God has plan (part II)

Remember when I posted this post?

It was already semester holiday. I needed to go home. I forgot what made me consider again the opportunity to apply for exchange programme. There were still 2 programmes I could apply before the deadline at the next month as I had not prepared any documents needed. The consequence was I would be home weeks late (when being home always becomes my awaited moment :v). Then, I asked my parents' opinion. I was quite surprised they told me to try since it might be a rare opportunity, and "no one would know the result unless he tried", they said. And about my late homecoming, we could meet up at my brother's graduation first at Jakarta in the next 3 weeks, then going home together, which means my holiday remained 2 weeks. Ok.

The next day, I looked for places holding TOEFL ITP test in Jogja. Fortunately, my university had language institutes, like PPB UGM or P2EB FEB UGM, which held ITP test monthly. I registered for the test at P2EB FEB which was taken 2 weeks after then so I still had time to study. The test fee was USD 30 that time and the result was out 2 weeks after the test. Why I chose ITP? not iBT nor IELTS? Because it was the cheapest hahaha actually there was TOEFL-like that was cheaper but I was not sure it could be considered by the consortium.

I planned to use that 2 weeks to study TOEFL, but actually only used the last week :v. I used my father's old book which he got at 1989 (probably, he also used it for studying abroad) named Prentice Hall TOEFL Prep. Book by Lin Lougheed. The book was very helpful. It had to complete information that I could understand it very well. I followed the book's instructions from the beginning till the very end. I answered all the questions, studied the structure and grammar, recognized the common words in TOEFL test, etc. I got stressed out that time but my test was going well.

But TOEFL score is not the only requirement. I still needed motivation letter, recommendation letter, learning agreement, and other letters from faculty (may be I will explain the details of the requirements in a single post). I did not know how to get them all. And because of this experience, I already understand. I became acquainted with how to ask for letters from faculty, I had to make an application letter containing the purpose. I became acquainted with (and accustomed to) how to email the lecturers with good grammar. It was the first time I contacted my academic advisor. I actually felt bad to asked him for a recommendation letter whereas he'd just known me. But I still had it (^^v)

For learning agreement, I had to choose courses I would like to take during the mobility. It was quite hard for me to choose since I had not understood most courses I had learnt and I was afraid of choosing the wrong ones. So I wasted quite much time for choosing the courses for each host university (I might choose 2 univ for 1 programme). And, one of the hardest document ever was a motivation letter. It must contained the logic reason I really wanted to join the programme and what benefits I would get. It was difficult to express how I really want to study abroad. I just wanted. It was always my dream. But I thought that reason was just unreasonable. I thought that I needed stronger reason, maybe by connecting it with the benefit I would get by joining the program. And yes, it was very hard. I even can't describe how hard it is :v I looked for references and found this link helped me a lot.

After I got all the documents ready. I completed the application form. The programme I was going to apply for was Lotus Unlimited and AREAS+. But I canceled to apply for AREAS+ since I, at the very last minute, realized that the courses at the host university I chose were instructed in Portuguese. So, I only applied for Lotus Unlimited and the host universities are Uppsala University (UU) and University of Limerick (UoL) for 6 months mobility. I thought that my first choice was too high to reach. But I couldn't stand its coolness (you may google it yourself) compared to other host universities so I kept it still on my first priority.

And the result was out 3 months later via email. I was surprised that they put me on reserved list! (I thought I would be rejected :v) And I had to wait for one month again for the next information. If I did not get any email, it meaned that I was rejected. And I never got any email again from Lotus consortium (rejected, like I thought before :v). It had not been my time, after all :')

**

Yet, every cloud has a silver lining. Many experiences I got from this failure, especially how to deal with documents preparation stuff which is actually the hardest part of applying for this kind of scholarship. So, if I'm going to apply for other scholarship, I already know what I have to do and to face, and I can make a better strategy.

"I will try again, next year" - me, May 2014.

(to be continued)