Tips on Scholarships or Sponsorships and Universities Applications & Attending Interviews

   Assalamualaikum ... It has been quite some time since I last blogging. Pheww... Life is hectic nowadays. College has started a month ago. Alhamdulillah... For this entry I would like to share with my brothers and sisters especially, regarding APPLICATIONS for UNIVERSITIES or SCHOLARSHIPS and ATTENDING INTERVIEWS. Inshaallah. Let us start. For those who are going to sit for SPM this year, be alert ! You can now apply for scholarships from private universities or colleges. For instance, HELP, Taylor's and Sunway. Just go to their website and search for SCHOLARSHIPS APPLICATION. Usually they offers scholarships for Foundation and Pre - U studies. Fill in the forms carefully. If they ask for essays, do your best on it. You'll never know what's going to happen in the future. BerUSAHA dan berDU'A bersungguh - sungguh dan akhirnya berTAWAKAL kepada yang di atas. Hanya DIA yang mengetahui apa yang terbaik untuk kita dan DIA jugalah menentukan rezeki kita.

   I'm sure your teachers have informed you about IPTA and Matrics applications as well. Just apply whatever choices you have in front even if you don't want it. Siapa tahu seandainya apa yang kita impikan dan harapkan tidak menjadi kenyataan ? Adakah masa itu baru kita nak menyesal ? Sudah terlewat wahai adik -adik. I've gone through it and I know how it feels. I believe all of you want and plan to study abroad. Am I right ? Tak mengapa jika anda mempunyai impian sebegitu. Biarkan impian tersebut terus menyala dan marak asal tidak membakar diri. Daripada impian akan lahir usaha yang berterusan (Inshaallah).  But you've to prepare for the worst too while expecting the best. Tidak semuanya indah dalam hidup ini. Kadang kala kita di atas , kadang kala kita di bawah ibarat roda yang berputar.

   Back to our main topic. After applying Foundation or Pre - U Studies scholarships, IPTA and Matrics, do some research on other scholarships from government and Non-Government Organisations that can be applied once you receive your SPM results This link would be very helpful in searching scholarships applications http://malaysia-scholarship.net/. Remember, try to search for other links as well. One is not enough ! Jot down the links on a paper and write its closing date at the side. Prepare all your important documents at least 8 sets for example photocopied identity card (yours and your parents' or guardians'), certificates and trials results. Place all these in a document file that is easy for you to get when you need the documents.

   When your 'big day' comes ... Get your results, be grateful with it and straight away apply all those scholarships you've searched. Again , be careful! Read through all the instructions and requirements. Don't blindly fill in your informations. Among the major scholarships/sponsorships bodies are KHAZANAH NASIONAL, MARA/JPA (you have to choose only one), PETRONAS, SHELL, ASTRO and AXIATA. PETRONAS itself offers you scholarships and application to enrol in its prestigious university, Universiti Teknologi Petronas which is located in Tronoh, Perak. Finish with the applications ? What's next ? Make du'a to Allah so that HE'll grant you with one of the scholarships as only HE knows how much effort you've put in for them. Don't worry or be sad if you didn't get what you wish because when HE says NO, it means for a greater YES. Continue make du'a. Inshaallah HE'll listen to you but with condition you listen to HIM :)

   Thank HIM everytime you receive good news on your applications. Time to attend interviews ? Don't get so nervous or panic. Calm yourself by drinking warm water, recite few Surahs like Al - Fatihah, Al - Ikhlas, Al - Nas, Al - Kafirun, Al - Falaq, Ayat Kursi and Salawat. Entering the interview room : knock on the door, wish the interviewers 'good morning or good afternoon' or any relevant wishes. In the interview room : sit up straight, 'jaga' eye contact with the interviewers, speak or answer their questions in English. Never speak in Malay. Ask them questions when they have finished all their questions and they are satisfied with your answers (they will look at your curiosity level). When you're about to leave the room, say THANK YOU to them and wish them once again. Close the door slowly not abruptly.

   Then comes another great news. Receiving the scholarships ! Decide which one is the best for your own future. Take everything (Distance from home - if you don't mind staying far away from home. It's okay. Plan your expenses and your studies. Get ready all the documents required. Pack your things. Mental prepared - as you are required to be tough or strong in the first 4 weeks in order to get used to your new life) into account.

   Now, I'm going to share with you my experiences. Way before I applied for private universities scholarships, I went to Education Fair at KLCC and I stopped by at almost every booth. There, Stamford College representative offered me full scholarships for A-Levels Science Stream. After discussing and take every into account, I decided to reject it. Dad wanted me to wait for MARA scholarships. I applied for Taylor's and Sunway Pre - U Scholarships. Managed to go for Sunway College interview but not for Taylor's (even my first choice was Taylor's). You know why ? Because I didn't do well in the essay Taylor's required me to write. That's one lesson to be learnt. Sunway interview was my first interview I've ever went in my whole life. I felt so nervous one day before it till the real day came. In fact, when I was waiting for my turn, I was shivering. My face turned pale. I couldn't even talk and walk properly. My name was called to meet the interviewer. I knocked on the door, wished him, sit up straight. When he asked me questions, I tried my best to answer fluently. Dad was waiting outside after calm me down before that. Done with the interview and went home hoping that I'll get it. Few weeks later, I received an email from Sunway stated I didn't get the scholarship. The scholarship offered the course that I wanted the most which is A-Levels. :( Allah tested me with that... Sigh....

