Stress is a common problem among university students. Discuss.

Support your answer

with examples. Give your views in not fewer that 350 words.

Stress is a normal phenomenon in university life. It is an accepted fact that stress is a common
problem for university students of different ages, disciplines of study, and social and economic
backgrounds. Furthermore, research has shown that stress has negative impact and effects on an
individual’s health and lifestyle. In view of these situations, it is essential and necessary for university
students to know how they can mange stress effectively. In my opinion, there are three ways that can
effectively reduce or eliminate stress. All these ways are inter related and bring about the maximum
positive impact to deal with stress effectively.

The first way is related to self awareness, self realization and acceptance of stress. These
qualities build a foundation that will positively nurture the appropriate mindset and emotional
attitude to deal with stress in realistic ways. The student must be aware, realize and accept the fact
that he or she is experiencing stress. Such awareness, realization and acceptance are strong
contributory factors to alert, motivate and initiate the student to think seriously of the nature, possible
causes and potential consequences of the stress he or she is experiencing. The attention given to these
issues is a strong catalyst to direct the student to want work out the solutions to deal with the problem
or situation or people that generate the stress. Self awareness, self realization and self acceptance of
stress will generate in students the need to confront stress with the right, positive, mental and
emotional attitude.

The second way that can help university students manage stress effectively is to educate and
equip themselves with knowledge and relevant information on approaches, methods and techniques
on how to identify the symptoms of various types of stress and stress related factors. For example,
they can learn more about the causes and effects of stress on health, personality and lifestyle. Being
university students, their maturity and mental and emotional intelligence should be their guides in
searching for the above mentioned information from authorized sources like health reference books or
the Internet. They can also seek advice from professionals namely doctors, lectors and counselors or
experienced individuals like parents and elders. The third way relates to a holistic healthy lifestyle
that involves constant physical activity, having good eating habits, adopting positive attitudes to
problems and nurturing healthy family, social and working relationships. These characteristics effects
of stress like anxiety, frustration and health problems of poor concentration, lack of sleep and loss of
appetite.

In sum, I leave in shot note these three ways can effectively help university students to mange
stress mentally, emotionally and holistically.
SAMPLE 2

Suggest some measures that you think should be taken to prevent snatch thefts.
Support your answer with examples. Give your views in not fewer that 350 words.

Recently, there have been a lot of reports in the newspapers on the rising cases of snatch theft. I fully
agree with the writer’s opinions which were published in your editorial column. In order to curb this
problem, the public and the police should word together.

One of the ways to curb this problem is the public to be more aware of their surroundings. They
should always be on the looked for suspicious-looking characters and make a report to the police, if
necessary. Often, the police rely on public information to make a head start in solving cases. They
must also learn to take better care of themselves. For example, they should make sure that they have a
friend with them they have to walk in a deserted area. As far as possible, however, they should avoid
dark and deserted areas.

One mistake which people make is to wear a lot of jewellery or take along a lot of money when
going out. Flashy jewellery will attract the attention of snatch thieves. In addition, they should take
better care of their belongings. For example, girls or women with handbags need to ensure that they
hold on their handbags properly so that they will not be easily snatched. They should always walk
facing oncoming traffic so that they can see what or who is approaching them. Women are also
advised not carry handbags with long straps as these are easy to snatch.

The public should also cooperate and be more civic minded in helping others. They should try
and help victims of snatch thefts and not just turn a blind eye. In many cases of snatch thefts, not
many people came up to help the victims even though there were cries for help. The least they could
have done was to try to take down the vehicle registration number of the motorcycle or to help give a
description of the perpetrators to the police. If people look out for and each other, snatch thieves will
not have such an easy time.

Last but not least, the police should come up with preventive measures to curb this problem.
They should patrol snatch-theft prone areas such as bus stations and LRT stations. They should also
come up with posters to remind the public to be more careful about snatch thieves. Aside from this,
they can conduct seminars to educate the public on how to avoid becoming victims of snatch thefts.

