Back in 2016, I joined Form 6 without second thoughts because
- I didn’t want to limit my options for the future (which is why I turned down a 100% scholarship for foundation in Xiamen University Malaysia)
- I didn’t want to pay for A-Levels (I could only get partial scholarships)
- I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and I didn’t want to choose a diploma yet
I swear to God, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I was a straight A’s student in SPM 2015 and yet I find STPM extremely challenging. If I say I worked 100% hard for my SPM, I definitely worked at least 800% harder for STPM. Like my friend once said, you won’t know if you are really good in academics until you’ve come to STPM.
10A’s in SPM is really nothing compared to 4.0 in STPM.
I took Pengajian Am, Physics, Chemistry and Maths (T) in Form 6. Yup, “just” 4 subjects. If you are thinking “Oh come on, we took around 10 subjects in SPM! It can’t be that hard to slay just 4 subjects!”, you are very wrong. Jokes on me, that was exactly what I was thinking when I first stepped into Form 6… I’ve never been so wrong in my entire life, hah!
Course Structure (as of 2017)
First Semester (May ~ Nov 2016 – 6 months to study because May was for orientation)
Pengajian Am:
Everything about Malaysia government structure,
Physics:
11 chapters (Mechanics and Thermodynamics) + 5 practical experiments
(as comparison, you spend 2 years studying 10 chapters in SPM)
Chemistry:
6 main chapters (Physical Chemistry) + 5 practical experiments
Maths (T):
6 chapters (Algebra and Geometry) + 1 assignment
Total: 23 chapters (excluding PA), 10 experiments, 1 assignment in less than 6 months.
p/s: most of the chapters are long… especially Mathematics and Chemistry.
–
Second semester (Jan ~ May 2017)
Pengajian Am: Things our government are working on (dasar dalaman)
1 assignment (I hated this… took me 3 months to complete the whole thing)
Physics:
7 chapters (Electricity and Magnetism) + 5 practical experiments
Chemistry:
5 main chapters (Inorganic Chemistry) + 5 practical experiments
Maths (T):
6 chapters (Calculus) + 1 assignment
Total: 18 chapters (excluding PA), 10 experiments, 2 assignments in less than 5 months.
–
Pengajian Am:
Malaysia’s diplomatic relations with other countries (dasar luar)
Physics:
7 chapters (Oscillations and Waves, Optics, and Modern Physics) + 3 practical experiments + 1 project
Chemistry:
8 chapters (Organic Chemistry) + 3 practical experiments + 1 project
Maths (T):
6 chapters (Statistics) + 1 assignment (which was quite interesting to me)
Total: 21 chapters (excluding PA), 6 experiments, 2 projects, 1 assignment in less than 6 months.
–
Retake papers take place right after your Sem 3 exams.
PLEASE DO NOT SEE ‘RETAKE’ AS AN OPTION. GIVE YOUR BEST FOR EVERY SINGLE TEST. YOU WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME (or motivation) TO REVISE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED.
Updated @ 15/8/18: I retook Pengajian Am for Sem 1 plus Physics and Chemistry for Sem 2. I was very confident with my retake papers. However, I ended up getting the same grades. One of my friends who retook Math (T) for Sem 2 told me that she was very confident with her retake paper as well. She was shocked to find that her new grade was worse than her original grade. Thankfully, MPM count the better grades.
Study Tips?
1. Complete all past years questions (especially for Physics and Chemistry)
2. Basically study and understand everything. You just can’t “target” or “spot” any question…
There’s no shortcut in STPM. If you are confident enough and you plan to do last minute study, make sure you are able to concentrate and study for more than 10 hours per day one month before your exam (including weekends).
Pros and Cons Studying Form 6?
Pros
1. Cheapest pre-u course (mostly f.o.c., except for books and also sumbangan PIBG)
2. Wide range of options after STPM – public uni, private uni, or even going abroad. Many overseas universities recognize STPM such as University of Dublin, National University of Singapore, etc.
3. You can take your time to think about what you really want for your future
4. You will master time management and stress management skills
Cons
1. It is so stressful it makes you wanna kill yourself
2. The rules are just like SMK’s – exceptions: phones are allowed, school uniforms are replaced by formal/work clothes.
3. Basically no life – if you wanna get 4.0, you’ll have to study really really hard…
Some people study 18 hours a day, some sleep 4 hours a day, some wake up at 4am everyday to study, some attend tuition classes on Saturdays and Sundays.
My personal record – studying from 8am to 6pm for only one chapter of Algebra in Maths (T)… which is kinda weak compared to some of my genius peers.
Ugh, makes me feel sick just to think about it.
CONCLUSION
Make sure you have a strong reason why you want to come for Form 6 (eg. aiming for public universities, etc). You have to be really determined and dedicated if you want to survive Form 6.
I did not have a solid reason back then so I questioned myself ‘why am i doing this’ every single morning I woke up for school so yeah that was a lil torturing. I’ve never been better after graduating from Form 6.
Feel free to message me if you’ve got any question!
Best wishes, x
Update @ 20/3/18: Just got my result few weeks ago! I achieved 3.50. Thankful for everything.
The Dancing Wildfire 
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