I have been taught General things in Foundation and yet, Less General things will be taught again in my degree level 1. Before my secondary school ends, I have already chosen the IT – Software Engineering as my target course in future. For that reason, I decided not to pay my time for STPM and straight away go for the course. And finally, I entered the college I am studying now. I have signed up for the very first intake – January intake as I hope not to waste any time as I already know what I want. At first I am very excited, knowing that I am able to study what I like the most. But now things are not like what I dreamt, I can’t learn anything I wished to. Ok, I am fine with the term “FOUNDATION”. Maybe to our government, the 3+1 education in University or College is made to ensure the quality of students. But it ended up useless and time wasting for us the students. Foundation DID NOT teach you anything worthy, even if there is some modules might seems important or useful, but I don’t think the amount of necessary knowledge requires one year time to teach. I understand that Foundation / Pre-U is for students who haven’t decide on what to study so they actually come out with the idea of “DIPLOMA”. However, “DIPLOMA” is not very “DIPLOMA”. I asked one of my friend who now currently studying in software engineering diploma about his studies. Amazingly, for almost one year time passed, his course doesn’t include any course about programming, not even introduction. Different college Different courses, but all courses are having a similarity – they are “value-added”. The “Value – Added” promotion simply means the LAN subjects, which I don’t wish to speak more about it. Ok back to my topic, I have studied in Foundation The General for almost a year, below are the list of modules included:

• English
• Mathematics (OMG, Maths of Form 3 – 5)
• Personal Development and Study Methods (It teaches you how to set your own goal, and how to study =.= )
• Organizational and Social Environments (The study of organization, structure, process and etc)
• Introduction to Business (Somehow seems “Important” to IT streams, I am still ok with it)
• Computing and IT (Teaching you on WHAT IS COMPUTER, WHAT IS INTERNET, WHAT IS A PRINTER and etc)
• Perspective in Technology (This is the lamest of all, teaching you how to define the term TECHNOLOGY, and some science you learned in Form 3-5)
• Communication Skills (Types of communication that makes me speechless)
• Quantitative Methods (Mostly are Form 4 and 5 Mathematics)
• IT Applications (Teaching you how to use Microsoft words, PowerPoint, Excel and Access)
• Research Methods for Degree Study (Teaching you how to do research, referencing and ethics of research which are lame)
• LAN Compulsory (The Moral studies is quite OK as the lecturer has big sense of humor while lecturing, Malaysian Studies – Zzzz)

Have you all realized something? Nothing related to SOFTWARE ENGINEERING AT ALL. Before I start telling the bad things, I would like to say what’s good with the courses. First, the courses are general and almost common sense, you can score well, very well even if you study last minute. Second, listening at class is not necessary as you can still catch up after 2 months of not listening. Third, I got plenty of free time to study programming on my own. Next, what’s bad with it? First, plenty of assignments that kills your time but give you little of knowledge (Not all, mostly as the modules are not Software Engineering related). Second, I have wasted my money. Third, almost all my secondary school friends at other places are studying GOD LIKE subjects (Superb hard) which it actually lowered my self esteem ToT. One of my friends who are not taking IT stream in University actually took the C and JAVA programming course in first year. *what a pain in my ass However, I won’t change college as most of them are the same in the MALAYSIA, and I got no money to go overseas xD More to continue……About my coming degree level 1….