There are many things to do after your SPM examination. Write about your plans for the next three months
and the challenges you might face.

- by Wendy

Kwang Hua Private High School,

Klang, Selangor

Despite the fact the SPM examination is just round the corner, I have had the following 3 months after the examination planned, besides studying hard and doing last-minute revision.

The first plan for the 3-month period is what most teenagers would do after completing secondary school education - learning how to drive. My father has appointed one of his friends, who happens to be in the relevant line of work, as my driving instructor. According to my father, he is an experienced and patient teacher and I should have no problem passing the test and obtaining a licence if I cooperate fully with him. Since I have never driven before, one of the challenges that I might face is to familiarise myself with all the car parts and driving techniques, apart from equipping myself with the basic Knowledge of the engine. To me, some of these seem so complicated - especially the engine. Besides that, I also have a fear of large vehicles on the road, such as tankers, lorries and buses especially when I am riding in a car. Anyway, I am sure that with the assistance of my instructor, I will be able to rise to the challenges and obtain the passport and freedom to drive myself to wherever I want.

My second plan is to learn typewriting using the correct technique, that is, using all my 10 fingers and the right positions, particularly the former. Presently, I type with only a few fingers, which is obviously much slower. Instead of doing a typing course in an educational institution, my brother suggested that I learn from home using special software specially created for this purpose. There are, in fact, a lot of free software available from the Internet. Besides that, many websites also offer free online typing courses. Since it is much more economical and convenient, I agree with my brother’s suggestion. I may face challenge learning proper keyboarding technique as I am so used to the wrong way. Another challenge that I might face is perseverance, since I am learning on my own. Luckily, my benevolent brother offers to watch over me and monitor my progress. As such, I believe that I will be able to acquire the skills and type at a much higher speed with great accuracy after 3 months.

As I intend to further my studies after the release of my SPM examination results, my third plan is to improve my command of English and mathematical ability. I will be spending time to further familiarise myself with the grammar rules. I will also be doing a lot of reading and writing practice as they are two of the most effective methods to achieve my target. As for mathematics, since one’s mathematical skills take a lot of hard work to develop, I plan to start learning the higher level mathematics with the help of my friends who are currently undergraduates. The challenge that I may face for this plan is quite similar to the second - since I am unattached to any learning institutions, I may find it unnecessary to stick to this plan, even though I am aware of its benefits. But at least I have assistance. Therefore, I believe that I will stick to plan 3 as well.

I hope to be able to implement my plans and accomplish my goals. Whether I will be able to succeed depends a lot on my perseverance, determination and diligence. With these qualities, proper time management and help from family members, friends and driving instructor, I believe that it is possible to overcome all challenges and achieve my targets.