Whose fault is it when a student fails your subject?

This post was inspired by this article English teacher seldom entered class and no replacement, says former student.

Four students have banded together to take legal action against the teacher, the School, the School's Principal, the Ministry of Education and the Government of Malaysia for being continuously absent and not teaching them English, resulting in their weak or failed results in that subject.

The Plaintiffs, now 21 and having different callings in life, apparently have had to apply for an injunction to stop the harassment by the Defendants in the course of days preceding this trial.

There are a few angles/ aspects/ questions to this story, in my opinion:

1- The teacher who was alleged to not have taught for a good part of a year, and no replacement was provided = the duty of care to teach & carry out one's task based on the employment requirement;

2- The principal and the school who/ which allowed this to happen right under their noses. Based on what's reported in the news, the students have informed their class teacher (about the English teacher's frequent absence) to no avail;

3- The students who were allegedly disadvantaged in their major examination (SPM) due to their teacher's frequent absence- they did not have sufficient preparation and direction in the English subject, and failed in their SPM English;

4- No corrective action was taken by the teacher, class teacher, principal, the school, the Ministry of Education/ the Government to alleviate this shortcoming;

5- This is a David v Goliath story. Despite the challenge (uphill battle is probably more apt), the Plaintiffs have gone on record to state that the justice of the matter must prevail.

Who was the teacher, and what did assignments did he have to do.. to have missed so many classes?

What is the standard of teaching expected? I remembered my brother who was in class with a Maths teacher who taught the bare minimum and asked everyone to join his paid tuition classes to learn more (why could he not have taught these things in class???). Sorry for digressing, my point connects to how much effort is the teacher and students expected to give? What/ Where is this "balance" where the teacher had done all that he could, and the rest would depend on the students' efforts?

The media has reported from the perspective of the student claimants. As a lecturer/ teacher I also understand how the sanctity of the teaching profession must be protected. Nevertheless, the missed classes must be explained. Why everyone turned a blind eye to the students' needs, this has to be unraveled. Were the students truant? We don't know, but I hope they weren't, for their sakes.

I am not the Public Prosecutor but if I were, I probably would suggest the Malaysian government provides an intensive English class to the girls and offer them a free seat for the next SPM English. But then, that's just me.

It is IMPOSSIBLE until it is DONE

This PhD thing is not easy, to say the least. I have been through various stages of feelings and brain-breaking moments, and it is no wonder that many consider the acronym as "permanent head damage"- I can totally see how.

A good supervisor definitely helps. I have a GREAT one. For this I am fully thankful and MUST put in the effort to finish it a.s.a.p. He believes I can do it and I should too (although the fear is real).

Let us finish up and boost up the self-belief. We are good, capable, wonderful individuals. Onwards GO!

Therapy

No longer is therapy or counseling stigmatised.

I went for counseling after the divorce, and was prescribed psychiatric medication in the beginning (pre-counseling). The divorce was a life-changing (then: earth-shattering) event. It was something unfamiliar which I could not (and don't know how to) handle. I didn't follow the full course of the medication  (xanax & 1 other) because I hated the sloth-like feeling it gave me. These meds were returned. I decided to embrace the pain and attended months of counseling. Through these I learnt about triggers and how issues can be defined factually, and thereafter unpacked.

Last weekend I brought my child to therapy. The session costs RM300 per hour which is actually quite reasonable. Through the conversations she warmed up to the therapist and for the next session she will be able to handle a one-on-one session & I will wait outside.

I hope one day we will ALL be open to therapy/ counseling and by then the cost will be much3 more reasonable. Of course the more experienced psychologists/ counselors/ therapists are entitled to the charges due to their level of knowledge/ skills. If access is available to all members of the public, more counselors can take part to contribute. Perhaps one day in the future I could consider this pathway, why not? Helping others is always a good thing. Everyone needs a therapist at some point.

Oversharing

A wise person once told me: before saying something, THINK 

Is it Truthful, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary and Kind?

Over the weekend I met a single mother who worked many miles away from her children. The children are being taken care of by her ex-husband & their stepmother in Shah Alam. She shared some of her stories, but unfortunately I also shared a small part of her story with other friends, which I should not have done. Because it apparently added on to their fodder of information about her (which I was not privy to) and paints a picture of her as an unsavoury character. When the notes are compared, she turned out not as I had seen her and I felt bad adding to the information/ database.

