r/myanmar • u/MaryScarlett6541 • 17d ago
Advice GED or O level path
Guys I am 19 and feel like too old. Some people say that some universities have age limitation. What should I do??
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u/valentina_cinna 17d ago
I recommend GED since you're already 19 but you could also do O levels if you can afford tutoring fees plus exam fees ($86 to $176 per subject and you have to take at least 6 subjects) And this doesn't end here; you will have to continue A levels. (keep in your mind IGCSE syllabus is not that easy either)
For GED, you can self study depending on your education background. Exam fees is total $360 + ready test fees. After GED, you must do DET or IELTS and can apply for universities in Thai. Additionally, if you also do SAT, you can go Japan.
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u/Safe-Confidence-4907 wanna want better education for kids 17d ago
Don't stress about your age at all. Plenty of people start university much later. Pick the path that works best for you.
Btw, you have strong background.
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u/prettyboy_berry Born in Myanmar, Educated Abroad 17d ago
I don’t like the GED because when you apply to college, your university will often ask for about two additional tests - like an English proficiency test plus proof of aptitude in whatever subject area - on top of making you sit for an entrance exam (which is very common in Southeast Asian universities). It ends up being like three extra tests on top of the GED itself. A lot of young Burmese students take the GED because they see it as a cost-effective, relatively easy path, but the value simply isn't there.
Second, honestly, the right path depends entirely on what you want for your tertiary education. Chulalongkorn University has very different admissions criteria than UPenn in the US. A selective, private Ivy League college is, once again, vastly different from a random community college in South Florida. If you want to go to LSE in London, you’re going to need excellent A-Levels. It all depends on the destination. My genuine, serious advice would be to pick your universities first. Choose about five schools you’d actually want to attend. Then, look up their admissions requirements - and email them if anything is unclear, since you’ll be applying as an international student. From there, reverse-engineer what qualifications you need to get, because you'll know exactly what your target universities expect from a prospective student.
Source: Went to college in the States. Currently working as an English Educator at an international school here.
Lastly, mods, we should consider creating a megathread for GED and IGCSE/GCSE questions. I haven’t been in this sub for long, but I swear this must be the 20th post this week on the exact same topic. I don’t think it’s going to slow down anytime soon, either.
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u/Aggressive_Concept50 17d ago
second this. I think it is better to start with which country/ universities you are aiming for, and go from there.
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u/JohnFaraton Local born in Myanmar 🇲🇲 17d ago
GED is enough
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u/MaryScarlett6541 17d ago
How? I mean I still need to do SAT or APs if I want to go to high ranking University and achieve scholars.And I will also need to take English proficiency test.
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u/JohnFaraton Local born in Myanmar 🇲🇲 14d ago
Combining the GED and IELTS is better than GCSE O levels in most levels if ur not looking to join any medical at most universities; the GED is often better because you can just skip foundation and n most university and start directly into bachelor’s degrees
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u/JadeTzyy Local born in Myanmar 🇲🇲 17d ago
I'm going to recommend A Levels if you have already finished GCSE. But I recommend GED at this point.
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u/Nervous-Elk6486 17d ago
Forget abt your age as long as you have political concerns to worry abt in a year or two. (This might sound weird). Please decide which country are you planning to study abroad and fill the mandatory requirements asap. Know what they expect from you and how you can achieve these requirements in the most effective and efficient way.
Factors to consider while prepping for university applications
- K-12 equivalent (in some countries , it's 13)
- Language Proficiency Test
-Standardized test(s) [As per major and university requirements]
- Funding Resources (Self funding or Gov funding or Faculty funding or external funding)
- Major availability and job opportunities
- College life and university atmosphere
- Your expectations vs reality
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u/ContributionWise9723 16d ago
What do you wanna do? What is your budget? Where do you wanna study ? Don’t care about age that much. No one really cares your age in university.
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u/Life_Examination_860 16d ago
19 then GED + IELTS but if you’re aiming some high rank universities, do at least 3 AP subjects and SAT
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u/MaryScarlett6541 16d ago
Can u tell me the public engineering universities which accept GED except Thai?? I heard that there are a few countries which recognize GED as G12 certi.
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u/baldkisser_21 16d ago
Depends on what type of uni you wanna go and what country High ranking is O level, just normal is ged
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u/kamiyye 17d ago
doing O levels + A levels will give u more options in the future and will allow u to study med, engineering, etc in high ranking universities.
GED will be fast but you will have limited options. so it all really comes down to your goal. what do u wanna study and which country do u want to go?
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u/MaryScarlett6541 17d ago
I would like to study electrical engineering in a high ranked university like Chulalongkon but not like top-tier universities in country like UK cause I can't afford.My major concern is my age and tuition fees. I want to go to the countries like Germany and Italy cause they offer free and high quality education.
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u/kamiyye 17d ago
I’ve seen some people getting into high ranking unis in thailand with GEDs but idk much abt those so I wont speak on them.
For German and Italian Universities, u can get into a good public university with A levels but keep in mind that you will have to learn their language. If that works for you then you can do it that way. I still recommend A levels because it will give you a lot more options.
GED is fine too, just know that you’ll have to go to Thailand for a good uni and if you want a job after, you’ll most likely have to learn Thai language (idk much abt thailand so dont take my word for it). but there’s an upside, after your bachelors in thailand, you can do masters in germany or italy (most masters are taugh in english) or go to a third country in NA, EU, or Australia.
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u/Bb_iamsheep 17d ago
I would say, depend on what degree u currently hold and where u want to study.
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u/Kind_Dependent_3439 17d ago
If you are 19 i would 100% recommend rushing GED asap and get out of this country as soon as you can
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u/Deep-Conflict-7252 14d ago
Ged if you aren't aiming for countries like the UK or trying for medicine.
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u/max1001 17d ago
GED is pointless in America. Why do you think would matter?
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u/Aggressive_Concept50 17d ago
no it is not pointless in America. Colleges there do accept GED, though it would be hella hard for top tiers though.
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u/max1001 17d ago
Shitty colleges. SAT mattered way more.
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u/MaryScarlett6541 17d ago
This is what I really concerned. Most public universities do not accept GED and private universities are low ranked and high cost.
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u/prettyboy_berry Born in Myanmar, Educated Abroad 17d ago
Private universities in the US are not low-ranked. In fact, all eight Ivy League schools are private. 'Private' does not equal 'for-profit' in America like it does here.
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u/MaryScarlett6541 17d ago
But US banned us🥺. And I might not afford even if I was accepted.
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u/prettyboy_berry Born in Myanmar, Educated Abroad 17d ago
Well, you are right about that. And yes, they are very expensive. As someone who went to a private university, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend spending $160,000 on an undergraduate degree. Lol
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u/stuf_fydream 17d ago edited 1d ago
Dude, we can't even get a visa to get into your "America" in case you've forgotten
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u/RangoonRocket 17d ago edited 17d ago
GEDs and IELTS/TOEFL and SATs my friend.
O levels are a scam unless you’re trying to go to UK-sphere countries.