Yearly Plan (Takwim) for SPM Chemistry Form 4 – Year 2010
December 31, 2009
For teachers: Wondering how to do your yearly plan/takwim? Requiring last-minute reference on the yearly plan/takwim, look no further as Berry Berry Easy will be providing a series of “takwim” for Chemistry Form 4, 5, Lower 6 and Upper 6.
For students: For students who wish to have an indication of what to come from your teachers while you are studying, you may look at the series of yearly plans which Berry Berry Easy is going to offer. Very useful for revisions or tuitions. Can act as a guideline/baseline to see if you are ahead or behind schedule.
Berry Berry Teacher would ask all readers to share this with all your friends in school, msn contacts and anybody you think might find this useful.
Rancangan Pelajaran Tahunan Kimia Tingkatan 4 (2010) – Valid for whole Malaysia
(Translated as: Annual Learning Plan for Form 4 Chemistry (2010) )
Note: This takwim was made originally for SMK Dato Jaafar by Cikgu Isabelle Wong for Year 2010
| Week | Date | Topic | Remark |
| 1 | 4/1 – 8/1 | Introduction | |
| 2 | 11/1 – 15/1 | Chap 1: Introduction to Chemistry
1.1 Chemistry and Its Importance 1.2 Scientific Method 1.3 Scientific Attitudes and Noble Values |
|
| 3 | 18/1 – 22/1 | Chap 2: The Structure and the Atom
2.1 Matter |
Activity 2.1 (Demo) |
| 4 | 25/1 – 29/1 | 2.2 The Atomic Structure
2.3 Isotopes |
(30/1 – Thaipusam) |
| 5 | 1/2 – 5/2 | 2.4 The Electronic Structure of an Atom
2.3 The Orderliness and Uniqueness of the Atomic Structure |
PEKA – Activity 2.4 |
| 6 | 8/2 – 12/2 | Chap 3: Chemical Formulae and Equations
3.1 Relative Atomic Mass and Relative Molecular Mass |
(14/2, 15/2 – CNY)
Activity 3.4 (Discussion) |
| 7 | 16/2 – 19/2 | 3.2 The Mole and the Number of Particles
3.3 The Mole and the Mass of Substances 3.4 The Mole and the Volume of Gas |
|
| 8 | 22/2 – 25/2 | 3.5 Chemical Formulae | (26/2 – Muhammad)
PEKA – Activity 3.5 |
| 9 | 1/3 – 5/3 | 3.6 Chemical Equations
3.7 Practicing Scientific Attitudes and Values in Investigating Matter |
Activity 3.6 |
| 10 | 8/3 – 12/3 | Ujian Piawai 1 | |
| 13/3 – 21/3 | Cuti Pertengahan Penggal i | 9 days | |
| 11 | 22/3 – 26/3 | Chap 4: Periodic Table of Elements
4.1 The Periodic Table of Elements 4.2 Group 18 Elements |
|
| 12 | 29/3 – 2/4 | 4.3 Group 1 Elements
4.4 Group 17 Elements |
Activity 4.2 (Demo) Experiment 4.1 (Demo) |
| 13 | 5/3 – 9/4 | 4.5 Elements in a Period
4.6 Transition Elements 4.7 Appreciating the Existence of Elements and Their Compound |
(8/4 – Sultan Johor)
Experiment 4.2 (Discussion) |
| 14 | 12/4 – 16/4 | Ujian Piawai 2 | |
| 15 | 19/4 – 23/4 | Chap 5: Chemical Bonds
5.1 Formation of compounds |
Activity 5.1 (Discussion) |
| 16 | 26/4 – 30/4 | 5.2 Ionic Bonds | (1/5 – Labour Day) |
| 17 | 3/5 – 7/5 | 5.3 Covalent Bonds | |
| 18 | 10/5 – 14/5 | 5.4 The Properties of Ionic and Covalent Compounds | Activity 5.3 |
| 19 | 17/5 – 21/5 | Revision | |
| 20 | 24/5 – 27/5 | Peperiksaan Pertengahan | (28/5 – Wesak) |
| 21 | 31/5 – 4/6 | Peperiksaan Pertengahan | |
| 5/6 – 20/6 | Cuti pertengahan tahun | 16 days | |
| 22 | 21/6 – 25/6 | Chap 6: Electrochemistry
6.1 Electrolytes and Non-electrolytes |
(19/6 – Hol Day of Almarhum Sultan of Johor)
Activity 6.1 (Discussion) |
| 23 | 28/6 – 2/7 | 6.2 Electrolysis of Molten Compounds