All in all, in order to curb this growing problem, it is necessary for the public and the police to
cooperate with each other. By being more responsible for their own safety and working hand in hand
with the police, the public can play a great part in helping to reduce the number of snatch thefts
SAMPLE 3

Discuss suitable ways of eradicating disciplinary problems among secondary school

students. Support your answer with example. You should write at least 350 words.

In era of science and technology, disciplinary problems among secondary school students are getting
out of hand. It is, therefore, imperative that action be taken by all sectors of society to eradicate these
disciplinary problems.

The school authorities play an important role in this fight against disciplinary problems in
school. All teacher need to be vigilant and on the lookout for any form of indiscipline, even those as
minor as absenteeism. They also need to investigate fights no matter how small as these are symptoms
of more serious problems. Preventive measures such as strict enforcement of school rules and
appropriate punishments are extremely necessary nowadays. Public caning and expulsion of repeat
offenders of serious misconduct such as fighting, gangsterism and extortion, are highly recommended.

In order for the schools to effectively combat indiscipline, the full support of the Ministry of
education is necessary. The ministry could provide special training for heads of schools and discipline
teachers. In addition, discipline teachers and counselors should be given teaching loads so that they
can better carry out their special responsibilities. Moreover, the ministry could provide financial
support to improve facilities in schools to gainfully occupy the students.

Parents are also an important group of people who can help eradicate disciplinary problems in
secondary schools. Parents have a very important role to play in ensuring the good behavior of their
children at all times. They should not leave the responsibility of educating their children solely on the
shoulders of school teachers. They should constantly monitor their children’s whereabouts and make
it a point to get to know their children’s friends. Besides that, parents should be aware of the activities
that their children are engaged in. a good way of keeping tabs on the going-on in schools is to play an
active role in the parent-teacher association.

Finally, the police can also be called upon to combat disciplinary problems. They can be
called upon to counsel students through lecture, talks and workshops. The police need to be allowed to
patrol school compounds to make their presence felt. They should also be empowered to arrest
students suspected of being involved in serious offences such as gang fights.

To conclude, it is obvious that action should be taken by the school authorities, parents, the
Ministry of Education and the police in order to eliminate disciplinary problems in secondary schools.
SAMPLE 5
Foreign Workers Dilemma in Malaysia

Foreign workers – can’t live with them, cant live without them. . At least that’s what quite a lot of
Malaysians I now feel about them. Deputy Human Resources Minister, Senator Maznah Mazlan said
that there are 1.403 million foreigners here holding the Temporary Employment Visit Pass, which
accounts for 11.2% of Malaysia’s total workforce. That’s actually quite a lot of foreigners for a country
with a 2.7% unemployment rate as of last year.

But it’s no use denying the fact that we need them. The fact that we still don’t have minimum wage
means that there are just too many jobs out there that pay too little (from the perspective of
Malaysians) and are considered not worth the trouble by Malaysians. As our cost of living continues to
rise against stagnating wages, even fresh graduates earning around RM2,000 will sometimes find it
hard to keep things afloat living in Kuala Lumpur, let alone having to survive on a construction
worker’s wages.

And even now we can see foreign workers in supermarkets and restaurants, jobs that are considered
‘comfortable’ and not ‘heavy’, but more and more locals are turning away from them simply because in
the current economic climate the pay is nowhere near good enough. On the one hand it’s a shame that
we prefer being unemployed rather than at least earning something, even if it means working a hard
job with not very good pay. But on the other hand it’s also understandable why we’d prefer to hold out
and keep looking for something better, considering the economic realities that we have to face in our
daily lives.

The side effect of being dependent on foreign workers is that it puts a strain on a lot of things – public
amenities and services especially. They also compete with the poor for low cost accommodation, and
the congested living conditions have also contributed to societal and environmental problems. But
blaming things on them will not solve anything. The fact of the matter is, these are men and women
trying to make an honest living in a foreign country where their presence is not exactly welcomed with
open arms.

They had to leave their family behind, live in sometimes abominable and unacceptable conditions, and
push themselves to the limit to work as many hours as possible in order to send as much money as
they can home to their families. Try doing that and see if you won’t find yourself in similar social
problems should you be in their exact same shoes. It’s easy to blame the ‘other’ when you’re
comfortably on the other side of the fence, but not so easy when you really look and try to empathise
with them.

