My Chevening Journey #1

CRITICAL POINTS ON CHEVENING'S ESSAY

Claudia Rosari Dewi, S.Psi - MSc Psychology of Education

The University of Bristol, UK - Chevening Scholar 2020/2021

 

  "Going beyond myself to have courage, perseverance, and faith"

Those words can define my Chevening Scholarship journey. I believe that the road to success is always foggy, hence every hard work will always pay you off. Remember that there is always a time to plant and a time to harvest.

Chevening Scholarship is not only focussed on academic aspect. It's offerred to future leaders and influencers all over the world, giving them positive opportunity to build world-wide networking with scholars and professionals.

This Chevening Scholarship journey seemed beyond my expectations. So, I am deeply grateful to say that I have been #chosenforchevening and that I will pursue MSc in Psychology of Education at one of the prestigious universities in the UK @universityofbristol

Being a Chevening Scholar 20/21 and Postgraduate student at the University of Bristol has opened my eyes that "If you believe in yourself, going beyond yourself, trusting your dreams and abilities, keep moving forward faithfully in every situation, you will reach whatever you want!"

Thank you for @cheveningfco and @ukindonesia for giving me this life-changing and once a life-time opportunity! Thank you for all of you who have been supporting me in every ups and downs in my life, you know that I am grateful to have you in my life!

I Can't Keep Calm, I Have Been Chosen for Chevening!

#ChosenforChevening #IAmChevening #MyCheveningJourney #cheveningscholarship #ukindonesia

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        Hi everyone! My name is Claudia Rosari Dewi from Indonesia. I am originally from Yogyakarta City, Indonesia. My Chevening Journey was like a roller coaster. It is actually beyond my expectation but I am really grateful for receiving this award. I am proud to be a Chevening Scholar 2020/2021 even though we are currently facing a hard time due to this Covid-19 Pandemic. In my Chevening Journey, I feel like God and Universe conspired to help me to keep moving forward even in the hardest time. That's why I would like to use this opportunity to share with you guys as much as I can, including share a bit my essay and about how to make an incredible essay for Chevening Application. This whole sharing just from my point of view, if there is another awardee or scholars have other opinion, that is fine! Because everyone have their own story right? :) 

Let's get into it!

    

1. GENERAL WRITING TIPS

    

    a. Be yourself, be humble, and be insightful

    b. Be honest and spesific to tell your story

    c. Using STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) structure

    d. Breakdown the questions so you can write it more detail

    e. All of your answers should be coherent/congruent

Another tips from me is, please. please "Get very personal essay and that's how you stand out!" :)

2. LEADERSHIP SKILL QUESTION

I think every year will have same questions. The whole question would be like this 

"Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries.    Explain how you meet this requirement. Using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer." (write about 500 words).

I tried to breakdown the question like this:

   

1. Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries.

2. Explain how you meet this requirement.

3. Using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.

It will help you to organize the answer as well as set up your mind to aware each word.

and here some tips for you about Leadership Question:

1. Chevening is looking for a potential leader and looking for impact of your leadership. It does not matter

    if you do not have any managerial position.

2. Do not give any definition of leadership based on dictionary or other famous people. Definition of

    leadership based on your belief and value.

3. Give max two examples about your experiences related with leadership and influence skills.

4. Using STAR method (Star, Task, Actions, Result).

5. Be spesific as much as possible.

6. Breakdown the question so you can make it more detail.

7. Make a closing statement to highlight it.

8. Again, just be yourself!

3. NETWORKING SKILLS QUESTION

The question every year will be the same.  This is the whole question :

"Chevening is looking for individuals with strong professional relationship-building skills who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships in a professional capacity, using clear examples of how you currently do this and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future" (write about 500 words).