To me, she is surviving as a single mother and facing her own challenges and battles, being away from her children. Yes I would have taken care of my children no matter how difficult things are, but who am I to judge her decisions. Every person travels his/ her own path, no matter how difficult or challenging it is.

Lesson & note to self: The buck stops with me. Don't share. Keep quiet. 

On the same note I would probably never be able to share my life as content, like certain celebrities, influencers or youtubers. The guilt and self-questioning would crush me.

Somewhere I belonged

I had enjoyed school growing up, as long as people leaves me alone.

Awkward was I at every age, and in every school.

My late father's job made us move to a new location every 2 years. Being the eldest child, I have learnt to coordinate the packing and moving, and my brother and I adapted to being the new kid in school, every time. From age 7 to 17 we had been to 7 schools. My children in contrast went to 2 schools. One primary and the Other, secondary. Their friends are the folks they grew up with. Glad am I to be able to allow them this sort of stability.

I was bullied in school, especially when I started secondary school. I don't really know why they don't like me, but I made friends with the other bullied kids. We got by, and looking at the big picture we did quite alright.

At school I studied, and did what I was told to do. I was an average student and stayed out of trouble for the most part. I hated homework and didn't like Maths that much, and especially hated drawing and colouring maps for Geography.

When I joined MRSM Kota Bharu in 1990 (now known as MRSM Pengkalan Chepa), a new world (I thought) was opened to me. This was a wonderful new experience. We didn't have homework, so that was fantastic. Even if we did, the teachers never forced them down our throats. I still hated Maths, and Chemistry, and Physics but was able to survive (just barely). The students were super smart. There was an Add Maths genius in our class. The teacher would write the question & by the time she finished writing on the board he already had the answer. I had 1/100th of his brainpower, and took me the longest time to understand the question, and after that work on the mysterious formulae.

The experience in MRSM shaped me in my learning and teaching. I enjoy lessons that piqued the mind and engage me in thinking/ giving an opinion. As a lecturer, I almost never give homework to my students, I love independent learning, and I let my students explore their own learning style. 

The Anatomy of a Traffic Jam

On Monday 3 October 2022 we travelled to Perak to pick up my mother. We left at 8.15am and faced the traffic congestion that is legendary in KL/ Klang Valley. We should have left a bit earlier, 6am would have been apt but the preparations and so on took longer than expected.

The journey that was supposed to take just slightly more than 2 hours turned to be a 3-hour journey. On the way back we faced another 30 minute crawl in Saujana Putra, because we made some stopovers for lunch & a visit to my brother in law's family.

Staying 6km from the office is a lucky thing for me, as I take around 13-15 minutes to get to work (in heavy traffic). Without traffic congestion I would normally arrive in under 10 minutes.

Bottlenecks, Accidents, Poor travel time planning (mea culpa on this one), Road and/ or weather conditions are some of the many reasons for traffic jams. Many have started using public transportation, especially now that many of us have returned to work post-pandemic. 

Focus on Studies, or be an Influencer?

This morning on Selamat Pagi Malaysia ("Good Morning Malaysia"), one topic that is being discussed is the dilemma of the youth: Do they stay in academia and continue their studies, or be an Influencer?

An interesting presentation is being made by the guest, about the Influencer needing to have knowledge (of a particular subject matter) before he/ she is able to "influence". There is also another point on longevity of influencers- there is a shelf life on how long a person can stay popular.

I fully agree. The folly of youth is honestly a perpetual topic of discussion. Youths of this era were born to 'comfortable' families and have endless options to choose from. Not like many of us (me included) a generation ago. There were just a few courses available in university then, compared to hundreds of courses and its permutations offered now.

Knowledge IS essential, whether formal or not. Howard Gardner in 5 Minds for the Future discussed how fundamental knowledge builds the 'minds' that are creative and synthesizing. 

If my children comes to me wanting to be an influencer, I would drill it down and ask them about the content, the message and the skillset they have to keep it going. It is a profession (or) business that requires planning for longevity, even though it looks easy and/ or fun.

Survivor

As part of the school alumni, we conducted a "Mock Interview" and "Career Talk" last weekend.

From what I see, and based on past events, there are 2 main categories of students:

- ones who are academically inclined, and has a specific (or general) idea what they want to do 

- ones who run their own course or go with the flow, and not necessarily fully interested academically 

I must admit that I fall into the first category: I do what I was told at school; did alright academically; my skillset is pretty "standard"/ set and my survival skills are pretty basic. 