6.3 Electrolysis of Aqueous Solutions |
Experiment 6.1
Experiment 6.2 (Discussion) |
| 24 | 5/7 – 9/7 | 6.4 Electrolysis in Industries | Experiment 6.3
Experiment 6.5 (Discussion) |
| 25 | 12/7 – 16/7 | 6.5 Voltaic Cell | Experiment 6.6 |
| 26 | 19/7 – 23/7 | 6.6 The Electrochemical Series | PEKA – Experiment 6.7 |
| 27 | 26/7 – 30/7 | 6.7 Impact of Electrochemical Industries | Experiment 6.8 |
| 28 | 2/8 – 6/8 | Chap 7: Acids and Bases
7.1 Acids and Bases |
Activity 7.2 |
| 29 | 9/8 – 13/8 | 7.2 The Strength of Acids and Alkalis | (11/8 – Awal Ramadan) |
| 30 | 16/8 – 20/8 | 7.3 Concentration of Acids and Alkalis | Activity 7.9 (Discussion) |
| 31 | 23/8 – 27/8 | 7.4 Neutralisation | Activity 7.11 |
| 32 | 30/8 – 3/9 | Chap 8: Salts
8.1 Salts (Activity 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 8.5, 8.9: Discussion) |
(31/8 – National Day)
Experiment 8.2 |
| 4/9 – 12/9 | Cuti Pertengahan Penggal II | 9 days | |
| 33 | 13/9 – 17/9 | 8.2 Qualitative analysis of salts | Activity 8.12 |
| 34 | 20/9 – 24/9 | 8.2 Qualitative analysis of salts (Activity 8.14: Discussion) | (10/9, 11/9 – HR Puasa) |
| 35 | 27/9 – 1/10 | 8.3 Being systematic and meticulous when carrying activities | Activity 8.13 |
| 36 | 4/10 – 8/10 | Chap 9: Manufactures Substances in Industries
9.4 Sulphuric Acid 9.2 Ammonia and Its Salts |
|
| 37 | 11/10 – 15/10 | 9.3 Alloys
9.4 Synthetic polymers |
Experiment 9.1 (Discussion)
Experiment 9.2 (Discussion) |
| 38 | 18/10 – 22/10 | 9.5 Glass and ceramics | |
| 39 | 25/10 – 29/10 | 9.6 Uses of composite materials
9.7 Appreciating synthetic materials |
|
| 40 | 1/11 – 4/11 | Revision | (5/11 – Deepavali) |
| 41 | 8/11 – 12/11 | Peperiksaan Akhir Tahun | |
| 42 | 15/11 – 19/11 | Peperiksaan Akhir Tahun | (17/11 – HR Qurban) |
| 20/11 – 2/1 | Cuti persekolahan akhir tahun | 44 days |
Recipe #3 – Sour Hot Hot Vegetable (Suan La La Jie Chai)
December 31, 2009
Berry Berry Easy presents Madam Goh’s Berry Delicious Recipe #3 – Sour Hot Hot Vegetable (Suan La La Jie Chai).
Food wastage is not a habit all of us should follow, considering the number children starving around the world everyday. The Malaccan are wise people who tend not to waste food.Not even after any big occasions which usually are left with surplus food.
So Madam Goh would like to share will all readers on what Malaccan would cook when they have leftovers and do not wish to waste food. For those who are still puzzled what Jie Chai is, it is mustard green.
Berry Delicious Recipe #3 – Sour Hot Hot Vegetable (Suan La La Jie Chai)
(The spiciness level can be adjusted on your own)
Servings: 5-6 people
Ingredients:
- 6 – 7 tomatoes
- 10 dried chili padi / fresh red chili
- 2 onions
- ½ cup of (10 pieces) dried tamarind skins (asam gelugor) / ½ cup of lime juice
- ½ roasted chicken / duck
- 6 cups of water
- 2 – 3 kg of Jie Chai / Kai Choy cut in 4 cm cubes
*(Jie Chai/Kai Choi (Brassica juncea), also known as Mustard Greens, Other name: Gai Choi, Siu Gai Choi, Xiao Jie Cai (Shiau Jie Tsai), Baby Mustard, Chinese Leaf Mustard, Indian Mustard, Mostaza, and Mustard Greens) – extremely high in Vitamin A & Vitamin K.
Seasoning:
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tbsp salt
Preparation:
- Boil water.
- Add onion, chili, tomatoes, tamarind skin, roasted chicken / duck into the boiling water.
- Allow it to boil.
