PASUM: An Adventure to Shape Your Future

Introduction

Today's post is going to be about PASUM, my experience through it and how the program is structured (at least how it was during my time). A little bit about me before we begin. My name is Muzza and I was a PASUM (Pusat Asasi Sains Universiti Malaya) student of the year 2017/2018. Initially I had never intended to enrol in PASUM (I actually changed my mind the week before PASUM began) because I had never heard of the program nor really been interested in it. However after considering the prestige of the University of Malaya, I opted to give it a shot for a year. I enrolled in PASUM (taking Life Sciences) in 2017 under JPA's Program Penajaan 9A+ scholarship. A word of warning, if you really want to get into PASUM, study hard. Apparently it's quite competitive and a very popular program. They also don't take too many students in comparison to other public university foundations.

And so the journey begins. 

Academics

So PASUM or sometimes referred to as 'asasi UM' is actually a 10 month foundation program which would make you eligible to continue your degree at most institutions in Malaysia and (correct me if I'm mistaken), certain degrees overseas. It's not as long as STPM or A-levels but in my opinion it is almost as tough as these two as the syllabus is more or less the same with a few cuts here and there. There are 3 streams in total, life science, physical science and 'Asasi Pengajian Islam dan Sains (APIDS)' which is further divided into life science and physical science for APIDS. I'll be discussing mostly about the life science course and a bit about the physical science course. 

So, as stated in the name itself. Coming to PASUM, you'll be learning mostly about the sciences. The students of the main streams (life and physical science) have a few core subjects that we share which are Chemistry, Maths, Physics, English, Jati Diri and English. Life science kids will then take biology while physical science students take advanced mathematics and programming. 

This is an old schedule but just to give you a glimpse of what you'll be experiencing

As you can see from the picture above, the main subjects (chem, phys, bio and math) are divided into two separate subjects, so as a life science students, you'll have Chemistry 1, Chemistry 2, Biology 1, Biology 2, Physics 1, Physics 2, Maths 1 (only 1 math for semester 1) as well as three other subjects Jati Diri and English for MUET. In semester 2, you'll have Chemistry 3, Chemistry 4, Biology 3, Biology 4, Physics 3, Physics 4, Maths 2, Maths 3 and Presentation Skills in English (or something like that, can't recall the full name of the subject).

I'll only be talking about the core subjects as the other subjects are not too important and they'll be covered during the orientation, however DO NOT take semester 1 English lightly as you'll be sitting for your MUET (Malaysian University English Test) which is important for your degree applications later. Basically, there are three methods of teaching in PASUM, lectures, tutorials and practical sessions or more commonly mentioned as lab. Lectures are an hour long and you basically sit there and listen to the lecturer teach. Most of them are Drs and all of them are good at teaching. They have different styles so one day you may have a lecturer who dotes on the students and actually walks around the lecture hall when we do examples in class while others will have you scrambling for extra paper to jot on because they don't give notes and expect you to take them down during lecture (which I am all for btw). Every week we have 4 hours of lecture on each subject so for the first half of them sem basically you have Chem 1, Physics 1 and Bio 1 every day for an hour then once those are completed you move on to Chem 2, Physics 2 and Bio 2. Maths 1 is a taught the whole of semester 1 so it doesn't really matter and if I'm not mistaken we only had 3 hours of maths every week. I like the fact that the subjects are split into 2 because that means your syllabus is split into 2. It makes it easier to study as the topics which are similar are grouped together and you can organise your thoughts better. Also it helps those who like to study last minute. Then we have tutorial sessions which are like small classes of about 20 people. You and your class (which we call tutorial), will discuss this weeks homework (which we also call tutorial) to further improve your understanding of the topic. For certain subjects we have to hand in our tutorials for carry marks like Chemistry. It's also during this time where you have a more intimate session with your tutor so that you can ask any questions or even get them to show you some tips and tricks especially math and physics. Lastly, we have labs (only for chem, phys and bio....no applied maths here hahaha). Practical sessions are held in labs and you do experiments either in groups or individually depending on the subject. Here you will be assessed on your practical skills. You actually do most of the experiments alone (especially chemistry) and sometimes it can be overwhelming. It is a 3 hour session and in that 3 hours you have to do the experiment and complete a report on your experiment. You'll be marked on your technique and lab report. Sometimes there are viva sessions where you have to answer questions from the demonstrator about your experiment. Below you'll see my schedule in Semester 1. Trust me, it was really packed, I only had one free period Tuesday morning to get some extra sleep. 

