Berry Role Model No.2 – Budding Scientist/A-Level Student – Yvonne Choo

March 13, 2010

Welcome to Part 2 of the Berry Role Model Series. Today, we have with us a very interesting personality, Miss Yvonne Choo from INTI University College Nilai who is multi-talented. Finding a talent like her is difficult, but describing her is even more difficult. Why? Because Berry Berry Easy could not decide on how to introduce her to our Berry Readers, since her interests and skills transcend many boundaries. You can call her a budding scientist, a hardcore ballerina, a keen pianist (she can play the guitar too) and a full-time samaritan. Now, you see why it is so hard to describe her.

She is also the author behind the wonderful compilation of notes and tips found in Yvonne’s Study Guide (as linked on Berry Links) aka Short Square’s Study Guide. Mind you, all her notes are original and created painstakingly by herself. In an interesting twist, her study materials do not only come in notes form, they also come in songs and videos.

Since Berry Berry Easy finds it hard to justify her talents with words, we think it is best if we let Yvonne answer questions about herself. So without further delay, we bring you:

Role Model #2 – Budding Scientist/Cambridge A-Level (Science) Student – Yvonne Choo

Yvonne Choo

1) Who are you?

> I’m Yvonne Choo Shuen Lann, a chinese born Malaysian with a hope to change the world with science. I’m currently pursuing Cambridge A-level at INTI University College Nilai. Proud to say, I’m a former student of SMK Cyberjaya.

2) So what do you do daily as an A-level student? (A typical day routine)

> Basically, I’ll have to wake up early in the morning as the morning class starts at 8. There will be classes from 8 till 12 noon, then comes the 2 hours lunch break before the other half of the day begins from 2 o’clock in the afternoon till 6 in the evening. I’m taking four subjects, that explains why my timetable is always packed. But come to think of it, I feel pretty much content I have 2 hours lab sessions each for the three science subjects that I’m taking mainly Chemistry, Biology and Physics and an hour tutorial session every Friday.

When I return home in the evening, I’ll look through the homework (it’s called tutorial, reports or assignments) before doing them. This way, I’ll be able to make sure everything is well planned. In the evening, if there’s still time, I’ll look through the the topics that was taught by my lecturers and even prepare some topics in advance. This practically sums up my typical day routine as an A-level student.

3) What do you aspire to be in the future?

> I wanted to become a scientist with chemistry as my major and biotechnology as my minor. I also wanted to become a part time author – writing reference books, novels and also journals.

4) Why do you want to be a scientist in the future? Who/What was/is your inspiration?

> Why scientist? It’s a long story… I was not a science enthusiast in my primary school. I dislike science. After all it’s just a subject, I told myself. When the teacher called me to fill up the ambition column, I wrote: scientist, doctor and novelist. Weird ain’t it? But that kept me wondering for a while too. When I was caught scribling in books during science class (I was in standard 4), my science teacher challenged me. ‘What do you want to score in science?’ She asked. I told her ‘an A’. She smiled as that was like the most impossible thing in the world. I scored badly in science when I was young. I think that’s where I began to be more focused in science.

When I stepped into standard 5, I began to think more on science. At that time, the case that was often mentioned was deforestation which will cause catastrophe to the world. That is where I started to think ‘I could change the world’. I dreamed of an invention that till now is still in my diary (hopefully one day, that’ll be my very first invention as a scientist). I showed interest in science when I was in secondary school. My teachers spotted that interest in me and gave me test tubes, conical flask and also beaker as a reward when I got high marks and won in some science competition. My parents bought me a toy microscope and telescope (don’t think it’s a toy and it won’t work) and that had basically filled up my free time. When I was in form 3, I thought I was in loved with biology in particular. But not until I met her, Pn Azura Ishak that I changed my mind. I started dreaming Chemistry all day long when I stepped into From 4. (To tell the truth, every teacher in SMK Cyberjaya inspired me in a way that I could not stop thanking them. Without them, I would not be who I am right now.) Then comes Marie Curie and many other scientist that gave me the idea to be strong and persistent. That is why till now no matter how impossible come to think of it, I will not give up and I think I’ll be able to be a successful scientist in the near future

5) On a personal note, tell us more about your passion for ballet.

> I started learning baby ballet at the age of 3 years old. My parents were the one that brought me there, patiently nurturing me in a way that I started to like ballet. I became greatly in love with ballet when my parents brought me all the way to Macau to watch two ballet by the National Ballet of China. They even bought VIP tickets for me so I could watch in a better view. That was really a memorable event I’d been through. My ballet teacher was there with me so I could enter the theater even the troupe were practicing. The way those ballet dancers dance inspired me to work harder and take ballet more seriously. ‘I am in love with ballet’ I told myself since then.

