Scholarships provide students with access to a world of opportunities. Lack of financial resources to pursue higher education isn\u2019t the end, not if you qualify for an educational grant. You don\u2019t need to drop out of school. If you want to earn a degree and receive training that will help you achieve the life you want, getting a scholarship is a step in the right direction. Here are a few tips on how to land a grant.<\/p>\n
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You\u2019ll hear this often enough to know that it\u2019s a must. Some grants require you to get ready for the scholarship an entire year or so ahead. That leaves enough time to prepare for the application process. However, many kids procrastinate, thinking they have an entire year to work on the application. Don\u2019t fall for the same mistake. Start early. The sooner you finish the application, the sooner you can start on your other submissions.<\/p>\n
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Don\u2019t put all your eggs in one basket. You\u2019re already diving deep into the application process. Most scholarship programmes like the\u00a0GIIS scholarships\u00a0are the same in that they have an exam and then conduct interviews for the students who get shortlisted for the grant. Going through the process once will help you gain more confidence and that\u2019s why it\u2019s a good idea to keep trying. Even if your first submission gets rejected, don’t count that as a loss but as an added experience. Every bit helps you improve. Every failure is an opportunity to learn.<\/p>\n
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If you think you\u2019re going to spend every spare minute you have on applications, you haven\u2019t got a realistic timeline in your head. Instead, give yourself some allowance and leeway. Breaks in between weeks, for instance, are good. They give you time to laze away on some weekends and then work on your application on the others. If you fill up your schedule to the brim with too many tasks, you won\u2019t have time for yourself or for other things in your life and that\u2019s not realistic. Your timeline will fail pretty quickly if that\u2019s how it is. You might even give up sooner because of the burnout or application fatigue. Realistic goals will keep that from happening.<\/p>\n
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You have plenty of resources and people to get help from. Consider your teachers or counsellor. What about your parents or an older brother or sister? What about a trusted friend? Talk to them about your decision. They could provide you with helpful information and as in the case of friends and family, they could offer tireless support and love. Both make a difference and help you with your application.<\/p>\n
\u200d<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n When you finish with the personal statement essay, set it aside. Don\u2019t immediately dive back in after a couple of hours, thinking that you\u2019re ready to revise it for the better. Leave that for a day or so. While you wait, though, it wouldn\u2019t hurt to send the piece to people you know and trust like friends, family, or your teacher. Ask for their opinion. Do they think you nailed the answer to the essay question? Did you tackle the subject with clarity? Were the points you wanted to make clear? Did the essay make excellent points? Do they have any suggestions on how to make your piece much better?<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n If you submit an application and it gets rejected, don\u2019t immediately start on the next one. Spend some time pinpointing where you went wrong. Did you submit the application too late? Missing a deadline means an automatic rejection. Did you follow the instructions? Were you even eligible for the programme? Go over your previous application. If you can start seeing the points where you made mistakes, then you can keep that in mind so you don’t repeat them in your next application.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n You might fail a few times. There will be days when you wake up and you\u2019ll feel that all your efforts and hard work are useless. There will be times when you\u2019ll get discouraged and you\u2019ll wonder if you\u2019ll ever measure up or if your efforts will ever be enough. Keep trying anyway. Keep going. Consistent practice and effort make a difference. You might not feel it now but you\u2019re improving with every application. When you finally look back on when you started, you\u2019ll see how far you\u2019ve come and how far you still need to go. Keep trying.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n When you write that personal statement essay, don’t try to be something you\u2019re not. Don\u2019t try to make yourself out to be someone much more impressive when that\u2019s not really you. Be yourself. Your application will stand out so much more. Find the words to describe yourself in a way that will leave a strong impression on the screening panel. Write the kind of essay that makes them want to say: \u201cI want to meet the mind behind this.\u201d There\u2019s no sense in trying to copy other people, thinking that they\u2019re so much cooler or that they have a better chance at getting that grant. Be you, the best version of yourself and you\u2019ll be more than enough for that panel.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Make sure you receive a copy that they received your application. Some programmes send receipts. You wouldn\u2019t want to spend weeks waiting for news of the scholarship only to find out that your application never reached the panel in the first place.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Find out what areas the exam will cover. Scholarship tests are carried out every year. The topics and subjects remain the same, more or less. You can use that as a guide if the guidelines for the exam\u2019s coverage aren\u2019t out yet. That way, you can start studying. Even if some of the areas you studied end up not being in the exam, they helped you feel confident about your test-taking abilities, which also matters.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n Once you pass the exam, you\u2019ll be invited to the interview. If you\u2019re nervous, don\u2019t worry. Even adults are nervous about their job interviews. It\u2019s only normal. What you can do to reduce your nervousness or to make sure that nervousness doesn\u2019t get in the way of you answering their questions is to do practice sessions. Research about the questions that they will likely ask you. Then think about your answers.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to memorize sets of answers for those questions, since that will make them less spontaneous. But knowing the questions and answering them a few times until you\u2019re confident and sure of what you want to say is the kind of practice that will help you shine in that interview.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n\u25cf Proofread the Essay<\/h3>\n
\u25cf Give Yourself a Break<\/h3>\n
\u25cf Keep Trying<\/h3>\n
\u25cf Be You<\/h3>\n
\u25cf Follow Up<\/h3>\n
\u25cf Prepare for the Exam<\/h3>\n
\u25cf Practice the Interview<\/h3>\n