parents, teachers, students, the industry) have to stop obsessing over 1 learning institution post-SPM. Learning is lifelong & limitless. Selain uni/kolej, ada politeknik, vokasional, pusat² kreatif, akademi² seni/sains, bengkel² kemahiran, kursus² jangka pendek/panjang, dll.
Btw, I remember after giving my talk at a school, one teacher gave me a stink eye & quickly gathered her pupils, yelling "REMEMBER STUDENTS, SPM STRAIGHT A's & NO OTHER WAY!" Automatically all the kids repeated after her like robots- "SPM STRAIGHT A's & NO OTHER WAY!"
Holy crap.
Holy crap.
