Life after SMSA

SMSA SCHOLARS 2010

2010-08-16T22:31:00.002+08:00

Assalamualaikum everyone...

How is everyone? Firstly I must apologise for neglecting this blog for so long and failing to update this blog with new career information but with very good reasons.
Though some students may probably notice that I am no longer in SMSA as I am pursuing my Masters degree at the moment but nevertheless students can still contact me should you encounter any problems regarding career and higher education.

On to serious business, SMSA will be organizing the Doa Selamat Ceremony for SMSA Scholars 2010 soon hence to those concerned particularly last year's batch of students, if you have been awarded with scholarships, please inform the Career Department as soon as possible. It is acknowledged that some scholars have already left to pursue their studies for e.g Special Scheme like JIS and also the Germany Scholarship but the school needs your information to update your personal files to be forwarded to the relevant ministries.

Hence, if you have been awarded scholarships, please send you full details: full names,type of scholarship and course to the Head of Career Cg Fadilah Hj Madali: dilah404@hotmail .com

Alternatively you can also send your details to me by which I will then send it to him.

Thank you for your cooperation and please forward this message to your friends if they have not read this blog.

Cheers. Miss UK

P/S: CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL SCHOLARSHIP RECEIPIENTS, MAY YOU ALL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE CHOSEN FIELDS AND NEVER FORGET SMSA!!

UK VISA TALK

2010-06-30T22:31:00.002+08:00

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN>>

I received this email from the British Council recently,please attend if it refers to you especially former SMSA 6th form students who are confirmed in going to UK universities for further studies.

Please inform your former Sixth Form students and colleagues who are going to study in the UK to attend the Student Visa talk this coming Friday, 02 July 2010 at 9am-10.30am at the Auditorium, Maktab Sains College. Parents and current Upper Sixth students are encourage to attend as well for their guidance. Please arrive before 9am as we hope to start on time.

Representative from UK Border Agency will present the talk and able to answer some questions on visa matter.

The UK Border Agency is responsible for securing the UK border and controlling migration in the UK. It manages border control for the UK, enforcing immigration and customs regulations. It also considers applications for permission to enter or stay in the UK, and for citizenship and asylum.

I hope this will be helpful for your preparation prior to studying in the UK..

Cheers, Miss UK

3rd TERM BEGINS....

2010-06-20T19:49:00.006+08:00

Greetings SMSAnians...

Apologies for the lack of updates though I must say the holidays were too fast and now tomorrow school begins and believe me when I say it is going to be stressful and 'fun' :)

At the moment, I am busy revamping the Career Library to update information and the whole outlook> out with the old and in with the new! There will be NEW prospectuses mainly from UK universities and will be available for students to access easily without attending UK exhibitions or roadshows. The Career Dept will also be putting up schedules of Career officers who will be available should you wish to seek advice or counselling on future career choices as well as higher education options.

I'd also like to add that the Career Dept's main priority is SMSA students hence we aim to provide you with the utmost service in terms of your future career and higher educational needs. If you are wondering about the latest scholarship information and deadlines please do not hesitate to visit the office and ask us. Also, just to remind you that if you are going to apply for any type of scholarship, please come and see me and not your subject tutors for any references required because in the end all your documents such as certs or recommendation letters will be signed off by none other than the Head of Careers: Yours truly...:) This refers to ALL SMSA students whether or not you have just left this year or are still attending this school. I hope everyone will take note because scholarship recepients will be announced soon and I wish all of you the best of luck!

Not to forget it is June after all and there may be ex-SMSA students coming home from overseas thus welcome home and don't be a stranger to SMSA: come and visit your friends and former tutors and don't forget the Career dept.

Here's a sneak peak to the new and improved Career Library>>

That's all from me folks!See you in school tomorrow, get plenty of sleep and don't stay up late to watch the World Cup...

Miss UK 21/6/2010

BLNG ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD 2010

2010-05-18T11:37:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone....

I received an invitation for those listed below to attend the BLNG ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR 2009 recipients. Please forward this email to your friends that are on the list, also all of you listed has to get the letters from SMSA at the Clerk's Office during working hours: 8 am - 12pm, 1.30pm - 4.30pm (Wednesday & Thursday). If you are unable to collect then please ask your parents or friends to get them on your behalf. Also please provide your full fathers' names and home addresses to me via email ASAP.

The event will be as follows:

Day & Date: Saturday, 22 May 2010
Time: 7.30 am
Venue: Liang Lumut Recreation Club (LLRC)
Attire: formal e.g long sleeve shirts (MIB) for boys or baju kurung for girls {no need to wear school uniform anymore}

Students to receive awards are:

1. Lee Sei Ming
2. Siew Yick Xiang
3. Teo Fwu Chyi
4. Lee Hung Yi
5. Lee Chee Chai
6. Zulhilmie Bin Mawardi
7. Wong Siew Yen
8. Sham Neng Cong
9. Foong Mei Kei
10. Chan Leang Seng
11. Quek Yee Theng
12. Wong Jit Bing
13.Richie Chin Fook Ming
14.Dk Intan NuranisahPg Md Juanda
15. Yong Soon Yee
16. Muhd Shu'aib Bin Hj Kamaludin
17. Foo Yau Teck
18. Chiew Yun Heng
19. Chong Sin Yee
20. Ak Muhd Adib Bin Pg Ali Hassan
21. Ho Boon Siong
22. Edwin Ho Huat Yung
23 Teo Cher Ming
24. Angie Liong Ann Gie
25. Wee Wei Yieng @ Alicia
26 Siu See Siong
27 Md Khalaf Amiz bin Hj Julaihee
28 Ak Muhd Aminuddin bin Pg Maidi
29 Hasnan Bin Adenan
30 Vivek Ramachandran Menon
31 Noratikah Bt Hj Lamat

Do not forget to pass the word to your friends as I have emailed most of you but just in case you do not check your emails.

Regards, Miss UK

MINDEF SCHOLARSHIP BRIEFING

2010-04-22T21:55:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone, just a short post to remind the selected students who have confirmed with me that they are attending the MINDEF Scholarship Briefing this Saturday at Bridex, Jerudong to please bring your permission slips cos I have not received from a few students.

Also please be ready at the School Foyer at 11.30am so we can leave when everyone is ready hopefully before 12pm. Please wear school uniform and do prepare any questions that you may have for the MINDEF officers.

Please be punctual as this is for MINDEF, if you're not on time then that is not a good sign should you want to apply for this scholarship :)

See you all on Saturday! Please email or see me should you have any questions regarding the event.

Goodnight, Miss UK

SMSA: EXAM FEVER

2010-04-18T16:06:00.002+08:00

Well Hello SMSA peeps,

Apologies for not updating frequently, blame it on the non-stop teaching hours on my part. Anyway, tomorrow will be the first day of the PREU2 Preliminary Exams which will only end on 6th May 2010.

I would like to wish all PreU2 students the very best of luck for your exams and try your best in every subject. Don't feel too stressed out or else you'll be faced with distress and panic on the days you're sitting for your exams.

Do check this blog regularly for updates on scholarships or career events.

Good luck everyone! May the force be with you :)

Cheers,
Miss UK

UCAS REPLIES

2010-03-24T12:52:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone,

I've received several emails asking me regarding the response that those who have applied will get from the universities. Firstly, those who have applied should regularly check your email or ucas 'Track' for replies from the universities. Below are some examples with suggestions on how to response:

Remember that:

offers are only official once you have received letter or email from UCAS only, even if you receive an offer direct from a university or college
if you have a question about a decision, you should contact the university or college for advice
the universities and colleges have a deadline for making a decision about your application.

Conditional offer

A conditional offer means that the university or college will offer you a place if you meet certain conditions, which are usually based on your exams.

You may be asked to achieve specific Tariff points (eg 200 points from three A levels) or grades in named subjects (for example, B in chemistry, C in physics). You might need to get specific grades in the individual units that make up these subjects.

You must meet the conditions of your offer by 31 August 2010, even if your offer is for deferred entry in 2011. If you're taking a winter exam, the offer might ask you to meet the conditions by an earlier date.

One or more of your offers may be a joint conditional offer, for example, a degree and HND. When your exam results are published, the university or college will decide which part of the offer is most suitable for you.

Each offer is specific to your qualifications and circumstances.

Unconditional offer

An unconditional offer means that you have met all the academic requirements and the university or college is happy to accept you. The university or college will contact you if they need proof of your qualifications. They might have other requirements, like financial or medical conditions, that you need to meet before you can start the course.

Withdrawn application

A choice can be withdrawn by you or the university or college. The reason will be displayed in Track. It may be withdrawn because you didn't respond to any letters or emails from the university or college, or because you didn't attend an interview.

Unsuccessful application

This means that the university or college has decided not to offer you a place on the course.

Universities and colleges can decline an applicant for many reasons, one of which could be that the course is full, so it may not be based on the quality of your application. The university or college may provide a reason for their decision either when they send the decision through, or at a later date. If no reason is shown in Track, you can contact the university or college to see if they will discuss why you were unsuccessful.

If we have received decisions from all of your choices and you have at least one offer, we will email you to let you know there has been a change to your application, and ask you to look at Track. If you haven't provided a valid email address we will send you a letter which will ask you to reply to your offers.

Points to remember when replying to your offers

Try to attend open days or visits before you decide, but remember to reply by the deadline. If you are visiting a university or college after your reply date, please contact the university or college for advice.
Think carefully before you decide which offers to accept because once you accept an offer, including an insurance offer, you are committed to that course (or courses).
You can reply to offers without waiting to hear back from all your choices. You can cancel all outstanding decisions and reply to the offers that you have received using Track. But you must be certain about which offers you wish to accept, as once you have made your replies you will not be able to reverse any withdrawals.
If you are replying to a joint conditional offer, eg for a degree and HND, you are replying to the whole joint offer - when your exam results are published, the university or college will decide which part of the offer is most suitable for you.

Replying to your offers

You reply to each offer in one of the following ways:

firm acceptance
insurance acceptance
decline.

Firm acceptance

Your firm acceptance is your first choice - this is your preferred choice out of all the offers you have received. You only have one firm acceptance.

If you accept an unconditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college, so you must decline any other offers. We'll send you a letter which will explain whether there is anything else you need to do.

If you accept a conditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college if you meet the conditions of the offer. You can accept another offer as an insurance choice.

Insurance acceptance

You can accept an offer as an insurance choice if your firm choice is a conditional offer. Your insurance choice can be conditional or unconditional and acts as a back-up to your firm choice, so if you don't meet the conditions for your firm choice but meet the conditions for your insurance choice, you are committed to that course.

The conditions for your insurance choice can be higher than your firm choice, but be aware that if you're not accepted by your firm choice, it's unlikely that you will be accepted for an insurance choice that requests higher grades.

You don't have to accept an insurance choice - if you don't meet the conditions of your firm choice but do meet the conditions of your insurance choice, you are committed to taking up that place. So, if you're not sure about any of your other choices, you're not obliged to accept one as an insurance option. You can only have one insurance acceptance.

