Chapters
- 01. Why Should You Study Geography From A Young Age?
- 02. Discovering What You’ll Study For Your STPM Geography
- 03. What Are The Skills That You’ll Gain Through Your STPM Geography Studies?
- 04. What Can You Expect From A Degree in Geography?
- 05. Reasons To Take Online Geography Lessons With Superprof
A show of hands, please: how many of you know how to read a map?
Nope, we are not talking about Google Maps.
We’re referring to a legit map where you can stretch it open and see rails, roads and rivers.
While technology can do wonders and appear to bring our lives great convenience, one cannot deny the importance of mastering basic geographical skills.
Anyone who has studied Geography would know that at the core of this subject is how we as humans relate to the changes in nature in terms of ecosystems, natural resources, living space and so on.
As a matter of fact, the theories and facts are there to explain our surroundings and help us make sense of what has happened, what is happening and what will happen.
We are so close to giving away the main theme of our article already. In this article, we will explore the significance of studying Geography and how you can benefit from this practical subject.
Why Should You Study Geography From A Young Age?
It’s clear that the Malaysian education system acknowledges the relevance of learning Geography as it is taught continuously from Form 1 right up till Form 6 (STPM) for public schools.
Let’s look at the main reasons for studying Geography.
Reason 1: To build the right foundation of physical and human geography
Geography has two main branches.
Physical geography focuses on the happenings and processes that take place on Earth, such as what happens to rivers and lakes and the different processes that take place in different flora and fauna.
On the other hand, human geography focuses on how the human population is influenced in terms of culture, standards of living, migration, urbanisation and so forth.
Reason 2: To cultivate a sense of curiosity alongside the relevant skillset to be a good global citizen
Geography is not a hardcore technical subject which requires you to be particularly good with calculations or writing. The key to being good at Geography starts with curiosity and the persistence to find out the answers to the questions you have.
For example, you may come across terms like megacities and urban sprawl when you are studying the concept of urbanisation. In fact, it is predicted that our capital, Kuala Lumpur will become one by 2030.
The question arises now is how can we prepare ourselves for it?
That’s when we need people who are good at urban planning to come in. They will come out with solutions and policies to maintain a good transportation system (fingers crossed) to accommodate the increasing population in the city.
If everyone has no idea about the concepts of Geography to apply this knowledge and keep up with our everyday happenings, it will cause chaos in our daily life (and affects people from all across the globe).
Photo by Nalau Nobel on Unsplash
Reason 3: To prepare oneself to work in a geography-related field in the future
Granted that you are passionate to work in the field of Geography one day, this is an important stepping stone for you.
The earlier you start having a good grasp of this subject theoretically and practically, the more likely you'll do well during your tertiary studies and career later.
Read this article to learn more about the job prospects as a Geography major.
Discovering What You’ll Study For Your STPM Geography
Once you have completed your SPM studies, you could either continue your pre-university studies as a Form 6 student in a public school or take other pre-university programmes.
Lucky for you, Geography is offered at the STPM level.
You get to study 4 chapters each semester. The entire teaching and learning process will be conducted in the Malay language.
The syllabus is carefully curated into the two main branches as mentioned earlier: Physical Geography and Human Geography.
Semester 1
- Chapter 1: Sistem Bumi
- Chapter 2: Sistem Geomorfologi
- Chapter 3: Penduduk
- Chapter 4: Transformasi Desa dan Pembandaran
Semester 2
- Chapter 1: Sistem Atmosfera
- Chapter 2: Sistem Hidrologi
- Chapter 3: Pembangunan Ekonomi dan Impak Alam Sekitar
- Chapter 4: Globalisasi Ekonomi dan Kerjasama Serantau
Semester 3
- Chapter 1: Sistem ekologi
- Chapter 2: Saling Kebergantungan Sistem
- Chapter 3: Impak Alam Sekitar dan Pengurusannya
- Chapter 4: Pengenalan kepada Kajian Luar (Research Work)
What Are The Skills That You’ll Gain Through Your STPM Geography Studies?
Remember what we talked about the relevant skillset that you can achieve once you have mastered Geography?
