UPM TESL Program ! Come In Please ~

Before we begin... let's just wrap up this long post in case you have second thoughts after scrolling down the long crappy lane. Essentially this post is going to unzip all those questions drumming wild in our ever spirited juniors (Peculiarly TESL students//Generally UPM students) - or soon to be freshmen of Universiti Putra Malaysia ! Questions of high regard and mostly pertaining TESL program in UPM and a little sneak-peak of UPM itself. Beforehand, we bid you a warm welcome and congratulations for making it through ~ *now give yourself a pat on the back* 

Now to be one of the lucky few ... you got to feel really favoured by the odds I must say, we have the best TESL school in the country and not to mention the University itself ranks 1st in research augmentation (fact). As for many claimed that another local University placed first in the local IPTA ranking,but nevertheless for me we are without doubt inaugural and worldly recognized. With the capacity of over 14,000 undergraduates with 56 Bachelor Programmes, 83% graduate marketability, efficient organizing team of UPM Student Council under the leadership of our Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shatar....Okaayyy ! Enough jibber jabber of those on top.... Let's loosen up a bit and walk the park... I think it's much easier for me to do this from my very point of view... 

Alright then, shall we skip the formalities and go wild !? XD Okay after 1 year sailing through this gargantuan path (you see it's time for a wake up call here, Degree life is both mentally and physically challenging... YUP ! So buckle up !) But fear not, as seniors like myself flourish through the land of UPM like wild mushrooms, ready to give our best guide through your 1st year before you can live on your own.... Some of you won't even need us trust me, because it's not that hard :) Once you get the hang of it, you'll be fine... but be sure to know, this is just the tip of the iceberg there are things that you need to find out on your own in order to get the best college experience in UPM. Unlike other questions lurking inside those curious minds, I'm sure you are itching to know how freshmen orientation goes right ? 

Well... Orientation here is unlike anywhere else, I enjoyed orientation like I never had one... Tiring ? Of course it is ! Where's the thrill if you don't get to experience that lethargic feeling after days of orientation. What I did was swim with the tide, follow the rules, and I survived... in fact I enjoyed orientation. Paling best dekat Dewan Besar ! :D You will remember UPM's orientation for the rest of your life ~ lagi-lagi kalau kolej you best ! 

Next question please ! UPM ada berapa kolej ? Well UPM ada 17 colleges, 3 colleges exclusively built for future engineers and medics.. (they're the anak emas here) haha but no worries we get to reside on the 'mainland' of UPM (dekat dengan Bangunan Pentadbiran, Bendahari, Koperasi, Library and Faculty). Probably most of you will be placed at one of the Traditional Colleges (either K2, Kolej Tun Dr Ismail, K6, Kolej Canselor, K5, KTP and KPZ) these are traditional colleges so living up to the name, they reek of traditions and interesting lifestyles ... dia mcm Greek-system sikit so don't be shocked if you get to be in the same college as your other counterpart gender. Walaupun same college you guys will be residing in different blocks la of course (Dream on kalau nk stay same room/floor) haha.

Kolej dari fakulti jauh tak ? 

click on this map, nanti you'll get one during orientation... UPM sure looks big aye ? But naah, once you get the routes you'll be able to access every dot on the map like a ninja *hyahhh!* The good thing about our campus is it's very organized and strategic. Kalau traditional colleges should take about 5-10 minutes kalau  jalan tak lenggang mak bedah ke Fakulti Pendidikan, but worry not as bas mmg sentiasa ada... there has NEVER been a day when I go out and there's no bus waiting in front of my college. The condition is YOU make it on time... nanti you'll get next semester's punya jadual bas okay ?

 Now back to UPM.... It's located at the suburb of Kuala Lumpur which is Serdang, the nearest shopping malls for you to feed your shopaholic beasts chained inside... are The Mines, Alamanda and JUSCO Balakong... oooh wait ! There's more... it's near to Putrajaya so you get to shop and sight seeing , if you're lucky you get to see the Prime Minister's wife... (haha okay I'm kidding) The best part is our mobile system enables us to access places outside of the campus easier than ever... we have buses (South City) - admission free - this bus will take you to the KTM station, where you are now at the point where you can access almost the whole state of Selangor *means more shopping complexes - MidValley etc - muhahaha* - not forgetting N9, Melaka, Johor - practically everywhere ! XD Ooh ! We're near to KLIA as well, the nearest Bus Station is Terminal Bas Bandar Tasik Selatan, to those dwelling in the Southern Corridor of Malaysia should know this already... it will only take you 1 station from KTM Serdang to go there and buy your ticket home ! Yippeeee ! 