Decline

Once you have decided which offer to accept firmly, and which (if any) to accept as an insurance, you must decline all other offers. If you don't want to accept any of the offers, you can decline them all. You will then be eligible to use Extra or Clearing, depending upon your circumstances.

There are four combinations of offers and replies

Unconditional firm only - you've firmly accepted an unconditional offer. You cannot have an insurance choice.
Conditional firm only - you've firmly accepted a conditional offer.
Conditional firm + conditional insurance - you've firmly accepted one conditional offer and accepted another conditional offer as an insurance.
Conditional firm + unconditional insurance - you've firmly accepted a conditional offer and accepted an unconditional offer as an insurance.

How and when to reply to your offers

Use Track to reply to your offers. Your reply date will be displayed in Track. Your reply date is based on when we receive the last decision from your choices, so it might be different to other people's. If you don't reply by the date given, your offers will be declined. If this happens, call our Customer Service Unit to find out what you can do.

**If you live in the UK or European Union (EU), the dates are:**
Last decision by	Your reply date is
31 March 2010	5 May 2010
7 May 2010	8 June 2010
11 June 2010	30 June 2010
20 July 2010	27 July 2010

**If your postal address is outside the EU, the dates are:**
Last decision by	Your reply date is
7 May 2010	8 June 2010
11 June 2010	30 June 2010
20 July 2010	27 July 2010

All of the information above are taken from the UCAS website, if you are uncertain about any of the above do email me and hopefully by now those who have applied have received offers from the universities.

P/S: may not be replying emails till 29th March 2010 because its the holidays!

Toodles :)

1st TERM SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

2010-03-18T13:07:00.002+08:00

Greetings SMSAnians,

The day you've all been waiting for is finally here...but before I leave as well I'd like to share something with you :)

Today was the Warwick University Talk and I like to thank all students who attended and I do hope everyone gained ideas about where to go and courses that you wish to take in the future.

Also, on behalf of the Career and Higher Education Department, I would like to give a special shout out to ALL MPPs and prefects who have helped the department in preparing for career events. You have been very gracious and helpful towards the Careers and hopefully you will have a good rest during the holidays. Thank you very much for all your help because we could not have been successful in the events if you were not there helping us.

Lastly, have a great holidays everyone but remember at the end of it to complete all your homework :)

Regards, Miss UK

GROUNDRULES

2010-03-17T19:00:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone,

Just a quick note to remind students who have signed up for the Warwick Educational Talk tomorrow (details can be found on previous post), please go to Ava Room by 9.45am so you can settle down before the Warwick representatives arrive so we can start immediately so we can all go home early :)

Venue: AVA ROOM
Time: 10 - 11.30AM

Do come and see me if you have any questions tomorrow. Do bring a notebook to jot down important notes regarding the university requirements and please be on your best behaviour because these representatives are from one of the most prestigious universities in the UK. Please check your names on the list I've provided below and you can still sign up for the talk if you wish.

No	Student’s Name	Tutor group
1	Mohammad Nazreen Bin Hassan	PreU2/Sc3
2	Siti Khatijah Binti Ahmad	PreU2/Sc5
3	Khairunnisa Bazlee	PreU2/Sc1
4	Nadzirah Binti Bohari	PreU2/Sc5
5	Lai Yi Lin	PreU2/Sc3
6	Denise Lee Xin Yi	PreU2/Sc3
7	Natrah Rowena Binti Karim	PreU2/Sc5
8	Nur Azfirah Binti Haji Amit	PreU2/Sc2
9	Nurfaeizah Binti Zanurin	PreU2/Sc3
10	Dk Syaza Pg Jaya	PreU2/Sc5
11	Nurul Aisyah Muhammad Rasyid	PreU2/Sc3
12	Celine Eliz Ang	PreU2/H1
13	Dk Nabila Binti Pg Zaidi	PreU2/Sc2
14	Noorfathin Maziyyah Bte Idris	PreU2/Sc5

Warwick University Visit...going once

2010-03-16T21:25:00.003+08:00

Good evening students, After 2 days of non-stop meetings in bandar, I am officially exhausted and 2 more days of school seem so far away... Anyway just want to remind all PreU2 SMSA students who are interested to attend the talk by Warwick University, UK can still sign up until Wednesday, 17 th March at 12.00 pm. You can email your names and tutor groups to me directly or just come by to the Career department to sign up, please be reminded that I will not be in the office all the time so please come by and sign up through other career officers as well. If there are not many PreU2 students attending the talk then I will open it to PreU1 students. Please be aware that this is a very RARE opportunity to actually meet the university's representatives and to know what courses are available as well as how and when to apply to such a prestigious institution. I would like to share with you a sneak preview of Warwick University so that you will know a little something about the university:

Consistently ranked in the Top Ten UK Universities in the national league tables

4th - The Guardian, May 2009 (more)
6th - The Independent, April 2009 (more)
6th - The Times Good University Guide, June 2009 (more)
7th - The Sunday Times, September 2008

Top University in the Midlands for ten years (The Sunday Times University Guide 2007)
Aim to be within the top 50 in the world by 2015 (the University's 50th Anniversary)
The results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) reiterate Warwick’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities, with Warwick ranked at 7th overall in the UK (based on multi-faculty institutions).
65% of Warwick's research is 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (Quality level of either 3* or 4*)

The University of Warwick campus was recently voted the best campus in the UK. It’s a lively, cosmopolitan place with its own shops, banks, bars and restaurants - an exciting place to live and work with everything you could need close at hand.

There is a great sense of community at Warwick: The campus is home to students and staff from over 120 different countries and from all backgrounds, and is a great resource for the local community with excellent facilities such as Warwick Arts Centre and the University Sports Centre.

The campus is continually developing; in August 2008 Warwick Digital Laboratory was opened by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and the indoor tennis centre at Westwood campus was opened in March 2008. The Student Union building is currently being refurbished, and Warwick Arts Centre, including Butterworth Hall, is undergoing a £6.9 million redevelopment which will be completed in Spring 2009.

The campus occupies 290 hectares on three adjacent sites: Central campus, Gibbet Hill campus, Westwood campus. There are lakes and woods, trees and landscaped gardens but whilst the campus has many green open spaces, inside the buildings ground-breaking research is taking place and academics and students are sharing their knowledge and experience.

Hence, do let me know if you are interested in signing up for the talk. All the details regarding the talk is on my previous post so do look it up.

Goodnight, Miss UK

Warwick University Talk

2010-03-13T09:38:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone,

Just for your information ergarding my previous post about the Warwick Talk next Thursday, if you are going to sign up please email to the RIGHT email which is mine because some students have been spamming Mrs Imelda's email.

Please email your details to: uk_wyeverner@yahoo.com

Regards, Miss UK

Warwick Educational Talk

2010-03-10T08:38:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone,

There will be an educational talk by representatives from Warwick University, UK in our school next week. They will be informing students on the requirements and how to apply for courses at the university particularly Engineering but other courses will also be included.

Hence, if you are interested to join for the talk, do sign up by coming to the Career office or email me your particulars such as full name and tutor group.The following are the details for the talk:

Day & Date: Thursday, 18th March 2010

Time: 10.00 am – 12.00 pm

Venue: AVA Room, SMSA

Deadline to sign-up: 15th March 2010

This is a very rare opportunity to meet representatives from Warwick and it will be good for you to know what type of courses are available and how you can be eligible to apply to one of the Top Ten Universities in the UK. This talk is ONLY open for current PREU2 students however I may consider ex-PreU2 students as well because you will be going for university soon.

If you have any questions, do email me.

Kind regards, Miss UK

UCAS is officially closed..

2010-03-01T22:32:00.002+08:00

Good evening everyone,

I'd like to announce that all SMSA UCAS applications are now closed. Emails sent to me just wanting to apply after this post is published will not be entertained.

As I am on sick leave for 2 days, I will not be in school and will only be back on Wednesday, to those applications that are still under process, do not fret because I will certainly send them off by Wednesday the latest mainly because I have not received your reference forms yet. Also because PreU1 students will be coming in on Thursday and I've been booked for presentations during the orientation hence frankly, I will be too busy to even process UCAS applications anymore.

I hope this is clear to everyone and to those who are just 'deciding' or even 'thinking' you can try your luck at the scholarships and wish to apply ucas after this time, I will not be inclined or happy to entertain your wishes.

Sweet dreams, Miss UK

UCAS applications countdown!

2010-02-28T11:20:00.002+08:00

Happy sunday peeps!

I am currently sick with the fever *coughcough*(literally!) due to late nights working on your UCAS applications and personal statements. The sacrifices (no holiday for me!) I endured just to make sure all applications are safely and properly sent to UCAS.

Just a gentle reminder to all students who have applied to UCAS to please check your details: university choices,subjects and personal statements for errors. For example, the most common one that I've found is under GCE As Level: most of you have entered General Paper 8001 or General Studies which are not the same with the subject you took wich is GENERAL PAPER (you can actually type this out). So please If you are not sure with what to enter in the details please email me or just check the post on this blog on the correct guidelines for UCAS applications.

UCAS APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, 1/3/2010 (that's tomorrow!)

This means that everyone should have their personal statements pasted onto the application and has filled in the correct details.

For any doubts, do email me.

Kind regards, Miss UK

END OF THE LINE...

2010-02-24T22:46:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone,

Just a short post declaring that I have now closed the deadline for all personal statements to be submitted to me. All the personal statements that I have accepted will soon be checked and approved by me so to those concerned, please check your emails.

I will then check UCAS applications for any errors and please check the post on the correct guidelines to fill in the details on UCAS. Alas, another reminder for all UCAS applicants that I have not approved will be Monday,1st March 2010.

That's all for tonight as I have to get back to checking personal statements and approving applications.

Good night everyone!

UCAS APPLICATIONS STAT!

2010-02-24T00:19:00.002+08:00

Hello nightlings,
Yes I am still up checking never ending personal statements, ucas applications and replying endless emails from students. I have identifies numerous ucas applications that contain errors hence I feel the need to re-post the guidelines of how to fill in the UCAS application form:

So below is basically how you should enter the details of your ucas applications CORRECTLY. I will return your applications should I notice any errors.

LAST REMINDER: DEADLINE FOR PERSONAL STATEMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO ME IS ON WEDNESDAY, 24/2/2010. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYMORE AFTER THIS DATE.

REMINDER: DEADLINE FOR SMSA UCAS APPLICATIONS TO BE SUBMITTED TO ME BY MONDAY, 1/3/2010. I WILL NOT PROCESS ANYMORE AFTER THIS DATE UNLESS WITH STRONG AND LEGITIMATE REASONS SUCH AS MOE DECIDES TO OFFER YOU A SCHOLARSHIP BUT YOU DIDN'T APPLY TO UCAS.

Step 1:
Come over to the Career and Higher Education office to fill in the SMSA internal form. Provide 1 passport photo, 1 photocopy of your IC, 1 photocopy of your O & As Levels.

