Scholarships: How to find them and what to do?

Receiving a scholarship is any student’s dream. A scholarship means being able to study in a new country, a new environment and at the same time you are ensuring that your education is of the highest quality.
Everyone will tell you that getting a scholarship takes a lot of dedication and the interview process is very hard and competitive. You will be competing with the best students from all over the country.
In order to be one step ahead it is important to organize yourself well and to be prepared. The best way to prepare yourself is to know exactly when the closing dates are for the particular scholarship you want to apply for.
And before you even apply you need to ask yourself why you are applying and why you want to pursue that particular scholarship. During the interview process they will certainly ask you the reasons for applying. Be prepared! Ask yourself many questions and have your answers ready before you send off your application.
The more time you have to get ready the higher your chances of succeeding!

Most scholarship applications will ask you to send your CV, fill in an application form and write a short piece about yourself, your ambitions and the reasons for your applications.
Remember, that there are thousands of applicants sending in their papers so you must make sure that you stand out from the others.
How to do this?
1-Give yourself enough time to draft the article about yourself.
2-List all the things that you believe you have achieved.
3-Divide these into the things that you believe most other applicants have achieved and the things that you may have done that are very different, such as helping in an orphanage, or creating your own website…
4-Now you have a basis to write an interesting article about yourself. Write about your character, your goals and don’t forget to explain the things that you have done that make you stand out.

Your application will be your first and most crucial chance at winning a scholarship. Take your time in filling in the forms, checking your CV and making sure that you have no spelling mistakes.
If you have been one of the lucky ones to reach the interview stages then another big hurdle awaits you. Your written and test scores have past all expectations but your ability to perform well in front of three to four strangers watching and listening to your intently is another matter. Don’t worry, there are certain things you can do to make sure you have the highest chance of success.
Be confident when you walk into the room and make sure you make eye contact with each person. As well as eye contact, smile! Smiling will make you more at ease and will make the interviewers more ready to listen to you and warm to you. Although you must remain confident, do not be cocky and show them that you have been reflective before you have answered their questions. They will not expect you to recite some thing by heart and they might ask you some trick questions or questions unrelated to the subject matter. Do not stress! Take your time in answering and remember: smile, be warm and look at them when you speak.
With these short tips, we hope that you can work your way to successfully winning a scholarship.