- Add jie chai aka mustard green aka kai choy.
- Reduce heat to medium low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add seasoning.
Drop us comments if you have tried this recipe. Awaiting your feedback.
Education Fairs 2010 in Malaysia (I)
December 23, 2009
Missed the previous FACON and Malaysian education fair in December 2009? Don’t worry, there are two more upcoming education fairs which Berry Berry Easy would like to recommend. We were told by our Berry Readers to put up such notices at least 2 weeks in advance to facilitate their arrangements for attending the fairs (crucial for non-Klang Valley readers)
So for those who missed the previous fairs, there should be no more excuses this time. So head down to:
Education Fairs 2010 in Malaysia – January-March 2010
1) The STAR Education Fair 2010 – Part 1 (KL)
- Date: January 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday)
- Time: 11am-7pm
- Location: Exhibition Halls 1-5, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
- Look out for: Talk on Recession proof jobs, ICT world, Engineering, Allied health science, medicine and dentristry, and options after SPM
- For SPM students: Check out also the talk on “How to Approach SPM Physics and Additional Mathematics” (Day 1 – 3:00-4:30pm)
2) The STAR Education Fair 2010 – Part 2 (Penang)
- Date: March 6 and 7 (Saturday and Sunday)
- Time: 11am-7pm
- Location: Penang International Sports Arena (PISA)
3) MAPCU-MQA HIGHER EDUCATION FAIR 2010
- Date: January 23 and 24
- Time: Whole day
- Location: Hall 1 & 2, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, KL
Berry Berry Easy recommends all students to visit these fairs to ask for scholarships, financial aids and the likes. Also application fees are usually waived in these fairs. So take advantage of these education fairs. Oh, free goody bags are available too. Not to forget also, admission is free! 
Remember to bring your results slips (if not available, please use your forecast results), certificates and photos. Bring along your parents too if they are available. You would want to make this major decision in your life with some guided opinions from your parents.
Bookmark this site so that you can visit frequently for more updates. Spread the words of these fairs to your friends too. If I missed any education fair, please feel free to update on the comment section. (FACON 2010 to be added)
by Berry Berry Jenius
MAPCU-MQA HIGHER EDUCATION FAIR 2010
23-24 January 2010
Hall 1 & 2, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, KL
23-24 January 2010
Hall 1 & 2, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, KL
STPM – General Tips and Strategies – for Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and General Paper
December 18, 2009
With the STPM 2009 becoming past tense, let us all get ready for STPM 2010 and beyond. There’s nothing better than to start afresh and learn all the tips and strategies for STPM Mathematics, STPM Chemistry, STPM Biology and STPM General Paper. (This base article is contributed by a Berry Contributor who would like to remain anonymous. Minor modifications were made by the Berry Berry Easy team with the blessing of our contributor. Thanks)
General STPM Strategies and Tips
STPM Mathematics
- Read all the questions before attempting any of them.
- Do a quick mental calculation of all the marks given for each question.
- Do the questions with highest marks first.
- Before doing any question, read the question and make sure you obtain all the information from the question before you actually solve. [Berry Berry Easy comment: It is recommended that you write out all the available information required to solve the question at the side of your question on the question paper for easy referencing]
- If you are not confident of your answers, scribble wih pencil on the question paper first , copy them onto the answering paper after you are convinced that your scribbled answer is right. [Berry Berry Easy comment: This is recommended only for those who are very confident in their time control]
- Always make sure you are able to score the questions with more marks.
- Don’t spend much time doing questions with low marks.
- Time spent on questions should be proportional to the marks allocated
STPM Chemistry
Paper 1
- Always do the most complicated and difficult questions first. [Berry Berry Easy comment: This is optional as some students has been used to solving the easier questions to gain "confidence". Stick to your strategy]
- If you don’t solve complicated and long questions first (usually calculation) , chances are that you will feel panic as time passes. [Berry Berry Easy comment: Get a feel of how much time you require to solve a calculation question and try not to exceed the amount of time. You can gain this expertise by doing past year questions or exam simulations]
Paper 2
- Read all the questions before solving.
- Solve essay questions first (choose 4 easiest out of 6)
- This is because if you spend too much time in structure you are going to panic easily when solving essay questions which require you to present your answer on the paper. When you are panic, you will not be able to write properly.
- [Berry Berry Easy comment: Alternatively, you can set aside time for solving the structure questions before attempting the essay questions. Whatever it is, just make sure that you don't spend too much time on any section.]
STPM Biology
- Solve essay questions first.
- Read all the essay questions and choose the easiest four questions.