Continue reading this paragraph to carefully review the skills that you’ll develop as you study for your STPM Geography papers.
Cognitive Skills
Students will gain extensive knowledge of the core concepts, principles and processes of Physical and Human Geography. They can also carefully and accurately relate these elements together instead of seeing them as separate entities.
Not only that, they will be more aware of the role of humans to become agents of change in the various ecosystems and the dynamic relationships between humans and nature. They would then also develop the skill to make the right synthesis and evaluation through the application of these Geographical skills.
Students will also be more creative and process their thought critically when they are presenting their points using the right Geography jargon and concepts.
Psychomotor Skills
Geography is certainly not a 100% theoretical subject. Many times, it requires us to be hands-on and be good with various tools.
This also means students will develop good report-writing skills, and good interview skills when they are conducting their research work.
From basic observation to organising their data and findings, they would also need to accurately formulate relevant tables, diagrams, and illustrations based on them. Not only that, they have to organise their time and workload wisely in order to complete the research smoothly.
Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash
Soft Skills
As this subject requires students to constantly communicate and move about, it will train them to be good team players and even boost their leadership skills.
At the same time, they will also be more confident and competent in their oral and writing skills.
Furthermore, they would also develop an appreciation towards different cultures as they study the relationship between humans, locations and cultures.
Read this article to find out where to find a reliable Geography tutor.
What Can You Expect From A Degree in Geography?
Once you have completed your STPM Geography paper, you can start thinking about the possibilities of enrolling in a Geography-related degree.
Do you know that Geography is a social science with many sub-branches?
Studying geography as an undergraduate will indeed prepare you for a lot of different careers, but which branch of geography would you undertake?
If you have more interest in physical geography, you can venture into these fields:
- Biogeography: The pattern of species distribution and their effects on the environment
- Oceanography: The study of oceans and seas
- Environmental geography: The spatial aspects of humans’ interaction with the environment
- Climatology: The study of weather conditions over long periods of time to provide predictions
- Meteorology: The study of weather processes for short-term forecasting (so important!)
- Hydrology: The study of the amount and quality of water; in a specific region or across the planet
Photo by NOAA on Unsplash
On the other hand, if you are more of a human-focused and policies person, you should consider specialising in human geography, which is essentially the study of people and their cultures, communities, economy and environment.
Generally speaking, an undergraduate degree in this discipline could lead you to a satisfying career in urban geography such as laying out roads or mapping future factories.
If you cannot make up your mind, there’s nothing to worry about too. Many universities offer a diverse range of subjects where you can study both physical and human geography topics. You can be a good Geography generalist too!
Whether you dream of travelling all over the world or plan on staying local with an office career as a geography major, you would certainly have a wide range of choices when it comes to working.
Learn more about the average cost of Geography tuition in Malaysia these days here.
Reasons To Take Online Geography Lessons With Superprof
Whether you are seeking personalised guidance for your STPM Geography papers or looking for some refresher lessons, we got the perfect solution for you!
Introducing to you, Superprof! Superprof is a fantastic tutoring platform that offers both home tutoring and online tutoring covering 1001 subjects, which of course includes Geography.
We highly recommend you to consider online Geography lessons at Superprof if you are open to private tutoring.
Here are three reasons.
Reason 1: You’ll have a wider selection of tutors to choose from
Granted that you are not limited to physical locations, you can learn from any Geography tutors that are from different cities or even countries.
You may be from Kuala Lumpur, but you can certainly learn from a Geography tutor that’s based in Johor Bahru, for instance.
Reason 2: More flexibility
Online lessons mean you can easily arrange your lessons according to your pace and preferred time.
All you need is a stable Internet connection to start. It’s also relatively easy to reschedule your lessons should any last-minute changes happen.
Reason 3: More affordable in the long run
Do you know that online lessons at Superprof are 20% cheaper than home lessons? You can not only save money on tutoring fees but also transportation plus administration fees.
Isn’t that a great deal?
We hope you have found this article insightful. There are certainly many reasons why one should learn Geography. We hope the next time you successfully read a physical map, you’ll be reminded of what you read today.
Till then, have fun exploring this subject!
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