Transforming...

I have a philosophy of life. That sounds a little pretentious. But I am not unique in this, nor is having a personal philosophy of life elitist in any way. You have a philosophy of life as well. It may be more elaborate than mine, it may be better reasoned, it may even be more passionately held. Or your philosophy may be more felt than articulated, less well organized and may contain more elements destined to cause you harm. But either way, you cannot escape having a philosophy of life that guides you and protects you in important ways. My life's philosophy has led me along certain pathways to certain destinations. It has led me into an exploration of life. And now, it has led me here…

Cambridge

Cambridge is a fantabulous, beautiful university city located 80km north of London. It is probably one of the best places to pursue our education as Cambridge is popular with its academic history. The weather in Cambridge has began to drop again since last night. It is damn cold now! I am utterly perplexed and appalled at how the locals here can withstand the bitter cold. The locals here are exuberant and helpful.

Links to London are excellent, with 'Cambridge Cruiser' trains leaving for the capital every half an hour. Cambridge is a small but famous city. When I first arrived here, the city’s unique charm attracted me: quiet, safe, green, clean, beautiful and filled with a strong academic atmosphere. Cambridge is not a big city and thus this means that you could always go for a walk along the streets. We need not to worry that we will have no idea where to go, because there are always interesting places for you to see. Famous colleges of Cambridge University like King’s College and Trinity College are all near the town centre. You even can see where Sir Isaac Newton did his studies and meet with some best scientists of our century. There are all kinds of other academic opportunities that aid out study. For instance, I will attend a conference entitled “Improving Your Chances Of Becoming A Doctor” at UCL, in central London.

My college, Bellerbys College Cambridge has two campuses, each with its own character. Depending on the subjects you choose, you will either study at Queens Campus - with its classic Cambridge college buildings, or Manor Campus with its more contemporary feel. College education here has provided me with opportunities to explore new fields as well as venture into a whole new dimension of hands-on style education. I am currently studying in Manor Campus which is a modern, self-contained campus in the north of Cambridge, approximately 2 km from the city centre. It offers a student residence and a range of social amenities on site. All the science-based students will gather here. My class consists of approximately 9 students, in which seven of us are planning to go medicine in university and other 2 students aim for dentistry. In my campus, there is lots of international students. Found out after the fire alarm rang and everyone had to gather at the carpark. They are mostly from china, constant murmurs of rapid chinese convos floating around. There are other from Vietnam, Nigeria, Singapore and so on. It is like the whole is amalgamating in one place – on a much exiguous scale. I have met some that are really nice.

Bellerbys College is really awesome. Studying at Bellerbys is also very enjoyable. The teachers are greatly experienced with international students, not to mention been very skillful at giving you new knowledge. All members of staff are friendly, willing to assist students on everyday matters to academic problems. But most important of all, your teacher will prepare you for university studies. They will prepare you exactly for the degree that you would like to study.Our campus have tutors who specialist in different areas of guiding us towards medical school. For instance, there are A-Level advisor, UCAS manager, ELP manager and so on who assist us to step closer to our dream university.

In United Kingdom, punctuality is everything. Government is very concerned with students’ attitude and performance in class. Well, that is one of point that I emphasised the most as well (except when I am entangled in adverse circumstances).

In Bellerbys College, I am currently taking seven subjects, namely Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Economics and Chinese. Basically, A-Level student will only take three to four subjects as Oxford or Cambridge university’s entry requirement is AAA*. In addition, I study French language as one of my advantage in applying university.

I am now living in homestay and my host family lends me extremely nice. They are Mr Derreck and Mdm Susanne. They have grandchildren, but they are not living together. Mr Derreck is local English but he had been travelled to Africa, India, Philippine…. for teaching. He is now a French Lecturer in University of Cambridge. Mrs Susanne cooks for us everyday. It is a great place to stay since you never get bored. There is always someone that you can become friend with. There are totally nine of us living in my host family’s two houses. Six of them are from China, 2 from Malaysia (including me) and one from Mongolia.

Mdm Susanne, Mr Derreck and I

Tee Neng (Dentistry) and my senoir, Jade (Medicine)

My dinner

Having dinner with my senoirs

The foods here are quite cheap (if you do not convert to ringgit Malaysia). Everything is about a pound, more or less. It is much more cheaper than what have I expected. The selection and choices of bizarre and odd food are definitely enticing. I would like to tell everyone that I have tried every single food and English dishes has offered! Pretty naïve and nonchalant. It is snowing again in cambridge.

Tee Neng was so exuberant once he saw snow

In cambridge citycentre

Outing with friends

Shopping...