Step 2:
Follow the step by step instructions in this blog to start your UCAS application.

Step 3:
You can email or come and see me personally for the UCAS Buzzword once you have submitted photocopy of your certs to be stamped and have collected smsa internal reference form from the career office.

Personal statement: I have prepared the guidelines on how to prepare an excellent personal statement. You may email to me : uk_wyeverner@yahoo.com AFTER you have asked your GP tutors to proofread for you.

You are expected to produce a good 1st draft of your personal statement. Do not expect the career guidance counselors or GP tutors to write your statement for you. Most importantly, do not copy because UCAS has installed an anti-plagiarism device on UCAS.com. Be original.

Step 4:
Once you have typed in all your relevant information, paid for your application and finalized your personal statement- You need to pay and send the application FIRST then I can approve it. You need to email me to check your UCAS application.

Step 5:

Go to UCAS.com

Click APPLY

Click Register/Log in to use Apply 2010

Click Register * Remember you only register once with UCAS. Once you have registered, you will just need to log in your user name and password to access your application.

Read the instructions before clicking NEXT

Read the terms and conditions and mark the box to accept the terms and conditions.

Click NEXT

REGISTER INITIAL DETAILS

Title: Mr/Miss
Gender:
First name:
Surname:
Date of Birth
* No need to put bin or bte. For e.g. your real name is Aminah bte Ahmad. So for your first name just put Aminah and for your surname put Ahmad. Or if you have chinese name for e.g. Chong Ping Qing- 1st name will be Ping Qing and Surname will be Chong.

click NEXT

Please choose one of the options below

I applied last year and know my Personal ID number
I have a current UCAS card
I have neither of the above (* Most of you will choose this, so mark it)

click NEXT

Postal address

Click EU/Overseas & this will bring you to a page where you have to fill in your postal address. Don't forget your postcode. And don't forget to indicate your country Brunei.

click NEXT

Personal Details
Home Telephone Number:673..... * (673 (space) followed by your phone number)

Mobile Number:673.... *(673 (space) followed by your mobile number)

Mailings: * Tick which ever method you would prefer to received UCAS information. It is best to opt for email notification. (Check your email regularly, if you select this option).

click NEXT

Security

Password (Must be between 6-14 words and must contain 1 number)
* Do write down your password and store it some place safe. Every year I always have 1 or 2 forgetful students who misplace their passwords and it takes the intervention of the British Council to get them in the UCAS system again. So please do not be so careless.

Confirm password

You have 4 security questions that are compulsory for you to answer. Write down the answers, least you forget.

Register: Success

You will receive a user name: Copy it down somewhere safe. Don't forget.

Log in now to continue the application process

How are you applying?

Choose "Through my school/college"
* If you do not apply through SMSA, I will not be able to process your application. So be warned.

Buzzword: * You can email me for the buzzword. Remember to i.d. yourself indicating your I.C number, tutor group and full name.

click NEXT

You are registering through BRITISH COUNCIL BRUNEI DARUSSALAM? Mark CORRECT

Tutor/Application Group: select SMSA

Congratulations: your personal ID is XXX-XXX-XXXX * Keep this in a safe place ok. Don't lose it.

Verify your email address (click wordings in red)

Check your email address NOW: The system will send you a verification code. Copy and paste to the little box above the red button stating. VERIFY EMAIL. Click on that button.

Thank you, your email has been verified. Click here to return to the welcome page.

Before starting the application, you are required to read some relevant information. Once you are done, go to the left hand corner where you will see a series of boxes. Click Personal details:

Most of the information required is quite straightforward, so I will only be dealing with the more problematic parts.

Date of first entry to UK: (Best to put 1st September 2010)

Residential Category : 0

Unique Learner Number: (none)

Fee Code: 09 Overseas agency

Nominated Access: Cikgu Ummi Kalsum Haji Omar
Relationship to you: Careers & Higher Education Counselor

Disability/Special needs: Please select none.

Tick Section completed (if you are satisfied with it) and click SAVE

After completing the 1st part of UCAS, registering, verifying email, logging in and completing the personal details section, you are ready for the next section. Incidentally, there are 6 MAIN SECTIONS to your applications.

PART 1: PERSONAL DETAILS
PART 2: CHOICES
PART 3: EDUCATION
PART 4: EMPLOYMENT
PART 5: STATEMENT
PART 6: PAY/SEND

CHOICES
* You can apply up to 5 universities in this section. However, it would be prudent to apply to just 3 or 4 and leave at least 1 space vacant just in case you need to change your degree or university. Remember you can apply to UCAS once a year, so don't use up all 5 choices. I have written detailed advice on this in previous posts so do look it up.

Click Add a choice

* Take note of the pull down menus. Click "see list" to help you to make the right selection.

Also remember to choose Full Time or FT degree courses. Sandwich courses or part time courses are not recognized in Brunei

Institution code: Each university is allocated a code, so refer to the alphabetical listing for this

Course code: Choose the correct course code

Campus code: Some uni campuses are spread out, some unis are small and only have a main site, so do your research and select the correct campus.

Start date: Select September 2010

Further details: Complete this only if requested

Live at home? Click ? and select No, as all of your are overseas students and would required Uni accommodation.

Point of entry: Only if this applies to you, if not leave it blank.

EDUCATION

Click Add a new school/college

School or College name: Click find,
* Enter your previous school where you sat for your O Levels. No need to go back to lower secondary or primary school.

Enter a word or phrase to search for, then click search
If your previous school e.g. St. John's is not listed then, click "my school/ centre is not listed here", the grey window will become blank and you can type in your school.

Exam centre number: Look at your official O Level certificate, your school's centre number is listed there. It is usually BNXXX

When did you start and finish? If you can't remember the exact date, it is ok just to estimate.

Attendance: Full time

Did you/will your receive any formal qualifications at this school? Click YES

Click on "choose qualification"

Don't use any on the list e.g. Brunei GCE O Level. * We had a lot of problems with that in the past and the British council advised our students to pick GCE O Level and GCE A Level.

Click "other qualification type not on the list"
Click G and choose GCE O Level.
Then a new window will open, where you will fill in the details of your subject, date(refer to your certificate) and grade. For e.g. English Language A1, just type in English Language A. Just fill in the grades, (A,B,C,D) no need for the numbers like C3, B2.

Save and add similar until you have finished filling in all your subjects,date and grades here.

Then go back to Add another school/college, this time its SMSA. Just follow the same instructions that I have typed above, edit the details to fit SMSA.

**Note- you will have 2 types of qualifications here

GCE Advanced Level &

GCE Advanced Subsidiary Level(First award 2001) (This part is for students who have sat for their AS exams last year, so enter your grades. Remember to type your grades as a,b,c,d...etc. If you haven't sat for any AS exams, then no need to enter this under the qualifications section. Awarding body should be: UCLES

***For the GCE Advanced Level (For those of you applying now, before your results come out, do this--->)

Subject: e.g. Maths

Date: 02/2010 (Month/Year)- Check your exam time table.

Awarding body: UCLES

Qualification: Pending (now please enter February 2010 as your qualification date which means you need to enter your end of school time as Feb 2010)

****For students applying next year,(after results are out) this section is very straight forward as you will enter your grades and subjects directly.

Ok Tick Section Complete once you are done with this section.

EMPLOYMENT:
Are for students who have had work experience, if you haven't worked before, leave this section blank.

For those of your who have had work experience, click "add an employer" and fill in the details.

PERSONAL STATEMENT:
I have written a number of posts on this, so search my blog for advice on this. Remember no one can write this but you, so hunker down and write. It doesn't have to be perfect, just start writing and let your ideas flow. A lot of you make the mistake of drafting a poor statement and immediately passing it to your GP/English tutor or (me) to hopefully spoon feed you. It won't happen!!!
It is up to you to write a good statement, or else I will NOT PROCESS your application. Over the years I have dealt with all types of students and have heard all sorts of excuses. So write at least 3-4 drafts before sending it to your teacher.

FYI, many statements previously approved by your GP/English teachers were NOT approved by me, as my standards are very very high. So be warned. I will make you rewrite it again and again if I find that it is weak, unoriginal and boring!!! Don't give me attitude about it either, because at the end of the day, I am helping you. Also remember to use good English.

REMEMBER, if you do not write a good statement, no university will accept you. Do you want to be the first Sayyidina Ali student to be REJECTED on the basis of a poorly written statement??? My standards are extremely high for 1 reason only- to ENSURE that your application will be accepted by the Universities. So even though you have to work hard on it, it will be worth it in the end.

So once I have approved your statement (usually via email), you can type it onto the box provided in this section. Check for typos or mistakes before you "preview" it. Then if you are satisfied with it, you can mark it as complete. Click "save"

PAY/SEND
Pay with your parent's credit card. If your parents don't own one, get a relative to help you. The website is very safe and only UCAS has access to it (no one else can view the credit card details).

Send to referee (me). Notify me by email, so that I can check your application. If you application needs some amendments, I usually return it to you online so that you can make the changes and send it back to me. It usually takes me about 10 minutes or so to finalize the application. I will send you an email to confirm that your application is sent so you can RELAX.

REMINDER: UCAS & DEADLINES

2010-02-19T14:50:00.002+08:00

Hello SMSAnians,

Just a 'gentle' reminder of the UCAS applications, I am processing some applications as we speak. I have also sent confirmation emails to some students on whether you are still applying or not so I can terminate those who have decided not to proceed with the applications. Again, when you are entering the details in your applications, please check with the guidelines that I have provided in my previous post to ensure there are no errors. Also for the choices that you have entered, please do not change them again and again and be certain that such courses are offered by MOE should you are applying for scholarship.

DEADLINE FOR UCAS APPLICATIONS: MONDAY,1ST MARCH 2010 AT 5.00PM (ALL APPLICATIONS ARE TO BE SENT TO ME BY THIS TIME)

DEADLINE FOR HECAS: 4TH MARCH 2010, PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE ENTERED YOUR DETAILS CORRECTLY AND HAVE MADE ENOUGH SETS OF YOUR CERTS (STAMPED) TO BE SUBMITTED PERSONALLY TO THE INSTITUTIONS

DEADLINE FOR PERSONAL STATEMENTS: 24TH FEBRUARY 2010 WILL BE THE FINAL DAY THAT I WILL ACCEPT PERSONAL STATEMENTS (CHCEKED BY YOUR GP TUTORS FIRST BEFORE SUBMITTED TO ME FOR FINAL APPROVAL). I HAVE SET THIS DEADLINE TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS PREPARED THEIR STATEMENTS AND ARE NOT LINGERING AND TAKING THEIR PRECIOUS TIME IN WRITING ONE. **GP TUTORS ARE INFORMED OF THIS DEADLINE THUS THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYMORE AFTER THIS DATE AS WELL**

So please get a move on with your applications because I do not wish for your applications to be delayed and then you will not get the best universities if application is sent later.