8 to 5 everyday except Friday's, the pain.

Semester 2 is more or less the same as semester 1 with one extra math subject and no jati diri (for life science kids). The schedule is less packed and here you'll see people getting more carefree as normally, majority of students get top notch results in semester 1 so they tend to take semester 2 lightly (I am guilty too!!!).

Btw being the class representative is fun, my class rep was the craziest and funniest person out there XD.

So in each semester you'll have lectures, tutorials and on certain weeks lab sessions. If you don't have lab that week then you have a 3 hour break to get meatballs at Ikea revise for the upcoming exams. I kid you not but you'll be studying for a month or so and then you'll be sitting for an exam because each semester we have three exams, two 'mid terms' and one final paper. Sometimes you don't even realize that you have exams coming next week because you just finished another exam the week before. DO NOT take these exams lightly because they carry a lot of marks for  your final grade and scoring in them may cover your lackluster final paper (just in case you went for too many Mid Valley outings). Also do  your tutorials because they're basically your final paper, you'll understand after the finals of semester 1. Besides finals (contributing 50% of the total paper) and mid terms (around 10 to 15% each), lab reports also contribute towards your final paper and on top of the 3 major exams each sem, you have quizzes on every off week which contributes towards your final grade too. So basically, PASUM is basically exams, exams, exams. On the bright side, if you do well for the continuous assessment (mid terms, weekly quizzes and lab report), you can afford to slack a little during finals, though I highly suggest doing your best because you may be awarded with a Top 20 PASUM award which is highly gratifying.

Lab is stressful but when it's done, it's amazing.

Personally, in terms of academics, PASUM isn't that hard. If you actually attend all your classes and lab sessions, you can pass with flying colors (4 flat here isn't that unobtainable). Though the syllabus is quite tough and certain subjects require a lot of cramming before finals, with the continuous assessment, you can really score on your final grade. On top of all this, the lecturers are super duper friendly and helpful. They are so willing to answer our questions even during lecture itself and some even insist we visit them every morning should we need help. Now for a more sensitive topic, PASUM is supposedly a course taught in English and though yes I would say at least 50% of it is in English, only about 50% is in English. If you expect it to be a 'local international' course, you'll be sorely disappointed. Lecturers do mix languages when they teach during lecture which in my opinion confuses students of both spectrum's (english taught and malay educated). I know they do this to try to accommodate and cater towards everyone's needs but there has to be a better way. Anyhow, for those of you who prefer to learn in Malay, fret not most of the lecturers can and will explain concepts in Malay and for English speakers, you may find it hard certain times because I certainly did when I heard terms I had never heard in my life before (I learned Malay for SPM only, hardly ever used it, so this was total culture shock for me). HOWEVER, I personally see this as an opportunity for us to embrace new knowledge. Learning in two languages does have it's perks and you do get used to it. I don't really know how it'll affect my degree yet but I will say I have learnt a lot from learning in Malay and English. 

Bio tutorials were just discussions and presentations so that was fun but we had WEEKLY quizzes. 

