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This is an unofficial, non-persuasive writing to share overseas graduate school application with

UTP graduating students. Content is based on the authors subjective experience. If you intend
to spread this article, please contact the author in advance.
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Dear civil and environmental - final year friends,


Congratulations for coming to graduate soon. I believe, the thing which concerns you the most
now is perhaps your final year project. If you are very busy to finish the following content,
please scroll down directly to the point forms that I have summarized.
Some of you may have known, mostly in a general sense; of direction upon completing your
bachelors degree. If thats the case, I would say that you are a conscious person who is aware
of the importance of planning things ahead. For those who dont, please do know that time flies.
To give you a better idea about the message intended for you, let me summarize my personal
experience which took place at merely a year ago.
Like most graduating students who favor on getting a job after a heck of 4-year study, I was not
an exception. In fact, I was trying my best to attach closely with the employment world. I was,
at a point, feeling exhausted about furthering studies. My intention was straight and clear.
Hence, for the first 3 to 4 months, I did not actively dig for information.
The reason was simple, I have always thought when the time is right, the river is naturally
curved by nature (Physics! Anyway, this is irrelevant). As time moved on, I started to receive
information about furthering studies. For example, my senior, Aaron asked me if I wanted to
continue for masters. Kenric, a friend of my batch asked me along to take IELTS for further
application (Well, we didnt thats another story). Some lecturers would, when the time is
approaching our graduating period, ask if we were interested for masters programme.
Everything seems natural, because thats how we have always grown up in Malaysia, arent
we?
Soon, because of so much interpersonal influences (this articles intention is not to inflict such
influences onto you, I believe everyone is unique at his own, I said this to reflect the fact that it
is not a machine but a human that is talking to you) I started to search about information related
to graduate school (masters, phD etc). Because I have always dreamed about going abroad, I
obviously googled on application for foreign graduate schools. Unfortunately, at that time when
it was about 3 months heading towards my official graduation, I found out that in countries like
UK and US, in order for me to enroll into the respective universities graduate schools, I would
have to at least, wait for another year. For reasons, see point no. 7 in the next page. This means
that I am late, and you might find it amusing (but sarcastic) to see a critical transition of
decision. But fortunately, thats my experience, not yours. It is still early, for you to realize that
somebody has gone through such an experience.
Okay, so this is indeed a simple message. What I intend to tell you, is to look up for information
starting from this moment. Do not think that you have time to spend. Think about your
upcoming schedule (you know better), please at least google and verify what I list down in the
following.
1. You can always make a choice for yourself. Just in case you dont know, apply doesnt mean
that you must go; and even if the graduate school offer you, you can always decline. However,

you are obliged to pay for the application fees. What Im saying is, why dont provide yourself
an extra choice, for whatever sake of uncertainty 8 months later?
2. There are thousands of reasons people go to graduate schools (and go to work). Ultimately,
in my opinion, it is a matter of lifes choice to go for further education. Because it is not my
intention to persuade you for graduate program, I want to clarify herein that its really, your
choice. Remember, there is no right or wrong, it is your life, not others.
3. There are various graduate programs in this world. In the category of masters (scientific/
technical), generally it can be divided into

Master in by coursework
Master in by research

One is not superior to the other, and so I leave it to you and your amazing google skills to find
out what they are, and how they differ to each other.
4. To go abroad, particularly in English spoken countries, you need IELTS (mostly for UK/
commonwealth countries) and/ or TOEFL-GRE (for US). So, get them early. Do plan early as
well if you dont command the language well. When applying for the program, you need this,
hence it will be a good idea to take it as early as possible. For IELTS, there are various places
where you can take the exam, the nearest from us will be in Ipoh. Also, do realize that there is
an effective period from the day you are granted the cert. The rest I leave it to your amazing
google skills.
5. Application first, scholarship second. Why? Because we need the offer letter to apply for
scholarship later on. Most graduate schools do provide tutor scheme like UTP, provided you
are eligible to be admitted into their programs.
6. How to know what graduate schools to apply? Well, you have google, your lecturers etc.
You may find those miscellaneous rankings; as well as google scholar, stackexchange, Quora
etc. to be helpful.
Perhaps the most important one is this:
7. Dead line! Okay, for most of US universities, in order to secure for financial assistance, the
most popular admission time is during fall (around August of each year). Unlike UTP, most
of them open for application only once a year. Hence, you have to apply, for example, to
enter in August 2016, you must send your application by (I am just giving example) end of
December 2015. For UK/ Europe universities, please do some background check as well.
8. Application process is tedious. There are so many documents to include. For that reason, I
strongly recommend you guys to work in a small group and help each other. And for whatever
reasons, everyone should share with each other but not to just keep it to himself.
While you go along, you may find that universities in different countries are different weather,
culture, spending, program structure. For that reason, I suggest you to patiently surf for more
information online. What I hope from you, is nothing more than a 1 to 2 hours of careful google
on what I have said; and discuss together with your friends as well as your lecturers. Remember,
do it early.
All the best,
Kim Jie (you can drop me questions via kimjie24@gmail.com).

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