Elation.

My results have been released and without mincing words, it was just a lot lot better than I had expected or even dared to hope for.

What I posted on my Instagram (@tiffanykml):

I AM SO STUNNED. The sign I'm holding has been stuck on my window for a year but felt like a faraway dream and when my results came, especially in this form (90??? Borderline 90A*s, how amazing!), I knew it couldn't have been anything but God. No message could have been clearer that this could not have happened if not for Him so thank you God. If I had scored higher or differently, I might have foolishly thought it was my own doing. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't work for it.. But I could have only done so much and having all four subjects tell me the exact same thing is just proof that when you submit to God and put your faith in Him, He will deliver. And boy, does He deliver. Thank you!

-

To be honest, I am torn from feeling extremely undeserving, extremely blessed, and very very blown away. Although I’ve always been a decent scorer in school, I never really saw myself as a 4A* kind of girll. Sure, I aimed for it. And I definitely wanted to be one, but I always felt that it was a league above my own that I could maybe just touch. .

You know how there are smart kids in your school who would score excellently and be greeted with “Figures!” or “I’m not surprised” from others.. Well, I never considered myself that kid. I was more of the one that if I scored well, people wouldn’t be in disbelief but it wouldn’t exactly have been ‘expected’ either.

But after my results were released and I posted them up, I was so amazed to have people tell me '”I knew you could do it” and “I’m not surprised”. Even more so when I get told that “You deserve it” and “I’m really happy for you”. From the bottom of my heart, I was so touched that people would have had faith in me to score so well and it is something that just makes me realize how important the support of the people around you can be.

So, I’m posting this because I’m very very grateful and blessed by my results. I hope that the rest of you have heard brilliant news from your respective exam boards and I wish you the best! I was really nervous before getting my results but a healthy dose of Robert Downing Jr. pretty much did the trick.

And well..

LSE, HERE I COME!!!!

Results Day!

I know I’ve been MIA for a pretty long time but I guess it’s time to face reality!

Results day is drawing much closer and there are a lot of things to worry about come August 13th!

1. Results!

Will my results be good enough to be able to make it for my Firm uni? And if not, will my insurance choice accept me since they have the same requirement? Do I know enough about Clearing and Adjustment? What about considering a gap year?

http://www.ucas.com/ homepage has been adjusted to answer these questions and I’m really grateful that the information is easily accessible!  

2. What next?

If I do make it, what do I have to do? I know I have to get my Visa information settled. I definitely have to go out and take that pesky UK Visa photo and have to ensure that I have been tested for tuberculosis. Only two clinics in Kuala Lumpur have been registered and UK-certified for this test so it’s really important that the clinic you go to is one that has been approved.

I also have to pack! 30kg for normal travellers from Malaysian Airlines but 40kg for students so I have to confirm my flight in September then make sure that my accommodation in UK will be ready to take me in.  

Also, I should sign up for Freshers events and those hosted by the Malaysian Society to fully prepare us to head off to the UK. I should also probably look up the books in my preliminary reading list and get started on some of them.

Then… Goodbyes and hellos await!

Yikes!

All the best to the rest! May we all do well! *fingers crossed*

Handy Dandy Webpages

It's May and all of us taking international CIE A Levels know that means it's exam time! I've just completed 2 papers and have 6 more papers to go till I'm officially free from exams for the summer!!

However, in the midst of the studying and preparation, I've subscribed to a few websites to better prepare myself for the UK!

I've certainly found them helpful and I hope you do too! If the links aren't clickable, then just copy and paste them into your browser! :)

http://www.studentbeans.com/
- Not only does the site link you to good deals and discounts, they often publish helpful guides from cooking gourmet meals with a microwave to spending on a budget!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/6168030/Money-saving-tips-a-students-guide.html
- I'm coming across as really thrifty, aren't I? But I suppose it is a major concern for many who are planning to study in London so here's a guide on how to spend!

http://m.rediff.com/getahead/2007/jul/27abr1.htm
- And a less useful, but absolutely hilarious take on how to survive in the IK. Don't know how true that is but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

It would be helpful to download a map of the area you're heading for and scouring your nearest Tesco or Pound Store to work out how much you'd have to bring from home and how easy it is to get stuff there! And for us Asians, keep an eye out for Chinatown!

