From Hope to Growth: A Scholarship Experience

A Story of an Anonymous Pakistani

Indeed, it is not easy to express grief and share scholarship rejection stories. However, I have decided to give my inner hidden feelings a voice to not only reduce unnecessary burden from my mind but also incite you guys to keep striving for your dreams. After all, life is a journey, not a destination and we should decorate it with experiences, even the painful ones.

I belong to a middle class family where studying in a foreign country on a fully funded scholarship is counted as a matchless feat. Certainly, it is. I secured seemingly excellent grades in my bachelors and following that, I began my scholarship application journey.

In the beginning, I was very passionate and enthusiastic about this process. I still believe that I worked really hard, but I did not succeed in my early attempts. With each rejection letter, I started losing my spark and dedication. Time started making it heavier. With each rejection, doubts crept in and eventually, it became harder to stay confident.

Sadly, I had to go through a time where I lost all hope. I also involved myself in a number of other matters, which not only broke my momentum but also shifted my focus. Above that, the family’s expectations were also demolished, which was again a horrible experience. Seeing your parents and other loved ones go silent for your dreams extends unbearable torture.

And finally, after years of grinding, learning, failing and trying again, I managed to win a scholarship and that win did not only bring comfort and relief but also a deep sense of growth and clarity. I think it is not possible to express the joy of receiving an acceptance email. In my case, it evaporated all my stress, anxiety and fear.

Looking back, I realized that my biggest problem was not a lack of dedication and effort but a lack of structure. My work was not organized as I was trying to do too many things at once without any clear framework and discipline. Given this, I was unable to spend enough time deeply researching the programs I was applying to. I think I used to focus on submitting my applications instead of analyzing and building them carefully.

Additionally, I used to consider the IELTS a huge challenge. I kept delaying it because I thought I would not get a decent band score. I kept this fear for a long time. However, reality was different because when I gave it proper attention and a bit of focused and planned preparation, I was able to achieve 7 bands in IELTS in just 10 days.

If I could go back, I would do things differently.

I would begin this journey by creating a plan. I would take time to research programs properly and narrow down the ones that truly match my interests and profile. Further, I would also build a framework, divide my goals into small daily tasks and follow my plans consistently.

So the biggest lesson I learned in this journey is that passion alone is not enough. It requires direction, structure, discipline and patience to withstand hurdles and achieve success.

So, if you are on this journey, start simple. Make your plan, remove distractions and follow it consistently. And most importantly, try your best and do not let fear delay your progress. No doubt, it is a challenging journey, but it is possible.

Lastly, do not ignore small weaknesses and keep fixing them step by step and also keep improving your profile while applying. Keep in mind that every wait has to end and yours will too. Just trust the timing.