Hubby and another friend of ours (and MANY others) fall into the second category. I call them the 'survivors' because they can live/ survive wherever you throw them. They have a variety of skillset and great connection/ network, and they figure things out pretty quickly.

Of course I over-generalise. There is also a third category: those who are multi-talented and can do everything. They do well in school, excel in sports & other activities, and excel in work and business and life (this person is not me).

There may well be a fourth or fifth or sixth category for all I know, however my main point is when we next do such an event we probably should target the 2 main groups. The first group can go ahead and do a career session or mock interview. The second group can join 'self-exploration' sessions that are more engaging and hopefully life-changing. I was not a high profile interviewer so I tend to be assigned the second category students. I see certain students have downcast eyes, or uncertain of their answers, and seem to have a fear of speaking out. What they need is a major confidence boost, not a career talk or even a mock interview to remind them of their (supposedly) lack of purpose. What they need is that self-belief, that spark of faith... and the rest are just details <3

Hype

There is a Datuk that went on radio with a caption "Tak Hensem Tak Apa, Janji Kaya"... roughly translated it means "it doesn't matter if you're not good looking, as long as you're rich".

He is a fund manager and trains others on how to invest and make lots of money like him. The caption was a marketing thing & I guess it worked because it is memorable (and eventually became the source of multiple online memes). 

On October 6 his license was suspended pending investigations 

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/sixmonth-licence-suspension-interpacific-asset-managements-nazri-khan-appropriate-%E2%80%94-sc

On another note, a celebrity preacher is also being investigated due to alleged harassment

https://www.flyfm.audio/pu-azman-pleads-not-guilty-to-5-charges-of-sexual-assault-towards-two-male-minors/

Granted, both cases are allegations against the persons named. They have a right to speak and defend themselves, and have their day in court. 

These development of events reminded me of my mom's words. She said: whatever you do, do good. 

My late dad embodied this, in behaviour. There was one instance when he was defamed but people who knows him knows that he is not capable of that (of which he was accused).

In the day and age of clout and social media presence, it is not easy to maintain one's reputation. There is a huge amount of temptation as a person in power, or as a person of influence, to be swayed to the 'dark side'. May truth and justice prevail, and may we be good people.

Post #1000

Took me 17 years to get to this point.

This blog started in 2005 inspired by Ili and here I am in October 2022 writing the one thousandth post.

Wouldn't say that this is a huge achievement. Neither am I a prolific writer (haha)... but I have learnt that I have got to start somewhere. Then I will know that at least I have a shot. "It" (whatever "it" is) will eventually happen.

Other things I have started writing are newspaper articles, about law & IT, in Malay. I have written 2 so far, in the same fashion: one about scams & the other about protecting children online. My third one will be about PDPA and the fourth about the metaverse (when I get to it).

I'm supposed to do a moderation report. Clearly that's not my favourite thing to do. Here I am channeling my writing skills in a blog. 

There's also the PhD waiting to be written. I have left it lonely for days now. Should get back to it soon. That sort of writing is literally mind-bending and back-breaking. I respect everyone who have done their PhDs on their own. Not easy at all. May even be impossible unless there is a great support system like Jason, and family, like hubby and kids and mum and siblings who are utmostly encouraging.

So my girl, WRITE... like your life depends on it!

People who love me

Lucky I am to be able to love and be loved.

It's a gift indeed and I am blessed.

My daughter & son went grocery shopping by themselves on Monday night (I usually go with them, but this time I really had too much to do and cannot extricate myself from work). They bought for everyone a mexican bun each (the coffee crumb coated one). It was a small gesture & one that we/ I normally do for others. When someone thinks of me this way, I find it touching.

Thank you Kakak & Abang Ijat!

I can be everything to everyone

On Saturday I'll be giving a career talk on IT courses.

Initially the team was going to come with me but now it's going to be a one woman show.

I'm waiting for the slides & will add some RIASEC elements in them.

Now I have to do a bio. Come to think of it I do have some "IT" background after all.

I will be winging it well on Saturday. Good luck to me 💖

Relationship with an Adult

I am glad to be in this marriage with hubby.

Now I understand the meaning of being in a mature relationship, with a grown adult.

When Idiots Converge a.k.a. Conversation with a FOOL

There's a Malay saying/ euphemism which states "Umpama Anjing Menyalak Bukit".

Directly translated it means "Like a Dog Barking up a Hill".

