Scholarship season is almost here, and that can only mean that the application to scholarships are open. But before you dive head first and foolishly apply for all the available scholarships, here are 5 questions you need to ask yourself before clicking that “submit” button.

What Are Your Passions? 

As cliché as this might have become, your passions have to align with the scholarship provider’s vision. We say this because most scholarships have a bond attached to the scholarship provider; you need to have your passions aligned so that it does not just become another job but one that can help build your career with. A scholarship can only take you so far, but your passion is that one that will drive you to succeed when times are tough. 

How Far Are You Willing to Pursue Your Passions?

The fact is, for the first few foundation months or first year of serving the bond, it will be trying. You will most likely not be able to work on your passion directly, and while your friends are having an epic graduation trip, you will be stuck in an office cubicle. Sacrifices will be made. Building this foundation is an important stepping-stone in your career as you will be learning the ropes of the trade, and essentially learning how the scholarship provider runs its organization. 

Where Do You See Yourself in 5 to 7 Years? 

Building on the previous two questions, are you really passionate about your interests, enough to want to pursue it for the long run? A scholarship is not just for a short-haul, these are your formative working years and serving this bond with your scholarship provider will provide you with a myriad of opportunities for growth that will set the tone for the rest of your working career. 

Is It Just For Monetary Benefits?

This is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes most scholarship applicants make. If there is no passion and your ideals or vision do not align with the scholarship provider, you are setting yourself up for a rough ride ahead.  As mentioned above, a scholarship is not a short-term stint but a long-term commitment.

Do You Know The Role of the Scholarship Provider? 

While sometimes it might seem like a no brainer about what each scholarship provider does, there are also many different departments within the organisation. Apart from just reading up on their vision from their website, go the extra mile and experience it for yourself. Contact their scholarship team for more details. Some scholarship providers actually provide internships and site visits to the office for perspective scholars to understand their operations in greater detail. 

Just remember, a scholarship is more than just a ticket to fund your studies and opportunity for travel. A scholarship will mould you during your most formative working years and pave the way for your future career. So choose carefully!

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