Almost done with STPM, here's my experience if anyone is interested in it

I actually asked about pre-u programmes 2 years ago on here, decided to take up STPM bcs my SPM 2020 result was good. I coped well despite the pandemic and all. Biggest regret was actually not applying for matrikulasi, but that was bcs I didnt think I would do well in SPM and become one of the lucky 10% of non-bumis lol.

Because of the pandemic my STPM duration got stretched into about 20 or 21 months? My semester 1 exam got delayed and at one point I was so afraid that it would demotivate me a lot. (if u just want the conclusion just scroll to the bottom)

Sem 1- I'm in science stream, just to give everyone a clearer picture. Road was hella bumpy tbh. The subjects we learned were more like a continuation of what we learned in SPM. Initially I was like "oh i know this one" and slacked off a bit during online lectures, it was a dumb move. I was also adapting new methods of studying because whatever method worked in SPM didn't apply well in STPM. So I pretty much did poorly this round, but safe to say I didn't fail any subjects in Sem 1 exam, teacher recommended me to fix some of my subjects' grade (even if sudah lulus penuh) to a better grade, so I decided to pay rm100 to repeat 2 subjects.

Sem 2- I actually think I did way better this sem, mainly because I was relieved that I didn't fail anything in Sem 1 and I got a hang of studying consistently. One pain in the ass was Kerja Kursus Pengajian Am, juggling that along with classes was difficult, thankfully my teacher was super efficient and helpful so I could complete mine in time and had more time later in the semester to focus on the Sem 2 exam. I did way better this round.

Sem 3- Semester 3 was ok-ok. I kinda fell out a bit because it was the last semester and fatigue hit me. The idea of it ending soon slowed me down a bit. I also needed to revise on ulangan subjects, which I did not focus on in sem 2. Some of my lab practical was also quite stressful this round, so it distracted me a little from my studies. My exam is in April, we're done with the syllabus already since there is a long break soon until March, the timing is shit, i know.

So, the question is, is it worth it? In terms of what I study, it's fine. I find myself liking the subjects I study so in terms of the syllabus, I don't have much issues with it. However the skema pemarkahan can be annoying, especially for pengajian am. Basically they will come up with the most KBAT thing and allow creative room in answering, but there is an answer scheme. That's the part i dislike the most, end up being super robotic and memorise essay points frm past year papers, which is kinda pointless imo.

But one thing I didn't enjoy was the environment I was in. My classmates were alright from the start, but many started losing momentum and were like half-assing during classes. It wasn't an issue but some of my lab practicals required group work and I wished that we could be more productive as a team, because the marks are included in the overall PNGK. So yeah, who you study with is also important. One more thing I don't like is also the duration, the fatigue can really hit but how you deal with it is very important.

Anyway I didnt like my experience in general. Being able to cope with the syllabus and exams is one thing, but the learning environment hugely influences my overall experience as well. I'm the kind of person that relies heavily on the environment to be productive. You will be lucky if you have good teachers and classmates. My teachers definitely know what they're doing, but I can tell they were influenced by my class' low energy sometimes, which demotivated me very much. My advice to anyone interested in stpm is, if u wanna do it, do it seriously, but as soon as u realise you're not fit for it, just stop wasting ur time struggling (provided u have the money for other alternatives). Hopefully I can say that the outcome from this is worth it after all this struggle