It refers to an action in futility. The dog will not change the unmoving hill. 

A spin to this is another modern saying that the hill will not be affected by the barking, neither would it do any justice for the hill to respond to the dog.

How does that saying relate to me? Perhaps it doesn't (haha).

An event happened this morning that threw me off-balance. One day I will forgive that student. I wish that he sees the lesson: that arrogance will not get him anywhere, and he should respect a teacher.

Maybe I overreacted (internally). Externally I just replied & provided him the requested info. End of story.

[Dear God, please let me be stronger!]

Sometimes I Think I Understand

Hubby usually switches on the TV when he sleeps.

[I get horrified when I accidentally woke up during horror dramas & will normally switch the TV off!]

Yesterday when I woke up, the Turkish Drama (The Magnificent Century) was showing and for some reason the subtitles did not appear. Despite this, the story can be understood roughly. There is this Sultan, and another his younger brother, and maybe his uncle + wife discussing something2. Then comes this jealous harem/ secondary queen who demands so many things and probably she and the uncle is colluding to take the throne?

I probably misunderstood the whole thing 😂 but sometimes it is fun to do that. To just watch & listen. 

Many years back we were on a backpacking trip in Spain & I wanted to ask for something from the concierge (related to storing some fruits in the fridge probably; details are blurry). I asked in English and he gave a long explanation in Spanish, but somehow (I thought) I understood that mainly the answer is NO and the reasons given were connected to the smell or something related to no food, only drinks in the fridge (I think). So we ate the fruits that very night and some more in the morning without much issue (I think). So now you see my memory is terrible, but the main point is languages can be understood somehow someway. Learning it is always good to unlock the cultural aspects, but just listening and observing can be great fun too!

Giving Things Away for Free

Currently I am training a few groups of graduates for employability. Put simply they have graduated recently or some time ago, and these sessions may help them upskill and get the jobs they want.

My session relates to the 'developmental' aspects (motivation) along with another trainer who is working on their self-confidence and developing mission statements. The other (bigger) aspect is technical either on Data Analytics, Network or Cyber Security.

These programmes are FREE and fully sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education.

All good so far, sounds reasonable.. and value-adding to their CVs [a.k.a. EXPECTATION]

On the ground, and this is only the second cohort I'm handling, many are not joining (we're looking at 15% attendance, not absence yaaa) and those who joined normally do not participate. The previous attendance was a tad better but participation more or less the same. Mostly quiet non-speaking non-responsive participants I get. [a.k.a. REALITY].

Incidentally my colleague, who has done many more past sessions, have told me not to expect too much. Expect a lot of silence; expect to answer your own questions; expect non-responsiveness.

I wish I am allowed to tell them that employers will expect you to speak up and SAY SOMETHING!

Not doing anything is not an option. You can do nothing at home & not on a payroll. NooSirreeee!

When we gave away something for free, it  becomes unappreciated. These courses altogether can be easily at least RM3000 per person (between RM5000-10,000 more likely), but the participants do not see the cost that still needs to be paid for, because to them it is FREE!

We the trainers have prepared the materials and activities and yet only 1 or 2 will respond and do it. It is sad if this reflects the attitudes of today's youth.

[If I were the government, I will ask the non-attending & non-participating students to pay for all these courses because they are irresponsible Malaysians leeching on taxpayer's money]

NEVERTHELESS, I always take these as a challenge. I CAN AND WILL DO BETTER!

Thinking positive for now. It could have been the timing/ scheduling that is unsuitable; It could have been my content that needs to be more engaging; They could have received offers thus decided not to join any more sessions; or they may have been too tired after multiple long sessions.

LET'S CRACK THIS NUT! The ones who do not join, IT IS YOUR LOSS!

I WILL WORK WITH THOSE WHO ARE PRESENT AND INTERESTED.

THEY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND THRIVE!!!!!!!

I can relate

Shakira the singer broke up with her footballer partner and recently gave an interview about the experience. The part that struck me was about the sacrifice: how she scaled down her personal plans to support her partner (what she said) and how he threw all that away to have an affair (what she didn't say). Shakira is also facing a tax evasion claim, and her father is not doing all that great after some falls.

The worst thing I could do in my blog is to talk about someone else who is struggling.

So, let me slap this entry on its head and turn it around. Shakira is a strong person, she has two lovely children who she loves unconditionally and will take care of (I hope!). She will need all the support and strength and encouragement of everyone around her to lift herself up. One day she'll be alright. Not right away, because everything may be confusing now. However one day you will be yourself again, even smarter and sassier and multiple times more successful than that partner-person!