- Prepare answering by scribble keywords(those that you are going to write, similar to guided essay) on the question paper. (Berry Berry Easy comment: Very highly recommended tip to use. A survey done by Berry Berry Teacher among high essay scorers found that this technique is used by all of them)
- After solving all four essay questions, solve the structure. (you should feel better and secure as you have already done the part with 60 marks) (Refer to comment for Chemistry Paper 2)
*Example of the scribbled keywords
- RNA polymerase III – promoter – unwind DNA strands – RNA primer – primase – 3′ to 5′ DNA strand as template – RNA polymerase III – add RNA nucleotides to primer – mRNA formed – and so on.
STPM General Paper (Pengajian Am)
Paper 1
- Study them by heart.
- Understand the concept behind everything in kenegaraan
- Can’t understand the concept? Give each of them a reason, make the reason yourself.
- It’s better to study by heart for once and remember everything forever than to study without heart and remember them for only a few days.
- After understand all the concepts and definitions, do questions to test yourself.
Paper 2
- For Section A (Bahagian A) and Section B (Bahagian B), you have to read a lot to increase your general knowledge
- If you want to write good essays. -I would advise you to spend your leisure time reading PA essays.
- Read them for your own knowledge, not just for examination’s sake.
- [Anonymous contributor suggested Longman PA volume 2 as reference. Berry Berry Easy is not affiliated to Longman].
- For graphs, read the whole questions, then analyse which graph should you use to represent the data. Understand why such question corresponds to that type of graph. In other words, understand the concept behind them and not just foolishly memorise all the keywords.
- After you are good in determining which graph to represent certain data, you practise drawing all the graphs. Practice makes perfect here.
- For Section E (Bahagian E), read the questions and analyse them. Understand the concept behind them.
- Buy a good reference book which has many sample questions and then analyse all the questions (Section D, Section E)
- Recommended time allocation: 40 mins for Section A, 40 mins for Section B , 30 mins for Section C , 30 mins for Section D and 30 mins for Section E.
The most significant thing to do in examination is that you should not spend too much time on a question if you haven’t finished others. Treat every acts during the examination as your last acts. It’s all up to your performance during the few hours.
Good luck everyone, hopefully it helps.
by Anonymous Berry Berry Contributor
[Thank you for your contribution. If there are any of you who would like to contribute to the cause of imparting knowledge to other students, please write to us. ]
Berry Berry Easy’s STPM 2009 Biology Paper 1 Analysis : General Prediction – Accurate
December 16, 2009
Similar to the corresponding Chemistry Paper 2, Berry Berry Easy also mentioned that nearly every chapter will appear in STPM 2009 Biology Paper 1. As expected, there is no change of format this year and nearly every chapter came out. Berry Berry Easy cannot and will not claim credit for such an easy prediction but will instead show the analysis for future STPM 2010 students. There are two tables below for your analysis. So for future STPM students, remember to also check out the frequency table for each chapters. Might help you to predict which will be important in the coming year. So here goes the analysis for STPM 2009 Biology Paper :
Berry Berry Easy’s STPM 2009 Biology Paper 1 Analysis – Question Breakdown
| STPM 2009Question No. | Volume / Chapter | Topic |
| 1 | 1 / Chapter 1 | Basic Chemistry of a Cell |
| 2 | 1 / Chapter 1 | Basic Chemistry of a Cell |
| 3 | 1 / Chapter 1 | Basic Chemistry of a Cell |
| 4 | 1 / Chapter 1 | Basic Chemistry of a Cell |
| 5 | 1 / Chapter 2 | Structure of Cells and Organelles |
| 6 | 1 / Chapter 3 | Control in cells |
| 7 | 1 / Chapter 3 | Control in cells |
| 8 | 1 / Chapter 3 | Control in cells |
