Here's How You Can Make Sense of Your SPM Results (UPDATED)
Your SPM results can help you decide which course to pursue and which to ditch. Read on to find out which course best suits your strengths!
Updated 12 Mar 2020
Now that the SPM bombshell has been revealed to you, you're probably riding in total jubilation, complete disappointment or somewhere between the two.
Yes, not everyone will find themselves hopping in the air for an enthusiastic newspaper photographer. Nor will everyone be privileged enough to strut down a parade while flashing blue slips of paper (#wefeelyou) (#thereismoretolife). So, before you drown yourself in celebration or post-exam envy (blame it on Facebook), know that there's more to your SPM results than whipping out straight As.
In fact, your results could be the secret key to understanding which course you should pursue and which you should completely avoid. All you need to do is pinpoint the subjects that you did well in and narrow it down to the ones you’re most interested in. Then, look for your chosen subject on this list to discover which courses would suit you best.
#1. Languages (Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil)
If you enjoy hefty tomes of language and literature, you may officially crown yourself as a linguaphile (read: a lover of languages and words).
Language lovers are great communicators, possess a good sense of sensitivity towards cultural differences and offer diversity to a team.
While the first few career options for language fanatics are almost always translator, interpreter or foreign language teacher, you're not necessarily constrained to such narrow paths. Here are several degrees that you can pony up to: language, creative writing, literature, international relations (think diplomats), mass communication (unleash your creativity in the line of advertising, journalism and public relations), law and education.
#2. History
Are you fuelled by a passion for memorising facts, dates and random trivia?
More than just skilled in cramming, history buffs are great in analysing and interpreting information, formulating solid arguments and communicating their views.
While a great number of people perceive history as "fun stuff" or a field that will never secure you a job beyond being a high school teacher, what they may not know is that a solid foundation in history poses a strong basis for a number of careers.
Degrees that you can consider include: journalism (a major under mass communication), law, political science, anthropology, language, economics and education.
Fun Fact: History as a university discipline is not all about constructing a mental tome of sorts and merely memorising the overflowing historical facts and events of the past in meticulous detail. Rather, history majors gaze towards a greater understanding of patterns, such as the cause and effects of human behaviour and existence.
#3. Moral and Islamic Studies
Do you constantly ponder over the meaning of life, reflect upon faith, culture and reason, and strive to make informed ethical choices?
If this sounds like you AND you’ve sailed through the lengthy scrolls of moral values or holy scriptures with ease, then the study of theology, religion, sociology and philosophy might just be up your street.
These areas of study are progressively earning a substantial slot in our world where religious beliefs are the movers and shakers behind social and political events. On top of furnishing your personal interests, it lays out an arena for you to decipher the complexities of life while preparing you to etch a positive impact in the world.
#4. Mathematics and Additional Mathematics
Do you find the black and white nature of mathematics soothing in our chaotic world? Always find yourself getting a kick out of solving knotty equations?
If so, you're probably great at logical analysis, careful deduction and finding answers based on patterns and structures.
You may think that your love for distilling complex and real-world mathematical puzzles may only lead you to mathematics and actuarial science courses, but you're far from the truth! You can also explore areas such as computer science, engineering, finance and accounting.
Fun Fact: Despite the tainted image of mathematics as a dreary and strenuous subject to be endured rather than to be enjoyed, in actuality, it’s one of the most creative disciplines accessible to all. Saving lives, devising video games and exploring the secrets of the universe — it’s all in a day’s work for a mathematician!
#5. Physics
Many may find physics to be one of the more gruelling subjects in school. Don't get us wrong — there are heaps of Big Bang Theory doppelgangers who genuinely adore throwing out things like Schrödinger equation and making references to quantum mechanics. But, if you happen to rejoice in the study of energy, fields and mass, your ability to reason, application of maths and problem-solving skills are probably top-notch.
Degrees that you can flex your muscles include: engineering, sciences, information technology, architecture and finance.
Fun Fact: The significance of physics to society today is most easily exhibited by our reliance on technology. Without physics, there would be no space rockets, light bulbs, digital cameras, cars, cell phones, aeroplanes or heck, computers.
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Start now#6. Chemistry
Perhaps some of us are baffled by the encyclopaedic chemical elements from the periodic table, but for many, chemistry can be a fascinating field of study.
Lovers of molecular properties and chemical reactions are generally whizzes at numeracy and problem-solving.
Chemistry enthusiasts can consider the following degrees: chemical engineering (with good grades in physics), health sciences (think medicine, pharmacy and nutrition, with good grades in Biology), biochemistry, forensic science and psychology.
Fun Fact: While the glamorous chunk of chemistry resides within a sealed lab — working with microscopic atoms and particles — the influence of chemistry is actually all around us, from the water we sip to the medicines that keep us alive!
#7. Biology
Are you a fan of understanding how the human body works? Are you enthralled by the process of evolution as well as the genes and cells that pose as the building blocks of our physical world?
The natural pathway for you may be a Degree in Science, focusing on biology. From labs and zoos to ocean liners in the Arctic and fieldwork in the Amazon jungle, biologists strive to comprehend how animals and organisms work (including us humans) to stop the spread of disease, track down natural resources and improve public health.
Beyond biology, other areas of study you can consider include: health sciences (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and nutrition, which are subject to good grades in chemistry), bioscience, physiotherapy, environmental science and psychology.
#8. Economics
If you’ve victoriously conquered supply and demand as well as international trade and price system, congratulations! Those who excel in Economics generally have developed strong analytical and evaluative skills that are valuable in many degrees.
A natural path would be to explore a Degree in Economics, a business major that isn't all about the numbers and embraces both the social and the political world. As a social science, it plays a vital role in decrypting the mysteries of how people and society operate.
However, other areas of study that you can consider include: accounting, business, actuarial science, political science and finance.
We hope this helps put your results into perspective. Now, go forth and discover incredible career paths based on the subjects you've aced.
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
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Grace Chan
Writer. An ardent follower of Carl Jung & Rumi. A green tea junkie whose daily dose of therapy include binging on the divine fluid. Grace also feeds on Psychology and will give away just about anything to cuddle with furry felines.