For queries, email me. If you wish to see me in school, make sure you make an appointment first because I will be teaching as well and will not be available at any time

Yours Truly, Miss UK

UCAS APPLICATION & DEADLINE

2010-02-16T19:54:00.002+08:00

Good evening everyone...

I am now running through all SMSA UCAS applications online and double checking whether everyone who has registered will be still be applying or not. Hence I have sent an email to those students who are on the system and registered but have yet to complete their application. If you are still applying to UK universities then you still need to apply UCAS as soon as possible because most of you have not even emailed me your personal statements.

I have decided the deadline for all UCAS applications for SMSA students only will be on Monday, 1st March 2010 at 5.00 pm. i will not be processing anymore UCAS applications for SMSA students after this date. Hence please confirm whether you are still applying UCAS through the school or not so it is easier for me to actually process applications that are confirmed.

Moreover, if you are still applying, where is your personal statement? If I do not receive your ps within this week then I will not process your application PERIOD. There is no time to waste because this is your future so get on with writing and submitting your personal statement to me.
Also, please check the universities that you wish to apply for because some have already closed for intake 2010 for example Nottingham University.

So please decide whether you are still applying to UK universities or not and make it fast because I will not process your application after the set deadline.

Kind regards, Miss UK

CAREER CARNIVAL

2010-02-12T16:18:00.002+08:00

Another interesting event coming for students regarding future career prospects: Career Carnival by the Ministry of Health

Day & Date: Thursday - Sunday, 18 FEb - 21 Feb 2010
Time: 9.00 AM - 5.00 PM
Venue: Banquet Hall at the International Convention Centre

There will be numerous exhibitions and representatives to display prospective careers and vacancies available. Please attend as it is an exciting opportunity to view the resources and vacancies available should you are more interested to dwell into the career world.

INFODAY @ ITB

2010-02-12T15:59:00.002+08:00

Kids, here's the information on ITB Open Day: several academic programmes are offered such as Engineering, Business and ICT.

Day & Date: Saturday, 13 February 2010
Time: 8.30 AM - 4.00 PM
Venue: ITB CAMPUS, Tungku Link Gadong

A number of activities will be included:
1. Consultation sessions between students and ITB lecturers regarding offered courses at HND and Degree levels for academic session 2010/2011 as well as requirements for specific courses.
2. A tour within the campus to view available resources in the Engineering labs and technology.
3. Showcase of ITB students final year projects physical displays with live demonstration.
4. Common skills development: mini exhibition and CCA performances by ITB students.
5. HECAS applications are also available.

To ALL students who are interested to apply to ITB or even to know in detail of the available course should attend the Open Day as it provides the perfect opportunity for you to ask questions regarding the courses.

Cheers, Miss UK

HECAS

2010-02-12T15:37:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone...I just like to make it clear to all students who are applying for further education: Scholarship, UBD, ITB and UNISSA through HECAS. Please refer to the previous post on HECAS regarding all information on how to apply and deadlines. There is one important information that needs to clarified:

Applicants who have successfully registered and submitted the HECAS application forms are required to print out the forms and submit these forms together with their photocopied identification cards, birth certificates and relevant academic achievements such as Cambridge GCE 'O' Level, Cambridge GCE 'A' Level, National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and others to the institution/section they have applied to. For example, if an applicant applied to UBD, ITB and UNISSA, the he/she needs to send the HECAS application form together with the photocopied information to UBD, ITB and UNNISSA. All photocopied academic achievements to be submitted must be certified by the last school/institution attended.

Please read this carefully because it has been informed that you need to print out your applications AFTER successfully registered and submitted your forms. Also, please make an extra copy to submit to SMSA Career and Higher education Department for the school's records in case HECAS requests reference from the school.

Should you have any questions regarding HECAS, please do not hesitate to see me in school or email me your questions.

UCAS APPLICATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIP QUERIES

2010-02-10T22:28:00.002+08:00

Hello people...just wanted to make everything clear to everyone about 1 VERY,VERY important thing: if you are going to apply overseas especially to the UK,you MUST register for UCAS and apply through the school: SMSA.

You are not supposed to apply through agencies like HRD, James HON, etc. SMSA has its very own CAREER AND HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT that processes and handles all matters regarding scholarships, further education and applications to local or international universities. The career officers will advice you on anything related to career, subject combination, subject courses and if you are eligible to apply to any universities.

As mentioned repeatedly in my previous posts, if you are going to apply for UCAS you need to fill in the SMSA internal forms so your tutors can write your references in turn I will process your applications. I can already check some UCAS applications online and will be doing so in the coming weeks: checking for errors before approving it and send them your desired universities.

Please make time to come and see me and the other career officers because we are willing to help you and if you are going to apply through agencies do come and tell us personally regarding your reasons in doing so because your documents are strictly meant for use only by the school.

One more thing, some of you are completely clueless that you are supposed to apply through HECAS for government scholarship, UBD, ITB and UNISSA. If you are uncertain in any way: how to apply,when to apply,where to apply,what are the forms and procedures> COME TO SCHOOL AND SEE US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS!!

The Career officers are available this week at SMSA's SCHOOL HALL. Don't be afraid to see us and ask questions as we will be more than happy to answer them. Moreover, those of you who have registered on UCAS before the results came out and do not wish to apply anymore please inform me as soon as possible because I will be processing the applications soon and will check if you are still applying or not.

Kind regards, Miss UK

POST A LEVEL RESULTS!

2010-02-08T20:57:00.002+08:00

Good evening Smsanians,

Firstly, Congratulations on everyone who achieved amazing results in the GCE A Level exams! You have done well and made SMSA proud. So today the school was filled with students collecting the result slips and I was also visited by some students asking about scholarships and what to do after A levels.

This week, the school will be extremely busy with the Pre-U1 registration which will take place at the school hall from Tuesday to Saturday, 8am -12pm and 2pm - 4pm. Hence just to inform everyone that the Career office will be closed because all the career officers will be at the hall as well including myself.

Therefore, I would suggest to all students who wish to see me to ask about further education, UBD, ITB, HECAS or UCAS to come and see me directly at the school hall. However, the career officers and I will not always be around because we have classes to teach as well. Also, I will only be in school in the MORNING because I have a workshop in bandar ALL afternoons this week.
To those students who are qualified for scholarships and wish to apply to UCAS, please prepare your personal statements and ask your GP tutors to help proofread before submitting them to me. Please be certain with your courses and universities because I will be too busy to consider applications that change every other day.

For UCAS, I will not set a deadline yet but I will do so hopefully by Saturday. This is the perfect opportunity for those students who have yet to come and see me about UCAS because this is the only time for you to prepare your statements and register to UCAS.

On another note, HECAS seems to be confusing most students. You MUST apply to HECAS whether you apply to scholarship or local institutions. This is done ONLINE and you must register first through DST. (All the procedures are clear in my previous post!) Please visit the website: www.hecas.edu.bn for more information on courses offered and the requirements to apply to each place.

Again, if you have any questions or doubts please come to school and see me or the othe Career officers for help in filling applications or even how to apply for further education.

Kind regards, Miss UK

UK Education Exhibition

2010-02-01T20:02:00.002+08:00

Greetings SMSAnians,

It's the beginning of February, everyone is anticipating anxiously for the results thus you can view a number of exhibitions to promote universities overseas. I highly recommend students to visit the British Council UK Education Exhibition via OWN transport. Details are as follow:

Day & Date: Wednesday, 3rd February 2010
Time: 1pm - 7pm
Venue:Level 4, Sutra Hall, the Rizqun International Hotel, The Mall, Gadong

The reason why I recommend for you to visit this particular exhibition is because your UCAS applications will go through British council and they hold the best exhibition with different and prestigious universities providing very up-to-date prospectuses. This is your opportunity to meet the university representatives and to ask questions regarding courses, accommodation and tuition fees (especially important for those awaiting their results as you will be applying for 2010).

Have a great visit and maybe I'll see you there!

Cheers, Miss UK

HECAS application 2010

2010-01-31T12:11:00.002+08:00

Hello again! Please take note of the following: if you are going to apply for MOE scholarship, UBD, ITB and UNISSA then please do so through hecas. Please visit the website: www.hecas.edu.bn

Here is information taken from the site:

HECAS 2010 (1st Round) application will commence on the 1 February 2010, 7:45 am. The closing date for this intake will be on 4 March 2010, 4:30 pm.

This online application is only for applicants who are qualified and interested to apply for Diploma, Higher National Diploma or 1st Degree Programmes. The Programmes available for this intake are shown on the table below:

Institute	Programmes Available for 2010 Intake (1st Round)
UBD	Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Business Bachelor of Health Science (Medicine) Bachelor of Health Science (Biomedical Sciences) Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing / Midwifery) Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) Bachelor of Science (Geology and Petroleum Geology) Bachelor of Science (Physical Education and Sport) Diploma in Health Science (Nursing) Diploma in Health Science (Midwifery)
UNISSA	Bachelor of Arabic Language Bachelor of Islamic History & Civilization Bachelor of Shariah (Fiqh & Judiciary) Bachelor of Shariah (Fiqh & Usul) Bachelor of Usuluddin (Tafsir & Hadith) Bachelor of Usuluddin (Aqidah & Da'wah) Bachelor of Science in Islamic Finance Bachelor of Business Management Entrepreneurship Information System Management International Business
ITB	Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering Master of Engineering in Environment & Civil Engineering Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering Bachelor of Engineering (HONS) in Petroleum Engineering Bachelor of Engineering (HONS) in Chemical Engineering Bachelor of Engineering (HONS) in Electrical & Communications Engineering Bachelor of Engineering (HONS) in Mechanical Engineering Bachelor of Business (HONS) in Business Information Technology Bachelor of Science (HONS) in Computing Higher National Diploma in Business (Accounting) Higher National Diploma in Business (Finance) Higher National Diploma in Business (Management) Higher National Diploma in Business (Marketing) Higher National Diploma in Computing Higher National Diploma in Information Systems Higher National Diploma in Internet and Multimedia Development Higher National Diploma in Civil Engineering Higher National Diploma in Construction Engineering and Management Higher National Diploma in Communication and Computer Systems Engineering Higher National Diploma in Electrical Power and Control Engineering Higher National Diploma in Network Engineering Higher National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
Scholarship

Applicants who wish to apply for Postgraduate, Master or PhD programmes offered by local Higher Education Institutions can go directly to the Admission Office of the respective Higher Education Institutions to obtain the prescribed application forms.

As for overseas scholarship for Master or PhD programmes, applicants can obtain the prescribed application forms from the Scholarship Section, 5th Floor, Block C of the Ministry of Education.

Applicants who are currently studying at local universities or on overseas scholarship are not allowed to re-apply for a new programme through HECAS.

Applicant who wishes to apply only for overseas scholarship MUST also apply for at least ONE programme offered by local universities.

Please be informed that the Brunei Cambridge GCE 'AS' Level qualification is not considered as Brunei Cambridge GCE 'A' Level and this qualification will not be used in deciding for application of a place of study.