6) You seemed to have the hunger to help others. So tell us more about your motivation in wanting to produce a blog with study guide to help students.

> I like it when I can help others in the range that I’m capable of. I started making notes for myself since I was in form 4. The notes I made was hand-written on pieces of junk papers I obtained from various sources. Recycling in a way When my grand father saw my notes scattered all over, he volunteered to help me bind them together. I made 3 books for chemistry, 1 for biology, 1 for physics and some leaflets within the two years. One day, when I was preparing for my exams, I found out that the notes I did was more comprehensive than reference books because not many reference books that has everything inside. Some of them focused more on certain topics and neglected the others, some has nothing mentioned about some topics. That’s a disadvantage. ‘Which reference books should students choose then if they want every topic to be explained, should they just buy everything in the market?’ I thought. That’s where I thought of compiling notes from various sources into one. That’s where my notes comes in. ‘If I compile all my notes, everything will be in there and I will not need to spend more to buy every reference books.’

So I began to re-type my notes in the holidays while I revised. And little by little each day, I finally managed to compile some notes in my computer. Since some of my friends did ask me for my notes, I decided to post it online so everyone in need can download and print them for reference. That’s how it all started. The tips for certain subjects was added on due to the demand by readers. Overall, I think it’s a good start for my own book in the future

7) What satisfaction do you gain from producing those study guide?

> It’s not the monetary reward or anything like that that I’d been looking for. It’s the unexplainable satisfaction that comes within when readers and subscribers of my blog tells me that the notes and tips helped them, they improved. That is more than enough. That feeling of being able to contribute, being apprecited and being part of the helping-others family are more than anything in the world. I’ll be even happier when the notes and tips I provided in my blog helped them to score well in SPM!

8 ) Now that you are on track to pursue your dreams, can you give some Words of advice for our readers who wish to chase their dreams.

> I’d always believe in the saying ‘when there’s a will, there’s a way.’ That’s the saying that kept me going for years. When you aim or dream of something for your future, go straight and don’t be easily brought away by other factors. It will be hard at first but when it really comes true, I bet it’s worth sacrificed. Always follow your heart and also your wisdom as nothing is impossible if you believe.

-End-

The following work are a subset her passion/work thus far:

1. The Electrochemical Series song by Yvonne Choo
2. Collection of SPM Science Stream and Mathematics notes available at Yvonne’s Study Guide.
3. Game book “Survival Chemistry for Us All” – Form 5 Chapter 3 – Oxidation and Reduction (Check out the cute drawings)
4. Original short stories dating back to June 2008 can be found at http://balletrocks92.blogspot.com/
5. Last but not least, her talent and love for ballet.

Check out the photos of Yvonne the Ballerina in the gallery below.

So there you go, Ms Yvonne Choo, the person whom was described by many as “someone that likes to contribute”. We think that is an understatement for this bundle of helpful energy. Just click on the links and visit her sites, then you’ll know why. Do drop us a line too if you find her inspiring.

Posted in: Berry Role Model | 9 Comments »

SPM Results 2009 on 11th March 2010 – The Summary (Part 2)

March 12, 2010

With the general summary of SPM 2009 posted at http://berryberryeasy.com/2010/03/spm-results-2009/, now it is time to read about some other heart-warming story of success happening in the various states in Malaysia. As usual, Berry Berry Easy reads it and digest it in a summary form for Berry Readers.

Summary of SPM Results 2009 – 11th March 2010 – The Summary Part 2

Stories around Malaysia :

Johor:

• Tan Yee Ling of SMK Infant Jesus Convent was announced as the top scorer in the whole of Johor with 14A+s.
• Seven other students from SMK Infant Jesus Convent aside from Tan Yee Ling were also honoured as one of the top scorers of the state.
• V. Nadeera emerged as one of the highest scoring physically challenged students in the state of Johor with 7As and 2Bs. Success did not come easy due to having brittle bone disease which causes discomfort. Nonetheless, her determination overcame all pain. Nonetheless, she still felt disappointed with her BM paper results. (Berry Berry Easy would also like to highlight the nobility of her mum who has escorting her to school since Year 1. Much respect from the Berry Team)

Kedah:

