Form 6. Pre-U.
I’ve often doubted my decision. To tell the truth, like many other students before me, I really doubted my decision to study Form 6. After SPM, most of my friends were packing their bags and heading off to college but only a handful of them choose to take the road not taken. (It’s just an expression, ok?) And I was one of them.
Frankly, I had no idea what to choose. I didn’t have a mind set on what to study. I’m weak in Math, Physics and Chemistry and that just minuses my chances in taking the Science stream. But I love English and Arts, which unfortunately I’ve been told so many times that I won’t earn much if I venture in them. And to make this worse, money is the biggest obstacle. If you lack money, college is definitely a no no. So, I had no choice, the road ahead was foggy, bumpy and with as many obstacles as you can possibly imagine. So I decided, or rather my mum decided being a Pre-U student was the best choice there was. Not that I had many choices.
When I first entered Form 6, I was even more unsure of what stream to choose. Accounts, arts or Science? I seriously took this into consideration since this one tiny decision will affect me and my future. I spent one whole week debating with myself on this, weighing the pros and cons. I have entirely no basics in Accounting which to me seems like a really scary subject. Arts? That’s fine but I really can’t bear to be separated from my friends. Science? Here’s a secret, I cried when thinking about this, yes, don’t laugh, tears and all. Burdened by the fact that this little decision will affect my future and the other fact that I’ll probably be separated from my best friends. But in the end, I did not have the courage to venture into Science, I chose I safer route, Accounts. With no basics, it was a tough and risky choice.
6 Rendah 2, that’s the class I landed in. A friend once told me frankly that that class seemed to be the ‘bad’ class and perhaps the teachers won’t be good. I was really down at that time, agreeing and believing what she said. I have never been in any class besides the first class (Amanah, Science) and just thinking that cause I had no basics in Accounts I was ‘forced’ to go to the second Accounts class. But gradually I came to accept the fact.
Let me tell you, sitting in a classroom, full of new faces and trying to make friends is really hard. Believe me. the last time I tried was when I was in Form 1, so I was out of practice. Besides my former classmates, the rest of the class were from another school and we had nothing in common. It took quite some time to get used to each other and to remember names. But still, I made it, we made it.
My classmates are all nice people, some weird, but we got along quite well. And the teachers were great. In Form 6, the lines between a teacher and a student starts to blur, that’s when a student gets enough courage to ask and seek for guidance and even joke around with a teacher. We joke around during lessons, sometimes things might get a little overboard but still in the end this bond is as strong as ever.
Form 6, Lower or Upper is considered the last time where you’ll have to wear a lousy white & blue uniform, wear a tie, clip your hair properly, not allowed to grow bangs, banned from bringing a hand phone and all those other silly rules. But still, I kept up with everything, thinking that this will be the very last time I’ll be able to enjoy life of being a simple, carefree student. How many times have I said to myself that I really hate school, homework, exams and needing to wake up at 6 in the morning? But deep down, I know this hate is only temporary. I know I’ll one day look back, sigh and say how I miss those golden days.
I truly have learnt a lot during Form 6. I’ve learned that education can come in many ways and doesn’t just revolve around books and exams. I’ve learned many things on and off out textbooks, things that I’ve never known before when I was younger. I’ve learned to not exactly follw rules but to bend them to my will and to grasp that golden opportunity that won’t always present itself to you. I’ve learned that friends play an even bigger role than teachers. Besides copying homework from them (Opps), friends are the ones we turn to and will listen and accompany us all the way. My friends have been with me from the beginning to the end, minus a few squabbles. They’ve taught me so much and I feel indebted to them and how I feel towards them, words cannot express.
Form 6 isn’t just about STPM. It’s really about everything. We get the chance to apply things we have learned from our textbooks. We learn to lead the lower form students in co-curricular activities, organize meetings, R&D (which I think isn’t of much use), do proper planning, writing reports after every activity and also generating proper and mature ideas. We learn to be creative by decorating our classrooms and tables. Seriously, did you know that my class was decorated using just newspaper, cardboard and old sugar paper? And we wrap up our tables with newspaper too!
Form 6 or Pre-U is a time when we get to express ourselves and find our true potential, to clear up the fog ahead a bit and to set a goal. Form 6 is tough but people like us Form 6-sers are even tougher! I have come to accept that my memories here will last forever and that this has shaped and nurtured me even more!
Thank you PRA-U KA2, Pn Chandrika(the best class teacher, ever), G.A.s, and mum (for helping me make that decision)!!!
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