I tried to breakdown the question:

1. Chevening is looking for individuals with strong professional relationship-building skills

2. who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their  chosen profession

3. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships in a professional capacity

4. using clear examples of how you currently do this, and

5. outline how you hope to use these skills in the future.

and here some tips for Networking Question:

  1. Relate with the first question, they are looking for a future leader and to accomplish the tasks as a leader. They are looking for someone that can communicate and engage with people from any backgrounds.

2.    2. Give at least two examples of how you find and expand your network and how you strengthen those relationships (not personal relationship, I mean, a relationship that makes an impact both in your life and others/community). 

`     3. It is not necessary if you just talk about attending a lot of networking events but the important part is they want you to explain how you maintain the networking you already have.

      4. HIGHLIGHT POINT: do not just talk about networking for the sake of showing off that you know  how to network. You need to talk about the impacts that those relationships have on you and your community.

      5. Using STAR structure.

      6. Be spesific as much as possible.

      7. Breakdown the question so you can write more detail.

      8. Make a closing statement to higlight it.

      9. Again, just be yourself.

4. STUDY PLAN QUESTION

This question will be the same every year. It is really helpful if you can breakdown the question.

Here is the whole question:

"Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future. Please do not duplicate the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form." (write about 500 words).

I tried to breakdown like this:

a. Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, 

b. and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience

c. and your plans for the future. Please do not duplicate the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form.

and here some tips for Studying in the UK question:

1.  Study and future career plans are crucial to showing your cause, passion and how do you stay true with that. This can be a very critical part that would differentiate you from other applicants.

2. So, it is important to answer the last 2 questions coherently because they are looking for someone who would serve and build their community.

3. Do not write about the detail of the course and the campus rank BUT write more about your passion, experience and expertise, problems you found that relate to your vision.

4. Specifically think about why taking this master programs and the universities is lead you achieve your vision.

5. You can also talk about the whole campus programs or city that might support your study in the UK

6. Remember that this question paints a picture of knowing what you want and how you want to get there.

5. CAREER PLAN QUESTION

Still, this part will have the same question every year. The whole question will be like this

"Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan. Please outline your immediate plans upon returning home and your longer term career goals. You may wish to consider how these relate to what the UK government is doing in your country" (write about 500 words).

I tried to breakdown this question into:

 1. Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan.

 2. Please outline your immediate plans upon returning home and

 3. Your longer term career goals

 4. You may wish to consider how these relate to what the UK government is doing in your country

        

Again, breakdown the questions will help you to focus with every single word. Pay attention to what ever they ask you to answer. For me, highlighted some sentence can help me to organize my mind about what should I write.

Here some tips for answering this part:

1. Chevening is looking for people with big dreams and strong vision

2. Put your dreams clear and ambitious

3. Make your clear plan and breakdown into short-term (immediate plan), mid-term and long-term goal 

   (immediate plan, 2 years/5 years, 10 years)

4. Make it details and spesific

5. Make sure it is coherent/congruent with your previous questions, support your concern and passion

6. You are encourage to link your career plan with what UK Government do in your country and it might 

   change every year. So please, research thoroughly and try to link what you can contribute through your 

    career goal.

7. Make strong “Punchline” because this is the end of your essay.

8. Keep elaborate the essay with your role if you were chosen as Chevening scolar. 

   You can summarise the outline of being Chevening scholar.

You can wrap up and you should try to draw a link between each last questions with your career goals.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: COMMON MISTAKE ON CHEVENING’S ESSAY

1). Repeating your resume and focussing too much on your achievements

2). No having value of life/ a clear vision

3). Over-generalizing (That’s why you need to breakdown each questions and answer it specifically)

4). Not coherent/congruent with other questions

5). Trying to be other person who have succeed (They want to know your whole personal process in the specific area of the questions, your self-improvement or what you’ve learned)

All the things here are based on my experience and my opinion but I hope you can find some

insights to help you achieve your dreams :)

Best of luck!

BE PART OF THIS PRESTIGIOUS COMMUNITY

APPLY NOW #BeALeader

www.chevening.org

KEEP FIGHTING AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

GOOD LUCK :)