• In the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations for 2009, nine students in Kedah scored straight A+s.
• The top achievers in Kedah are:
• 13A+ : Beh Yuan Ye (SMK Sin Min, Sungai Petani)
• 12A+ : Lim Aina (SMK Ibrahim) and B. Malathy (SMK Ibrahim)
• 11A+ : G. Sangeeta (SMK Sultanah Asma) and Kelvin Cheng Kah Wai (SMK Ibrahim)
• 10A+ : Cindy Eng Sing Yee (SMK Bakar Arang), Heng Yee Cheng (SMK Sultanah Asma), Ooi Yeon Wee (Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid)
• 9A+ : Muhammad Safuan Sabri (Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Kubang Pasu)
• Top school in Kedah with number of students scoring straight As
  56 candidates – SMJK(C) Keat Hwa
  47 candidates – SMK Sultanah Asma
  39 candidates – SMK Ibrahim
  30 candidates – SMK Sin Min
  28 candidates – SMK Badlishah

Sabah:

• Maimunah Suhaibul, the state education department deputy director announced that there are 95 candidates who scored straight As in SPM 2009.
• This represented a great leap in the results as only 14 straight As students were recorded in 2008 for Sabah.

Sarawak:

• In the greatest success story of SPM 2009, Gladys Tan Yee Kim of SMK Greeb Road, Kuching became the  top SPM 2009 student in Malaysia with 10A+’s.
• A detailed breakdown of the subjects that she took, showed that she got A+ in the Malay Language, English, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, History, Moral, Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
• Gladys’ secret to success is simple: Pay attention in class, listen to the teachers and do homework. (So students, heed the advices. If Gladys says so, it should not be too far from the truth)
• Choo Mei Theen of SMK St Teresa also emerged as one of the state’s top scorer with 10A+s.

Selangor:

• Miss Grace Kiew Sze-Ern of SMK(P) Sri Aman has emerged as the no.2 top scorer in Malaysia for SPM 2009 with 15A+s. Her feat is remarkable in today’s age of tuitions classes becoming ther norm, as she aced her examinations without requiring to attend tuition classes. Mind you, she is also a principal cellist in her school’s orchestra.
• Siti Aisyah of Klang has also emerged as one of the top scorers in the state of Selangor for last year’s SPM exams.

Penang:

• Sports and academic excellence can come hand-in-hand too, as Ashley Leow proved it. The lass from SMK(P) St George emerged as one of the top student in her school with 9A+s. She was a 2008 Sukma bronze medalist in the sport of Judo.
• Inter-class unions can also lead to success. Just ask Stephanie Chan, Ashley Leow (yeah, same person above) and Yeoh Jin Ming. All three of them scored 9A+s and had discussion on their academic problems despite not being in the same class.
• 41 out of 234 SMK(P) St George students scored straight As. None of them failed.
• An incredible 591 students from SMJK Jit Sin emerged among the top scorers with 10A+s. Among them are Moo Ching Yee and Chong Ker Ling.
• Other success stories include that of Lee Yu Wei from Kota Permai with 10A+s and 2As, and also Ng Kuan Haw from Taman Chai Leng, Prai with 9A+s, 1A- and 1A.

Perak:

• The success of Hu May Khei of SMK Convent Taiping in ranking as one of the top 10 candidates in the SPM 2009 examinations did not come as a surprise. Her school principal Che Su Mahamud were certainly not surprised as Hu May Khei has scored in all public examinations.

Malacca:

• Lai Yin Kwin of Malacca High School emerged as ranked no.8 in the nation for the SPM 2009 exams with 9As. His two elder sisters had also scored straight As in their respective SPM examinations. (Can Madam Ng Gek Choo, who is Lai’s mother share some secret of her kids success with Berry Berry Easy. Congratulations to Madam Ng on your kids success)

So there you go, success stories of SPM 2009 in Malaysia by states. For those who are mentioned here, you may also drop some comments. If you know anybody inside, you can also drop comments. If you meet neither conditions, you are still invited to drop us comments on your SPM results.

Posted in: Berry Announcement | 3 Comments »

SPM Results 2009 on 11th March 2010 – The Summary

March 11, 2010

Finally, the vintage class of 2009 for the Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia (SPM) 2009 will be able to know the outcome of their five-year secondary education, at least academic results wise. Congratulations to those who did well. Keep up the good work and try to work even harder when you start your tertiary education. For those who did not perform as expected, do not give up hope too. You’ll have many more chances in life to undo this setback.

As usual with every results announcement, Berry Berry Easy willattempt to summarise everything from major news portals periodically until they run out of news to announce. Expect periodical updates from noon onwards when all the news starts to trickle in. So, here you go, SPM 2009 Results on the 11th of March 2010.