Till next time!

All decisions are in, so.. where do I live?

I’m actually really embarrassed for having not updated in so long, but the fact of the matter is that I was too anxious waiting for my replies, and once I got them, I was so busy with my trial examinations (some call them mocks) that I didn’t get around to sitting down and writing something.

Well, all the universities have decided and whilst the anxiety of waiting for results has passed, making a decision is proving to be conflicting as well.

At the moment, I’m leaning more heavily towards my London universities but meeting the conditions of my offer may prove to be difficult as well. =/

Queen Mary has a requirement of A*AA.

LSE has a requirement of A*AA.

Nottingham has a requirement of AAA.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a scholarship student under the Central Bank of Malaysia, meaning that they’ll be sponsoring my education abroad providing I meet my requirements. With that being said, the bank also has the final decision as to which universities I’m allowed to place as my firm and insurance choices.

Whilst this takes away some stress over which university to pick, it doesn’t mean that decisions are out of the picture either.

Certain universities require us to pick them as our firm choice before allowing us to choose our accommodation whereas others allow us to apply but will not consider it till we’ve made our decision. LSE belongs to the latter group and in the past few weeks, my friends and I who hold offers to this university have been scrambling to decide which accommodation to pick. For those looking to reside in London, here’s a few things to consider: -

• Intercollegiate or university hall?

- Certain universities have their own private halls, meaning that you’d be living with your fellow university mates. Intercollegiate halls are halls which incorporate a combination of a few universities. For example, King’s College and Queen Mary are both under University of London. Thus, you could be living with people from various universities in the same area.

• Catered?

I’m looking forward to going overseas and living the life of independence, meaning cooking on my own, etc. However, it does seem a little inconvenient and some halls have dining halls with catered meals. You have to decide if you’d rather have not-so-good food and convenience, or a little hassle but more choice.

• En-suite?

How comfortable are you with sharing a toilet with 6 other people?

• Travel?

Would you like to cycle to university? Does your accommodation allow you that privilege? Or would you rather walk.. commute.. take a bus?

Unfortunately, not all of this information can be found at once place, but I found The Student Room extremely helpful. The website of your university would give you some basic information as well, but it really is worth doing extra research to find out a little bit more, rather than just trust the official photograph on the website.

Till next time!

Quick updates.

It's Chinese New Year in Malaysia and we're all on a week long break to usher in the new year. With trials coming up in a month and A2 looming close in May, it's going to be difficult to keep my eyes on both my studies and my wonderful holiday.

However, for a little good news to encourage me along, I've finally gotten my second offer with an AAA requirement :D This means I definitely have my insurance school, which isn't only reassuring, but lifts a huge load of pressure off my shoulders in case I don't meet my firm's offer of A*AA.

For those still waiting for offers, hang in there! I submitted my application ages ago in September and still haven't heard from LSE. It's totally normal to have universities take their time to reply (according to The Student Room) and hey, at least it isn't a rejection!

However, who those who have received rejections instead of offers, keep your chin up! There's always time for the rest of the universities to respond positively and you don't know what great things lie ahead of you! :)

I wish you all the best and a very prosperous Chinese New Year.

Wait- Hmm…

I’m sorry, UCAS, but I’m not happy with you.

Every time you send me an email, I get irrationally excited, only to realize that rather than it being another offer from UCAS Track, you’re sending me an update from UCAS Media or UCAS Connect (heh?) and as useful as the information may be, it’s just another reminder that universities really can’t seem to make up their mind about taking me in.  

Rather than emails titled ‘Thank you for your application..” or “Latest news..” which although I rationally know isn’t about an offer, how about start every other email with ‘NOT OFFER RELATED – Latest news, etc.”

Now wouldn’t that be a little less misleading?

Jokes aside, it’s been a little quiet from my universities and whilst no news is good news in terms of it not being a rejection, it’s also fuel to this ridiculous flame of suspicion I have that somehow, my application must’ve gotten lost… somewhere?