| 9 | 1 / Chapter 4 | Photosynthesis |
| 10 | 1 / Chapter 4 | Photosynthesis |
| 11 | 1 / Chapter 5 | Respiration |
| 12 | 1 / Chapter 5 | Respiration |
| 13 | 1 / Chapter 6 | Nutrition |
| 14 | 1 / Chapter 8 | Transport |
| 15 | 1 / Chapter 8 | Transport |
| 16 | 1 / Chapter 9 | Homeostasis |
| 17 | 1 / Chapter 9 | Homeostasis |
| 18 | 1 / Chapter 8 | Transport |
| 19 | 1 / Chapter 7 | Gaseous Exchange |
| 20 | 1 / Chapter 9 | Homeostasis |
| 21 | 1 / Chapter 11 | Hormone / Chemical Coordination |
| 22 | 1 / Chapter 10 | Nervous System |
| 23 | 1 / Chapter 10 | Nervous System |
| 24 | 2 / Chapter 4 | Growth |
| 25 | 2 / Chapter 4 | Growth |
| 26 | 2 / Chapter 1 | Immunity |
| 27 | 2 / Chapter 2 | Reproduction |
| 28 | 2 / Chapter 3 | Development |
| 29 | 2 / Chapter 4 | Growth |
| 30 | 2 / Chapter 5 | Transmission genetics |
| 31 | 2 / Chapter 5 | Transmission genetics |
| 32 | 2 / Chapter 6 | Mutation |
| 33 | 2 / Chapter 6 | Mutation |
| 34 | 2 / Chapter 6 | Mutation |
| 35 | 2 / Chapter 7 | Population genetics |
| 36 | 2 / Chapter 7 | Population genetics |
| 37 | 2 / Chapter 7 | Population genetics |
| 38 | 2 / Chapter 8 | Gene regulation and expression |
| 39 | 2 / Chapter 9 | Modern genetics technology |
| 40 | 2 / Chapter 9 | Modern genetics technology |
| 41 | 2 / Chapter 9 | Modern genetics technology |
| 42 | 2 / Chapter 11 | Biodiversity |
| 43 | 2 / Chapter 12 | Variation and the theory of evolution |
| 44 | 2 / Chapter 12 | Variation and the theory of evolution |
| 45 | 2 / Chapter 12 | Variation and the theory of evolution |
| 46 | 2 / Chapter 12 | Variation and the theory of evolution |
| 47 | 2 / Chapter 12 | Variation and the theory of evolution |
| 48 | 2 / Chapter 13 | Ecosystem |
| 49 | 2 / Chapter 13 | Ecosystem |
| 50 | 2 / Chapter 14 | Quantitative ecology |
| Total |
All the questions are well distributed. Overall the questions are clear and test only the lower knowledge.
Berry Berry Easy’s STPM 2009 Biology Paper 1 Analysis – Question Frequency
| Volume / Chapter | Topic | No. of STPM Paper 1 Question |
| 1 / Chapter 1 | Basic Chemistry of a Cell | 4 |
| 1 / Chapter 2 | Structure of Cells and Organelles | 1 |
| 1 / Chapter 3 | Control in cells | 3 |
| 1 / Chapter 4 | Photosynthesis | 2 |
| 1 / Chapter 5 | Respiration | 2 |
| 1 / Chapter 6 | Nutrition | 1 |
| 1 / Chapter 7 | Gaseous Exchange | 1 |
| 1 / Chapter 8 | Transport | 3 |
| 1 / Chapter 9 | Homeostasis | 3 |
| 1 / Chapter 10 | Nervous System | 2 |
| 1 / Chapter 11 | Hormone / Chemical Coordination | 1 |
| 2 / Chapter 1 | Immunity | 1 |
| 2 / Chapter 2 | Reproduction | 1 |
| 2 / Chapter 3 | Development | 1 |
| 2 / Chapter 4 | Growth | 3 |
| 2 / Chapter 5 | Transmission genetics | 2 |
| 2 / Chapter 6 | Mutation | 3 |
| 2 / Chapter 7 | Population genetics | 3 |
| 2 / Chapter 8 | Gene regulation and expression | 1 |
| 2 / Chapter 9 | Modern genetics technology | 3 |
| 2 / Chapter 10 | Taxonomy | 0 |
| 2 / Chapter 11 | Biodiversity | 1 |
| 2 / Chapter 12 | Variation and the theory of evolution | 5 |
| 2 / Chapter 13 | Ecosystem | 2 |
| 2 / Chapter 14 | Quantitative ecology | 1 |
| Total | 50 |
So in conclusion, most chapters have between 1-3 questions, as
- 0 questions – 1 chapter
- 1 question – 10 chapters
- 2 questions – 5 chapters
- 3 questions – 7 chapters
- 4 questions – 1 chapter
- 5 questions – 1 chapter
Berry Berry Easy will make an attempt to identify the 10 most important chapters for STPM 2010 Biology Paper 1, as the 10-most important chapters contributed towards 64% of the total marks in this paper. So stay tune.
I toured Putrajaya and found 1Malaysia
December 15, 2009
Putrajaya springs to my mind each time I need to entertain friends from outstation. It has all the ingredients for a fun-filled trip. You can have nature if you are an outdoor-person, complexes if you want to go shopping, even landmarks if you want to take photos or just soak in the awe-inspiring atmosphere. Before I continue any further, I would like to share a “A simplest beginner tour of Putrajaya” which can be completed in the manner of hours.