Please read the 'Entry Requirement for HECAS' menu for the entrance requirements.

Please follow the procedure posted on the 'Guidelines' menu to access the system.

Each applicant is only allowed to select TWO programmes from each of the local universities (UBD, UNISSA, ITB) or for overseas scholarship. The maximum number of programmes which each applicant can submit is SIX. Applicant must select and enter the programmes that each applicant can select is SIX. Applicant must select and enter the programmes of their choices in the order of their preference, i.e. the 1st choice would be ranked as the most preferred by the applicant, followed by less preferred programmes ranked as second choice, third and so on.

The charges are based on the number of programmes selected as per below:

No. of Programmes	Fee
1 Programme	$5
2 Programmes	$10
3 Programmes	$15
4-6 Programmes	$20

Applicants who have successfully registered and submitted the HECAS application forms are required to print out the forms and submit these forms together with their photocopied identification cards, birth certificates and relevant academic achievements such as Cambridge GCE 'O' Level, Cambridge GCE 'A' Level, National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and others to the institution/section they have applied to. For example, if an applicant applied to UBD, ITB and UNISSA, the he/she needs to send the HECAS application form together with the photocopied information to UBD, ITB and UNNISSA. All photocopied academic achievements to be submitted must be certified by the last school/institution attended.

It is the responsibility of every applicant to make sure all information entered is correct and complete. Higher education institutions and Scholarship Section of Ministry of Education Brunei Darussalam reserve the right to reject applications which are incomplete, contained false information or received after the closing date.

For any query or technical issue, please email to: admission@hecas.edu.bn.

Hence, make sure you register through DST tomorrow and start your application soon. It's very easy and is done online. Should you need any help, do email me.

Kind regards, Miss UK

Oh the suspense!!

2010-01-31T11:58:00.002+08:00

Happy sunday everyone!!
Just a quick post to let all the students who attended the BSP career talk know that you have done justice to SMSA by following all the advice and tips I've given. I received great reviews from the BSP personnel regarding SMSA students, well done!! Thank you to those who has provided feedback on the BSP talk as well, no need to worry as I will definitely send in your reasults to BSP as soon as they are out.

Anyway, the other thing I wish to convey is that once results are out (uh-oh!) I will start processing UCAS applications straightaway and will notify the deadline as soon as possible. Hence students should already collect your certs from the school and prepare your personal statements too by submitting them to your gp tutors.

I wish everyone the very best of luck and hope to see more SMSA scholars this year!

Ciao, Miss UK

THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR BSP CAREER TALK

2010-01-26T17:28:00.002+08:00

Hello peeps,
I have officially closed the deadline for interested students to sign up for the BSP Career Talk and Assessment Seminar tomorrow. There are a total of 14 students who will be attending and I have compiled your details> names, subjects (with qualifying results) and chosen courses. There will be no doubt a huge number of students from other Sixth Form centres and they will be very competitive. So here is what I advise for SMSA students when attending the talk:

*Please wear smart and formal shirts for the men e.g long sleeved MIB shirts or POLO shirts, for the ladies> baju kurung or appropriate smartwear
*Bring relevant academic certificates such as O level, As level and Qualifying results. You may also bring ECA certs just in case. Perhaps also photocopies of IC and a copy of passport photo.
*You need to ask questions on BSP scholarship and work opportunities as this is the only chance for you to ask them personally and to find out what precisely they are looking for in potential BSP scholars
*Be courteous and polite to the BSP personnel and other participants. This is because they WILL be observing you from the get-go and the assessment actually begins.
*Please pay attention and listen to what they have to say and offer, when the results come out you will not get the chance to participate again unless you have met the requirements of the scholarship.
*Please watch your behaviour and manner when speaking to BSP personnel because as I mentioned before, they will assess you straightaway.

Finally, first impressions do count so prepare yourselves well and make SMSA proud.

For more questions, do email me.

Cheers, Miss UK

Last call for BSP briefing

2010-01-25T18:15:00.002+08:00

Greetings again...this is your last opportunity to sign up for the BSP assessment and Career talk (details were posted previously). I will be submitting those names and details of students who have emailed and confirmed attendance for the abovementioned event to BSP tomorrow. Reminder: you will be going on OWN transport.

Please ensure that you will be punctual, courteous and polite in your manners. Also, please bring your relevant certificates as well as be knowledgeable in your chosen course (s) and universities just in case the BSP personnel ask about what you have done so far in applying for higher education.

should you have any questions regarding the event, feel free to email me.

Thanks, Miss UK

UCAS personal statements

2010-01-25T18:03:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone,
I have received numerous personal statements from students however as of Tuesday 26/1/2010, I will not be checking statements that are not checked or reviewed by your GP tutors. Most of the statements that I have received are not well written or even planned. You have not read or followed the guidelines I have provided in my previous post. Thus, should any of you email me your statements I strongly recommend you ask your previous GP tutor for help in checking for errors first.

If your personal statements are weak in use of English or written incorrectly: not following the format I have provided then I will not check nor approve your statement.

Plan and prepare your statement carefully before submitting it to your GP tutors or to me. The clock is ticking....

Important announcement

2010-01-19T22:12:00.002+08:00

Dear All,

I have made a few amendments on my previous post regarding UCAS applications particularly on the buzzword (you can only email once you have submitted your certs to be stamped and have collected the smsa internal form). Also, when you are entering your qualifications on the UCAS applications for your GCE As level please choose GCE Advanced Subsidiary Level (First Award 2001) and the awarding body is UCLES. This will ensure that you can enter your grades as a,b or c.

I have received numerous personal statements for approval but will only check them on Saturday because I will not be in school tomorrow and will be extremely busy for an important event in school. So, please be patient with feedbacks on your statements as you still need to research the universities and be specific on your chosen courses as I have received and checked statements after which students decide to change their course. Please ensure you are fixated on the course before submitting your ps to me.

Hope the information above is crystal clear to everyone.

Good night, Miss UK

BSP SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 2010

2010-01-17T20:53:00.000+08:00

BRUNEI SHELL PETROLEUM SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME:

CAREER TALK ON STUDENT SELECTION 2010

Good evening peeps!! Exciting news is coming your way especially for ex-PreU2 students who are aiming for the BSP scholarship. Well, I have just received the latest information regarding the scheme that is most popular in Brunei. All interested & qualified students (Yellow IC holders only) are invited to attend the Career Talk on the selection for the abovementioned scholarship. The details are as follows:

Day & Date: Wednesday, 27^th January 2010

Time: 8.30 am – 11.30 am

Venue: Seameo Voctech, Jalan Pasar Baharu, Gadong

Students may attend the briefing on OWN transport. The main objective for this talk is as a preparation to choose certain courses that are offered by the prestigious company and therefore also invite eligible students for the Assessment Centre. Such an assessment is scheduled to take place on the second week of February 2010.

Targeted students for this scholarship should have the following subject combination:

MAIN SUBJECTS	THIRD SUBJECT
Maths/ Physics	Chemistry/ Biology/ Geography/ Further Maths/Economics/ Accounting

Also, students must ensure that you have passed your qualifying exams with an average grade of ‘C’ for all your subjects. To those who are definitely attending, please email me your details do I am informed whoever is going for the briefing and can correlate your details for the scholarship. Please include your FULL NAME, A LEVEL SUBJECTS WITH YOUR MOCK EXAM RESULTS, YOUR CHOSEN COURSE, EMAIL ADDRESS AND CONTACT NUMBER.

Do come over to the career library for more information or questions regarding the scheme.

DR GOH KENG SWEE (GKS) SCHOLARSHIP 2010

2010-01-17T20:51:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone...Here is a scholarship opportunity to anyone who is interested. You may come to the career office for more details such as eligibility criteria, duration and terms of award, instructions and application details. Here is a brief regarding the scholarship:

The Dr Goh Keng Swee (GKS) scholarship was set up by the financial community in Singapore and is a private sector scholarship administered by the Association of Banks. Each year a few scholarships were rewarded to students to pursue Undergraduate studies in Singapore’s universities. The course of study would preferably be in the financial sector.

Please come and see me immediately to apply as the deadline for this application is 25^th January 2010.

UCAS Applications post the 'A' Level Examination Results.

2010-01-15T22:54:00.001+08:00

Personal statement: I have prepared the guidelines on how to prepare an excellent personal statement. You may email to me : uk_wyeverner@yahoo.com or submit it directly to me.
You are expected to produce a good 1st draft of your personal statement. Do not expect the career guidance counselors to write your statement for you. Most importantly, do not copy because UCAS has installed an anti-plagiarism device on UCAS.com. Be original.

Step 4:
Once you have typed in all your relevant information, paid for your application and finalized your personal statement- You need to pay and send the application FIRST then I can approve it. You need to email me to check your UCAS application.

Step 5:

I will communicate via email with you to make changes or approve your application. Either way, after each application has been sent byme, you will receive a confirmation email from me and you can go on your merry way.

The deadline for the processing of all UCAS applications at SMSA,KB will be confirmed at a later date as I will start processing once results are out and will inform you when the deadline will be.

Go to UCAS.com

Click APPLY

Click Register/Log in to use Apply 2010

Click Register * Remember you only register once with UCAS. Once you have registered, you will just need to log in your user name and password to access your application.

Read the instructions before clicking NEXT

Read the terms and conditions and mark the box to accept the terms and conditions.

Click NEXT

REGISTER INITIAL DETAILS

Title: Mr/Miss
Gender:
First name:
Surname:
Date of Birth
* No need to put bin or bte. For e.g. your real name is Aminah bte Ahmad. So for your first name just put Aminah and for your surname put Ahmad. Or if you have chinese name for e.g. Chong Ping Qing- 1st name will be Ping Qing and Surname will be Chong.

click NEXT

Please choose one of the options below

I applied last year and know my Personal ID number
I have a current UCAS card
I have neither of the above (* Most of you will choose this, so mark it)

click NEXT

Postal address

Click EU/Overseas & this will bring you to a page where you have to fill in your postal address. Don't forget your postcode. And don't forget to indicate your country Brunei.

click NEXT

Personal Details
Home Telephone Number:673..... * (673 (space) followed by your phone number)

Mobile Number:673.... *(673 (space) followed by your mobile number)

Mailings: * Tick which ever method you would prefer to received UCAS information. It is best to opt for email notification. (Check your email regularly, if you select this option).

click NEXT

Security

Password (Must be between 6-14 words and must contain 1 number)
* Do write down your password and store it some place safe. Every year I always have 1 or 2 forgetful students who misplace their passwords and it takes the intervention of the British Council to get them in the UCAS system again. So please do not be so careless.

Confirm password

You have 4 security questions that are compulsory for you to answer. Write down the answers, least you forget.

Register: Success

You will receive a user name: Copy it down somewhere safe. Don't forget.

Log in now to continue the application process

How are you applying?

Choose "Through my school/college"
* If you do not apply through SMSA, I will not be able to process your application. So be warned.