   That was before my SPM examination took place. I moved on with my life, applied the IPTA and matriculation. I got two offers - International Islamic University Malaysia (Engineering & Computer Sciences) and Matriculation College Banting (Physical Science). I never wanted to enrol in any IPTA or matriculation college. Why ? The academic books in most of the IPTA is written in English but does the people speak in English all the times ? No right ? I want an instituition that will help me improve tremendously in communication skills besides attending English at Advanced Level every weekends (I was so quiet 10 years back and didn't even had the guts to talk in front of ten people at least). Why I didn't choose Matrics ? Same as the above reasons. And it needs geniuses! I ain't a genius.

   I then applied for several scholarships from the NGO's and non - NGO's as mentioned above. I wanted PETRONAS scholarship badly as I intend to pursue my tertiary studies in Chemical Engineering. Unfortunately, they rejected my application. The same goes to the other scholarship applications except MARA. MARA called me for a group interview in Shah Alam. I did some research on its background, and how the interview will be like and gather all the documents needed in an envelope. This time, I was well prepared compared to the Sunway interview. As we went in the interview room, we were instructed to build a spaghetti bridge. Spaghetti bridge? Yes ! Bridge from the spaghetti you usually eat with bolognese sauce and meatballs! We were given 30 minutes to complete the task and the spaghetti will then be tested with a sardine tin (1kg) for 1 minute. Our bridge didn't break at all. Thank you Allah. Later, they asked us one question each based on the bridge task. That's all ! Easy ? Yes ! But you've to think out of the box why they interviewed us in such way. First, to see whether you're a leader or a follower. Second, how you deal with the situation within the time given. Third, your ability to communicate with your colleagues or team-mates and your bosses in future. Fourth, your ability to speak and write in English (They warned us just before we started the task. It goes "If you want to speak in Malay, then why do you come for interview? So, speak in English!).

   My application to Universiti Teknologi Petronas succeed as well and they called me for an interview. I refused to go as it was not scholarship and I didn't want to burden my parents by driving all the way to Perak. But my parents wanted me to give a try. So, yeah we went to Tronoh right after MARA interview as the interview will be held on the next day. I was too tired after all and didn't do much revision as I did for MARA's. I leave it all to Allah the Almighty and I believe in my abilities. The interview needed us to do case study on Drug Addiction. I had no idea what should I write at first. After some time, I managed to overcome my problem and started to write out my points on the paper provided. I was the first candidate to meet the interviewers among 8 candidates in my group. As usual, I recite the Surahs and Salawat and make a move to the interview room with courtesy. The interviewers really helped me calm myself down. I wasn't nervous at all. I speak out my points and opinions loudly and I think based on their faces, they were satisfied with my answers. Then, followed by my groupmates and lastly they called all 8 of us to go in and decide our stand and solution. It finished and I went back to KL. Oh yup, I did apply for Taylor's World Class Scholarships too. Taylor's called me for an interview but I didn't go for it since both my parents were busy with work.I wished I had the chance to go for the interview.  

   One and half months later, I received offers from both MARA (MARA was a bit later than the three listed below. MARA offered Monash University Foundation Year or in short MUFY) and UTP (Foundation in Chemical Engineering). Alhamdulillah. So, at that point of time I had four choices altogether IIUM, matriculation college, MARA and UTP. I told myself, I have to make the best decision as it will determine my future. I wished UTP is a lot nearer to my house as I will have to go back every weekend to attend the English classes. But at the end of the day, I chose to accept the offer from MARA.

   Alhamdulillah, I'm now doing MUFY. It was quite difficult for the first 3 weeks. The worst phase I've ever gone through in my entire life. I cried almost every night especially during the first week due to homesick. I have never been away from home and parents (except for camps and overnight at uncles'places). The lecturers teach very fast which requires me to gather all the informations within 1 hour and 15 minutes and the assignments + homeworks that come in are just too many for a student who came from national school like me. They are way lots than the usual homework Pn Chong, my Add Maths teacher gave me and my classmates. Furthermore, it's a short course - 10 months. But hey! It's now or never ! This is the route I chose, I've to go through all the pains before achieving the success and also my ultimate goal. I guess that's all for this time. All the best in everything you are doing or you will be doing! Keep dreaming, put as much effort as you can, believe in yourself, make du'a to Allah the Almighty, the Listener and the Observer and believe HE'll grant you what HE believe you can do it! Thank you for reading ! Oh yeah, Ramadan Kareem to all muslims, If this is our last ramadan together, I pray that all of us have a blessed ramadan and may Allah grant us with 'pahala' for all our 'ibadah. Inshaallah and Ameen to that. Wassalam.