Who Was Marilyn Monroe?

The movie Blonde was released on Netflix on 28 September.

I watched it 2 days back and dozed off during.

[this either says something about me, or about the movie]

My synopsis: I don't like it [at least the part I watched before I dozed off]

I don't feel like re-watching it either. The whole thing was 'berterabur' (disorganised?). 

I'm sure there is more depth to Marilyn Monroe, the persona created by Norma Jean Baker.

In my mind, maybe like Norma Jean the sweet American girl cf Marilyn Monroe the sex goddess.

She would have been happy at some point in her life right? Nobody could have survived the 'misery' arc throughout her life, could they?

In short: I don't like the movie, no matter how much I love Ana de Armas as an actor.

In the same way I don't like Blade Runner 2049 despite loving the actor Ryan Gosling.

One movie that I enjoyed was "A Weekend with Marilyn". I felt that this one humanised her. 

"Blonde" the movie objectified her in a loathful way. Ironically in 2022 the director (male, why am I not surprised) should have highlighted some achievements and strength. 

I did not read the book which inspired the movie, may not read it ever (or may I?) but apparently the book, despite being fiction, was more balanced compared to the movie. 

She is a person after all, and an iconic one at that. 

No one will speak for her now, unlike Freddy Mercury (who had her best friend) or Elvis (who has a surviving wife and daughter). 

All her ex-husbands have passed away too, taking all her secrets with them to their respective graves. 

I guess we'll never know for sure, but Marilyn did what Marilyn knows best. 

She created the mystery and intrigue which fascinates us to this day. 

Water tastes interesting post-covid

I probably have something that people at the KKM (Ministry of Health) consider as 'long covid'. 

It is not the severe long covid thankfully, but some symptoms were more prolonged than others.

Like the cough... and my changed voice (more hoarse, and not necessarily nicer because I tend to sound like I've just woken up!) 

... and the feeling of tiredness and wanting to sleep early all the time

... and interestingly, the water I drink these days taste sweetish... almost like mineral water with the slightest drop of stevia (I kid you not!)

... my tummy capacity has reduced and I really cannot force myself to eat more than I want > this is actually good, because I really don't need to eat all that much!

... I may be a little bit more forgetful [hubby disagrees: my level of forgetfulness is not more or less than previously, he said]

Personally I consider covid an interesting virus, because the symptoms are quite different from one person to the other. Throughout the illness I had had my sense of taste & smell, but had a flu-ish fever that refused to stop. No serious coughing but had tons of phlegm. During the early days I actually tested negative until about Day 3. My son had fever and nothing else. He recovered on Day 3 and was negative by Day 5. My other friend had severe body pains and found it hard to even get out of bed. She lost all taste and smell, with heavy fever to boot.

My aunt on the other hand passed away from covid-19 because her lungs were flooded. Her husband and daughter survived. The family went through a painful time because they were still in quarantine when she was buried. We would have liked a proper goodbye/ send-off, but what can we say. The circumstances did not allow it.

The thing I am most glad now is because the virus has weakened somewhat and doesn't infect people as badly (I guess until the next whatever virus comes along). May our fallen rest in peace and may the rest of us continue to survive fruitfully.

What a difference an hour would make

We travelled to Perak (Kampung Gajah, Teluk Intan) on Monday and left KL just before 0800 hours. The traffic jam was phenomenal! 

Gossip/ Optional Paragraph > As usual hubby used his own instincts no matter how many suggestions Waze gave. I was the navigator and we missed the attractions because I forgot. But we managed to squeeze in a visit to my sister's in laws and covered beach, paddy fields and river view in one day so it's not too bad, but could have been better. [What can I say? I am unadventurous & a helpless navigator!]

If we had left one hour or 30 minutes earlier it would have made a difference in the traveling time, skipping the jam.

But then again, what is KL without its jams?

To be able to tell that story, you have got to be on the outside?

For the longest time I thought Pearl S. Buck was Chinese. Well the name Buck should have given her away (that she is not Asian, d-uh!) but I innocently did not spot it.

Her book The Good Earth (in my view) is a moving narration of a farmer's hardship, and particularly the wife's struggles. Reading it, I was immersed in the feeling and can relate to the events that unfolded.