A Simplest Beginner Tour of Putrajaya (3-leg tour of Putrajaya) – by Johan
- Simplest Tour of Putrajaya – Guaranteed to Satisfy Everybody
- Prime Minister Office (outside only) – Nothing better to start off the trip with a visit to the place where major decisions in the country were made. There are a few lookout point to the Prime Minister Office. Be sure to take photos from different angles.
- Botanical Garden – Tired of living a hectic life? Stop and smell the greens in the botanical garden. If you are up for it, you can also rent a bicycle and cycle through the scenic areas.
- Alamanda Putrajaya – End the day by chilling out in the Alamanda shopping complex. Shop till you drop. It has everything you want in a shopping complex.
Of course, this is not what all Putrajaya has to offer, but it gives you enough to make you want to come back for more. I have visited Putrajaya many times (due to staying just 20 KM away) and have yet to cease to find new places to visit. Weekends are spent searching for new places in Putrajaya.
But of late, weekend visits to Putrajaya has not been one for finding new places. It has been more of a soul-searching journey, a journey to find the true meaning of 1Malaysia. A deliberate search on the sightings of 1Malaysia in Putrajaya yielded images of:
- Schoolboys of different ethnicity mixing and playing around with each other
- Flags covering bonnets of cars driving around on the huge Putrajaya roads
- Signs pointing to private open houses inviting all to go
However, I noticed that we all have already uphold to spirit of 1Malaysia even before we heard of the phrase. One example I would show is in our language in a typical sms. The context of this sms is about a person who invites another old friend to attend the wedding of their mutual friend.
SMS screenshot
The sms reads: “Elo, pa kabar? Lama x jumpa ni! I nak follow u gi wedding zul boleh? Hehe.. Dont know the road la. Settle k?” – (Translation: Hello, how’s things going? Long time no see. I want to follow you to Zul’s wedding, okay? *laughs* (due to) not knowing the road. Settle okay? *asking for confirmation*)
Obviously, this is a bad example of language usage. But if we were to be just looking at the language, then we are missing the whole point altogether. This showed the Malaysian-ness as in:
- Able to use a unique brand of mixed language to communicate, which only a Malaysian could understand
This just shows that Malaysians have already connected to be 1, before even 1Malaysia came about. And with 1Malaysia, the spirit for all Malaysians to work as 1 together will be even stronger.
Infact, from my name above which states Johan, you might think I am a Malay. My full name is Ng Jo-Han. I’m not a Malay, I’m a Malaysian. 1 Malaysian with dreams for 1Malaysia. So in my journey to discover Putrajaya, I discovered more than Putrajaya, I discovered the spirit of 1Malaysia which we always had all along.
Pros and Cons of Studying STPM
December 12, 2009
What should I do after SPM? Should I study STPM? – These are the few frequent questions which we get from students be it from face-to-face talk or via e-mails.
Pro and Cons of taking STPM
Most Young Berries would think whether to take STPM or not. This is one of the major decision that most young berries need to make after the SPM examination. This is a berry berry tough decision.
First of all, young berries must know how the STPM system works. STPM is currently an exam-based system, where students can only score through studying hard. STPM grade are one of the toughest examination with berry berry wide syllabus (for example, Biology and Chemistry STPM have 25 chapters and 35 chapters respectively !!!). This means that on average until you take your STPM examinations, your Chemistry teacher needs to complete a chapter! Besides the student, the teacher also needs to be berry berry tough person! Also, if you do badly you might not even enter a public university.The two main reasons for most Young Berries who studied STPM are:
- not able to afford private schooling
- and/or have faith in the local education system.
In year 2011 (tentatively), the Malaysian government will implement a new system of “modular system” which is much easier. Young Berries will then need to complete projects (subject-based) and attend colloquiums. But the con is these projects require young berries to spend most their time on research and preparation, which it may or may not justify the knowledge gained. These projects may be tiring and leaving young berries no time to revise.
Present day (2010) Pros and Cons of Studying STPM
| Pros of Taking STPM | Cons of Taking STPM |
| In-depth learning. | Wide syllabus. |
| 15 experiments/projects need to do for each science subject. | Time consuming. |
| Widely recognise (accepted by NUS and NTU, Singapore) | Tough examination. |
| Save money | Spend most of the time on revision. |
Berry Berry Easy would also like to invite all readers who have had experience studying STPM to share your thoughts on this matter. We will include your comments/ideas in the post. For SPM-leavers who are still undecided, you may also discuss this issue with us (dropping comments will be sufficient).