Buzzword: * You can email me for the buzzword. Remember to i.d. yourself indicating your I.C number, tutor group and full name.

click NEXT

You are registering through BRITISH COUNCIL BRUNEI DARUSSALAM? Mark CORRECT

Tutor/Application Group: select SMSA

Congratulations: your personal ID is XXX-XXX-XXXX * Keep this in a safe place ok. Don't lose it.

Verify your email address (click wordings in red)

Check your email address NOW: The system will send you a verification code. Copy and paste to the little box above the red button stating. VERIFY EMAIL. Click on that button.

Thank you, your email has been verified. Click here to return to the welcome page.

Before starting the application, you are required to read some relevant information. Once you are done, go to the left hand corner where you will see a series of boxes. Click Personal details:

Most of the information required is quite straightforward, so I will only be dealing with the more problematic parts.

Date of first entry to UK: (Best to put September 2010)

Residential Category : 0

Unique Learner Number: (none)

Fee Code: 09 Overseas agency

Nominated Access: Cikgu Ummi Kalsum Haji Omar
Relationship to you: Careers & Higher Education Counselor

Disability/Special needs: Please select none.

Tick Section completed (if you are satisfied with it) and click SAVE

HOW TO WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT

2010-01-15T22:50:00.000+08:00

Good evening everyone, this is a special post on the proper guidelines on writing a personal statement. I have read statements that are not worthy to be sent to UCAS and are informal because of weak use of English and poor showcase of one’s academic capacities. Hence, to those ex-preU2 students who are planning to study in the UK or aiming for a scholarship overseas as well as clueless on what is a personal statement, it is basically a written presentation of yourself including your genuine interest in the chosen course, why you wish to apply for the course, knowledge on the course itself, past experiences that are interesting and have helped you in life, hobbies and why you are eligible to study at universities. Here are the details:

� Tell the universities and colleges why they should choose you

The personal statement is your opportunity to tell universities and colleges about your suitability for the course(s) that you hope to study. You need to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment, and above all, ensure that you stand out from the crowd.

The personal statement can be different to application essays or personal statements from other countries, so please read the guidance in this section before completing the statement.

Does it matter?

Some course tutors find personal statements crucial when making decisions, whereas others might not put as much emphasis on them. Since you do not know who will be looking at your statement, the safest thing is to do a good job. In many cases, applicants are not interviewed, so this may be your only chance to make the case for you to be offered a place. Remember that the person reading your statement is an expert in your chosen area of interest so they will want to know the reasons why you have chosen the subject.

Points to consider when writing your personal statement

Explain why you want to study the course you are applying for. If you mention your personal interests and hobbies, try to link them to the skills and experience required for the course.The personal statement could be used as the basis for an interview, so be prepared to answer questions on it. This may be your only written work that the course tutor sees before making a decision: make sure it is organised and literate. Get the grammar, spelling and punctuation right. A statement filled with errors will give a negative impression of your skills and the effort you have put in to being accepted. Your statement must be written in English (or it can be in Welsh if you are applying only to Welsh universities and colleges). Writing about yourself is probably not something you do very often, so you might need to practise writing in this particular style. It is a good idea to list your hobbies and achievements, and then you can decide which ones demonstrate your strongest skills and personality.

Expand upon your interests and experiences

Your statement will be more convincing and personal if you write about why an experience, activity or interest makes you a good candidate for the course. Include enough additional information to make it interesting and to demonstrate your own interest. Rather than making a statement such as 'I enjoy badminton' try to provide context and show what you have learnt such as 'I play badminton twice a week with a club that plays in local competitions and I play in both singles and doubles matches. Doubles matches requires good team working, an ability to support your partner, to devise a game plan but be able to adapt it as required and fast reactions. I enjoy the social side of the club and take responsibility for organising the social activities and fundraising events. This gives me an opportunity to develop my organisational and planning skills. Fitting in all these activities while keeping up with my academic studies demands good time management and I think I do that very well.'

Applying to multiple courses

Remember that you only write one personal statement so it will be used for all your choices. If you are applying for a joint degree you will need to explain why you are interested in both aspects of this joint programme. If you are applying for different subjects or courses, you need to identify the common themes and skills that are relevant to your choices. For example, both mathematics and law are subjects where you have to think logically and apply rules. You may like both subjects because you enjoy solving problems, using theory and natural or man-made laws to come to a correct conclusion. If your chosen courses cannot be linked by a common theme, think about your reasons for applying to such varied courses - it might be useful to speak to a careers adviser to get some guidance. If you mention a subject in your personal statement and are applying to other courses, you may be asked by the university or college for additional information about why you have chosen alternative courses.

Attention-grabbing

Some statements start with quotes, some include jokes, some set out to be unusual or eye-catching. Sometimes it works, but it might have the opposite effect to what you hoped. The admissions decision maker may not share your sense of humour so be careful when trying to make your statement stand out.

What to include

Interests, experiences and abilities that can be included in your statement

Below are some suggestions of what to include in your personal statement. These are guidelines only so don't worry if some of the suggestions do not apply to you.

Why you have chosen the course(s) - this is particularly important when you're applying for a subject that you have not studied before.
The reasons why that subject area interests you.
Evidence that you understand what is required to study the course, eg if applying for psychology courses, show that you know how scientific the subject is.
How your current or previous studies relate to the course(s) that you have chosen.
Any activities that demonstrate your interest in the course(s).
Why you want to go to university or college.
Details of jobs, placements, work experience or voluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to your chosen course(s).
Hobbies, interests and social activities that demonstrate your skills and abilities.
Any other achievements that you are proud of, eg reaching grade 3 piano or being selected for the county cricket team.
Positions of responsibility that you hold/have held both in and out of school, eg form prefect or representative for a local charity.
Attributes that make you interesting, special or unique.
Whether you have any future plans of how you want to use the knowledge and experience that you gain.
Why do you want to study in the UK?

What evidence do you have to show that you can successfully complete a higher education course that is taught in English? Please say if some of your studies have been assessed in English.
Have you had a position of authority or used your communication skills in any activity?

Dos and don'ts

Dos and don'ts when constructing your personal statement

Do create a list of your ideas before attempting to write the real thing.

Do expect to produce several drafts before being totally happy.

Do ask people you trust for their feedback.

Do check university and college prospectuses, websites and Entry Profiles, as they usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want their students to demonstrate.

Do use your best English and don't let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement.

Do be enthusiastic - if you show your interest in the course, it may help you get a place.

Don't feel that you need to use elaborate language. If you try too hard to impress with long words that you are not confident using, the focus of your writing may be lost.

Don't say too much about things that are not relevant - if you think that you are starting to, take a break and come back to your statement when you feel more focused.

Don't lie - if you exaggerate you may get caught out at interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.

Don't rely on a spellchecker as it will not pick up everything - proof read as many times as possible.

Don't leave it to the last minute - your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.

Don't expect to be able to write your personal statement whilst watching TV or surfing the internet - this is your future, so make the most of the opportunity to succeed.

WORD LIMIT: You can enter up to 4,000 characters (this includes spaces) or 47 lines of text (this includes blank lines), whichever comes first. You do not have to use all the space provided. When you save text, the system will tell you how many characters are still available or if you have used too many characters. You can preview your statement after you have saved it.

Make sure that your personal statement is your own work

All applications are put through similarity detection tests, which identify statements that have been copied from another source. Do not be tempted to copy another person's application materials, or download your personal statement from a website. There could be serious consequences to using other people's work. If any part of your personal statement appears to have been copied, I will inform all the universities and colleges to which you have applied. They will then take the action they consider to be appropriate.

PHEW!!! THAT WAS A LONG ONE, HOPEFULLY YOU’VE READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS IF YOU WISH TO PRODUCE A GOOD STATEMENT. I WILL BE PROCESSING UCAS APPLICATIONS AFTER THE RESULTS ARE RELEASED HENCE THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME FOR ME TO CHECK AND APPROVE YOUR STATEMENTS. SO PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY AND DO NOT SEND ME ONE THAT IS NOT UP TO MY STANDARDS ELSE I WILL IGNORE IT. SEND YOUR PS TO MY EMAIL OR PERSONALLY SUBMIT IT TO ME.

HAVE FUN WRITING! CHEERS, Miss UK

UCAS EXTENDED DEADLINE 2010

2010-01-13T20:05:00.000+08:00

Greetings everyone..this is a very important post for ex-preU2 students who are planning to apply for UCAS. Now I have mentioned previously that I will process most applications after the results are out. However, I have been informed that I can start processing your UCAS applications with a new deadline. Though this seems sudden, students can still apply after the results come out but I will start the process for student applications to TOP TEN UK Universities ONLY(excluding the first 2). (please refer to the list below)

The new deadline: Wednesday, 20^th January 2010

TOP TEN UK Universities:

1. Oxford

2. Cambridge

3. Imperial college

4. St’ Andrews

5. University College London

6. Warwick

7. London School of Economics

8. Durham

9. Exeter

10. Bristol

Hence, those of you who are applying to these universities, please email me directly for further information on how to apply and proceed. You should already have your personal statement ready and also have registered and logged into the UCAS application. Don’t hesitate to see me in school for more information.

I would also like to announce that the Career Department has updated its notice board with Career and Higher education information. You may come and visit the Career Library to check for new information on how to apply to UCAS, HECAS, local institutions as well as scholarship.

Regards, Miss UK

School so far...

2010-01-10T18:29:00.002+08:00

Hello peeps!!! How is everyone? the first week of school is over and I am exhausted....I'm sure everyone feels the same. Anyway, since school reopened I have been bombarded with students asking about UCAS, scholarships, what to do after A levels, etc. My emails are also silled with emails from students asking for help regarding the abovementioned matters. Now, as I have mentioned in my previous blog: I will be processing all SMSA applications as soon as the results come out which will probably be in February. However, I can process the applications of students who whis to apply by 15th january and this will be at the students' own risk because you will submit your application to universities based solely on your O and As level results as your A levels will not be out yet.

Next, students coming in to get the reference forms for forecast, ucas and scholarship applications. You need to provide the necessary documents as mentioned in the form else I will not process them and neither will your tutors provide your forecast results. Please do not take the forms just because your friends are as I will know if you are qualified to apply for scholarships or not.

To those of you who wish to apply to UCAS, please prepare your personal statements for the career officers to check and approve before pasting them onto the application. You may submit you ps via email to me or print them out and submit in my office personally. To those who have submitted, I will notify you either through email or phone for errors (if any) and this may take time as I do have other duties like classes to teach and admin responsibilities.

I have also received emails from students who are confused or are clueless regarding how to apply and what are the next steps after your results come out. For the concerned students, it will be best if you come and see me personally to get advise. This can be done through emails for appointments.

I will try to post up notices for updated information regarding career and higher education in the career library. I will inform when this is ready through this blog.

That's all for now. Please do not hesitate to email me for any other questions.