Trying to combat these problems will definitely cost money, and if we’re being honest with ourselves,
it’s just like dousing a raging fire – it’s unlikely that we can totally put a stop to it. The only way we can
avoid these problems is by not having them here or not being too dependent on foreign workforce.
Paying the 3D jobs (dirty, dangerous and difficult) better wages to attract locals to do it is a start. A
good minimum wage is a start too. Of course companies employing foreign workers will moan that
this is not good business, but that is why we vote and have a government – to think about how best to
solve this dilemma, because what’s a government here for if not to take care of its people?
SAMPLE 6

MOBILES EVERYWHERE, EVERYTHING

Malaysians are getting more and more attached to their mobile phones. I am no different. I love my
smartphone – it’s with me from the moment I wake up to the time I go to bed. However, like many
other Malaysians, I’m also starting to see real possibilities of the mobile internet platform that my
phone brings. It’s much more than just fun and games. It has progressed from a lifestyle accessory to
a living necessity. This little thing in your hand can connect you with more than 7 billion people on
the planet if you want it to. Just imagine the possibilities… What if we could apply this potential to
improve the lives of fellow Malaysians as we know it?

Because I work in a telco, my friends often share with me their ideas for mobile apps that can
potentially wipe out traffic woes in the city, improve public transport capabilities, enhance personal
safety, and so on. Everyone seems to have a point of view on one topic or another, but no one has any
real plan of action, seeing this area to be the exclusive domain of only techy geeks.

You no longer need to be a code technician to be involved in the burgeoning global App
Economy. Any regular Malaysian with a good idea can make a difference in our local community. If
you want to get started immediately, I encourage you to enter our DiGi Challenge for Change
(seewww.dgcfc.my) – an exciting avenue for average Malaysians to bring their ideas to life. We
created this challenge because we know that solutions to real life issues come from normal people, not
just from software engineers. This new innovation model involves creating collaborations between
those with ideas and those that can make the good ideas happen.
Here are some amazing facts and figures that I’d like to share with you: It’s estimated that nearly 46
billion mobile apps were downloaded globally by end 2012; almost double the 25 billion downloads in
2011. In four years (2016), this number is predicted to grow more than six times to 310 billion
downloads[1] – more than 30 times the number of people on this planet! The fact that apps first
appeared in the world just 5 years ago makes this even more amazing.
I reckon we Malaysians are an opinionated and creative bunch, so can you imagine the potential for
local apps if we can each contribute some great ideas? By doing so, we would be positively supporting
our economy at the same time.
I love the MyTaxi App which allows users to book a taxi painlessly and to even track the taxi’s journey
to their location. It is also a win-win for the taxi driver, because it translates into savings in time and
fuel as there is less of a need to drive around aimlessly scouring for customers when you have a greater
chance of finding a customer closest to your current location. Apps like Waze also help road users to
plan their routes better, avoiding stress-inducing traffic congestions along their drive to a certain
destination.
The way we live today has changed because of the mobile internet. Before, the internet was seen just
as an alternative channel or technology to carry out activities like shopping, banking and general
commerce. In time, it will be just how we do things every day; no longer science fiction but just our
way of life.
When we look around us, we see how mobile internet has changed the way services are delivered
in Malaysia, not to mention the savings in time and cost that these apps have helped to bring about in
the general economy. Nowadays, I no longer stand in long queues at the bank to pay bills, or send
letters through the post. All these things now happen at my fingertips, breathing new life into dead
time; freeing up precious hours for more productive pursuits.

I can’t wait to see what other useful Malaysian-inspired mobile apps will be uncovered as part of our
DiGi Challenge for Change in the next few months. If we can convert every Malaysian armchair critic
into a community-driven mobile app advocate, we may just have started the wave of the Great
Malaysian App Revolution.
SAMPLE 7

The world today is turning more to electronic communications such as the e-mail,
Facebook and Short message System (SMS). What is your opinion of this growing
trend? Discuss. You should write at least 350 words.

