From KYUEM to Oxford, Alumnus Monte Tan Jia Ying Shares His Thoughts After Receiving 6A* at A-Level.

Hi! My name is Monte Tan Jia Ying and I’m an alumnus of Kolej Yayasan UEM (KYUEM).

Upon receiving my A-level results, I felt an initial rush of excitement and gratification for everyone who has helped me reach where I am.

However, when the rush had subsided, I felt a form of catharsis. Seeing all the work I put into my studies was not for nought, though I also felt like I had the world in front of me, I was humbled by the fact that this is only a step in achieving my dreams.

Some might be wondering what made me pursue A-level and not other forms of qualification. There are a number of reasons I decided to do A levels in further education.

A-Levels form an internationally recognised curriculum, paving the way for me to apply to many local or international institutions. On top of that, as a foundation, it also allowed me to experience a wider scope of my subjects, allowing me to better understand which facets of the subject I enjoyed without sacrificing the depth of the content.

The fact that A-levels form a general foundation, also allowed me to pursue subjects in both the fields of art or science. For me, this was important as I wasn’t sure of my ambitions at the time.

Effort and dedication

I do realise that some might think that it’s impossible to achieve this result without having a lot of studying involved.

However, in my eyes, many people are looking at studying as an inevitable form of work in order to gain the qualifications they need to get a job.

So, if you want to ask me what I believe is the “secret” to getting good grades, it’s to be passionate and enamoured with your subject. When you truly enjoy the act of studying, it really does becomes as rewarding as reading your favourite novel or watching a show.

Hence, I find it difficult to answer how you balance study and leisure time because I don’t believe in that distinction. Though when it comes to balancing multiple interests, just do whatever feels right. Studying often works best when your heart is in it.

There are three main reasons why I decided to pursue A-levels with KYUEM.

KYUEM provided a variety of subjects, including niche choices like geography and marine science. I was really fond of the discipline of geography and this drew me to KYUEM.

The facilities in KYUEM were excellent, the resource centre was large and modern. The accommodation was also of pretty high quality. When I went on a campus tour, all the facilities were clean and well maintained. The pièce de resistance was the newly remodelled Great Hall.

The quiet nature of the college. Being relatively unknown as an A-level centre compared to many others really had a mysterious aura to me. Naturally, my curiosity drew me in, allowing me to verify the pristine reputation and consistently high A-level results.

Life at KYUEM 

I believe that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve results of this standard without the tremendous help I received from KYUEM. From the lecturers to the course mates, all played a major role in shaping me to be who I am today.

I value my lecturer’s unwavering support in my studies the most, whether it be through syllabus learning or learning beyond the syllabus of my A level subjects, my lecturers have never failed to feed my curiosity and improve my growth.

As I mentioned above, the Resource Centre is large, modern, and packed with a variety of materials of varying levels. All in all, KYUEM has provided valuable resources both in physical form as well as in E-book form, the latter being particularly useful during the pandemic.

However, my coursemates at KYUEM were the most stand-out feature in my eyes. While facilities and resources can be obtained anywhere, the people in KYUEM were some of the most unique and friendly people I’ve ever met.

Not only do they have the ability to have fun, but they study hard as well. It was really a refreshing experience, not only pushing my academic standards to the next level but also giving me a new perspective on life as a whole. There is no doubt I made many lifetime friends in KYUEM.

When it comes to social activities, on the other hand, it is unfortunate that the pandemic severely limited my experiences in that area. Nevertheless, when I was able to experience some of the myriad activities available, I found that it not only introduced me to many new experiences but also allowed me to rediscover my passion for debate, with activities like the renowned KY Summit and many more.

Growing up, my ambition had never really been solidified, having various passions, wanting to be a teacher, a scientist, and even a lawyer when I was young.

Nevertheless, when I entered KYUEM, I decided to choose to pursue my most beloved passion, which is the subject of Chemistry. I wanted to not only produce research as a scientist but maybe even share my experiences as a lecturer, in later years.

So, my A-level achievements have definitely helped me achieve this dream, by allowing me the opportunity to study Chemistry at one of the best institutions in the world, St Anne’s College Oxford. With state of the art equipment, it will clearly allow me to push to the boundaries of my field to an extent that I can only imagine.

To learn more about A Level @ KYUEM, please visit our website or you may also wish to register yourself into our Virtual Open Day (On Demand) link where you can have full access to information about KYUEM, anytime, anywhere at your convenience.