College Life

As Pasumians, you'll be residing in the eleventh college of the University of Malaya, Kolej Kediaman Ungku Abdul Aziz (KUAZ). It's actually one of the nice colleges on campus so on your first day don't see it as too crappy (again I am guilty!). During your first week, you'll have to join the Minggu Suai Kenal Pelajar which can be either hell or a platform for you to make a name out of yourself during the first week. Here you'll see who the future JTK's are, who the energetic and spirited jocks are, who the geniuses and leaders are and who the quiet and calm ones are. Now this isn't a Mean Girl thing but if you want to make yourself known to your future peers as a specific persona, here is where you do it. There was someone nicknamed W from MSKP till Semester 2 just because his cheer was something about W which I thought was absolutely hilarious. Personally, MSKP was my living nightmare. I'd never experience college life before and my group mates then and me did not click at all which totally didn't help with my feeling of not belonging here. I almost quit to join another foundation program elsewhere but I kept telling myself that I only have to make it through 10 months before I would be free (little did I know that I would fall in love with this place and DREAM of coming back here for my degree). Try to make new friends during MSKP, because normally these are the ones you'll keep at least for the rest of semester 1. If you don't happen to find anyone you click with, that's fine (I didn't). You'll eventually meet people in lectures and tutorials or during some other time at the college because MSKP is so hectic with so many people involved. 

Home for a bit at least. 

Once you've gone through MSKP, you'll be faced with the option of becoming a Jawatankuasa Tindakan Kolej (JTK), which is kind of like the governing student body of the college. I did think of applying but I thought against it and I'm glad I did because becoming a JTK is a pasum-long commitment. You'll have sleepless nights, endless work, constant stress, never ending problems and basically you'll just feel puffed out every day till the next MSKP. However, some of my closest friends are JTK and they see the job as a very rewarding job. You get access to the JTK room which has air conditioning and a fridge, full merit marks, know almost everyone at the college (or at least everyone will know you), and pretty much the gratification of surviving hell and organizing some of the best activities at the college. Also, the notion that becoming a JTK will affect your marks is totally wrong as most of the JTK's in my year were top students and one of them was the "Pelajar Emas". If leading and management is not for you, you can always join the other bureau's which hold activities. Some of them include ADIN (Academics), KEP (Religion), KREATIF (Arts and Music), SUKREA (sports) and KEMAS (social work and community service). These bureau's will hold activities where some students will participate and some will help in holding them (this is where you get your merit). UM has some of the best college projects, we even had our own mini concert during KREATIF week which was lit af! I highly suggest joining every project as an AJK and some as Timbalan Pengarah or secretary as it is fun and satisfying seeing a project you organised be extremely successful. Also, you'll make a lot of new friends working on these projects together, what with the all-nighters just to finish decorating the hall.

When everything goes well, it truly is a magical moment.

College life is extremely fun, it may take some time getting used to but it's not all that bad. If college projects aren't your thing, SUKMUM (the University Games) can also be an opportunity for you to shine and showcase your talents. On top of that, the other colleges on campus also hold their own activities which we can sometimes take part in. I especially loved Friendster (I think that's how you spell it). At first you may be thinking of college projects as a way to gain merit to cement your place at UM for your degree however it's actually an opportunity for you to forget about the stress of your academic life at PASUM (because God forbid, you need it). I do regret not joining a lot more activities but I am happy with my contributions with ADIN and KREATIF. Personally, not becoming a JTK was one of my biggest 'phews' during my PASUM life because I don't think I could've taken the stress then. Maybe it would've made me into a better person or maybe I would have just crumbled with all that pressure, who knows. As for you, do whatever that is within your capabilities, don't bite off more than you can chew and don't starve yourself either, live with proportion.

Borneo Night, a night of low-key haramness.