Open Day in Malaysia – Year End 2009
December 9, 2009
“Where to study?” – These are the words frequently uttered by students after their SPM and STPM students. So for those who intend to further their studies, why not have a look at the various open days hosted by some of the private colleges in Malaysia. Whether you can afford the fees or not, it is still worth attending as there might be scholarships or other financial aids to be applied. Berry Berry Easy recommends that students try out all options before deciding.
So if you are wondering where to study next, head to the colleges listed below. (Unfortunately, those not in the Klang Valley region would have to travel further. You can form groups to visit them. Most of the are on the same day, so you could visit more than one each trip)
College/University College/Tertiary Education Institutes’ Open Day in Malaysia
1) KDU College – It all starts here
- 12-13 December 2009 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- 19-20 December 2009 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Venue: KDU College PJ campus and Penang campus
2) Taylor’s College
- 11-13 December 2009
- Venue: Taylor’s Lakeside campus
- 18-20 December 2009
- Venue: Taylor’s Lakeside, Subang Jaya and Sri Hartamas campuses
3) HELP University College
- 12-13 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Venue: Pusat Bandar Damansara, KL
4) TAR College
- 18-20 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Venue: All TAR College campuses (KL, Penang, Perak, Johor Bahru, Pahang and Sabah)
5) KBU International College
- 19-20 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Venue: Petaling Jaya, Selangor
6) Nilai University College
- 19-20 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Venue: Putra Nilai, Negeri Sembilan
If going to open day is not your cup of tea, or if you are undecided and want to have more choices, head down to the following education fair.
Education Fair in Malaysia 2009
1) FACON Education Fair
- 12-13 December 2009 – 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Venue: Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), KL
2) 28th Malaysian Education Fair
- 19-20 December 2009 – 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Venue: Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC), KL
- (Edit: Thanks to Henry Ngo for pointing out the “am/pm” mistake)
So all SPM and STPM leavers, make sure you attend these education fairs and open days. Try to apply for financial aid while you are there too. No harm applying both public and private institutes of higher learning in Malaysia (and/or overseas).
by Berry Berry Jenius
Open Day
KDU College – It all starts here
12-13 December 2009 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Venue: KDU College PJ campus and Penang campus
Taylor’s College
11-13 December 2009
Venue: Taylor’s Lakeside campus
18-20 December 2009
Venue: Taylor’s Lakeside, Subang Jaya and Sri Hartamas campuses
HELP University College
12-13 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Venue: Pusat Bandar Damansara, KL
TAR College
18-20 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Venue: All TAR College campuses (KL, Penang, Perak, Johor Bahru, Pahang and Sabah)
KBU International College
19-20 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Venue: Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Nilai University College
19-20 December 2009 – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Venue: Putra Nilai, Negeri Sembilan
FACON Edu Fair
12-13 December 2009 – 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Venue: Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), KL
28th Malaysian Edu Fair
19-20 December 2009 – 11:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Venue: Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC), KL
Berry Berry Easy’s STPM 2009 Chemistry Paper 2 Analysis : General Prediction – Accurate
December 8, 2009
It would somehow be misleading to say that the predictions are accurate as Berry Berry Easy mentioned that the questions will be well distributed and students should study everything for Chemistry Paper 2. So Berry Berry Easy predicted everything and everything came out. For the benefit of teachers and future STPM students who might want to do some analysis, Berry Berry Easy will present you with the analysis for STPM 2009 Chemistry Paper 2.
