Making the decision to apply for a scholarship, now that is the easy part in a long process of scholarship application. Scholarships are valuable! Free money, no debt burden and you can focus solely on your education!
With a multitude of scholarships around, which one would be right for you? What do I mean by that? Do a simple Google search on scholarships and you can find one for twin, tall people, students who can speak Klingon or Elvish and the list goes on. So it would be useful in picking a scholarship that would shape your future positively. But how should you go about to do that? Here are 5 tips to help you in choosing the right scholarship.
1. Career prospects
Have an idea about what you want to work as after you graduate? That is great! Search for a scholarship that complements your ambitions, helps you to transit from studying to being a part of that industry. What scholarships should you look out for? Go for the ones with summer internships. Industry experience will go a long way for you. You get insider information and learn some useful skills that could prepare you when you finally do join the industry.
What if you are still fishing around and keeping your options open? In that case, you should pick a scholarship with no bond and it will be a bonus if they do offer a short internship as well. You get to be unburdened by tuition fees, even though if it is for a short while. More importantly, you get to explore your options in the company. This experience could lead to other opportunities and along the way, you could discover a career path for yourself!
2. What you gain from being a scholar
This may seem like a redundant question. What would you gain from being a scholar? Well, the money and the prestige. But it is not just that. Did you know that some scholarships establish their own alumni? Such scholarships are fantastic to increase your own network and you get a ready pool of support from scholars. If you need advice, be it about education or career options, this alumni will come in handy.
Check if the scholarship has an internship aspect to it. You get the chance to talk to industry experts. Who better to as all your question about education and career advice than from individuals who are successful in their own fields?!
3. The obligations of being a scholar
Alright, this is the part where I take back what I said about a scholarship being “free money”. Want to be a scholar? You need to put in some effort as well. Some scholarships require their scholars to be interviewed for publicity purposes, have you featured on a poster or the need to learn specific courses. Take a step back and think: are you comfortable with these obligations? Can you maintain it? It is not just about how the money can help you at this moment. Think five steps ahead and look at the implications.
4. Provides a programme that is novel, rigorous and full of potential
Make your scholarship experience worthwhile. Choose one with a programme that helps you learn skills and has room for personal growth. What do I mean by this? Which programme would be more valuable- a one-off dinner session with scholar or being sent on courses to improve industry skills?
5. How you can make the scholarship work for you
The first four tips are about how the scholarship can help you. But being passive should not be the way. Be proactive! See what the opportunities are and use that to your advantage. Remember that the best opportunities may emerge in unexpected ways.
Think you have more tips to increase this list 10? Tell us in the comments section!
