The idea for Project What’s After SPM was hatched back in early 2009 and inspired by the personal experiences of the management team (more than half of which were then vying for admission into American colleges). Being highly aware of the frustrations that beset most Malaysian students facing similar challenges, we started thinking about how we could help our slightly younger peers navigate the choppy seas of post-secondary school life.
At first, we thought about the various ways we thought we could do this: we could coach students on how to apply to university, we could publish educational resources online, etc. But we also realized that i) none of these methods would solve the primary problem of uncertainty faced by young Malaysians, and that ii) these efforts were already widely practiced, but even then could not reach the majority of disadvantage youth communities that were offline and disconnected from their urban, privileged contemporaries.
Thus, we decided that instead of adopting the conventional route of making resources passively available, we would go out and actively distribute resources to young Malaysians, and that we would do this by i) compiling an anthology of anecdotes by Malaysians who have pursued and experienced different opportunities in the most transformative years of our lives, and ii) getting the public to help us distribute the book nationwide.
We would also like to note that the book is titled ‘What’s After SPM’ for marketing reasons – the majority of young Malaysians face the first major moment of indecision of their lives in the context of figuring the next move after SPM (the secondary school graduation rate is about 90% for those in urban areas and 80% for those in rural areas, and over 90% of those who complete secondary school opt to sit for SPM). Still, we hope that this book will appeal to all young Malaysians, SPM graduates or otherwise, and those who did not complete secondary high school altogether. This is not a book-length feature of high achievers. Rather, it features the real life experiences of real Malaysians whom too, were once in your shoes, and the dreams and decisions they made.
There are 101 stories in this book (the prime number 101 being an allusion to the notion of new beginnings).
Some have taken on conventional careers, and some others have followed creative and unconventional vocations.
Some have attended the most prestigious universities in the world, and some others have failed and/or dropped out.
Some have single-mindedly pursued a clear interest since very young, and some others discovered their passions at at later age.
Some have trodden down the well-beaten path, and some others have blazed new trails.
It is not the purpose of the book to impose notions of what constitutes an ideal pathway for a young person. On the contrary, it is our hope that our readers will come to realize and appreciate that every life experience is uniquely rewarding, and presents its own opportunities.
***
The management team comprises of:
Benjamin Ng
Charis Loke
Gabrielle Chong Yong Wei (founder)
Goh Jing Pei
Kimberley Ho
Tara Thean
Yeoh Chen Chow
The editorial team comprises of:
Aaron Paul
Akil Yunus
Jasmin Yow
Kenneth Chaw
Michelle Chun
Michelle Tam (chief editor)
Wong Boon Ken
Contributing Authors:-
24 Eng Kian Shen
5 comments
Comments feed for this article
July 2, 2011 at 2:52 am
Home For a Bit | This Needs No Title
[…] other (Malaysian) news, What’s After SPM has been published – hopefully giving Malaysian high school students more ideas about what to […]
July 6, 2011 at 12:41 am
“Intentionally so written” | EXCUSE ME WHILE I KISS THE SKY
[…] a sidenote, a short story on my real-life experiance after SPM was included in a book, along with 100 other Malaysians. I was so excited to see copies of it at MPH! It’s a […]
April 5, 2012 at 11:18 pm
Answering The Million Dollar Question CEKU
[…] general information about the book, and where to buy it, go to https://pwasblog.wordpress.com/about/. Orders and inquiries can also be sent to whatsafterspm@gmail.com and the team will take it from […]
November 23, 2012 at 1:39 pm
What should we study in college? | Stories for my family, friends and guests
[…] from this, students may refer to the book – What is After SPM, to learn about the stories of other aspiring Malaysian youth who choose divergent paths upon the […]
November 23, 2012 at 1:41 pm
在大学时该选修什么科系? | Stories for my family, friends and guests
[…] 除此之外,学生们可参考What Is After SPM这本书来了解其他马来西亚青年在高考后追寻不同梦想的经历。在那本书里,你也可了解其他学生为他们的未来作出别于一般的选择。 […]