Everywhere we turn today, the world is crowded with people busy typing SMSes on their Nokias
or iPhones or someone is staring unblinkingly at a Facebook or Yahoo page on the computer screen.
Whether you like it or not, the age of Information Technology is upon us, and we can either learn new
skills and adapt to this new technology, or be forever lost and stuck in the older generation. In my
opinion, I am fully convinced that this growing trend is the way of the future, and it brings countless
benefits to mankind. In this essay, I will discuss three positive effects of electronic communication,
namely its efficiency, enhances communication and creates a borderless world community.

First and foremost, more and more people are relying on e-mail, Facebook, Short Message
System (SMS) and other types of electronic communication tools because of its high efficiency. This is
because in today's age of globalisation, we need information at the tip of our fingers. Moreover, with
the use of these tools, we can increase the speed of getting the necessary and relevant information
within seconds and this will increase our productivity. For example, gone are the days of using 'snail
mail' or regular letters using stamps and envelopes and many more examples of 'old' technology
because it is simply too slow and inefficient. Therefore, these e-communication tools increases the
access to important information which is why the new generation is fully accepting this growing trend.

Secondly, this form of technology enhances communication among people today. This means
that when we use SMS, e-mails and websites like Facebook, we are able to communicate clearly and
directly to our target audience. Furthermore, people today find that the message is more important
than the form it comes in as an e-mail in short but clear sentences is just as good or even better than a
long and formal letter. For instance, an SMS can give clear instructions in just a few words and this
communicates what needs to be done quickly and directly. Thus, when the intended message can be
spread clearly using short and clear information like in SMSes and emails, communication can be
enhanced and there will be less problems of miscommunication.

Last but not least, e-communication creates a borderless community in the world we live in
today. This is due to the fact that the boundaries that separate each country becomes less relevant
when information is transferred without limitations. In addition, the world would be a better place
because there is a sense of 1-World commitment, respect and tolerance for the global community
through efficient and clear e-communication. Take for example, we are able to connect with people on
an international basis using Facebook, Friendster, Tagged, Hotmail, Yahoo and others. Hence, these
tools will enhance global unity and create a more peaceful world.

In a nutshell, this growing trend has many positive effects not just to individuals but the global
society in terms of efficiency, enhancing communicative skills and shaping a borderless community.
In my opinion, I still firmly believe that this latest trend is the best way forward and if we do not catch
up, we will be left behind by the tide of development. Our government can encourage the proper usage
of electronic communications by increasing communication amenities and broadband accessibility
especially in rural areas so that they can enjoy the same facilities as city-folks therefore balancing the
development of our country towards achieving Vision 2020.
SAMPLE 8

The rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products. How will this
affect the society? Give your opinion. You should write at least 350 words.

Money is always an issue in today's era of materialism. Most people need it for basic survival
while the lucky few indulge in luxuries without worrying about money. In my opinion, I strongly agree
that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and this will definitely
affect the society. In this essay, I would like to touch on the effects this price increase has on society
today, namely increasing vice activities, widening the gap between the rich and the poor and affecting
the population trend in the long term.

First and foremost, society will immediately be affected by the rise in fuel prices because
consumer products will be more costly and this leads to an increase of vice activities. This is because
basic necessities such as rice, flour, sugar and so on will be in great demand and some warehouses will
store or hoard the items to further increase the price of the product. Moreover, in the newspapers
today, reports of smuggling of these items prove that this vice activity is on the rise. For example, the
recent sugar price hike caused a furor among the Malaysian society as it costs more fuel to travel to
and from the supermarket and when arriving, most places had run out of stock even though the
government had allocated 2kg of sugar to one person. Therefore, the fuel price increase had definitely
caused more hardships to society today.

Secondly, it is undeniable that the rise in fuel prices leads to the widening of the gap between
the rich and the poor. This is due to the fact that people are greatly affected by the price of basic
necessities such as food and fuel in particular. Furthermore, the rich people will still be able to afford
such things but the poor will face greater challenges as the popular saying goes: "The rich get richer,
and the poor get poorer." For instance, when money is used to purchase consumer products that are
necessary for survival, then less money will be spent on health and dental check-up, educational
purposes and others. Thus, it is clear that the fuel price hike will further stress on the differences
between the rich and the poor which is such a tragedy.

