1“Ace the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), and then aim 目标 for the sky . . .

” This is Abdul Aziz

Abu Bakar’s advice 忠告 to all students sitting for the SPM. He can “empathise 同情 with the
stress, anxiety and angst 焦虑” students are undergoing 经历 because he sat for the
examination many, many years ago. However, according 根据 to him, “one year into college and
people will stop asking about your SPM results. By then, few could even remember seeing your
name or picture in the newspaper for being a top scorer. The writer who recently 最近
graduated 毕业 with an MBA from Harvard University outlines the process for getting into the
right college. He believes that the cost of being ignorant 无知。is too high as college admission
录取。 is very competitive.竞争力。

First, he urges 鼓励 students to use the Internet, speak to school counsellors as well as family
and friends’ contacts to learn about different professions 联系以了解不同的职业. This exercise
will help students who are still unsure on which path to take to identify their interests and
target major 目标专业.

Second, doing a college research to help identify a list of 10 to 15 colleges which offer courses in
the area of study which students want to major in. He suggests 建议 that students use college
ranking guides 大学排名指南 from the U.S News & World Report, Wall Street Journal or the
Princeton Review.

He also urges students to research the schools especially on the application 应用 process as the
third step. Some colleges may require 要求 students to sit for exams such the Scholastic
Aptitude Test of Test of English as a Foreign Language, write essays, get recommendations and
attend interviews 获得建议并参加面试. Therefore, as students prepare for the exams, they
should also treat 对待 the essays and recommendations 建议 with equal importance.

Fourth, he advises 建议 students to seek out current students 寻找当前的学生 in colleges

which they are interested in for the college prospectus and advice. He suggests that students
can do this by looking up Malaysian Student Associations at respective colleges 各自的大学 for
potential contacts 对于潜在的联系人 and then network through them 然后通过它们联网.

Fifth, students should apply 应用 to as many colleges as possible. He suggests that students
apply to at least two colleges in each category. 类别

For the last step, Abdul Aziz urges students to avoid following the crowd 人群. “It is perfectly all
right to be the only Malaysian in the college. What is important is that it is the best college for
you,” he says.

However, he encourages 鼓励 students to aim for the most competitive and prestigious
schools 最具竞争力和声望的学校 in the world when applying for colleges 申请大学. Students
should include 包括 colleges such as Harvard, MIT, Yale and Standford in their list. The reasons
he cites 引用 are that these colleges provide students with the opportunity 机会 to study with a
diverse 多种 and super-talented mix of students, in addition to studying under accomplished 完
成之下 professors who include a large number of Nobel Prize winners.

For the doubtful student who wonders 对于那些怀疑的可疑学生 – what if I am not good
enough – Abdul Aziz has this to say, “Much like anything in life, you would never know until you
actually try it out.” He tells students that fear of rejection 害怕被拒绝 should not stop them
from trying but instead 相反 they should not be bothered by it at all.

He adds, “...almost 18,000 students get rejected from Harvard every year.”

Abdul Aziz has still one piece of advice for those plagued with fear and doubt 充满了恐惧和
怀疑 of not being able to cope 无法应付 with the competitive pressure 竞争压力. He simple
offers, “Think positively and have some courage 勇气.”

As for now, he says, “Study hard the smart way, ace 王牌 the SPM and then aim for the sky!”