My friends, Agnes (medicine) and Monica (Dentistry)

Irina, Agnes and Sonia (shooted in front of King's College)

Thank you

My friend said this little chinese boy is damn cute, kissing himself in mirror

Medicine is by no means a walk in the park. It is more like a trek through a leech-infested rainforest. Aware of this, I am still determined to become a doctor. Why? Ever since a small age, finding the reason behind things we take for granted has never ceased to astound me. It is sad that the only time some people care about their heart is when it is failing. Just reading books about the intricate way a nervous impulse spreads along your myocardium, initiating a heartbeat sends me into a distant realm of wonder. Being able to understand and to repair these systems is one of the main reasons I want to study medicine. Another thing that pushes me in the direction of medical school is the frequency of the use of logic in a doctor’s day. After doing logic puzzles, I realised just how much the existence of order brings a sense of purpose to my life. Of course my sole purpose in life is not to complete every puzzles in my book, but, even in my favourite subject chemistry, predicting reactions by reasoning why and how a certain theory does or does not fit in a particular circumstance seems to make my life a little sweeter. I have a queer addiction for that high when I finally put my pen down after a glorious victory after a 30-minute logic battle with a calculation. Being able to exercise logic and reasoning in my working life is a chance that I would be a fool to miss.

The college life of a student who aims medicine in United Kingdom is definitely loaded with lots of works. I have to prepare myself well for UCAS application, UKCAT test, BMAT test, IELTS, writing personal statement, preparing for interview… In fact, we cannot apply for both Cambridge university and oxford university. We can only choose either one. The accepted seat for medicine for international student in Oxbridge is about 7 students only. High competition and we have to strive hard to succeed. Our college also suggests us to apply for University College London, Imperial University, King’s College University and other top ten universities in United Kingdom, because the acceptance for Oxbridge medicine is incredibly hard and can be considered impossible. By the way, the chances of offer for Cambridge university’s engineering, mathematics and law course is very high in my college. But, that is not my aim and the purpose I come United Kingdom for A-Level is to increase my chance to be enrolled into Oxbridge medicine course with the assistance from professionals in my college. I can stay in Malaysia and enjoy my 3-months-after-spm holidays before the result is announced, but my future will be decided by government if I choose government scholarship. We are probably to be sent to India or Russia to complete our medicine course, but my dream university is not there. Thus, I finally decide to control my future so that it ends as what I have expected and hope for.

In a mean time, we will apply for our volunteer work and practical works in United Kingdom Hospitals. This is one of the key factor that can aid us in applying medical school. With all the assistance and support we will need, I believe that we have a big chance of succeeding in the future. Furthermore, I am invited by Bellerbys College to be the blogger in Bellerbys College’s blog, representing Cambridge campus. It is my immense pleasure to share my experience with those willing to study in United Kingdom or even in Bellerbys College. I am planning also to join the college’s newsletter committee and basketball club.

I understand from my research that medicine is a highly skilled profession and I like the fact that it will offer me a demanding and varied career. I am prepared to work hard at the academic and practical aspects of the course to develop my skills and build my confidence. We used to be cheerful, capable, adaptable person with good teamwork and interpersonal skills. I look forward to the opportunity of using my full potential by studying at a higher academic level on a course with a balance of theory and professional practice.

New Milestone in Life

A person needs to achieve certain goals in one’s life before you can call them successful. Success is to achieve goals, you have set. I have set certain goals I would like to achieve in my lifetime. Some of these goals are personal while others are professional. It is very important for me to receive a good education. Most job fields require a descent education. If I don’t have an education I would not be able to function properly at the work place and I would not understand what to do. To maintain a good job that will make good money will require me to go thorough schooling or training and maybe even both. Education is the first and foremost way to become successful.

After struggling for few weeks to prepare myself for further study, completing complicated visa application procedure and facing few scholarships interviews, now, I finally settle down to be ready to depart to United Kingdom. It has been such a busy but substantial period for me to accomplish everything after my one-month long SPM examination. I will pursue my A-Level study in Cambridge, United Kingdom under a full scholarship, and I will depart on 8th January 2010. I believe this college education provides me with opportunities to explore new fields as well as venture into a whole new dimension of hands-on style education.

My A-Level study in Bellerbys College, Cambridge will starts on 11th January 2010 and ends on 17th June 2011. It is a five terms course. I will stay there with Mrs Susanne Gomaz Rojas. I prefer homestay because homestay gives me the opportunity to immerse myself fully in British culture and to feel part of a family, eating meals with them, or sharing my life while getting a real experience of British life.

Bellerbys Advanced Level students consistently achieve stronger results than the British average. With exceptional academic ability, of course, we want to apply to the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge. These institutions are two of the most competitive in the world and to give me the best chance, as well as my academic qualifications. Bellerbys college will provide us with a range of specialist curricular and extra-curricular preparation for Oxbridge entry. This factor amplifies my strong will to study there, as Oxbridge is my aimed university. There will be regular formal discussions about current affairs, news and events to develop cultural enrichment and communication skills, and weekly “Insights Into Western Philosophy” seminars.
In United Kingdom, A Level can be considered compulsory for medicine. For entry to other courses in United Kingdom such as business, engineering and so on, foundation is necessary. If one is not aiming medicine course, choosing A Level is actually a waste of time (I think). However, there are lots of my friends planning to further a-level, even they are not interested in medicine. They did so just because they have no idea what to study so far. For medicine course, Bellerbys will give us advice on the UKCAT medical admissions test for preparing us to medical school. In addition, we will be visited by medical school staff together with work experience and mock interviews. We will receive talks from Medical admission tutors, guided through the Medical applications process for UCAS, receive training in interview techniques and practice the UKCAT medical admissions tests.