Summary of SPM Results 2009 – 11th March 2010 – The Summary (Last update 12:56pm, 11th March 2010)

Breaking SPM 2009 news :

General Performance

[Summarised from : The Star website ~ 10pm 25/02/2010]

• 7,987 SPM 2009 students scored straight As in all the subjects that they took. This represents 1.71% of all students who took the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations in 2009, considering that there are 465,853 students overall.
• It was also announced by Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom that a grand total of 214 students scored above 90% for all subjects that they took. This awards them with A+ for all the subjects.
• We can then conclude that the score for A+ is 90%. So there are 214 straight A+ students nationwide. That equals to 0.046% of all SPM 2009 candidates in Malaysia. (Congratulations to all these students)
• Of the 214 straight A+ students, 41 are private candidates, students from private school, agency-sponsored schools (excluding the Education Ministry). This is from a total of 59,433 candidates of this category. (This meant that private candidates had 0.069% of its total students scoring straight A+ as compared to the national average of 0.046%. Private candidates had higher proportion of straight A+ students as compared to the national average.)
• 92.55% of the 52,348 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) candidates of 2009 obtained full pass. [NST 10pm 25/02/2010]

[Summarised from : Berita Harian website ~ 12pm 25/02/2010]

• A total of 364,046 candidates passed the SPM 2009 examinations. (This meant that only 78.1% of all SPM 2009 students in Malaysia passed their SPM)
• This representated a 16,603 increase in the number of students who passed SPM. (Percentage is uncertained)
• 49.6% of all candidates or 199,155 students obtained full passes in all the subjects they took. This representated an improvement to the 2008 percentage of students who passed all subjects of 47.4%.

The Top Student and Top School in SPM 2009 Malaysia

• Gladys Tan Yee Kim of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Green Road in Kuching, Sarawak has emerged as the Top Student of SPM 2009 with 10A+. (Congratulation to her too.)
• Sekolah Menengah Sains Seremban from Negeri Sembilan emerged as the best school in the nation for SPM 2009.

The Other Top 10 Best Students in Malaysia – SPM 2009

• 2) Grace Kiew Sze-Ern (SMK (P) Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya, Selangor)
• 3) Khadijah Ahmad Jais (SM Agama Persekutuan Labu, Negeri Sembilan)
• 4) Akmal Hidayat Sabri (SMK Derma, Kangar, Perlis)
• 5) Syamilah Mahali (Kolej Tunku Kurshiah Seremban, Negeri Sembilan)
• 6) Amelia Lee Wei Ling (SMK Taman Melawati, Selangor)
• 7) Nur Syuhadah Muhamad (SM Sains Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra, Kota Bharu, Kelantan)
• 8 ) Lai Yin Kwin (SMK Tinggi Melaka, Melaka)
• 9) Corinne Gunn Huey Min (SMK Taman Melawati, Selangor)
• 10) Hu May Khei (SMK Convent, Taiping, Perak).

The Other Top 10 Best School in Malaysia – SPM 2009

• 2) Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah, Klang, Selangor
• 3) Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi (SBPI) Gombak, Jalan Sungai Pusu, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur
• 4) Sekolah Tun Fatimah, Johor Bahru, Johor
• 5) Sekolah Menengah Sains Alam Shah, Kuala Lumpur
• 6) SBPI Rawang, Selangor
• 7) Sekolah Menengah Sains Muar, Johor
• SBPI Temerloh, Pahang
• 9) SMK Infant Jesus Convent, Johor Bahru, Johor
• 10) Kolej Tunku Kurshiah Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

Top Special Students in SPM 2009 Malaysia

• 1) Ng Jin Lui (SMK Gajah Berang, Malacca)
• 2) Teoh Bee Kah (SMK Convent Pulau Tikus, Penang)
• 3) Tan Bing Xuan (SMK Ave Maria Convent, Ipoh)
• 4) Ahmad Rahimi Sudin (SBPI Kuantan, Kuantan)

Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM)

• 3,138 candidates for the Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) 2009 or 66.9% of all candidates obtained the STAM certification with the minimum grade of at least the pass grade or ‘Maqbul’.
• This represented an increase 0f 0.8% from the 2008 value.
• Attention: STAM is STPM equivalent rather than SPM equivalent. So they are not the same

The Berry Berry Teacher would like to know how the candidates do in their SPM 2009 exams. Do drop us a line and share with us your success and heartache stories.