As I’m still waiting for replies from two London universities and with one London conditional offer in hand, I’m starting to think that I’m better off studying in London than anywhere else. After all, it is the city centre.

I’m compiling a list of pros and cons of London universities versus places in the outskirts so stay tuned and I’ll get that up as fast as I can. Meanwhile, if you do have any reasons as to why you would choose London over other parts of the UK, do let me know in the comments!

Till then!

Mayday!!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair...

It was AS results time.

For hours, the students in my batch were wound like a wire with tension in the air. Nary a conversation had anything else to do besides the results. When it was finally time for them to be released, my class was cancelled due to the sheer disruption as some headed home to check in solitude, whilst others like myself whipped out their phones to check immediately.

In short, I did alright.

For certain subjects, I felt disappointed for I hoped I could have scored better but I'm still grateful to God for having blessed me so far with results which put me in a position of a safe A for A2. Still, if I am to meet my A*AA offer, I'm going to have to work doubly hard than I am at the moment to really do well.

And advice to those checking their results?

- Do it alone. If you feel like sharing how you did, then meet up with everyone else later. Otherwise, it's going to be very upsetting if (God forbid!) you score badly and people ask for your results.

- Don't compare. I have friends who were initially satisfied with their results but after comparing with other friends who did better, they felt very dissatisfied with themselves. At the end of the day, as long as you meet the required grade, that percentile should only matter for your A2 - not to brag about or feel sad for.

- Be prepared for the worst and hope for the best! Whilst I am a strong advocator of hope, I really do strongly advise against optimism to the point of expecting brilliant results. Whilst you can generally tell how you did after sitting for the paper, anything can happen and it’s much better off to expect little and receive more than expecting more and receiving little. Essay subjects like Economics really can be rather unpredictable and you won’t be quite sure till you receive your results..

Till next time!

And that's that.

Cambridge University has always been renowned for its reputation and prestige. Admission to such a university is bound to bring about gasps of awe and a fair bit of respect from peers, teachers, and prospective employers. But unfortunately, I won't be heading there.

I applied for Cambridge with low expectations, not expecting much from such a renowned university. As an international applicant, I interviewed in Malaysia and took the Cambridge Law Test.

The Cambridge application journey is a long one, complete with its fair share of trials. For starters, considering how I took my AS after application period, my forecast results were of huge importance. I had to write my personal statement much earlier than the 15th Jan deadline (before the end of September!) and had mock interviews by my college and education sponsor.

When the application was finally sent out, the journey didn't end there. We had to go through an interview by the universities' representative and for my course, I had to sit for the Cambridge Law Test.

When it all came down to it and the offers were sent out, I found out I was placed in the Winter Pool, which to be honest, already exceeded my expectations.

The Winter Pool or inter-College Pool is an important part of the undergraduate application process for Cambridge University in England, intended to ensure that the best applicants are offered places if they are not selected by the college to which they applied. Any strong applicant who cannot be offered a place by their first choice college will be placed in the Pool and other colleges will be recommended to consider them.

Being pooled is another situation all together. Rather than the direct disappointment of a rejection, there was the added suspense of the wait. I scoured forums for news on other poolees and cheered for those who got 'fished' and sighed with those who 'drowned'. Alas, a week after I was informed of being pooled, I received my rejection email.

At the moment, I only have 1 offer, and this rejection puts me at a 50% rejection which isn't the most encouraging. >.< Still, I'm trying to keep my chin up and hope my AS results are to my chosen universities' satisfaction and they will suddenly decide that they would want another Malaysian law student at their establishment.

As for Cambridge, I felt that I didn't do as well for my interview. I could have put a lot more thought into what my responses were rather than immediately answering with mediocre statements. The Cambridge Law Test, on the other hand, was a joy to do and if all law tests were like that, I would definitely enjoy it.

Although applying for Cambridge in itself is a tedious process and it ultimately ended in a rejection, I'm still glad I gave it a shot and would encourage others to apply as well if they are in the position to. It's definitely an experience and at least you can always say you tried. The interviews and tests are lessons in their own right as well so regardless of the outcome, you would've gained something.

I'll probably blog about my AS results soon and work on being more active on this site. :)

Till then!