So, most ex-Form 5 Malaysian students would have gotten their SPM results today. Good? Bad? Whatever, really. Once the results come in, all there is to look at is the future. But of course, let’s not kid ourselves. The future is as variable as the results you received, but also according to the effort you place starting from today.

Now, what do I mean? Well, I’m talking about the steps you should be taking from today onwards. Whether your results are good or not, as long as you have above average results, the next few weeks will be as important, if not more important than the collective effort you’ve placed in your studies for the past 12 years. Curriculum vitaes will have to be compiled, certificates certified, scholarship applications filed and submitted, interviews attended and perhaps even, more tests to be taken.

The first step for any SPM holder with above average results will be applying for the Public Services Department (PSD) or Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) scholarship. We’ve talked about this innumerable times before, but still… it’s critical that you do not forget that results are almost everything when it comes to the JPA scholarship. I’m not trying to be negative or pessimistic here, but given the 900+ candidates with straight A1s this year, it’s going to be tough to garner one of these Malaysian government scholarships.

Simultaneously, students should be trying their luck with the wide variety of other scholarships available. You have the Securities Commission Scholarship, Shell Scholarship, Khazanah Holdings Scholarship, Petronas Scholarship, and the ASTRO Scholarship just for overseas study. If you’re talking about local study, there’s much more from where that came from. Private colleges have begun offering a lot more scholarships compared to last year, with the Taylor’s World Class Scholarship being the most recent entry. These local scholarships tend to be less discriminating on academic results.

So, get your butts online and start downloading or filling the forms online now. It’s only the start of your troubles after all.