Last but not least, in the long term the population trend or demographics of the society will
be greatly affected. This means that new families will consciously decide not to have too many
children in order to increase their quality of life. In addition, society is now more aware of birth
control and family planning so this will greatly reduce the population as most families will have 1 to 5
children instead of more. Take for example, new families with less children will surely spend less on
basic necessities like food, clothes, transport and many more. Hence, the demographics of the whole
country will be affected and this in turn will reduce our workforce which will affect our country's
productivity and prosperity.

In short, there are many short term to long term effects of a fuel price increase which
includes more crimes like hoarding and smuggling will occur and this leads to the widening of the gap
between the rich and the poor as well as a change in the society's demographics. I still strongly believe
that the rising fuel price has pushed up the price of other consumer products and this will surely cause
a negative impact to society. The government must find a way to stabilise the fuel price at a reasonable
rate so that it does not affect the productivity of this country towards achieving the aspirations of the
nation for Vision 2020.
SAMPLE 9

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Parents play the most important role in the bringing up of their children. In my opinion, despite
some very good characteristics parents have, they can’t be the best teachers of their children.

First of all, parents are able to have knowledge in some fields, but not all the fields. It is not true that
parents know everything in the world. Sometimes, they just have a passing acquaintance of some
subjects. They shouldn’t teach their children something that they don’t know thoroughly. For
example, a very famous physicist can’t teach his children chemistry though he is very good at physics
because his knowledge of chemistry isn’t enough to teach his children. So that’s why parents always
search for good teachers to teach their children what they need to learn properly.

Secondly, parents want to teach their children by their ways/EXAMOLE. They are right, and they
are wrong sometimes. For those who aren’t be educated how to be good teachers, it might be a very
big problem. They can be good parents, but hardly good teachers. For instance, it’s not simply to
telling children what they should do and what they shouldn’t. If the children don’t follow, their
parents might get angry. In that case, they lose their temper, and they just want their children to obey
them without any decent explanation for their behavior. Parents should help their children be aware
of right and wrong in order that they will know why their parents want them to follow their advice.

Thirdly, parents can easily be wrong in educating their children in that they have a lot of emotion. In
their eyes, their children are obviously the best ones. They praise their children and encourage them to
keep doing things though in other people's eyes, the children should stop behaving like that.
Consequently, parents should be strict and thoughtful in some situations. As children don’t recognize
what is right and wrong, they do anything they like. Parents should always watch on their children and
guide them to do the right thing instead of letting them do whatever they want.

In brief, parents aren’t always good teachers though they might be good parents. To be good
teachers, it is the way they educate their children, which they should be concerned with rather than
the way they love their children.
SAMPLE 12

SHOULD WE BEAT CHILDREN?

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT Effective when used wisely

Many parents use physical punishment to discipline their children. Others prefer to use different
methods to reward good behavior or punish misbehavior. This essay will look at some of the
arguments for and against physical punishment of children.

It is often claimed that physical punishment will damage children in later life. Opponents of corporal
punishment claim that the children will grow up to become delinquents or even beat their wives.
However, many happily married adults today were slapped when they were younger but have never hit
their spouses. Another point often made is that physical punishment teaches children that you can use
force to make others do what you want. In fact children brought up well soon learn that force by itself
is nothing - it must be associated with right. Finally, some people say that punishing a child by
smacking him will damage the relationship between the child and the parents. This is clearly wrong.
Children who understand the reasons for rules will be happier than children who are not given clear
guidelines.

There are definitely concerns about physical punishment. Some parents lose control and can injure
children - even breaking bones or causing bruises. Others can use violence excessively or as the only
method of discipline. In this case, the child will be hurt, fearful and anxious and will not learn to
distinguish right from wrong. The biggest problem with physical violence is when it is not appropriate
to the age of the child. It can be very effective to quickly smack a two-year-old who is screaming.
However, it is not effective to beat a 16-year-old who is late for school once again.

In conclusion, physical punishment can be a useful method of discipline. However it should be the
last choice for parents. If we want to build a world with less violence we must begin at home, and we
must teach our children to be responsible.