Of PSD scholarships , SPM and blablabla..

I have been busy for this 2 weeks, seriously. I know that whether you're another student who applied for this PSD scholarship this year, parents of these group of students or just another Malaysian citizen, you must had heard of this matter.

Of course, year after year, this problem continues. Bright students who got 12A1s, 13A1s and above didn't get the scholarship, especially those who applied for medical, pharmacy and dentistry courses. And then political parties like MCA and MIC will lend a hand to these students to appeal to PSD and get the scholarships for them. Why is this happening? Why are there no solutions to this matter that happens every year? Why seeing this matter on almost every newspapers in the country around this time every year? Haiz...But I can only say that I'm lucky to get this scholarship and I'm not trying to boast out loud and offend people who didn't get it.

Then the news come in, where starting next year, those who go for SPM 2010 can only take up to a maximum number of subjects of 10. Then a new grading system will be carried out for SPM, where there will be grades like A+, A, A- and so on. Does this helps? whether it's called A1 or A+, the matter will still not be solved. You can see how it will happen on March 2011 then. Thousands will score 10A+s, and PSD will still face the same problem in giving away the scholarships. I think the solution would be increasing the marks for every subjects for getting A1 (or A+) to maybe 75 or 80 at the very least? Actually 65 is the mark you need to get to achieve an A1 in some subjects. Or maybe PSD should make it transparent about the list of applicants who got selected for the scholarships, to make it fair and square.(If it really was,then there will be no more havoc. =l)

Well, I will not say anymore longer concerning this matter and let this topic be closed everywhere please.

I even heard about a student from Seremban who changed her SPM result in the appeal letter and was caught for that action. She would be blacklisted I think, although she got 13A1s already but tried to change to 15, sad case.

But great news, I read the news where those who got 13A1s(total of 52 students only!) will get the scholarship automatically, whether did they appeal or not. While those who got 12A1s will have quite a high chance of getting it too.

The results of the appeal will come out on the 1st of June, I heard. Those who didn't get it may opt for apply the local one.

And there lefts a month for me in Kuching. Lol. Happy and sad.

Minutes In Kuching

Last night, there was a blackout in the house due to a cut of electrical supply for about an hour. Then I thought, if Sesco or Tenaga cut off the electrical supply for whole Malaysia during Earth Hour, how would it be like? Lol.

The weather nowadays is also so hot so without electricity, I wonder if I can actually survive. I'm not saying that I'm very dependent on air-cons, but at the very least I need a fan.

Starting from yesterday, I waited and waited for letters in the mailbox while going online. I'm going to check whether there's letters in the mailbox every now and then during daytime.

But what I got are letters from various universities or colleges promoting their universities or colleges so that I will go enrol. Irritating letters I receive from them.

So i began to think. I will definitely miss Kuching and everything in it, the foods(kueh chap! etc), the culture(where everyone say "lah"!) and the people.

Only about one and half a month left to stay in Kuching. Nice?

God Is Good

Summarized, I got to know that I got the offers from Jpa and Petronas at around 11.30pm last Friday. Instead of thinking and waiting for it starting 5pm of last Friday, I went to youth at uncle's house and checked the results when I got back home.

I was excited. Happy. So I messaged my friends telling them the results can be checked already.

Eventually I can't sleep until it was 6am.

Then woke up around 9am last Saturday without the alarm clock waking me up and felt excited for the whole day long.

Only after Saturday Night Service last Saturday, I got extremely tired and had a nice, continuously sleep of 12 hours.

Frankly speaking, I'm not a top student in school or in class, I'm not someone who is active in co-cu or had joined national-level competitions either. I can only say, thank God and praise God.

I won't be proud for this matter since my pride is in God and the only thing I will boast is the love, hope and grace from our Father in heaven.

All glory to God!

P/s: No offense to anyone or trying to be proud,but good luck to all no matter you got the sponsorship or not. I only believe God has a different plan for each and every one of us. He knows our future and He provides our needs differently. Once again, praise God! Indeed, He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider.

First Exciting News?

To my surprise, I received a letter from SinChew yesterday. I got all excited up after finding out I got the scholarship from SinChew. So happy I was for the whole day.

Last night, I went to church to hear from an invited speaker from S'pore, Pastor Joyce(i think). She was preaching with such lively-ness about how we should be having an ardent love for God consistently. Our heart may grow cold, but God patiently awaits for us.

Back to the scholarship matter.

Under this scholarship, I will be sponsored to study at LimKokWing Kuching campus for 4 years, which includes 1 year of foundation and 3 years of degree.

But.

This scholarship only sponsored the tuition fees, which means I have to pay the exams fess and other necessary fees by my own. But it's still a scholarship I may take considering the fact that I can be in Kuching, not having any homesick problems.

And also, I'll be waiting for jpa's and petronas' results and at the same time waiting what's God's will for me. Getting or not, it's God plan for me.

