KUCHING: Tears of joy and heartfelt appreciation filled the hall of SMK Tun Abang Haji Openg here as Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) students received their results yesterday (June 18).
To celebrate the culmination of months of hard work, Sarawak Tribune spoke to several students about the challenges they overcame, the support that kept them going, and their aspirations for the future.
For 20-year-old Valencia Tajing from SMK Saribas, Betong, she shared that the biggest challenge throughout her STPM journey was the time constraint.
“I have sacrificed a lot of my time and energy for studying, and it could take up to 10 hours a day, especially at dawn because it is easier for me to concentrate and absorb what I am learning during that time.
“The subject I struggled with the most would be Mathematics since it involves a lot of calculations. So, I did a lot of revision in order to achieve good result,” she said.
With the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) result of 4.00, she further added that it was made possible by the overwhelming support of her parents, who have always supported her by preparing meals and shower her with words of motivation whenever she feels discouraged in her studies.
“I chose STPM because it is affordable and only takes one year and six months to complete, allowing me to pursue higher education sooner and build a career early.
“Seeing my parents come home exhausted from work motivates me to succeed, as my father works as a labourer and my mother is a school cleaner. So, I want to lift us out of the B40 income group so that they no longer have to work,” she said.
Valencia said that she has plans to further studies at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) by pursuing a Bachelor of Education (History) with Honours.
Resonating with Valencia, 20-year-old Chin Qian Hui, also shared that her biggest challenge was time constraint.
“With daily classes, co-curricular activities, and additional classes, it has been a challenge to manage my time properly, and I regularly study for about eight hours a day.
“And when I feel exhausted, I would pause for a while and relax by listening to music before continuing my studies,” she said.
Chin said that she is grateful for the 4.00 CGPA result, saying the result was in line with her expectations after months of dedicated effort.
“For my future studies, I would be interested in a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Honours in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS),” she said.
Meanwhile, Chloe Chong of SMK Green Road asserted that her study habit has guided her academic journey as she works towards her aspiration of pursuing higher education at the University of Hong Kong.
“I always prepare my own notes and revise the lessons before my teacher comes to class. I also spend a lot of time going through past-year trial papers,” she said.
While the University of Hong Kong remains her dream destination, Chloe said she is also open to studying in Malaysia.
“I have also applied to Universiti Malaya (UM) as it is my first choice through the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) system to pursue accounting,” she said.
As for Felix Freddie Christopher from SMK Wira Penrissen, he reflected that although his academic performance gradually improved, he later faced a difficult emotional setback.
“I am in the social sciences stream, and many say it is challenging, but I am confident with my choice,” he said.
“However, in my second semester, as my grades were improving, I received news that my grandmother, who had been caring for me since I was a child, had passed away.”
He said the loss left him demotivated, but he was reminded of his grandmother’s hopes for his future, which encouraged him to keep going.
“Ever since I was a child, she has always encouraged me to become a teacher so I could teach others,” he added.
“So now I am planning to pursue my studies in the field of education, as I have applied for Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in the course of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and Bahasa Melayu.”
Felix believes that achievements come to those who have efforts, and advises students to be humble regardless of results, as it only marks a starting point of their higher academic endeavour.