Yuran mahal ni macamne ? UiTM murah .... Uni lain murah ? Dudes and dudettes ~ Believe it or not, that fee is really worth the catch ! You takkan kopak dan kebuluran selagi mak ayah you sayang you dik ! Haha... Yuran UPM ni mmg paling mahal... why ? Because it's pretty luxurious I must say... 1st year students, your fee will cover all those transportation service, medical expenses, college fees and academic fees (your yuran depends on your program pengajian lah ye... jgn compare ngn budak medic pulak) all these services you get to enjoy dah subsidized tu dik... total fees untuk program B.Ed TESL kalo x silap around 40k... tolak darab bahagi... you just have to pay 11k throughout 4 years of study - period. 1st sem je 2.1k something... nanti semester dah meningkat dewasa it'll get cheaper... 2nd sem tinggal 1.6k... Oh and your 1st year's fee mahal because of Meal Card... Da hell is that ? Meal Card ni you can use it in almost all cafeterias on campus ! Which is absolutely undeniably helpful bila you dah kopak selalu sangat makan McD dan outing dengan rakan-rakan... tiba-tiba you lapar kan. Haha that's Meal Card... you'll be installed with RM400 something in that card so that's included in your 2.1k fee. Transportation pun cover the whole years of study dekat UPM from that 2.1k... Sweet right ? Wait till you get here and experience it yourself ! 

this is Miss Sharifah your
'fairy godmother'
 now remember that face well !

 Now let's get down to business... the real deal... yeahhh ! Behold ! The ever anticipated TESL family ! Welcome aboard freshmen ! Since you got yourselves in the program.. once you're registered you will be named TESL Babies ! I repeat ! TESL Babies... and we seniors will have our own batch's names... like my batch is Spartans... we have Titans (3rd year) Groovies (4th) and Terrors (Twinning)... next semester we will be celebrating our graduating seniors from the Rockers (finished with their practicum) .. What's that ? You want your own batch's name ? Well don't worry... patience... as you will be granted your own :D when you finish your 2nd semester ! Excitingly enough if you want to know more about the TESL board UPM... you MUST come and ditch the other offers you have. You won't regret it.... Our TESL program is well established and has been producing English teachers for decades... We have amazing lecturers whom I believe outstandingly credible and will give us the best TESL-experience... Don't be afraid cuz they don't bite... Now let me introduce you to your 'fairy godmother' for this 1st year in UPM... she's nice and she'll surely help out whenever you need her most.  On your right.. that's her... screw the meme-generator's font face... XD She will be teaching you two TESL subjects, (LHE code) which I will later list out all the subjects of your first and second semester....

1st Semester Subjects: (Mediocre Tomatoes)

BB*2401 - Foreign Language LV1

 FCE3102 - Philosophy in Education

FCE 3204 - Critical Thinking

BB13201 - Introduction to General Linguistic

PRT2008 - Human and Agriculture

LHE3200 - Communication in TESL

QKK**** - Kokurikulum Berkredit

2nd Semester Subjects: (Tough Leather)

BB*2402 - Foreign Language LV2

FCE3200 - Psychology in Education

LHE3218 - Linguistics and Second Language Teaching

BBL3101 - A Survey of Prose Forms and Poetry in English

SKP2203 - Islam and Asian Civilization

SKP2204 - Ethnic Relation 

QKK**** - Kokurikulum Berkredit

*it is compulsory to take foreign language until lvl 2 but you may proceed with lvl 3 in your 3rd semester... that one you have to extend your credit hours on your own..

*Extra Curricular Activities are of you own consent and choice... you will not be forced to join all the stupid marching and pointless talks to get good grades... you have full-autonomy on this and UPM offers many kinds of extra curricular activities clustered in several modules ranged from - entrepreneurship, community service, recreation, sports, arts, and other tons for you to enjoy... (sweet !)

I guess we're almost done here ! Good luck to all of you and hope to see you in your welcoming party (if we have one that depends on TESL board committee members) ... Please be glad you get a place here... I'm sure many of your friends want to be in your place right now... and for that don't let it go for naught... You will do well I promise... because you have us (your seniors), your great lecturers and UPM. I promise if you get your asses here... We'll talk and I'll give you my words, this 4-year-degree experience will make you a better person by the time you graduate. And that is of course up to your ownself... remember... nothing stands in your way except you (Cik Pah 2013)... you will hear this from your 'fairy godmother' once you get in. :) Until then, take care... have a great Ramadhan, I pray for your health and wellness ... WELCOME ABOARD ! Great Achievers ! :) You certainly deserve this ! Not a single doubt left in... 

if you have further inquiries please go to this site

http://ask.fm/asyrafglee

interrogating session will commence there... : D i will try my best. Anonymity is well tolerated

Thank You ! 

cc: Insyirah Hana and Shafiqa

and soon to be UPM TESLites !

InsyaAllah.

Best regards,

Asyraf