Meanwhile, take a look at my lil sis' pet.

She can climb.

She's cute.

She can eat.

Sin Chew Phone Interview

At this week, I wasn't expecting to have anymore interviews because it was already the end of April. Looking at the posts in Recom I thought all selection for interviews were conducted, even Bank Negara and Sin Chew.

During about 4pm yesterday, I was in my room. I got this unknown number calling me which starts with a +03.. As I answered the call, I got to know it's from Sin Chew!

Caller: Hello is this Jason Lau?
Me : Yes.
Caller: This is Sin Chew Scholarships Department and I see that you are applying for LimKokWing University for Kuching Campus.
Me : Yes.
Caller: Unfortunately we are from Cyberjaya and we can't come to Kuching to conduct the interview. It will also be inconvenient for you to come over here. So if you don't mind I'll have a short phone interview.
Me : Sure. (that's very nice of them)
Caller: Can I conduct it now?
Me : Yes.

THE PHONE INTERVIEW
Caller: May I know about your family background?
Me : ~Repeating what I said in JPA and Petronas.~ About my father, mother and sisters.

Caller: I see that you have good academic results. Do you know about what is really the course you are applying? (Business Information Systems)
Me : Yes. ~Repeating what I said again in Petronas~
Caller: Good. Do you know what you'll be working about after you graduate from this?
Me : (Ok. This time it's a little hard.)I'll be managing the company's security system for the datas, creating systems for datas to be processed efficiently. I don't get chased by datelines too as programmers will work under me.

Caller: Ok. Now I would like to ask about some opnion of yours about Barack Obama. Do you know who he is?
Me : Yes, he's currently the president of USA.
Caller: How do you think he is doing as a President? Is he good?
Me : For now, I think he's doing ok. The economic situation is quite tough. We'll have to wait to really see what he's capable of.
Caller: Do you think he will retain as the president 4 years later?
Me : If there's a better candidate for that time, of course not. But for now, he's the best president I think.
Caller: Ok thank you that's the end for the phone interview.
Me : Thank you very much.

Seriously, I didn't really read news about Obama so I'm not sure how well are my opinions. Well, I'm just 18 this year and you can't expect me to be like economists to know how well is Obama doing. In fact, economists can't even predict the economic situation in the future. Thankfully my dad told me a little about Obama these few months.

I prepared for JPA's and Petronas', but the preparations are useless, nothing about recent news, jpa's or petronas' policies came out. I didn't prepare for SinChew's, but I manage to answer the questions.(quite la)Why like this?

Thank God I do not need to fly to KL for the interview. Money saved. Time saved.

P/s: If I get this, I won't be reading the newspapers from them either. =)

Scholarship Season

I just read that there is a serious problem in Mexico. (what to do, I don't read news usually)There is this swine flu in Mexico and the condition is getting worse. That's bad.

***

Like what Yew King said, this is the Scholarship Season for us, spm and stpm leavers. Why? As the world develops and due to economy recession, the funds needed to pursue tertiary education has become very costly. Too costly to be affordable for common families.

After the results have been out last month, I've been applying, applying as many scholarships as I can for the theory says, "Applying more means more chances to get it.". Well, as you can see, scholarships are hard to get, whether it's 5 years back or maybe even 5 years from now in the future. The number of applicants for a scholarship is already very shocking.

Of course, I didn't apply for s'pore scholarships because the standard is quite high and maintaining the scholarship is very tough(provided I get it and as compared to other scholarships). The process of applying scholarships is rather hectic. I mean, although we are now very lucky as most scholarships can be applied on-line unlike people from previous years, it's still hectic.

Then the month of April sets in. I went for jpa's and petronas' interview. I must say, I learnt a lot from the interviews, starting from preparing for the interviews, gathering information to boosting confidence while speaking with eyes on me. I don't fear interviews as much as before I had my interviews. Cool, right? God will always be on our side, helping us to go through our problems. You see, looking at the cross and know what Jesus had done for us, our problems, our critical situations are like tiny little ants.

And next month, the results of my interviews will be out. I'm quite mentally prepared for all possible and impossible outcomes because God knows what is best for us, He sees the future and plan the best for us. What I get is the best for me.

I might get Jpa and study kl for 1 year and US for the next 3 years, or petronas and study at utp, perak. I'll study form 6 or opt for a loan and study at Swinburne if I don't get it. I mean, anything can just happen other than these plans I have. Remember what I said last time, "you can plan all you want , but you just can't fulfill all of them."

God's plan is above ours. But the trend today as I see it, some students are trying to get scholarships not because their parents can't afford to support them, but to try to show that they are worthy, clever enough to get a scholarship. And if they failed to, they think it's the end of the world. That's a very wrong way of seeing and thinking.

I'll be waiting for now. Only less than 2 weeks for me to know where I'll be heading to.