MELAKA – Between studying and working as a part-time barber, a student of SMK Iskandar Shah, Amar Afandi Mohd Zin managed to score a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination.
The 20-year-old student said he decided to work to help his mother, Rasidah Atan, 60, who is a single mother and to raise money so that he can pursue tertiary education.
The social sciences stream student said after school, he would go to his workplace in Jasin and return home at 9pm at the latest to finish his assignments and study.
“I decided to work while studying in Form 6 in the third semester…it was difficult at first doing two things at the same time, especially to divide time between study and work.
“Besides working at a barbershop after school, I also went from house to house to cut hair, and two months before the exam, I took a break to fully focus on my studies.
“Alhamdulillah, I was able to get through this difficult period,” he told reporters after the announcement of the STPM results for Melaka candidates by state Education Director Mohd Ghazali Ahmad today, which was also attended by state Education, Higher Education and Religious Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman.
Amar, who wishes to further his studies at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris to realise his dream to be a teacher, said he will use his salary to cover part of his expenses if he is accepted.
No honeymoon
Meanwhile, a top STPM candidate at the national level, Gee Wei Nee, 20, who obtained a 4.0 CGPA for five subjects said she did not expect to be selected as the top 20 STPM students in the country as she just wanted to pass the examination with distinction.
The former Tun Fatimah College student said throughout the first semester, she was stressed out as she could not adapt to the Form 6 style of learning, which is much more challenging than when she was studying for the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
“Form 6 is not a honeymoon period…you cannot be playful and study at the last minute, as each STPM subject is much more detailed.
“However, I am grateful that I managed to buck up in the second semester, getting more disciplined and consistent in doing revisions,” she said.
Gee said she is interested in lab work and wants to study biotechnology overseas but also hopes that she could work in the industry locally. – Bernama, June 13, 2023
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