Life in General during PASUM

Even with 8 to 5 classes on most days of the weeks and nights on end prepping for college projects, you do actually have a bit of time to spend doing whatever you want, be it self-reflecting, going out with friends, taking holidays together or doing voluntary work. I won't lie, as a student studying in the capital of Malaysia, it's tough. The temptation is always there to go out and eat, party and play. Self-control is tough, I went out every second I could when I actually should have been studying or maybe doing something else productive. There are so many places to eat at which is pretty much what me and my friends basically did. We ate, drank, slept Ikea, 4Fingers, Sukiya, McD (almost every night), Boat Noodle and countless others I can't recall. I think it wasn't just the delicious food but the time spent with friends while eating away from all the stress at university which was so appealing. Then there's movies and shopping at MidValley, the arcade would always have at least some Pasumians on the weekends. If you're coming to UM intending to save or be a good studious nerd, well.....you have your work cut out for you. I won't lie, you'll also need a lot of cash, some will get 'bantuan asasi' while others won't so maybe working before coming here would be a good idea. Even with the RM2 fried rice at the college cafe, some of us still manage to spend 1 to 2 thousand a month which I admit is a ridiculous amount on just food and shopping. I do have friends who spend like RM500 a month and God I wish I were more like them (self control Muzza, it's an art!). My advice would be, enjoy yourself however know your limits. Know when to stop and know when you're going too far. It's better you stop now before someone has to stop you.

So this was actually a bio discussion...gone in the wrong direction.

Now this section you can skip over if you're not a Sarawakian because this is a special post for my Sarawakian amigo's thinking of 'merenang' Laut Cina Selatan ke Universiti Malaya. So, to be honest mostly sik banyak orang Sarawak di UM, selalunya dalam 20-50 jak out of 800. I rasa my batch paling banyak. Hidup sitok nang lain dari sinun oi hahahaha. Aku mok cerita pengalaman aku jak sitok because everyone has their own experiences and maybe some could relate to me and maybe some won't. So kamek dari sekolah harian so first first masuk kolej pun dah culture shock abis (nangga toilet pun dah mok nangis hahaha). The first few weeks nang home sick abis, yarabi sik abis call mak bapak. Sik main gik main Ibu Pertiwiku sambil polah tutorial. Dah lah mun sik pande klaka sitok nang mok ambik masa kau mok adapt and cakap sitok. Kamek pun first first mok dengar and fhm apa dipadah sidak pun dah susah. Tapi eventuallly, I'll be alright. Now kamek pun dah klaka macam sidak out of habit (nang lupak dirik eh miak tok). There are a few differences in our cultures also as people. Sitok ada lah sensitive sikit imo about pergaulan so maybe that'll shock you too. I also think that the food here is EXTREMELY SPICY comapred dengan kita di sinun so yang mulut sik tahan ya bekal banyak maggi hahaha. So mostly this section is about tackling homesickness. I never really got over my homesickness until semester 2 and people kept saying like stop calling your parents lah, mun kau call selalu bila mok sik homesick and I did think they were right but I still kept doing it. Turns out in fact, the cure to homesickness is just time. Deal with it in your own way, but time will pass and the pain will dull. At first kamek dolok nang rapat jak ngan orang Swk jak (rindu gilak klaka Swk bah) but eventually I learned to mingle around and most of my friends by then end of semester 2 aren't Sarwakians. Tbh, orang Swk nang akan berpuak juak dolok tapi it's not wrong because we look out for each other, then we mix when we feel comfortable. The best thing you can do for yourself is make yourself comfortable, this is home for the next 10 months. Mun ada kawan yang homesick giler, tolong lah nya ni perpaduan orang Swk tek. Anyways, eventually you'll feel like life here isn't any different from back home. It took me awhile but it was worth the wait. Any ways selamat mengajar sidak sinun beroha, ambil kesempatan share sikit sejarah and culture kita. Beauty in diversity after all.

I usually sat in the first row and it did hurt my neck, but it was worth it hehehe.

Final Thoughts

Anyways, this post has gone on WAY TOO LONG. I don't really have much to say but Pasum is a journey, a tough one in fact. You have to be mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally capable to make it through. But if you do, it's all worth it. You do come it different in some way. It's 10 months of learning impossible things, managing ridiculously big projects, eating a very unhealthy amount of fast food and making tons of new friends. You were chosen for Pasum and you should go through Pasum head held high, chest puffed up and smile wider than a certain reality tv star's ass.

Good luck and remember audentes fortuna iuvat, you'll never know till you at least try. 

 

Kim is me every time an exam approaches... which is always.