On the 10th and 11th of June 2023, the GetThere X Base Initiative Scholarship Workshop 2023 was held at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus, attracting 200 enthusiastic students, while another 2,500 joined the excitement through a thrilling YouTube Live stream.
Not only was there a diverse group of students from all over Malaysia, but the workshop also invited a diverse lineup of speakers. The speakers came from an array of backgrounds and scholarships. Joining the lineup were scholarship holders from Yayasan Khazanah,Bank Negara, UEM, Shell, Petronas, YTP Mara, as well as Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).
Despite their different backgrounds, they all had one goal in mind: to inspire, motivate, and aid the attendees in their scholarship applications.
Speakers ranging from first-year A-level students, hailing from esteemed institutions like Kolej Yayasan UEM, Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, Kolej Mara Seremban, and Taylor’s College, who had recently conquered the scholarship application process, took the stage to share their invaluable insights.
In case you missed out, here are all the tips and tricks you need to know to get the most out of this scholarship season and achieve the scholarship of your dreams.
1. What do I need to have before applying?
Documents and Resume
- Gather important documents (such as SPM slips, Pre SPM result, IC, any relevant certificates) copies and consider creating a resume to highlight achievements and standout skills.
- Prepare calendar or Excel Sheets to keep track of application deadlines, assessment dates.
2. How do I write a scholarship essay?
Contents
- Research the your selected course: Align your essay and interview process with your career aspirations and future goals.
- Reflect on personal experiences and how it aligns with your scholarship objective. Share both good and bad experiences, focusing on what you’ve learned and the impact on the community.
- “Why Us” Questions: Research organizations to explain how your values align with theirs and how you can contribute to their broader goals.
- Pro Tips for Ideation: List meaningful activities, lessons learned, and overcoming challenges.
Essay Structure
- Find an Overall Theme: Connect anecdotes in each prompt with a unifying theme.
- Crafting a Hook: Use rhetorical questions, quotes, strong statements, stories, or facts/statistics to engage the reader.
- Paragraphing: Give equal weightage to answering all prompts.
- Wrapping Up: Express how you can serve the nation, company, and yourself.
- Drafting & Feedback: Seek feedback to improve readability and gather suggestions.
3. What are assessments?
- There are many different types of assessment you may encounter, some involve measuring your thinking skills, personality types and many more.
- Pro tip: Try to familiarise yourself with various assessment types and practice tests to understand their demands.
4. How do I ace the final interviews?
Research Common General Interview Questions:
- Prepare concise answers about yourself, strengths/weaknesses, future plans, what sets you apart, and questions for the interviewer.
- Protip: Avoid memorising answers; be flexible in responding to interview prompts.
Research The Scholarship Sponsor or Body
- Understand your intended course and the role of your profession in the sponsor’s work environment. Research companies through official websites, news, investments, reports, and company culture.
- Career Goals and Purpose: Clearly articulate your purpose for applying, carving a career path with the sponsor, and short/long-term goals.
- Abilities and Competence: Showcase past behaviours as indicators of future performance. Practise common competency interview questions and familiarise yourself with the STAR method.
Common Knowledge Questions in Interviews
- Stay updated on worldly issues and develop personalised opinions on solving problems related to your field of study or beyond. Ask “why” to address root problems with long-term solutions.
- Case Studies: Brainstorming Abilities & Recognizing Roles in Corporate Setups
- Discuss relevant case studies from organisations like Petronas, Bank Negara, and Yayasan Khazanah.
- Prepare for group discussions, analyzing materials, and making vital decisions while fitting in with diverse group members.
Answering Opinion Based Questions Respectfully
- Reflect on past debate-styled interviews, such as JPA and PNB.
- Practise respectful disagreement and bilingual speaking skills for JPA interviews.
Check out Base Initiative Youtube channel to watch the full live stream.