Regards, Miss UK

'TIS A NEW YEAR 2010

2010-01-03T20:38:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year 2010 to all Smsanians!! Greetings everyone, I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing holiday as I also just returned from a very much needed vacation. I do apologise for the recent posts if they were unclear or vague in any way. I am having trouble accessing the internet hence the lack of updates.

Firstly, to answer the numerous emails asking what are the certificates to hand in to the school for stamping and for the principal to sign. ALL academic and ECA achievements are recommended to be handed in and this includes your PSR,PMB,O and As level results (june and november) as well as any sports activities with certificates of your participation. You need to prepare at least 4 photocopied sets within envelops and please write your full names,tutor group and contact numbers so the admin can easily call you to collect back your certificates.

Secondly, I will be busy trying to settle and prepare the career library before your A level results are out hence ex-PreU2 students must see me via appointment to get the reference forms if you are wishing to apply for UCAS or scholarships. I have also mentioned in previous posts that you shoukd be preparing your UCAS personal statements for the career officers to check and approve and you may submit them at the Career department (deadline to be confirmed at a later post).

Lastly, I am in the process of replying the emails that I have received during my hiatus period and I apologise if you have been waiting for a reply. Again may I reming ex-preU2 students 2009 to come and see me at my office to get the reference forms and I will only give you the UCAS buzzword in person.

Hope each and everyone will have a prosperous and successful year 2010, I will be seeing the current preU2 students tomorrow. Go to sleep early and make sure you come to school on time :)

Regards, Miss UK

REMINDER FOR ALL PREU2 STUDENTS 2009

2009-12-23T08:42:00.002+08:00

GooD Morning everyone,I WOULD LIKE 2 REMIND THOS EOF U WHO WISH TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP OR UBD OR ITB,ETC CAN AND SHOULD SEND IN PHOTOCOPIES OF UR ACADEMIC AND ECA CERTIFICATES 2 THE CLERKS OFFICE IN SMSA 2 B STAMPED AND SIGNED BY THE PRINCIPAL. YOU SHOULD MAKE AT LEAST 4 SETS OF YOUR CERTIFICATES. IT SHOULD BE HANDED IN WITHIN AN ENVELOPE WITH YOUR FULL NAME, TUTOR GROUP AND GROUP TUTORS NAME AS WELL AS PHONE NUMBER SO SCHOOL CAN CONTACT YOU WHEN IT IS READY FOR COLLECTION. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT YOU ARE PREPARED TO APPLY FOR UNIVERSITY AND HIGHER EDUCATION. YOU CAN START HANDING IN FROM 23/12 AND THE CLOSING DATE WILL BE SATURDAY,9/01/2010. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BEGIN TO HAND IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WHEN SCHOOL REOPENS IT WILL BE DELAYED. YOU CAN EMAIL ME FOR ANY ENQUIRY OF THE MATTER.

GROUND RULES

2009-12-22T20:30:00.006+08:00

Hello everyone, as the Head of the Career department I wish to make something very clear regarding UCAS applications 2010. It seems that no one is listening when I made it extremely clear when I will be processing SMSA UCAS applications. The following information is taken from the UCAS website:

If you are applying from the UK

There are three application deadlines for courses through UCAS - 15 October, 15 January and 24 March - it is important to check the deadline for your chosen course(s). If you are applying from the UK, you should submit your application by the relevant deadline below.

15 October 2009 - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science courses (course codes A100, A101, A102, A103, A104, A105, A106, A300, A200, A201, A202, A203, A204, A205, A206, A400, D100, D101 and D102), and for all courses at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
15 January 2010 - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all courses except those listed above with a 15 October deadline, and art and design courses with a 24 March deadline.
24 March 2010 - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for art and design courses except those listed with a 15 January deadline.

International applicants

If you are applying from outside the UK or EU, whatever your nationality, you need to be aware of the three application deadlines but many universities and colleges will consider your application up until 30 June 2010. This does not apply to applications for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, courses in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science. For all of these, you must apply by 15 October 2009.

So it does mention June, however I will start the process AFTER THE A LEVEL RESULTS ARE RELEASED and the deadline for all SMSA students will be in March. I do not appreciate students who wish to submit applications without receiving any A level results. As I mentioned in the last post, you can start the application but I will not process it yet. You can start by writing your personal statements and email them to me for approval.

I hope that this post will be crystal clear to everyone who wishes to apply to UCAS.

P/S: 'Demanding' students will not be entertained. Thank you.

END OF SCHOOL 2009

2009-11-26T16:11:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone....school has been hectic as usual with the end of year activities. On behalf of the Career department, I would like to convey to all students & teachers:

'Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha'

'An advanced Merry Christmas'

'Happy Holidays'

-Have a great, wonderful and fun vacation. However, for PreU1 students: do start revising on your subjects for next year as it will only get tougher..hence be more motivated.

Anyway, to ex-PreU2 students, most of you have been to school to see me enquiring about scholarships, UCAS applications, references and forecast results.

Firstly, I will only begin the UCAS applications when your results are out next year possibly enf of February. However, during the holidays, those of you who are anxious may start your personal statements for the UCAS application. I will therefore post more on this matter though you may refer to the old blogposts regarding personal statements.

Secondly, to those of you who are thinking of applying for local scholarships may do do only next year again when results are out. If you have specific questions, you may email me.

However, students who will be going overseas on private funding and require forecast results and references may ask personally from me. Though, most of you will only get references from your tutors when school reopens next year as they will be on holiday too.

Finally, students who are requesting for teacher references and forecast results may email me for appointment and can see me personally at school.

I will be available in school on the following dates and times, should you wish to see me for career counselling advice, please do so and email me for appointment.

Dates: 30/11/09 - 3/12/09, 7/12/09 - 24/12/09 (excluding fridays and sundays)

Times: 8.00 am - 12.00 pm

Once again, enjoy your holidays!!

SWISS HOTEL UPDATE

2009-11-20T14:14:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone...this is an update for students who have signed up for the educational tour to Swiss Hotel in KB tomorrow 21st Nov 2009 at 9am - 12pm. Some of you have paid the fee to me yesterday though most of you have not. You can still make the payment directly at the hotel tomorrow itself when you are at the hotel or to Cg Suzienie, teacher in charge (the school counselor)

I am no longer in charge of the trip hence those of you who are wanting to drop out please email me as soon as possible. Please take note that you are going there via OWN transport, you may come to school to receive your reports at 8am then you can go to the hotel after that. Also you are reminded to wear FULL SCHOOL UNIFORM including shoes and school badges and to be on your very best behaviour as the principal and deputy principal will also be present at the tour.

The supervising teacher for the trip is Cikgu Suzienie, the school counselor. If you are in doubt, do go and see her tomorrow before leaving for the hotel and also payments are to be made directly to her.

Please email me if you wish to pull out of the trip. Thank you

Swiss Hotel Educational Tour

2009-11-17T22:41:00.003+08:00

Hello Smsanians, the school is organising an educational tour to the Swiss Hotel in KB where 27 students have signed up for the tour. Those of you who have signed up, please make the payment of B$15 to the career officers either Cikgu Ummi or Mrs Joan Cherian at the Career dept, 1st Floor Library, deadline is thursday, 19th November 2009.

The following are the details of the tour:

Day & Date: Saturday, 21st November 2009
Time: 9.00 am - 12.00 pm
Venue: Swiss Hotel, Kuala Belait

For more information or if you have any questions, do not hesitate to come over to the office. Also, you will need to go to the venue via OWN transport as the school will not provide transport. If payment is not made by thursday then your name will be cancelled. Not to mention, there are still 3 spaces available should anyone is interested to sign up please do so at the Career office.

Cheers!

SMSA COMMUNITY DAY

2009-11-15T21:28:00.002+08:00

Greetings SMSA TCHRS AND STUDENTS..APOLOGIES FOR LACK OF UPDATES..eXamS ARE OVER! TOMORROW SMSA WILL BE HOSTING A GOOD CAUSE THAT IS THE MUCH ANTICIPATED COMMUNITY DAY,THIS WILL TAKE PLACE MONDAY 16 NOV 09 WITH SEVERAL ACTIVITIES LINED UP.THERE WILL BE AN ASSEMBLY AT 7.30AM WHERE ATTENDANCE WILL BE TAKEN FOLLOWED BY NUMEROUS FUN ACTIVITIES. TO ALL STUDENTS PLEASE WEAR SPORTS ATTIRE AND BRING ALONG WET TISSUE,TOWELS AND GLOVES..LETS LEND A HAND FOR A GOOD CAUSE!

Do check for updates at the SMSA PRE U BLOGSPOT.COM

2009-11-10T20:30:00.005+08:00

Attention Pre U1 Students.

Just a reminder to check out this blog as well as the

for regular updates.

Right now there is a post of special importance for the Pre U1 Business Studies Students.

Do check it out as I will be regularly updating info on the SMSA PRE U BLOGSPOT from now on.

Stay Tuned Peeps!

Warmest Regards: Mrs Imelda Yapp from the big blue yonder !

STUDY IN AUSTRALIA 2009

2009-10-22T08:27:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone... those of you who are keen to study in Australia to pursue your higher education then this is the opportunity for you to actually survey the available universities and their entry requirements.

The exhibition is open to public:

Date: Thursday, 22/10/09
Time: 1.00 - 6.00 pm
Venue: Mutiara Ballroom, Sheraton Utama Hotel, BSB

So if you are very interested then make your way to the venue and see which universities suit you best.

Flyers are available at the Career Office, 1st Floor Library

GCE As and A LEVEL EXAMS

2009-10-14T15:13:00.002+08:00

Dear SMSA students,

I wish you all the very best and luck for your exams. I provide you with several helpful advice to get you through the exams and in no time you will be on a longgggggggggggggg 3-month holiday :)

Before your exams

1. Dont Panic.
Avoid panic. Exam nerves are natural but panicking will only make things worse and
you may not be able to think clearly.

2. Stay positive.
Believe in yourself. If you prepare for your exams properly you should do fine. Your
teachers have worked hard to make sure you have studied everything you need to for the exam. They believe you can do it and so should you. If you believe you can do it, then you can.

3. Don’t bottle things up.
If the exams are making you feel worried or depressed, talk to your friends, your
parents/guardians or your teachers. Dont bottle things up. Youre not the only one to
feel worried about exams - we've all been there. Remember, everyone reacts in
different ways to exams.

4. Keep things in perspective.
Exams might seem like the most important thing you have to focus on right now, but
they are only a small part of your life. There are thousands of successful people who
didnt do as well as they wanted in their exams. Its great to do well but remember that
you can only do your best and that is what your teachers and your parents/guardians ask of you.

5. Plan.
Timetables and study plans: You should know when your exams will be so work out a plan or timetable for study. If you dont know when the exams are, speak to your teachers or your examinations officer.
Make sure you leave plenty of time to revise so that you don’t have to cram at the last
minute. If you plan you will become more confident and will be better prepared for
your exams so you should also be more relaxed. Include some flexibility in your plan in case something happens and you fall behind your timetable/schedule.
Use your plan or timetable to monitor your progress. If you fall behind on your plan or timetable, work out how to get back on track. Avoid falling behind further as you may become more stressed and anxious. Set yourself some realistic goals at each study period eg to cover a particular topic.

