Threshold of Life

Malaysia Australia Colombo Plan Commemoration (MACC) Scholarships

seeker88 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:52:25 +0000

Hmm…today while at gym, got to know someone named Chua and we got into talking about studying in Australia. Smart and very friendly guy, going to ANU. We got to talking about scholarships in Australia and I suggested that he look at the Malaysia Australia

Well, I found some nifty links for those with good qualifications who can apply for scholarships to Australia. You can also find out about getting visas and other stuff. Click around the links there and you will find other scholarships. You may also contact IDP Australia or AEI and enquire with their counselors. I am not gonna provide you with their links because if you are smart enough to get a scholarship, you will be smart enough to find their links.

http://www.malaysia.highcommission.gov.au/klpr/study.html

http://www.emaac.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55&Itemid=2

Honda Dreams Fund

seeker88 — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:35:41 +0000

I am impressed with Honda that they have come up with a scholarship to help underprivileged students to fund their studies in Malaysia. It is only open to 20 students. Do check out their website for more information.

http://www.honda.com.my/hdf

Flying High Cabin Crew

seeker88 — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:03:19 +0000

Well, a career as a cabin crew can be rewarding and exciting. Hey, you get to travel all over the world and meet lots of people. This is a job for people who like people and hard work. If you don’t like to deal with people, then this is not for you. Dealing with changes in time and working in tight areas is a must. I got some information from the SIA Website for those interested in joining them. You have just missed their interview in Malaysia in October. Their next interview is in Singapore though. Good excuse for a holiday.

We will be conducting a recruitment exercise for Flight Stewardess/ Steward in Singapore. If you meet the following standards, we will be pleased to receive your application.

Requirements

Singapore or Malaysian citizenship
Females who are at least 1.58m; Males who are at least 1.65m in height
Degree/ Diploma
OR
At least 2 GCE ‘A’-level credits and 2 ‘AO’-level credits including General Paper in the GCE ‘A’-level examination
OR
At least 5 GCE ‘O’-level credits including English and working experience
At least 2 principal level passes and 2 subsidiary passes in STPM/GCE ‘A’ level or its equivalent
For Malaysian qualifications at SPM level, at least 5 credits including a minimum grade of B4 in English and working experience is required

Preference will be given to candidates who are able to speak foreign languages or are experienced in customer service. Interested applicants graduating by April 2009 may also apply.

Training

Our comprehensive training program will cover topics such as:

Product Knowledge including Food & Beverage
Service Procedures
Passenger Handling
Deportment & Grooming
Language & Communication Skills
Safety Equipment Procedures
First Aid

On successful completion of training you will commence flying duties.

Remuneration & Service Benefits

For those who pass our rigorous selection process, you will undergo about 4 months of training.

A monthly allowance will be provided during training. Upon graduation, you can look forward to a basic salary and various allowances amounting to about SGD3,500 a month. In addition, there will be an annual wage supplement of one month’s basic salary and profit-sharing bonus. You will also be entitled to free travel to any SIA destination once a year and enjoy discounted travel at other times.

Application Details

Walk-In interviews will be conducted on 17 January 2009 at:

Sheraton Towers Singapore Hotel
2nd Level – Ballroom 2
39 Scotts Road
Singapore 228230

Please bring the following documents for registration at Sheraton Towers Singapore Hotel between 9am and 3pm on 17 January 2009.

Completed application form with passport-sized photograph attached
Original(s) of:
a) your birth certificate
b) all educational certificates
c) identity card

You can find more information from their website www.singaporeair.com/cabincrewcareers

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/company_info/careers/CabinCrew5.jsp

Exhibitions

seeker88 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:39:41 +0000

Well, the time of exams are over and celebrations are still going on. While celebrating and looking for that part time job, you should try to visit an exhibition and talk to the counselors there. Find out details, don’t just visit one booth and leave, visit a lot of booths and collect the brochures and compare. A lot of students make the mistake of just choosing one college and not even consider others because their parents or friends recommended a particular one. I am not saying that your parents or friends are wrong, you should listen to them. However, you should also check out a few colleges and then compare, and decide for yourself which one would best fit your character, career goals, social personality, finances and other needs. I have compiled a list of upcoming exhibitions for you to check out. You can use the LRT map as well to find out how to get to some of the exhibitions in KL.

The next upcoming exhibition is the NAPEI Education Fair at Midvalley Megamall located on the 3rd Floor near the Food Court. Great to do some shopping and then go edu-shopping. Have fun!

Education Exhibitions

lrt-map

Which college?

seeker88 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:04:20 +0000

I can’t help you choose the college or university or the country in which you would like to study at as there are thousands to choose from. In Malaysia alone, there are over 500 private colleges and universities. I can only share the questions that you should ask to gather the information to make the necessary decision. You should visit the college and ask the course counselors there. Also ask them to take you on a college tour. Like Christmas, make a list for Santa, write down the good and the bad, then you will get the right “toy”.

Cost of studying at that college

How much money do I have? Ask your parents. If you take the PTPTN loan, note that you will need to have enough to pay the tuition fees as well as your cost of living.
How much are the tuition fees? Does it include the exam and other fees?
How much does it cost to live in KL?
How much is on campus accommodation?
How much is off campus accommodation? Note that it might be cheaper to find off campus accommodation on your own with friends. Is the accommodations near eateries, banks, entertainment, public transportation, etc.?

