How to prepare for grants and scholarships.
In this post, we will guide you on how to prepare for grants and scholarships.
1. Get your statement of results
2. Request for your academic transcript or download the one on your portal and merge to PDF.
3. Request for a proof of English as language of instruction in your university (letter from registrar’s office).
4. Ensure that you have good relationship with atleast 3 lecturers.
Done and dusted is dangerous!!!!
You are not done until you are done.
During NYSC
1. Write standardized exams in line with your next phase of life (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, etc)
Note: The US embassy in Nigeria funds some of these through opportunity fund program.
2. Explore professional trainings and certifications (ICAN, NIM etc).
3. Do not ignore opportunity to Intern (research assistantship, Ass. QC analysts etc).
4. Explore Opportunities (some described below).
A. Scholarships
Local: BEA, OFP (Us embassy), NNPC, Shell etc.
Regional: Pan African University Scholarship etc.
International: Chevening, commonwealth, MasterCard etc.
Institutional: Vice Chancellor scholarships, sports or arts scholarship etc.
NOTE: If International scholarship is your choice, no one needs your NYSC certificate before you can start applying.
B. Grants
Regional: Tony Elumelu foundation Grant.
International: Geneva Challenge.
C. Fellowships (No international trip during NYSC, don’t forget )
D. Conferences (No international trip during NYSC don’t forget )
5. Let your CDS contribution be remarkable (a recommendation letter acknowledging your role will be important).
6. Don’t run with the multitude, realities after NYSC differ.
7. Don’t be under pressure (After NYSC what Next???), You may hasten yourself to many errors.
8. Grow yourself in Welcoming rejections, you may get a few while applying.
9. Apply as much as you can
10. Pray as much as you can.
Note: Create two CVs (one academic and one general). It helps to maximize your applications.
After NYSC
If you haven’t accomplished any of the above,
1. Be truthful to yourself (Are you willing to stay in the state of deployment or go back home?)
2. Resist pressure (Being alive is more important than anything else, don’t let anyone over push you).
3. Develop a mindset that no one owes you nothing (It helps in managing disappointment).
4. Identify platforms where legal opportunities are shared.
A. LinkedIn
B. Twitter
C. Opportunity desk
D. Opportunity for Africans
E. Scholarship hub.
Etc.
5. While applying and waiting, get yourself busy
1. Write manuscript from your undergraduate project
2. Submit conference abstracts
3. Register with an organisation (volunteer) and start gathering experience.
4. Start learning a hands-on skill that you may need later in life. Could also be digital trainings in Bioinformatics, data science, AI, ML, Coding, Programming etc.