Posted in: Berry Announcement | 8 Comments »

Berry Berry Top Public University in Malaysia (IPTA) Year 2010

March 10, 2010

Berry Berry Easy will be publishing the “biased” list of Top Public University in Malaysia (IPTA). Every list that are published usually will have its own detractors and admirers. So, do not read too much into the ranking of this list. It’s totally unscientific and based upon the perception of the Berry Berry Team.(And yes, we do know that USM is the only APEX university in Malaysia. Yet, most published world rankings put UM above USM. )

Berry Berry Easy would also like to inform the public on the nature of such lists. It is often that the overall ranking of a university do not reflect the quality of the individual schools/faculty. So it is best if students who are interested in registering a specific course take note of the individual faculty ranking rather than the overall university ranking. (For example: A top ranked school might not have not have a better faculty of engineering as compared to a middle range university’s faculty of engineering). Also, the metric used to gauge a university might not be agreeable between from person to person. Most list weighs heavily on research excellence, but students might be more interested in quality of teaching alone. So take list with a pinch of salt and enjoy our Berry Berry List. We hope to spark some discussion on the comments section with this list.

Berry Berry Top Public University in Malaysia (IPTA) Year 2010

The top 10

1. Universiti Malaya / Malaya University or University of Malaya (UM), 1905 located at Kuala Lumpur.
2. Universiti Sains Malaysia / University of Science, Malaysia (USM), 1969 located at Gelugor, Penang.
3. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia / National University of Malaysia (UKM), 1970 located at Bangi, Selangor.
4. Universiti Putra Malaysia / Putra University of Malaysia (UPM), 1971 located at Serdang, Selangor.
5. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia / University of Technology, Malaysia (UTM), 1972 located at Skudai, Johor.
6. Universiti Teknologi Mara / MARA University of Technology (UiTM), 1999 located at Shah Alam, Selangor.
7. Universiti Malaysia Sabah / University of Malaysia, Sabah (UMS), 1994 located at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
8. Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIA) / International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), 1983 located at Gombak, Selangor.
9. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak / University of Malaysia, Sarawak (UNIMAS), 1992 located at Kota Samarahan, Sarawak
10. Universiti Utara Malaysia / Utara University, Malaysia (UUM), 1984 located at Sintok, Kedah.

Unranked

• Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia / Islamic Science University of Malaysia, 1998 located at Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
• Universiti Malaysia Pahang / University of Malaysia, Pahang (UMP), 2002 located at Kuantan, Pahang.
• Universiti Malaysia Perlis / University of Malaysia, Perlis, 2001 located at Arau, Perlis.
• Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris / Sultan Idris University of Education (UPSI), 1997 located at Tanjung Malim, Perak.
• Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka / Technical University of Malaysia, Melaka (UTeM), 2000 located at Durian Tunggal, Melaka
• Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia / Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia (UHTM), 2000 located at Batu Pahat, Johor.
• Universiti Malaysia Kelantan / University of Malaysia, Kelantan (UMK), 2006 located at Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.
• Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia / National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM), 2006 located at Kuala Lumpur.
• Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia / Darul Iman University of Malaysia (UDM), 2005 located at Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu.
• University Malaysia Terengganu / University of Malaysia, Terenganu (UMT), 1999 located at Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu

We welcome all discussion regarding this list. Tell us what you think.

Posted in: Berry Announcement | 2 Comments »

SPM Results 2009 – NS Trainees are Allowed to Go Back Earlier

March 8, 2010

This is an unscheduled post by Berry Berry Easy to disseminate the breaking news for the benefit of the National Service (NS) trainees (and their family members) who would be collecting their SPM 2009 results on 11th March 2010.

SPM Results 2009 – First Batch of NS Trainees Allowed to Go Back Home – 10th March 2010

The Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Ahamd Hamidi made the announcement that the first batch of NS trainees may return home on 10th of March 2010, in time to be with their families to collect their SPM results. This meant that they will be able to go home four days ahead of the earlier proposed schedule. It is said that the first batch is made up of 30,219 trainees currently undergoing training in 79 camps in the whole of Malaysia.

So parents, please take note and remember to pick up your children. For other readers, please inform those who might be interested in this piece of news.

