VELMURUGAN A/L YEHAMBRAM 15979
A DIFFICULT DESICION I HAD TO MAKE
It was in the mid of the March, everyone in my school were taking their SPM examination result. It was 10 in the morning and I can see my friend collecting their results. Some of the were very happy and surprised with their results as they did better than what they had expected. Others were satisfied with their results and some were disappointed as they performed badly. I went to the desk to receive my result. My teacher smiled at the results, the prefect who are assisting the teacher showed their thumbs up, showing that I did well. The teacher slowly handed me the result and I was shocked. I only received 2A+, 4A, 2A-, 1B+ and 1B. It was truly a disappointing and stressful moment but my friend started to congrats me by shaking their hand with me. Although I was one of the 8 students to achieve 8A’s but I am disappointed. There were only 2 people who achieved straight A’s in my school and I was frustrated with my result. I wish I could be one of them too.
I went back home and it was not a good sight in my home as my parents were disappointed with the result. What made me getting angry of myself is that getting a B+ in my Chemistry. Up till the current day I will never believe that I got a B+ for my favourite subject. My chemistry teacher herself was surprised with that result as two of her student which she targeted to receive a A+ ended up with B+. I could get an A for my accounts which I studied the syllabus of two years in one year and I learned it myself by attending a 4 hours extra class but for Chemistry I ended up with a B+. I knew if I am going to receive a B it can only be in Biology as I never bothered to study it, Accounts or History. More surprising was I received an A+ for my History. I paid RM 50 to recheck my Chemistry paper after a week from the result been released and there was no change in my marks after 2 weeks. Thinking that staying disappointed and stressed up is not going to change my result, I started to find an institute for my higher studies.
For the start I applied for JPA scholarship for both foreign and local scholarship and matriculation. However I never gave a high hope to study in foreign as soon as I knew that I have only 2A+. It will be very difficult to even obtain a local scholarship what else about a foreign scholarship. Never less, I tried to find any scholarship that is available and applied it although I am did not fulfil the requirement. If I was not mistaken I send my 20 different scholarship application just in the hope that I can get one. It took me a wee to finish sending my extra co-curriculum certificate and curriculum vitae to the foundations that are offering the scholarship. It was turning bad as I did not receive any response to my application and most of my friends and cousins same age of me leaving to further their study in a higher institution.
Two weeks just passed, I was given a scholarship by JPA and other foundation’s scholarship. This is where I had to make a life changing decision. This was the decision that will change my future. I was offered to study in Universiti Teknologi Melaka (UTEM) in the field of electrical engineering by the JPA. It was a diploma and degree scholarship for 6 years and 6 month. Another scholarship was accountancy in a local university for 5 years. Both the scholarship is a bonded scholarship where I have to work for the government for 6 years. At the same moment I received my entrance to Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), INTI international College and Nilai International College in the field of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering as a self-sponsored or private student. It was a truly a difficult decision. I started to consult my teachers and parents to make a right choice. My parent prefers for me to take the scholarship but I had to consider about the long bonding period.
If I were to take the JPA scholarship I will be bonded for 6 years and it is a long time. I will be happy and satisfied if I was given Electrical and Electronics course instead of Electrical which has a smaller scope of career in the future. Another important aspect was it was from diploma the degree which takes an extra of 1 year and 6 months. Watching some of my friends who are self-sponsored doing the same course in 5 years makes it hard to make a decision. Moreover, some of them only have 1A and yet they will be finishing the same course quicker than me if I take the JPA scholarship. Later I considered about the accountancy scholarship. My teacher asked me to think deeply as she said am I truly interested to take it as an occupation in my future as she recall that I took accountancy for spm just to make a 10 subjects instead of 9 and not because of interest. I agree I took that subject just for the sake to make 10 subject and I was not interested to become an accountant in the future. After meeting everyone I personally know, my teachers and my friends I made a hard decision to decline both the scholarship. It was a hard decision to make after considering in many aspects.
Now I have to study with my parent’s money or take a PTPTN loan. I am interested in engineering and architecture. I started to find all the university that can offer me to such a course for a reasonable course fee. Besides I want to pursue my study in a truly and well recognised university. Nottingham Malaysian campus was the first to strike me but seeing its course fee made me to delete the choice from my list. I need at least RM 130 000 just to study excluding hostel and food. Later on there were many other good universities that offered the course of my choice but they were either too expensive or does not meet the standard required to be a good university. After that I took UTP as the institute to further my higher studies as it costs is indeed cheaper than all the universities that I saw and was among the best university in Malaysia. I had made a strong decision that I will pursue my studies in this university. There will be no turn back for me as I strongly want to pursue my studies here.
It’s already been a semester passed. I had made a critical choice in my life. I recall my teacher’s words that my first difficult decision will be when I have to choose my life destiny or career. I think this is the meaning of those powerful words. I have no regret after joining this institute as it is the best among the best university that I have seen.
