The recent release of SPM results brought back a flood of memories for Malaysians, reminding us of the time we spent taking the exams and anxiously waiting for the results. Whether we did well or not, those memories are unforgettable.
Photo via Sin Chew Daily
In a touching story by Sin Chew Daily, Liu Xiu Lian, a math and accounting teacher from Muar, Johor, decided to take up Advanced Mathematics again. She had given up on this subject during her SPM years but now wanted to make up for lost time.
Liu, who teaches at a Chinese primary and secondary school, studied Advanced Mathematics on her own using YouTube. She ended up getting an "A" in the exam. This journey started in February 2023 when some parents asked her to tutor their kids in Advanced Mathematics for the SPM exam.
Even though Liu had never taken Advanced Mathematics before, she decided to learn it online. Her determination grew stronger, and she eventually chose to sit for the exam herself to help her students better.
At 51 years old, Liu wanted to grab the opportunity she missed years ago. "I have loved Mathematics since I was a kid. But SPM didn’t allow me to take both Accounting and Advanced Mathematics at the same time, so I had to give up on Advanced Mathematics," she said.
Photo via Sin Chew Daily
She spent two months learning the Form 4 and Form 5 syllabus and almost ten months practicing with mock exam questions from various books and past papers. Despite her busy life of tutoring and caring for her elderly mother, Liu never gave up on her goal.
When she entered the exam hall, Liu was the oldest candidate, but she didn’t feel embarrassed. She believed that practicing mock exam papers from different states and managing her time well were key to her success. "When I saw the exam papers, I knew I couldn’t finish all the questions. So, I focused on the high-scoring ones and made sure to get them right," she explained.
Liu was thrilled with her achievement and plans to start a high-level math tutorial class to help SPM students overcome their fear of the subject.
