Exciting (alternatively: nerve-wracking) doesn’t even really begin to cover this past month: it’s been a whirlwind of scholarship applications and interviews, as well as – to digress a little bit – a lot of low-key fangirling about some things that I’ve wanted to own for many years now! They’ll be arriving in the mail in a couple of weeks, and so as not to give anything away now, all I’ll say is that I’ll blog about it when the time comes 😀 I thought about doing an unboxing video, but I also figured I should save you from the squealing.
Back to the post proper – amidst the mountain of assessment and order confirmation emails sitting in my inbox, one email arrived that was, in its own way, a very pleasant surprise. It was an invitation to Putrajaya, which I honestly haven’t been to in years, to the launching ceremony of the second round of the DKLS Linguistic Ambassador Award.
For those of you who knew me in high school, this would probably ring many bells; for those of you who didn’t, I’ll do a super quick run-through! It may sound more like a title, but it’s actually an essay-writing competition for upper secondary school students, then organised by DKLS Industries Bhd., British Council Malaysia, and Cambridge University, UK. I joined the competition in 2013, my last year of high school, just for fun; my dad had plucked the advert out of the papers for me to read. Fast forward many weeks, and against all odds, I came out with the competition’s gold prize. The cash and book vouchers (cue incessant squealing and some hours at Kinokuniya) were wonderful, but the most meaningful chunk of the prize came in the form of a 7-days paid study trip to Cambridge and London.
To say it was a lifechanger isn’t at all an exaggeration, believe me ;; Not just because it’s probably the only time I’ll ever get to go somewhere as exotic as Europe in the near future, but the sightseeing was nothing short of surreal. The icing on the cake, though, was the private tour we had of the Cambridge University grounds. I can’t even find the words to describe the study environment there, gosh… “absolutely amazing” is the best I can do, I think.
Anyway! I thought I’d give back not only by encouraging all of you and anyone you know who loves to write to take part, but also to pen down a bit of my experience in the competition to give you an idea of what’s in store for you! 😀
(Disclaimer: This is written based on my experience in the competition, and is meant as a rough guide for participants! I am not taking part in this year’s round; some details or steps might not be 100% similar. Do check the site at the very bottom of this post for more info on round 2!)
The first stage, which lasts a couple of months, is a series of online English modules. These are guides and tests on the English language in general – grammar, vocabulary, language rules, writing styles and tips – and are meant to prepare you with regards to essay-writing proper. All these modules are administered online, and you’re given a time period to complete and submit them. Head’s up: my modules were in Microsoft Word format, although they might now have switched over to an online-based platform!
After completing all the modules, you’ll be given the title of the essay you’ll have to write. The one I wrote for was “A Book That Changed My Life Forever”, which was a tough cookie for me because I love so many ;__; Just some tips off the top of my head:
- Do remember what you learnt in the modules and apply them wherever possible, but always listen to your gut feeling too. Essays are still stories; make people believe in your angle and in you! If you think you really need to use more commas here or some repetition there, go ahead! Just take care not to go too novel-like and bust out the fragmented sentences.
- Don’t be afraid to touch the grey areas of your topic. If you have an imaginative take on the topic, just go for it! Don’t worry about things like being “too unconventional” or “unusual”. Stand out in that crowd! ☆
- Keep tabs on your module deadlines. It’s really, really easy to accidentally miss one if you’re caught up in schoolwork – that nearly happened to me for one of the modules! Set reminders on your phone, mark your calendars or planners, whatever works for you.
- Make sure you’re genuinely passionate about/believe in what you choose to write about. You’d have to know your topic and your angle to translate it well to your readers. It doesn’t matter if it’s simple! Your passion for it will shine through in your writing, and it’s worlds better than choosing some astronomical abstract concept and only writing a lukewarm essay about it.
- The judging panel will be strict about the word count, so make sure you are too 😛
- Of course, the list won’t be complete with the classic “have faith, have fun”! It’s a real learning curve, regardless whether you win or not. I grew up in a predominantly English-speaking household, but these modules were both a refresher course and also taught me some finer nuances I never thought about!
After this is all done comes the trying period that I call The Wait, where you basically… well, wait. All the submissions will be assessed by a language centre, who will then shortlist 10 essays to be sent to an international judging panel for the final winners’ decision.
The top 3, as decided by the panel, will then be called for the final stage – an interview with selected representatives. At this point, you’re guaranteed a prize, but this interview will be deciding factor between which level you finish at on the podium at the end.
It sounds intimidating and everything, but really, it’s not, and I’m not saying this just to calm you down or anything! It’s a very informal interview; it felt like having a chat with colleagues. I was asked more about myself (e.g. my background, hobbies, experiences, opinions) instead of questions that tested on knowledge. It’s more like a session for the organisers to get to know you, the person behind the essay that has wowed both local and international assessors.
That about wraps things up – that’s the end and the winner’s announcement will soon follow! c:
Attending that launching ceremony reminded me of how valuable an experience this competition was, and DKLS might be a superpower conglomerate in the business world, but they’re also a really warm and welcoming family. They genuinely care about their scholars, and the networking opportunities are limitless! That kind of made me want to come back and write this post – I took the plunge in the first round and I know it can be a bit ( ≧Д≦)-inducing to have to go in without any idea of what you’re facing, so I figured this would come in handy for anyone who’s thinking of participating in this and future rounds.
While mine was an English experience, yours could be Australian; the partners this round are from Down Under! For everything else you need to know about this round – important dates, requirements, etc. – please refer to the competition’s website here :>
I hope this post has been somewhat beneficial to anyone who plans to take part or has already signed up. If you’d like to ask about details on my time in the competition or anything written above, feel free to poke me through email! I’d be more than happy to help in what way I can. For official queries about this year’s competition, though, please redirect your questions to the organisers instead, they’ll be able to help you more than I can. Best of luck, and have a sparkly emoji for good measure ( ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Well, /endramble – for now! I’ve been talking to Sarah about the kind of content I’ve planned for the next couple of posts, and it’s going to be a huge mishmash of things, but I’m excited! I’ll continue to serve up random doses of excitement and words and fangirling but what’s new?, coming to you more frequently ♡
(And yes, that is a photo of Big Ben that I took while in London.)