Posted in: Berry Announcement | 1 Comment »

Berry Berry Easy Upcoming Education Events 2010 – Overseas

March 7, 2010

Ever dreamt of going overseas to study? But brush away the idea from your head thinking that you cannot afford it? Well, get that thinking off your head and start thinking positively. Go attend education fairs, there will be scholarships on offer. Some waives application fee. You’ll even get goodie bags. So, all school leavers please take note!!! Berry Berry Easy wish to inform both STPM and SPM-leavers to take note on the upcoming education fairs or seminars. So, you would-be globe-trotters, get ready to visit:

Upcoming Education Events in Malaysia 2010 (1) for Oversea Studies

1) Berry Berry Easy Information on Education in Australia 2010

So if you want to see the outbacks and experience the laid-back style of the Aussies, check out:

Friday, 5 March 2010

• Venue: IDP Subang Jaya
• Time: 11.00 am to 4.00 pm

Saturday, 6 March 2010

• Venue: Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
• Time: 11.00 am to 5.00 pm

Sunday, 7 March 2010

• Venue: G Hotel, Penang
• Time: 12.00 noon to 5.00 pm

Tuesday, 9 March 2010

• Venue: The Puteri Pacific Hotel, Johor Bahru
• Time: 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm

Thursday, 11 March 2010

• Venue: Hilton Hotel, Kuching
• Time: 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm

Friday, 12 March 2010

• Venue: Le Meridien Hotel, Kota Kinabalu
• Time: 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm

For more information: http://www.malaysia.idp.com/upcoming_events_2009.aspx

2) Berry Berry Easy Information on Education in the United Kingdom (UK) 2010

Excited about the English Premier League? Want to be near the action? Or you just love the Britsh accent? Then maybe studying in UK will be a good experience for you. So head out to:

Saturday, 20 March 2010 – Sunday, 21 March 2010

• Venue: Hall 1, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur
• Time 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm

Tuesday, 23 Mar 2010

• Venue: Grand Ballroom, G Hotel, Penang
• Time: 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm

Thursday, 25 Mar 2010

• Venue: Petra Room, Pullman Hotel, Kuching
• Time: 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm

Saturday, 27 Mar 2010

• Venue: Ballroom, Le Meridien, Kota Kinabalu
• Time: 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm

For more information: http://www.britishcouncil.org/malaysia.htm

3) Berry Berry Easy Information on Education in Germany 2010

Which is the largest economy in Europe? Yes, Germany. Which is the place where most great cars are made? Think Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen.. Yes, Germany again! So if you are interested in technical courses, Germany might be the destination for you. So try check out the options below and try to gather more information.

Information and advice:

Daad Information Centre KL
No. 1, Jalan Langgak Golf
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel No.: 03 – 21480568
Fax: 03 – 21480568
E-Mail: info@daadkl.org
WWW: ic.daad.de/kualalumpur

Dr. Harald Olk
University of Malaya
German Section
Fakulti Bahasa Dan Linguistik
(Dept. of Asian and European Languages)
50503 Kuala Lumpu
E-Mail: info@daadkl.org

Application and Information:
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
26th floor, Menaratan & Tan
207 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur

For more information: http://www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programmes/07535.de.html

3a) Study Visits / Study Seminars and Practicals in Germany by Groups of Foreign Students

• Objective: to carry out a study visit / study seminar and practical training in Germany under the leadership of a university teacher.
• Target Group: student groups.
• Application deadlines: 15 November / 15 February /15 May each year.

3b) University Summer Courses in Germany for Foreign Students and Graduates

• Objective: to attend a German language and area studies course or technical language course offered by a state or state-recognised German higher education institution.
• Target Group: students and graduates.

4) Get Berry Berry Easy Information on Education in Japan 2010

Sushi, sumo wrestling, shinkansen, Doraemon and Ayumi Hamasaki. What do they have in common? I don’t think I need to answer that for any of you readers. If you are interested in the Japanese culture, you might want to experience life there by spending your tertiary education life over there. So, for those who are interested, do check out:

Education Counselling Service at Japan Information Service (JIS), Embassy of Japan for year 2010 is available at http://www.my.emb-japan.go.jp/English/JIS/study.htm

Generally, Education Counselling Service is available from 10:00 am-12:00 noon every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (except public holidays and embassy holidays).

If you have any enquiries about studying in Japan, you may call 03-21772600 (ext. 185) during counselling hours. You may also visit the Education Counsellor at the embassy (walk-in) during counselling hours. Although no reservation is required, you are advised to call to enquire if the Education Counsellor is available at JIS before making your trip to the Embassy of Japan.

So there you go, four locations as recommended by the Berry Berry Teacher if you are thinking of heading to overseas for your tertiary education. So do check out the fairs or write them a line if you are interested in any of the places. We have heard of many stories of unexpected scholarship offers in the fairs. Now the difficult question, where to go? Australia? The United Kingdom? Germany? or Japan?

