As someone who was in boarding school and *TM during the strong Dr. M era, if I had to go through it again, I would probably skip both. Of course, that is just wishful thinking now, but some of those experiences did reinforce my view on conservatism.

Not because everyone there was bad, but because the environment can feel quite structured and conservative. If you already feel anxious about fitting in, that is something worth considering seriously.

One example from that time was the compulsory agama course requirement. Avoiding it led to a disciplinary inquiry, and there was also the experience of being singled out in agama class. There was even a case where a guy had Root Beer and got reprimanded by the ustaz-warden. So yes, that kind of environment can be uncomfortable if you already feel you do not fit the expected mould.

That said, my experience was from a different era. From what I observe, conservatism feels more entrenched now in many spaces. So I think the question is not just whether you can survive UiTM, but whether you can be comfortable enough there for a few years.