Springboard to a Brighter Future with the CIMP

The Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP) at Sunway College is a rigorous academic programme leading to university studies. The programme provides students the opportunity to grow socially and culturally through involvement in many of the extra-curricular activities offered.

18 year old Lok Huey Ning who has completed the CIMP at Sunway College said her most important takeaway from her studies was, “To be open and receptive to different opinions and ideas. CIMP showed me that it was alright, if not better, to break away from stringent structures and instead infuse your work with innovation, as long as the innovation has the backing of sound logic and reasoning!”

Lok Huey Ning with John Mackle, former Director of the Canadian International Matriculation Programme at the Harvard Prize Book Award Ceremony

On choosing the CIMP at Sunway College, Lok said, “I wanted to try something new and totally different from my high school education. As most people know, CIMP is 70% coursework and 30% examinations; this appeals to me as I much prefer learning and doing assignments consistently instead of cramming last minute for a big exam, regurgitating the facts and forgetting them. The course description also mentioned ‘independent learning’, which I highly support as it encourages students to learn and pursue a passion outside the boundary and strictures of a purely academic environment.”

According to Lok, the best bits of the programme were her lecturers. “The teachers at CIMP are a joy to learn from. Their passion and enthusiasm is admirable, sometimes even infectious. I’m very grateful to be able to experience learning under the hands of such passionate tutors. They also offer their time outside of class to help students out,” she said. As with all programmes, Lok said she faced challenges too in keeping up with the deadlines for assignments. As deadlines for various assignments were usually all around the same time, she learned to manage her time well to keep up. Busy as she was with assignments, Lok managed to immerse herself in extra-curricular activities by participating in the Monash Business Investment Challenge, Help International School Model United Nations Ceremony, CIMP track and field club, CIMP fitness club and CIMP Model United Nations. In 2015, Lok was awarded the Harvard Prize Book one of the most prestigious awards for outstanding Pre-University students.

Lok Huey Ning at the CIMP Graduation

Candidates for the award were assessed by a panel of judges from the Harvard Club of Malaysia based on an interview covering social, intellectual and ethical aspects. This year for the interview session, shortlisted candidates were posed with questions which required them to not only think out of the box, but also to think about their responsibility in society, and their roles as citizens of the country.

“It was a challenging interview, definitely had me thinking hard, but it was also very fun! Some of the questions were really unorthodox, and the interviewers built up a very casual atmosphere”, said Lok of the interview.

“I mostly do tutoring for students who need my help in CIMP. I occasionally volunteer for charity events as well. I tutor 3 days a week; the times I help out for charity events is sporadic, it really depends on my schedule and when the event is being held. Tutoring is really a prime example of ‘the best way to learn, is to teach’, it trains me to explain concepts to others and understand which area of study challenges them the most. I think it really teaches me to be more understanding and tolerant,” said the former student of SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (3), Selangor.

Lok, who will be pursuing further studies in Strategic Finance at Minerva Schools at KGI, California in the United States stated her time in the CIMP programme has definitely helped her grow as a person. “CIMP stresses speaking out, inquiry and independent learning. The teachers are always encouraging students to ask questions, and even if you’re wrong, they don’t embarrass you for it. The teachers are also very accepting of new ideas and opinions, as long as you have sufficient reason, research and proof to back it up. Overall, the CIMP has taught me to nurture my innate curiosity and inquiry, and to be unafraid of thinking outside the box even if it defies the status quo” she explained.

She starts her new life the States in September this year with the hope to further her knowledge, meet different people, gain new and practical experiences and become a more global person. “As cliché as it sounds, I’m also hoping to do some soul-searching and cultivate an identity for myself which I shall be truly comfortable with”, said Lok.