Posted in: Berry Announcement, Berry Recommendation (Recommendation) | 4 Comments »

SPM Biology Form 4 Notes – Terminology and Concepts: Cell Structure and Cell Organisation (Part IV)

March 6, 2010

Finally, the 4th or concluding post in the series for SPM Biology Form 4 notes on Cell Structure and Cell Organisation.(Do check out the previous three post on the same topic, easiest to find by clicking on “related posts”) To close this chapter, Berry Berry Easy would like to focus on cell organisation and their differences in various organisms. Be sure to read all four posts as a whole to understand the whole picture.

SPM Form 4 – Terminology and Concepts: Cell Structure and Cell Organisation (Part IV)

Cell Organisation

Unicellular – A single cell performs all the basic life process. Example: Amoeba sp., Paramecium sp., Chlamydomonas, Bacteria and Euglena.

Multicellular – An organism consists of more than one cell. Each group of cell specialized to carry our life processes. Example: Homo sapien (human), animals and plants. It has five levels of organisation

1. Cells: basic units of structure and function.
   Example: Red blood cells and xylem vessel cells.
2. Tissues: made up of cells with similar in structure and function.
   Example: Epithelial tissues and vascular tissues.
3. Organs: made up of tissues that perform a specific function.
   Example: Heart and flower.
4. System: two of more organs that perform a specific function.
   Example: Digestive system and root system.
5. Organisms: whole living thing that carry out all the basic life processes.
   Example: Human and durian tree.

Cell Organisation (Unicellular) in Amoeba sp. (lives in freshwater ponds) and Paramecium sp. (lives in soil and moist area)

1. Cell structure

• Amoeba sp.: plasma membrane, food vacuole, contractile vacuole, pseudopodium, nucleus, ectoplasma, endoplasm.
• Paramecium sp.: food vacuole, posterior contractile vacuole, cytostome, gullet, oral groove, cilia, macronucleus, micronucleus, anterior contractile vacuole.

2. Locomotion

• Amoeba sp.: Pseudopodium (false foot) helps it to move forward slowly and it is known as amoeboid movement.
• Paramecium sp.: Hair-like cilia to beat against water. It beats its cilia backwards diagonally (swim forward) and it rotates on its axis. It beats its cilia forward (swim backwards).

3. Feeding

• Amoeba sp.: Omnivore. Eat bacteria, plant cells, algae and other microscopic organisms.

1. Entrapment – extend pseudopodium.
2. Engulfment – engulf tiny food (phagocytosis) with its pseudopodia.
3. Digestion – food enclosed in food vacuole
4. Absorption – enzyme digests the bacteria
5. Egesting – expel indigestible material.

• Paramecium sp.: Eat bacteria, organic material and other microscopic organisms.

1. Sweeping – movement of cilia. Food moves along the oral groove into the gullet and cytostome.
2. Digestion – food vacuole circulates round the cell.
3. Elimination – undigested food is eliminated at the anal pore.

4. Reproduction

• Amoeba sp.: two types of reproduction.

1. Binary Fission – nucleus divides (favourable condition) and then follows by division of cytoplasm. Two daughter cells are formed (mitotic division).
2. Spore Formation – spores form (bad condition) and germinate into new amoeba under favourable condition.

• Paramecium sp.: two types of reproduction.

1. Binary Fission – micronucleus undergoes mitosis (favourable condition). Macronucleus begins to elongation and form two. Cell content divide and two daughter cells are formed.
2. Conjugation (Sexual reproduction) – two same species parent paramecia exchange genetic material of their micronuclei. Each parent divides and forms four daughter cells.

5. Osmoregulation

• Amoeba sp.: water moves into the cell by osmosis and prevention of bursting, it has a contractile vacuole.
• Paramecium sp.: water moves into the cell by osmosis and prevention of bursting, it has two contractile vacuoles.

6. Respiration

• Amoeba sp. and Paramecium sp. (both): exchange gases throughout the whole cell membrane

7. Excretion

• Amoeba sp. and Paramecium sp. (both): waste products are ammonia and carbon dioxide by diffusion. Solid waste in paramecium is expelled through its anal pore.

Cell Organisation (Multicellular) in Human

1. Cells: Epithelial cells, muscle cells, white blood cells, red blood cells, sperm, nerve cells.
2. Tissues: Epithelial tissue, smooth muscle tissue, connective tissue, skeletal tissue, nerve tissue.
3. Organs: Stomach, heart, kidney, lung, liver.
4. Systems: Circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, excretory system, muscular system, lymphatic system, integumentary system, skeletal system, nervous system, endocrine system, reproductive system.
5. Organisms: Human.

Cell Organisation in Plant

1. Cells: Parenchyma cells, collenchyma cells, sclerenchyma cells, epidermal cells.
2. Tissues: Epidermal tissue, meristem tissue, vascular tissue.
3. Organs: Leaf organ, flower organ, stem organ, root organ.
4. Systems: Shoot system, root system.
5. Organisms: Plant.

