Having noticed that none of the articles and letters published thus far offer any solution the students affected by the ridiculous situation in our country, I've decided to offer some practical solutions for the boys and girls who've done well but are unable to continue their education in the local university.

As I'm not a education counselor, my first advice would be that the students seek the advice of a professional. The following advice is based on my personal experience and should serve as an eye-opener and not meant to be completely accurate. I challenge the students to do their own research.

The students must be aware that there is a saying that goes like this - "good news, bad news, who knows?" There is hardly anything in this life that is absolutely good or bad. In every setback there is an opportunity. Let me explain how to exploit your 'bad news' and turn it to good news.

First, let's deal with the concept of higher education. Your aim to get a degree must not waver as your potential future income will be far higher than if you don't. (This of course does not include those entrepreneurs who make it without a degree).

Second, the admission into university. Since you're already qualified to enter a local university, it is highly likely that you will be readily accepted by local or overseas colleges and universities. For SPM students, please do not attempt STPM as it is a waste of time. Do pre-university or one-year A-Levels and be on your way. Speed is of essence.

Third, the issue of money. This is the key issue since if these students had the funds, they would face no constraints. However, the reality is otherwise for most of us. What to do then? Consider the following:

* Borrow from family - Not a very good source but should be investigated.

* Borrow from bank - A very good source and would be readily available to competent and confident students. I know that banks such as Standard & Chartered, HSBC and RHB have education loan scheme. The rest have these too but I did not find them particularly attractive. In my opinion, RHB has the best offer and any student lacking the required funds must visit RHB branches. Some options do not even require any collateral! StanChart has good service and a life-long financial management service programme.

A local private college degree is cheaper than buying a Proton Wira (on hire purchase) so if you think you can own a car in future, don't let a RM30,000 to RM50,000 loan put you off. Think big! Don't be discouraged by one negative response as another bank branch manager might be more responsive. Dress well, be confident, have a plan for you future and how you intend to pay your loan and articulate your opinion clearly to win them over. It would help to have a decent SPM/STPM result too.

* Work and study - a tough option but I believe that a busy student is a good student so my advice would be that you combine the bank loan with a bit of part-time work just to make sure the loan interest amount does not compound.

* Apply for scholarships - try these out by visiting British Council, Singapore Embassy, US Embassy, MACEE, Australian Embassy, and New Zealand Embassy.

Many years ago I came across a German programme where you pay RM30,000 to join a eight-month programme during which you study German culture and language and stay in Germany. Once you pass this, your education is free up to PhD. Try the Alliance Francaise too as the French do have some interesting offers. Don't worry about learning another language. Most of you know three languages already so you're far ahead of the majority of the world population!

You can also try MCA, MIC, Quok Foundation, TNB, Telekom, Sime Darby, Shell, ESSO, Petronas, etc. Mind you, be careful with what you choose or you might find yourself stuck with some of these companies for a long time.

Fourth, the question of what to study. That's your choice. Information technology seems to be paying off very well. Those interested in sailing can join MISC and become a Master Mariner (captain). Malaysia Airlines had a scheme for aircraft licenced maintenance engineer where they'll pay you to study and then employ you. You can also try the Singapore Airlines.

Fifth, where to study.

* Full-time course in any local private college (overseas too, if you can afford it). Try to spend at least one year overseas (i.e. 2 + 1 packages, etc.) as your marketability goes up greatly. National University of Singapore is a good bet for those who really did well in their exams. Don't miss out on Indian Institute of Technology and other superior Indian colleges as these are world-class, some of them almost as good as Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Don't take my word, check it out and you'll find that this is true.

Universities in Australia and New Zealand also welcome good students from Malaysia with open arms and don't be surprised if they want to offer you a job once you graduate. Good place to work. Nice weather, cheap houses and cars.

* Online courses - very tough and not recommended for fun-loving 18-year-olds. But a search on the Internet will reveal many sites. Be very careful in choosing as most will sell a degree for money and you will end up with nothing. University of London, Open University (UK), Scottish Knowledge (UK) and University of Southern Queensland (USQ, Australia) are good bets.

* Distance Learning - tough choice too. I'm not very aware of the courses/institutions available in this form but University of Southern Queensland has some interesting offers.

* Professional studies - Accounting, Company Secretary etc. are paying off very well. You can work in such firms and sit for the exams and very soon you're holding world-class qualification plus working experience.

I have friends in their early 30s who are earning five-figure salaries after going through this route. Banks have this scheme too and you can sit for the Institut Bank-Bank Malaysia exam. You can get a professional engineering qualification by sitting for Institute of Engineers Malaysia exams (IEM). The architects have similar exam. You can try the Space (School of Professional And Continuing Education) programme in UTM that caters for external students. UM has an external law degree known as the Bachelor of Jurisprudence.

I hope this write-up has been helpful. If you know someone who will benefit from this advice, print a copy and pass it along.