Hey lovelies ｡◕‿◕｡
Tergerak nak share pasal Interview for Yayasan Sarawak Scholarship (YBSTAR) but mine happened back in 2018 (Oct) and recently sebab COVID-19, they conducted online interview. Nevertheless, my experience sharing might benefits you.
Once you dah submit your application, biasanya dorang akan process around one month camtu. And ada surat panggilan IV at least one week before the date of IV. So once you dah tau the date, make preparation accordingly macam sediakan dokumen sijil and so on letak kat binder file elok-elok because they will see your koQ achievement and so on.
I undergoes my IV kat hotel di KL dulu. Upon arrival, kena serahkan file dan register yourself. Jangan lupa pakai baju formal dan kemas. Light makeup will helps to make you look less pale bila kena tanya soalan HAHA.
Lepas registration, I kena masuk satu bilik. Dalam bilik adalah tempat untuk mengarang essei. But don't worry. Soalan essei dia senang je. Ada 5 soalan tapi kena pilih satu je. Basically soalan dia lebih kepada facts and your conviction. I pilih soalan yang tanya WHAT KIND OF CONTRIBUTION I WANT TO BRING TO SARAWAK bila dah graduate. I personally suka soalan ni sbb it only involved my dreams and my conviction. No one can persoalkan your answers. Masa diberikan around 30 minutes utk siapkan essei.
Lepas habis mengarang essei then boleh hantar and tunggu kt ruang menunggu bersama pelajar lain. Satu IV tu dia akan panggil 10 orang and biasanya dari bidang yang sama. Cuma different level of education. My case haritu, semua kiteorang dalam bidang education, 9 pelajar degree dari various UA and I seorang je pelajar PhD in that group.
Kiteorg dipanggil masuk dan duduk ikut nama yang dipanggil. Sebaris berhadapan dengan panel. Panel dia pula terdiri daripada big shot dari JPN Sarawak, pensyarah UNIMAS and UiTM Samarahan.
We all diminta untuk perkenalkan diri. So boleh la briefly introduce yourself, parents and siblings. Then mention you skrg tengah study pasal apa. After sesi pengenalan diri, then baru panel tanya soalan one by one kt each of us. Soalan pula lain-lain untuk setiap orang. But no worries, kebanyakan soalan dia tak melibatkan fakta. It is more to panel nak tengok your communication skills and thinking skills.
Contoh soalan yang dia tanya macam why you pursue this field? Like all of us education kan, so apa yang buatkan we all belajar bidang ni. Then dorang ada tanya strength and weakness, pasal achievement kt sekolah, pernah wakil Sarawak tak, isu semasa di Sarawak and what is your idea to overcome it..
My tips are :
1) Kalau panel tanya in BI, jawab in BI and vice versa. It is important to have both language skills masa IV sebab panel nak tengok your penguasaan in English and BM.
2) Be yourself. As in be confident. Know yourself well. You can predict and prepare jawapan before the IV based on my sharing above. Do the simulation. Bercakap depan cermin, HEHE. Relaks je. Don't be nervous. Sebab soalan tu mostly about yourself and your conviction.
3) For PG student yang ada buat research, be confident with your research. Be proud of it. And dream big. Sebab panel maybe akan tanya how does your research can contribute to Sarawak. Boleh berangan siap-siap la. >.< Even though cuma ada proposal, just imagine and be creative about it.
4) Jawab soalan dengan matang bukan dengan emosi. Basically panel cuma nak tau your maturity tahap mana especially yang degree la. Be professional. Kalau you jawab in a well manner and matured, I believe that one is a plus point for you. Overall soalan panel I wud said dorang nak tau your conviction kenapa study pasal field tu, what do plan to do next and so on.
At the end of IV, boleh la ucap thank you kat each panel.
I dapat offer YBSTAR for my PhD study but I reject sebab at the same time I dapat UTM Zamalah punya scholarship and they offer me more allowance than YBSTAR. If you all interested nak tau details dia, you can find me on Twitter @viiieeeraa
I taknak disclose info pasal ni secara public sebab takut ni matter of P&C .
So tahniah untuk yang dah dapat scholarship or yang dipanggil for IV tu. Just do your best. May God's favor be upon you.
Update 14/9/2022 : Lepas IV, in my case hujung bulan 9, the results for application keluar hujung bulan 12 cmtu. So it took them 3 months cmtu untuk confirm your application.