Size of college and facilities

What type of college do I like? (Large, medium, small, city, suburbs, or outer city) Some people like small colleges where you get a community feel while others like large colleges where they get to meet lots of people.
Know yourself, if you like city life, don’t choose a college far away from the city eventhough the facilities are great. However, if you have a discipline problem in having too much fun, studying away from the city may be a good choice.
Facilities – computer labs, computers, science labs, student centre, job placement centre, etc. Note – You should expect to get what you pay for.
If you like sports, you may not want to choose a college without a football field or gym.
Is it near public transportation? This is important if you do not have transportation.
Note that you get what you pay for, if you pay for a Kancil don’t expect a Mercedes service. Nothing wrong with a Kancil, it’s just being realistic with your “purchase” however that does not mean that you should get lousy service from that college.

Course at the college

Is that course popular at that college?
Are the courses recognised and approved by the Malaysian Qualifications Audit (MQA)?Do they have enough students to start a class?
How many students do they have studying that course at that college?
What is the duration of the course?
Quality of lecturers. What are their qualifications? Years of experience.
Ask your friends who have studied there. Ask your friends who are studying there.

Choosing your career

seeker88 — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:07:13 +0000

Now that you have finished your studies, what do you do? For some, it is easy, for others, it can be a confusing and stressful time. There are so many factors such as:

What do you study?
What college? What country?
What about the cost? Where do I find the money?
Is there a demand for the job?

Below is a guide for students that I have used in my years of counseling at the colleges that I have worked at.

How to choose a career?

Choosing the right career is a vital first step for your future. This can be an overwhelming task if you are unprepared. With the wide variety of career choices available to a student, the time after UEC, SPM or STPM can be a confusing one if not guided properly. Preparations should have been made even before this time but fear not it is still not too late if you have not decided on a career path. It is important for you to research carefully the career that you intend to pursue. Below are three simple steps that I will call the GEM method which will help you in your journey.

Gather Information.
Evaluate the Information.
Make a Decision.

1. Gather Information

Make a list of your interests, likes, strengths, hobbies and talents. Also ask your family

members and friends to tell you what you are good at.

Make a simple list of your interests, your hobbies and what you are actually good at. Don’t put down things that you are interested to do but write down things that you know that you are good at. For example, you are good in debates, sports, mathematics, fixing cars, and others. Your interests should correlate with the reality of your talent. For example, if you are interested in becoming an engineer but your results in Mathematics and Physics are consistently low, you may want to reconsider your choice or if you want to be a musician but cannot play any instrument, it would be an unwise move to choose music as your career pathway.

Show your family members and friends the list and ask them whether you are

actually good at the things you have listed.

Have your friends go through the list and give comments on how good you are at your interests, hobbies and talents. Your parents and trusted friends may give you a different perspective on what you are good at. This is valuable insight that will help you in your decision-making.

Talk to your parents and older siblings

Your parents and older siblings may have good insights into your abilities and offer good suggestions. Ask them what talents they think you have and maybe what career options would be good for you.

Talk to your career guidance counsellor at school.

Your guidance counsellor may have materials and tests that will guide you in choosing a career. Their advice may be useful in finding out the job prospects of a certain career.

Talk to professionals in you field of interest.

Ask them what they do in their jobs, what they like about it, what are its future prospects, what type of talents are required for the work, and other relevant questions. Visit their place of work if possible to gain a ‘feel’ for their type of work. Talking to the professionals will help you gain a wider perspective and insight into the type of work. They will be able share with you inside information on the work.

Attend education fairs like the Star Education Fair, Facon Education Fair, Napei, and others. See “Exhibitions” for the dates and places.

Talk to the various counsellors at the booths to find out more information about the individual careers. Ask about tuition costs, short description of the career, job prospects, facilities offered in the college, and others.

Use the Internet and local library.

Use these resources available to you to find out more information about the careers that you are interested in. Use the search engine on the Internet to find the information that you need. Your local library is a good source of information as well. Ask the librarian to assist you in finding out your careers of interest.

Evaluate the information.

After you have gathered all the necessary information then you need to weigh your options. Go through all the information and choose the careers that you would like to take up and take out those that you don’t like. Make a pro and con list for each career that you like. From the information evaluate the points carefully on its workability, your financial viability, future prospects, your interests and results.

Make a decision.

After evaluating all the information that you have, now you are ready to make a decision. Decide on maybe four career choices. For example, you may want to put your first career choice as Medicine, second in Pharmacy, third in Food Science and fourth in Nutrition. When one does not work out because of grades, finances or interest then you have a back up choice.

Remember:

It is okay to change career choices during your time of study. I have heard that the average American university student change his major 6 times. However, you need to make informed and educated choices. Note that each time you change a major (course) you may lose time and money.
Secondly, the career that you choose should meet your needs and fit your beliefs and character. You must be happy with the choice and one where it would fit your desired financial status.
Don’t follow the crowd or the “in-thing”. I have noticed that some students in Malaysia do not thinksometimes and just choose the “hot” programme at that time. At one time it was IT, then Biotechnology, then Pharmacy, followed by Psychology and Acturary Science, and now Hospitality and Nursing. Nothing wrong with following the crowd but you need to make sure that the course is something that you like and has actual job demand or you will end up as a Biotech sales person. Again, nothing wrong with that if you like sales but most students who choose science do not like sales.