While studying in United Kingdom, we will gain special experience that is different from studying locally. We will be guided by school about preparation for university face-to-face interviews, which includes the opportunity to discuss interview techniques and meet former Bellerbys students now at Oxford or Cambridge. Furthermore, Bellerbys employs a full-time, dedicated team of counselors whose sole responsibility is assisting us to be enrolled into the top university in United Kingdom. Additional classes are often made available to Oxbridge students in order to ensure that we can have the best possible opportunity of obtaining the new A* grade at A-Level, that is critical for entry under the new examination structure. In fact, there are much more scholarships offered in United Kingdom if compared to that in Malaysia. The college’s scholarship which I have now is based on my SPM trial result, while Malaysia’s government scholarships are only based on SPM actual result. So, I will be back in March to contend for the government scholarships again (maybe). I grabbed this great opportunity to further study as I once reject an offer from Chung Hua Miri that can maximize my potentials.

Someone ever told me that, study pre-u locally will achieve the same result as studying it abroad. Thinking wisely, it is impossible. The support and experience gained while studying abroad will maximize my talent. Study A-Level in UK earlier will has greater benefit not only for UK local scholarship application, but also Oxbridge entry. However, it can be considered right if someone are willing to go any university in United Kingdom. But I only aim Oxbridge.

Some of you may laugh at me as if as I am indulged in my own wishful thinking. But I will answer you, “Dare to dream”. Someone ever said, what is the difference between one that has no dream and a salted fish? I once told someone about my future plan: I will not specifically focus in my career only (medicine), and I want to have my own group corporation (business), my own hospital, be the president of MCA (at least, I think)…. I am exaggerating, obviously. Then, he kept laughing selflessly at me. But, DARE TO DREAM. No matter how the dreams are unreasonable, but we ever dream of it, at least. Who will ever think of a small boy from Bekenu can further his study in UK under scholarship and beat other top students in Malaysia even world for scholarship. Even my parents also never think of it. This, at least, has proven me that I am now nearer to my dream. This is what I always share with my friends in class, dare to dream. If you have extremely strong will, you certainly can overcome any obstacles to realize your dream.

My teachers ever ask me, “How can you excel in your study?”or “Why you study”. For me, it starts with motivation. I am also once a stubborn boy as any advices to me were just rain dropping to sand. My primary study is not filled with books, but television programmes. It was my year 5 in 2003, I scored E for my bahasa melayu comprehension and composition. This shocked me suddenly. A question pop out: Do you wish to see the same result in actual UPSR? This thought motivated me to study hard with my sister’s assistance during school holidays. In year 6, I appeared as one of the hope student and I managed to score 7A in UPSR. Even my science teacher ever described me as a dark horse – the little known person who unexpectedly becomes successful or prominent. Thus, I ultimately prove that hardwork can recover any congenitally deficiency. My study’s purpose change during secondary school. I want to win. I do not like the feeling when I am lose and stepped by others. I keep remind me that, I must be the top among tops, and I strive for excellence while competiting, not with bekenu, but in state, nation, even world. Success may not belong to us, but we should strive as hard as we can to own it. It is true that, no one is perfect. But, I always tell myself that, we should try our best so that we are nearer to prefect but not stay far distant from it.

Initially, studying in United Kingdom is not my plan as I aim to go Harvard Medical School in United State of America. However, my research indicates that the academic system of US is quite different from Malaysia, as it is based on credit points. The period of study is not fixed and usually longer than in Malaysia as well as in UK. Its perk is so tempting, and it will be a paramount task to wave off this university. After considering it wisely, I decide to swift to UK. My other dream universities, Oxford and Cambridge is there. I will strive hardly so that I can be enrolled into my dream university. The purpose of my study in UK is to be enrolled into Oxbridge. Nevertheless, I still plan to obtain my master or PhD in Harvard. I ought to be more than well-aware that stuffs never come to you in a perfect bundle, with the most desirable permutation of choice available for you to pick. Some things will just have to go. This dilemma would not be easily resolved, yet i certainly do not wish that it would be, for the fact that it concerns the future of my life for the next decade, which may ascertain what i will do for the rest of my life. I firmly believe that I have did a good choice.

I am now to steer the years ahead of me and brew the adventurous persona in me. Till this, I think the next time I blog, I shall be in United Kingdom for my study.