Help: Follow my dream or take the Star scholarship?

[Seiryu]

Corporations have always been giving out overseas scholarships to students for a significant amount of time. The HR officers who are in charge of these programs most probably have their KPIs (key performance index) waged on the kind of people they choose to send overseas. If they happen to meet face to face upon a bright student who is eager but financially unavailable, very likely they will start thinking about how to bring this kid into their corporation through their programs. This is what parts of HR's responsibilities are anyway: help their corporation source the brightest talent available. How do they know if the student they talk to has real talent? Well, talk to students who got admitted into a top university that is highly selective.

[gureilla]

Thanks Adele and seiryu, i know it's true that it's hard to request for a scholarship from corporations when they did not open their scholarship application to the public. While it is not entirely impossbile, the odds of getting one out of the blue are getting less and less each year. I will go out and search for scholarships after my exams, even if i fail, the experience is what that matters. Who knows, from my experience and advice that i share with people, someone might eventually succeed from getting scholarships from private corporations in the future.

[dantyh]

I see that your mind has more or less been made up, I wish you the best of luck in what the future brings you

[gureilla]

My mind has but my parent's mind surely isn't. When i told them that i want to reapply again this year to overseas uni, they were like "why", "don't waste your time la", "i am not going to pay back the star scholarship, u are on your own." All in all, they just want me to take star's offer and forget abt overseas.

[wannie]

so let's picture the worst scenario: say you don't get a scholarship next year... your parents won't sponsor you locally? jusy a fyi, it's much harder to secure scholarships when you're older, though not impossible.. what's your worst-case plan should you fail? your parents should be more supportive, i'm in favour for you to reapply, even though it's obviously better if you can get a scholarship this year lah. have you contacted the uni that offered you a place to see if they can defer your offer? not uncommon in the UK. wish you luck and all the best

[adele123]

(sorry of getting in this debate about sponsoring students overseas, but i feel like i have need to reply)

the reason i disagree with the sympathetic adults part was because you suggested call and walk-in to HR offices and etc which i think is really not something feasible because if it wasn't part of the plan to offer these students to study overseas, i SERIOUSLY doubt they will give just because someone talented asking them because as i mentioned, why should they when they can hire one of similar qualities? yes i get it, the uni that offers them have done the selection for these corporations, so it's easier to single out the good ones, but seriously, they can still hire one right?

after all, they are running a business, they are not looking for the next mark, bill or steve. even if they are, scholarship has proved to be (maybe not, i don't know cause i hear stories, though i don't like jumping to conclusions without actual numbers from reliable sources) a VERY risky investment with all these brain drain, and stories about scholars running off

i'm not saying one shouldn't try. but i really don't see why HR people will try so hard to help. 'i orang malas, kalau saya kerja HR, saya biarkan sahaja, melebihkan kerjaku untuk anak orang lain.'

one should not say whether one's parents should be more supportive, for one cannot judge before one's a parent one-self and without knowing what's one's parents' problems are.

anyway, to the person in this case, try to reason with your parents, i'm sure you can understand why they want you to do it. Be patient somehow i feel that (from your response) at least you have a good attitude in approaching this matter, that's real cool

[wannie]

I think it is understandable on why they're not supportive. They're afraid of him/her taking chances because of the high risk involved. This is especially so since she/he has a scholarship, an opportunity to lose. However, ask yourself this "what if" question i learnt from the movie "three idiots" (bloody good movie)

You have a prestigious offer, you have a whole life ahead of you. One year doesn't kill you and will change you more as a human (I'm taking two gap years by the way). If you're not taking your chances in such a once in a lifetime opportunity, you will suffer for the rest of your life thinking what if you didnt take the scholarship? What if you got the chance to go overseas? Though you shouldn't dwell in the past and make full use of the present. Im just curious of your backup plan. If you still can get a degree-- why not? at least you tried and know, rather than to wonder when all the chances are there

Go for the Gap year. You'll learn so much from it. a year is really not comparable to a degree from ucb or anywhere. even if you fail, you gained valuable experience and if used wisely, will put you at an advantage in so many aspects. you can enrich yourself in so many things you never thought possible. im glad that you're liberal enough to think of having one. word of advice though, don't raise your expectations; it would only hurt you more.. think of all the other good things about it aside from the "reapplying" part kay?

btw if you really are taking another gap year, it would be nice if you help me out a bit in some club activities

[frostbyte13]

I think life is sometimes about accepting circumstances and whatever reality throws in our face. The more we fight it, the more we are denying ourselves of what is not already ours. I'm not saying you don't deserve a chance to go overseas, but I'm considering that you should think about how your parents might feel if you were to break off the sponsorship with that added interest. If you are so sure that an overseas education will benefit you, I had expected you would influence your parents to think the same? Anyway, I would say just stick to the Star for now. Overseas? At the moment, don't think about it.

[wannie]

With the consequences you're going to face and the unforeseeable outcome, we can only tell you of the pros and cons to help you weigh up your options. This is really subjective, and the decision is yours. Talk to your parents about this, let them see this thread

[plawks]

Originally Posted by wannie

btw if you really are taking another gap year, it would be nice if you help me out a bit in some club activities

Heheh, I know whatcha mean

Originally Posted by wannie

have you contacted the uni that offered you a place to see if they can defer your offer?

You should totally do that because if you reapply next year and get unlucky worst case scenario you might be unable to secure the same offers again for the second time.

If your parents don't support you it is a sign that they are really lacking the money for you to play the chance game. Try to ask them and open up and disclose to you how much money do they really have. Maybe your parents are really in a tight situation and simply can't afford to repay Star Scholarship should you break the bond next year? Then you have to rethink you decision. Maybe your parents still have some "gold mine" (lol at my word choice) but they just need more of your convincing?

Good luck to you! I really hope this works out for you.