So do revise on all four posts in the series if you want to understand the gist of Cell Structure and Cell Organisation. Especially useful for Form 4 students who are new to SPM Biology.

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SPM 2009 Results Out on 11th March 2010

March 4, 2010

For Berry Readers who took their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) in 2009, wait no longer! Results will be out in the 11th of March 2010. The news has been announced by Education director-general. It has also been reported in The Star and Bernama news portal today. So students can expect to wait for the announcement of the SPM results from 10am on 11th of March 2010. That’s exactly a week away.

SPM 2009 Results to be Announced on the 11th of March 2010

• School candidates who sat for their SPM examination in 2009 can take their results from their respective schools from 10am onwards on the announcement day.
• Private candidates can expect to receive their results by mail.
• Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) examinations candidates will also receive their results on the same day as of previous years.

SPM 2009 trivia:

• 165,853 students took the SPM written examination at 3,569 centres in Malaysia (18 Nov – 16 Dec 2009)
• 6,920 candidates took the STAM examination at 98 centres in Malaysia (19 Oct – 27 Oct 2009)
• It took only less than three months since the end of the exams to the public announcement of the results.

(Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/4/nation/20100304183241&sec=nation)

Be sure to collect your results on the day and inform your friends about it. All the best to SPM 2009 students. Do drop Berry Berry Easy a line on how you fare for your SPM.

[Edit: 11/March/2010 - There has been an overwhelming query regarding the availability of checking SPM results online, or checking SPM results from SMS or other methods. Unfortunately, you cannot get your SPM 2009 results using SMS/online. Hope, this clear up some misconception regarding this issue. You can only check STPM results using SMS/online]

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SPM Biology Form 4 Notes – Terminology and Concepts: Cell Structure and Cell Organisation (Part III)

March 4, 2010

This is the penultimate post from Berry Berry Easy (3rd of 4) in the series of notes in Cell Structure and Cell Organisation. Before you all forget what is from the previous two posts, let us do a recap on part 2 which involvedorganelles, mitochondria for animals, chloroplast for plants and the uniqueness of cells. Do check out also the first post that contained Mitochondrion, Nucleus, Neucleolus, Neucleoplasm, Chromosomes, Ribosomes, Endoplasmic reticulum and Plasma membrane. So, do distinguish the difference between animal and plant cells.

SPM Form 4 – Terminology and Concepts: Cell Structure and Cell Organisation (Part III)

Organelles – (little organ) tiny structures inside a cell that perform specific functions for a cell. Example: mitochondria, lysosome and chloroplast.

Mitochondria

• Animal: High density at sperm cells (at middle piece to provide sufficient energy for motive power), flight muscle cells (bird / avian), liver cells, meristematic / meristemic cells (involve with cell division), kidney cells, heart muscle cells, brain cells.

Chloroplasts

• Plant: High density at palisade mesophyll (leaf: below upper epidermis). It functions to trap sunlight to synthesise sugar during photosynthesis.

The Uniqueness of The Cell

A cell is unique:

1. Specialisation
2. Division of labour
3. Coordination and integration

Example of specialisation of cells :

• Animal – smooth muscle cell, neuron (nerve cell), white blood cell, red blood cell (erythrocyte), cheek cell (lining epithelial cell), sperm, ovum cell (the biggest cell in human)
• Plant – palisade mesophyll cell, xylem, phloem, guard cell.

Do check out the final post in the series for SPM Form 4 Biology notes on Cell Structure and Cell Organisation.

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Co-curriculum Marks for STPM/Form 6 leaver

March 3, 2010

Attention to all STPM leavers. This is an important post regarding your co-curriculum marks, which are especially important if you are applying for public universities in Malaysia. Since many students of the Berry Berry Teacher is asking this question, it is better for Berry Berry Easy to clarify this matter.

Attention: Clarification on Form 6/STPM Leaver Co-curriculum Marks

Regarding to young berries co-curriculum marks:

• You need to find your school counselor or senior assistant co-curriculum or class teacher (depends on your school administration)
• He/she will be holding all the co-curriculum book (the green colour book).
• Remember to bring paper and pen to copy all the marks or photocopy the page that you need to key in the UPU online form and return back to the counselor / senior assistant co-curriculum / class teacher.
• You cannot bring the book back! In case you lost it, school cannot trace back your marks and you only get minimum mark. (2 marks for every co-curriculum activity! Scary!)

So make sure you know what to do before you submit your UPU forms.

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