Study approach

Plan your approach to studying. There are many different ways to study. Some people
prefer to study in silence, some like to work in the library and others prefer to work at
home. Some people like to make short notes, others prefer to mix topics/subjects (eg
difficult or easy topics). Students have also found that using key words, memory aids
and practising exam questions helps them prepare. Wherever you choose to study make sure you have plenty of room to set out your notes and books so you are organised. Pick the approach that best suits you. Your teachers can help advise you on how you should study for their subjects. Test yourself on what you have learnt as you study.
6. Rest and relaxation.
Make sure you allow yourself time for fun and relaxation away from where you are
studying so that you avoid exhaustion. Include regular breaks into your study plan or
timetable and make sure you get enough exercise and sleep to keep yourself relaxed and refreshed. If you exercise you will be able to sleep better and you will wake up
refreshed in the morning. If you feel you are starting to lose concentration, take a short break. Your mind is probably tired and you will waste time trying to study. The break will mean that you will come back refreshed. Research shows that taking breaks (eg 10 minutes for every hour of studying) will help your brain to learn and remember things and also lengthen your concentration. Dont overload your brain in a study session. You are not wasting time by taking some time out to relax from your studies but are helping yourself to work more effectively.

7. Ask for help.
If you don’t understand something ask your friends, parents/guardians or your teacher for help. You may find that you can help a classmate in something they dont
understand - you may be able to help each other. Dont stress yourself but take action
to find out answers to problems.

8. Use revision papers.
You can use revision papers to prepare mock exam answers which will help you focus
your revision. They will also help you get used to the way questions are asked and how they should be answered. The more you practice, the more confident you will become.You can also make up your own questions.
There are also a number of study guides available that you might find useful and these can be purchased at most good bookstores.

9. Eat and drink well.
Fizzy drinks, tea and coffee contain caffeine and this can mean that youre not able to
think as clearly. You can keep your mind active by eating healthily and regularly. If
you dont drink enough you could dehydrate and you may suffer from headaches,
tiredness and poor concentration.On the morning of an exam, make sure you eat breakfast. Go for something like wholegrain cereals eg bran, egg, toast which are slow energy burners.

10. Study away from distractions.
Make sure you have a quiet area to study with no distractions. Turn the television off.
Dont fall into the trap of watching one programme and then starting your study. Youll
quickly find that its time to go to bed when youre about to turn off the television. This
will only knock your studying back and cause you stress and anxiety.
Take short rests during your study time for relaxation away from where you are
studying. If your mind gets too tired you will have difficulty remembering what you
have been studying. If you prefer to study in the evening, dont go straight to bed afterwards because your mind will still be thinking over what you have learnt. Take some exercise, go for a walk or do something else that will help relax you from your study time.

11. Prepare everything you need for the exam.
The night before the exam, make sure you have your calculator (if needed), your pens
and pencils, your admission card and a watch so you can monitor the time during the
exam. Your teacher or your examinations officer can advise you on what you are
allowed to take into each examination.

12. Exam day rush.
Instead of trying to learn new topics on the day of the exam, look over your notes/key
points. Dont leave yourself short of time on the day of an exam. Work out how you are getting to the exam and make sure you have plenty of time to get there so that you are not rushed. If you have time, you may want to find a quiet place to relax rather than waiting outside the examination centre with the accompanying noise and tension from your classmates.

During the exam

1. Take deep breaths.
Taking several long, slow, deep breaths will help to calm you down and help you feel
more relaxed. Tell yourself that you are calm and that you will do well. Remember
positive thinking!

2. Reading instructions and questions.
Make sure you read each question carefully and listen to instructions given by the
invigilators. Read the front of the exam paper which has important information on what questions you are required to answer and how many marks are awarded. Ask an
invigilator if you are unsure.

3. Staying in control.
If your mind goes blank, don’t panic! Panicking will just make it harder for you to
remember what you learnt. Everyone panics. Put your pen down and go back to taking several long, slow, deep breaths until you feel more relaxed again. Try to stop any negative thoughts and keep telling yourself you can do it. Eventually you will settle down again and you will be able to continue with your questions.
If you find that you are stuck on a question, take a deep breath, move on to the next
question and come back to the other question later when you have more time to
concentrate on difficult questions. Do not waste all of your time on one question when there are others you could easily answer. Make sure you divide your exam time
according to the marks allocated for each question.

After the exam

1. Stay positive.
If you found part of an exam difficult, dont panic or get annoyed. You are not the only
one. You will only know how you did when you get the results. You may be surprised!
Exams are mostly about technique and the more you do, the better you get. Some
students prefer to leave the examination centre immediately so they dont have to
discuss their answers with other classmates after the exam. Yes, exams are important but if things dont go as you had planned you have so many options open to you. Talk to your teachers and your parents/guardians. Ask for their advice on what you should do. They are on your side and are there to support you.They have been there too, you did the best you could and no one can fault you on that. Stop wasting time criticising yourself for where you think you went wrong. Youll probably find that you have done better than you thought. Focus on what you did right and learn from your mistakes. Dont dwell on questions you think you didnt do well in or waste time comparing your answers against other students. Wait and see what the results say.Whether you did well or didnt do as well as expected you are still to be congratulated. Everyone knows how hard you worked and so should you. Treat yourself!

2. Plan your next steps.
Work with you parents/guardians and your teachers to look at the options open to you. You may decide to go into the world of work or you may decide to continue studying at either University, your school or at a college of further and higher education. Find out everything you need to know and talk through it with your teachers and family. Remember that schools, colleges and Universities have open days and many have information on their websites that might help you. You can also talk to careers advisors in your school.

Do check this blog regularly for updates on higher education and scholarships for next year for e.g, the bsp assessment. If you need to talk with Career officers regarding your future educational needs, please fix an appointment through my email.

Goodluck everyone!

Miss UK

UBD CONVOCATION FESTIVAL 2009

2009-10-14T14:54:00.003+08:00

Greetings peeps! I am pleased to present several activities during the UBD Convocation Festival beginning 19 October - 7th November 2009 at UBD Chancellor Hall. All activities are open to all SMSA students who wish to attend on their own will and transport :)

Here are the activities:

1. The Green Project Exposition
Aim: to provide information and awareness on the importance of saving the environment as well as conserving energy.
This will be held for 4 days: 19 - 22 October 2009
Venue: Chancellor Hall, UBD
Times: 8.00 am - 12.00 pm, 2.00pm - 4.30pm

2. Public Seminar: Green Project - Rehabilitate
Objective: To increase awareness and educate the people on the importance of forest rehabilitation,
Date: 28 October 2009
Venue: Lecture Hall in Chancellor Hall, UBD
Time: 2.00pm

3. Career Fair
This fair will be extremely important to PREU2 students who will be pursuing further studies or seeking employment in the future to attend to gain information from the government and private sectors.
Date: 3 - 4 November 2009
Venue: Chancellor Hall, UBD
Times: 8.00am - 12.00pm, 2.00pm - 4.30pm

I hope that there will be students who will attend the above mentioned activities to expand your knowledge on the environment as well as the opportunity to meet with prospective employers.

Kind regards, Miss UK

ISB BGIC VIII 2010

2009-10-12T12:31:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone, This is to inform ALL PRE U! students 2009 of the upcoming 8th annual student conference, ISB BORNEO GLOBAL ISSUES CONFERENCE VIII. The conference is hosted in conjunction with the '20th Anniversary of United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)' where Mr.Yusoouf Omar, UNICEF Representative is invited as Keynote Speaker.

Hence, students are welcome to participate in the conference. The details are as follows:

Venue: International Convention Centre

Date: Friday - Monday, 12/3/2010 - 15/3/2010

**Local Students will pay B$145 each to cover the intensive 4-day conference including conference materials, full meals and refreshments, rental of equipment, dinner functions and publicity.

**Overseas students will pay B$555 each to cover the intensive 4-day conference including conference materials, full meals and refreshments, rental of equipment, dinner functions and publicity.

Hence, in the conference, students will participate in a mock stimulation of the United Nations to debate topics of real world issues. The objective is to develop:

1. Students' knowledge of global concerns and current affairs.

2. Debating and presentation skills.

These skills will be essential for students who will be applying for University scholarships. Hence, spaces are LIMITED TO ONLY 15 students. If you are very2 interested then please inform your General Paper tutor that you wish to participate and to provide your details by end of October 2009.

If you have any queries regarding the event, you can email me or fix an appointment to see me at the CAreer Office.

REgards, Miss UK

TALK FROM IMPERIAL COLLEGE

2009-10-07T20:30:00.002+08:00

Greetings Smsa students,

There will be a representative from Imperial College, London visiting Brunei and will be delivering a talk specifically for potential students who are interested to apply to the university in the future. Hence, you are invited to attend the talk via OWN transport. The details are as follows:

Day & Date: Thursday, 8 October 2009

Time: 2.00 pm

Venue: Maktab Duli PMAMB, Gadong

Imperial College is one of the Top 5 universities in UK and is very difficult for students to apply to as there is high competition from students all over the world. If you are interested to attend the talk, please email me your details like full name, tutor group and contact number for confirmation so I can send in your names by tomorrow. Note: only 15 students are allowed to attend the talk from each school.

Any questions, do email me or see me at my office at First floor, Library.

STUDY IN OXFORD SEMINAR

2009-09-27T08:58:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone...this is an urgent post that goes out to the following students:

PreU2>
1. Anand Perumal
2. Nuramira Sharenna Bint Hj Timbang
3. Dk Intan Nurhanisah Binti Pg Mohd Juanda
4. Nur Khalisah Hafizah Binti Ideris
5. Hasnan Bin Adenan
6. Sharifah Atikah Binti Wan Zainal Abidin

PreU1>
1. Muhd Fahmi Suwardi Bin Hj Md Yusof

Those with the abovementioned names are to email me immediately as you are invited to attend a seminar at SM Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah on 28 and 29th sepetember at 9.00am.

If anyone knows the students please pass this information to them asap. Thank you

Regards, Head of Career dept.

TALK ON OXFORD & CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITIES

2009-09-04T10:35:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I went to Jerudong International School to attend a Talk on Oxford & Cambridge universities. The main objective of the talk was to initiate and provide interested students who are interested to apply to the universities with information regarding the application and the Collegiate System.

For Pre U2 students who are interested to apply to Cambridge University MUST come and see me at the Career office for more information as the deadline will be 20/9/2009 for a regional interview. This includes the submission of the UCAS application as well.

As for those who are interested in applying for Oxford may do so by first preparing the UCAS personal statement then simultaneously the deadline will be on the 15/10/2009.

If you would like to know more about the universities, please visit the Career dept.

Regards, Miss UK