Berry Berry Easy STPM Chemistry Paper 2 Analysis
| Volume / Chapter | Topic | Status in STPM 2009 | Marks Contribution |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 2, 12 | States of Matter Gas / Equalibria – Phase | Section A / 1 (a) | 7 |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 5 | Electronic structure of Atoms / Periodic table | Section A / 1 (b) | 3 |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 12 | Equilibria – Phase | Section A / 2 (a) | 6 |
| Inorganic / Chapter 6 | Group 17 | Section A / 2 (b) | 4 |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 6 | Chemical Bond | Section A / 3 (a,b,c) | 6 |
| Inorganic / Chapter 6, 4 | Group 17 & 14 | Section A / 3 (d) | 4 |
| Organic / Chapter 7, 6 | Hydroxy Compound / Haloalkanes | Section A / 4 (a, b, c) | 7 |
| Organic / Chapter 9 | Carbonyl Compound | Section A / 4 (d) | 3 |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 4 | Electronic structure of atoms | Section B / 5 (a) | 7 |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 14 | Thermochemistry | Section B / 5 (b) | 8 |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 11 | Equilibrium | Section B / 6 (a, b) | 15 |
| Inorganic / Chapter 1, 4 | The Periodic Table / Group 14 | Section B / 7 (a, b) | 10 |
| Inorganic / Chapter 6 | Group 17 | Section B / 7(c) | 5 |
| Physical Chemistry / Chapter 13 | Electrochemistry | Section B / 8 (a) | 8 |
| Inorganic / Chapter 7 | d-block Element | Section B / 8 (b, c) | 7 |
| Organic / Chapter 1, 2, 3 | Hydrocarbons | Section B / 9 (a, b) | 15 |
| Organic / Chapter 7, 13 | Hydroxy compound / Amino Acids | Section B / 10 (a) | 12 |
| Organic / Chapter 14 | Polymers | Section B / 10 (b) | 3 |
All the questions are well distributed. Overall the questions are clear and there are separated in many sub-questions especially essay in Section B. This is a way to guide young berries to get the exact answer rather than confuse you.
So in a way, Berry Berry Easy’s advice on studying everything is accurate. Hope students this year did not skip any topics when they studied for this paper.
Berry Role Model No.1 – Artist/Freelance Designer – Kendrick Ng
December 7, 2009
Despite the proliferation of the Internet which allows the rapid dissemination of information, students remained largely uninformed regarding the career choices. Hence, Berry Berry Easy is starting a series called “Berry Role Models” where real people in various different fields will be giving advices to our Young Berries who would be making decisions regarding their career choices. We intend to make this more of a light-reading, so it will be in an “Q&A format“.
First off, we have with us, Mr Kendrick Ng, a talented young artist/freelance designer (his job scope is ever-expanding). He is the person behind Kendrick’s Art Blog, which has many excellent designs. (His blog was also featured in the Berry Friends section prior to this interview) Without further adieu, let us soak in the experience of Kendrick, the artist/freelance designer:
Role Model #1 – Artist/Freelance Designer – Kendrick Ng
Kendrick Ng
1) Who are you?
I am Kendrick Ng Tiong Heng. I came from a small town of Sipitang at the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia. I am currently enrolled in Computing Science majoring in Multimedia.
2) Why did you enter the field? Who/What was/is your inspiration?
I choose this field because I loved it and I really enjoyed it. In the beginning, I only helped my friends to solve web design problems…it started from Friendster layout, then slowly I decided to design wallpapers for my friends and finally an active blogger which I posted my designed wallpapers and I wanted to improve it and this is how I choose this field. By the same time I was also the official Student Council photographer, designer and multimedia/creative director for my University and sometimes you could see my designs in blogs, web pages, advertisements,magazines, newspapers or even tickets!
My inspiration dates back to when I was 4 years old…..this inspiration came from a Japanese animation “Doraemon”. He has been my idol even till today, whenever I want to design something, I will think of him and he really inspires me a lot.
3) So what do you do daily as an artist/freelance designer” ?
Because I am still a university student, being a freelance designer is always my first option to earn some income and also to build my port folio before I could work as a full timer. Everyday, there are e-mail requests from many customers. All I have to do is to accept it or not based on their offer.
4) What satisfaction do you gain from your job?
Hmm….In my opinion, my greatest satisfaction is to see the smiles and satisfaction of my customers, friends, family and colleagues. Their support, satisfaction towards my designs is what keeps me going.
5) Words of advice for our readers who wish to enter your field.
Dear readers, this is a very interesting field and all you need is creativity and passion in art, as simple as that. If you love capturing photos, or like to edit photos, or even love to draw and design. I recommend you to enroll in photography, designing, web designing-related course. My course, in fact is a little different because it’s a mix course because it consists of science and art. But no matter what university or institute you are enrolled in, as long as your love in arts and creativity is strong, this is the field for you!
-End-
The following designs are a small portion of his work thus far. Picture paints a thousand words, and the following pictures scream talent:
If you want to see more of his design, please visit Kendrick’s Art Blog
Berry Berry Easy comments: It seemed that the key to be successful in the field of arts and designing are having the passion in art and also the creativity in expressing yourself. So if you have these qualities, you might want to consider a career in this field.
Berry Berry Easy wishes Kendrick all the best in his future undertakings.
[If you know of anybody who could be a Berry Role Model (could also be yourself) and wants to share some career advices and experiences, please drop us a line]