Pearl S Buck is American but grew up in China and eventually spend a large part of her life in the country. No matter how immersed she is in the eastern/ chinese culture, I suppose she would have viewed the country with an outsider's eye. 

Other authors in a flipped position are Jhumpa Lahiri and Amy Tan. They wrote about Indian and Chinese immigrants, having observed these mannerisms and experiences growing up. Being American in birth and adopting 'americanised'/ western mindset, I suppose both of them have moved between cultures in the most interesting way. 

What is my point? Sometimes being an outsider is not such a bad thing. The richness that they are blessed with is irreplaceable with any experience. I do (minimally) understand their challenge of 'not belonging', but that again the greatness of the world comes from people who blaze their own paths!

Impermanence (Part 2)

Two of my friends passed away recently, in a matter of days apart. One due to breast cancer (her youngest is 12 y.o.) and another due to cervical cancer (her child, a boy, is 6 y.o.).

As usual I have delayed response to these news. The crying and mourning will happen days or weeks after, or I may bring them up in conversation suddenly. [Incidentally I have autistic tendencies. Should probably see a counsellor about this]

Autistic tendencies aside, this made me think about my own life. How have I lived it, and will God be happy with me. My late dad died at 46 and I have had 2 more bonus years compared to him. Every extra day that I open my eyes in the morning is a blessing. Only that I often squander it away watching netflix or doing nothing useful.

Even this blog... if China decides to invade Taiwan and if the world goes to war, the internet cables will  likely be destroyed and cyber warfare may delete all records. We'll be going back to basics, living off the fruits of the earth. Farming will not be a bad thing then. Even now we have started talking about food security (which we i.e. Malaysia don't really have). 

What is my preparation? Well I have some seeds. Or we can buy some. My farming skills is pre-beginner at best and my harvest normally will last around 3 fruiting seasons only. 

The children will need to be involved at some point. Our collective survival skills must be improved. Hubby would know what to do, but he'll need to teach the rest of us too.

And what is my point? That nothing lasts forever. Being ready is better (than being unprepared) when disaster happens.

My Even-Brained Self

While preparing some materials for the Career Talk, I stumbled upon and did a left-brain right-brain assessment https://personalitymax.com/report/?bh=50&name_key=ce2c096a2a

Not many people will be interested to get to know their insides (Intrapersonal Intelligence by Gardner), hence I can't go too far down this route. 

The presentation is essentially about careers in IT and I am the appointed presenter. I will wing it in my own way & try to incorporate the RIASEC test > i.e. connect their code(s) to the professions.

HOWEVER, I know that the code in non-definitive and students probably need to do other tests & explore multiple professions before they really KNOW. Plus RIASEC also has some critics, but so far many countries use it for career indication for want of a better test.

My research in future (after I finish my PhD) could probably be in complementary tests to RIASEC to refine or assist students to choose COUPLED with industry partners who can include apprenticeships or at the very least short visits to evoke the imagination, so to speak.

Which reminds me of Abg Zaila who got interested in airplanes (mechanics) when he first took a flight home to Kedah. I was more interested in becoming one of the flight attendants. Which goes to show that we get attracted by different things based on our personality.

Another real-life example (or examples, rather) are my own children. They did the RIASEC test at 12 and I have asked them to explore various professions. They even talked to my friends who are in those professions and THEY STILL don't know what they want to do. Well at least they know what they DON'T WANT to do, so that is half the battle. 

These are my suggestions; as a mere observer; as one who has basic interest & reading on RIASEC (and as someone who has observed RIASEC in action with her own children):

• RIASEC is non-definitive (yes John Holland & team never said it was) > hence in my view the 'quest' for a career should be done holistically i.e. find out about as many careers as possible & speak to the practitioners, to gauge what exactly they do, and whether you'll enjoy it
• Another useful test is MBTI that is more 'personalistic'. Again it is non-definitive but may help in refining some careers. MBTI also suggests some potential careers based on personality. Again, same advice as above: find out more
• Other tests that may be considered are Gardner's Multiple Intelligence (this I suggest, to build self-confidence); and from my friend Anita Paul (who's doing her PhD in career discernment) Data-People-Things (an extension of RIASEC, from the same research team) > this may help narrow down the selection between Data (A+I); People (S+E) and Things (R+C)

And having said the above, be ready for changes in job scope & career focus that will likely happen throughout the working life. What is important is our adaptability and readiness to change. When we know who we are, we will know where we will bring the most value.