Getting Here
Hi! It has been a while since the last time I wrote here in Medium. I didn’t feel like writing for some time because I felt like I didn’t have anything to tell people about. But now that I’m in a more comfortable place, I have a new story to tell.
It has been a month since I started living in Daejeon, South Korea, as a Global Korea Scholarship Awardee. And it still doesn’t feel real to me yet. When I get carried away in my daily life it feels as if I haven’t moved anywhere. Especially when I’m still surrounded by my lovely Indonesian friends and housemate. My days are also filled with eating foods I usually make at home and also Kak Ayu’s specialty, bakwan.
Then I realized it had been a year since I graduated from uni and got my bachelor’s degree. Back then I was so glad the hardships were over and I could finally relax and have several months long vacation. It felt amazing and all until I saw my friends one by one receiving job offers here and there. Meanwhile, I was stuck with nothing in hand. Being unemployed starting to feel unenjoyable and the negative emotions start to creep in. By that time, my dad told me I should start planning on what I’m gonna do in the near future.
For a long time, I knew I was gonna continue my studies. But realistically speaking, I didn’t really know where and how. Coming up with a dream or a goal by itself is not easy, even more turning them into reality. Wherever will I find the money to do that when I am unemployed? Then, of course, I should go for a scholarship, right? But getting to the point of becoming a scholarship awardee isn’t easy at all. There are tons of things I need to prepare, right? I also saw my upperclassmen and friends’ effort in applying for those scholarships and it doesn’t seem simple and trouble-free. So my journey of scholarship hunting started.
In November and December, I started working on a timeline for scholarship applications. At that time I was thinking of applying for at least 3 scholarships, which were LPDP (Indonesia), GKS (Korea), and MEXT (Japan). And since the scholarship applications start next year, I started working on my English skills so that I’d be able to take a TOEFL iBT test in late December.
In January, I started preparing the documents (such as motivation letters and recommendation letters) I needed for the application. I also made up my mind regarding which universities I want to attend. I decided that I most definitely want to try for TU Delft and WUR. So I also started preparing the documents needed for them.
In February, I found out about the Fulbright Scholarship and the possibility to continue my studies in the US. The requirements also weren’t that complex so I decided that I would go for that instead of MEXT. By late February I also have submitted the application documents needed for LPDP. So I felt pretty proud of myself. I now have applied for two scholarships. On the last Saturday in February, I called my parents to talk about my progress. And then suddenly my dad asked me about GKS. So I said that I checked the website a few weeks ago but there was nothing yet. He then asked me to check again, and I did. I was really surprised when I found out that the application was closing in 5 days. I was so shocked that I was missing this. I was a bit hopeful that I might be able to catch up with it, but they said that I have to submit a hand-signed recommendation letter along with the other documents. How am I able to do that in 2 working days? Both my professor and supervisor are senior lecturers who I cannot ask this for. So I tried to ask the lecturer I was working with, and thankfully she was able to help me. So then with the time left, I worked my ass off to make up impressive-ish application papers based on the ones I wrote for LPDP. And in the end, I was able to send those papers to the South Korean Embassy in Jakarta.
A few days later I got an e-mail saying I passed the first screening. I was so surprised that I passed it since I didn’t really have an expectation for it and also I haven’t heard anything from Fulbright. Apparently, the South Korean Embassy was going to interview around 50 people and then shortlist them to 26 people. I was very nervous and I didn’t know what to prepare for the interview. So I just looked up possible GKS interview questions and tried to just wing it. It also took more than a month to write my motivation letter for LPDP so I have those in my head in case I was gonna get asked stuff regarding my motivation and plans at the GKS interview. Thankfully the people at the interview were very kind and they asked me more about personal matters such as why do I wanted to go to South Korea and what the difficulty might be if I did move to South Korea.
On the weekend, my parents sent me a message on our LINE family group chat. At that time I was in the car with Arvi (his car was just parked at Seni Rupa parking lot because we had odori practice). Anyway, my dad told me that the interview result was just posted on the Embassy’s website and that I passed it. THAT WAS CRAZY. I immediately told Arvi and I asked him as I cried, “I passed the interview. Is it okay if I go to South Korea instead of back home to The Netherlands?” And I just love how supportive he was. I also called my parents right after and told my closest friends.
During the preparation I faced some issues because I didn’t know what an apostilled document is :”)) And I was asked to submit some apostilled documents to the Embassy. I was so stressed during those times because I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it in time. Thankfully everything worked out in the end!!
But of course, not everything worked out. Even though it hurts to admit, I didn’t pass Fulbright at all and I didn’t pass the interview for LPDP. I also didn’t get accepted into SNU. But, whatever happens is the best, right? We put effort into those we can control and leave the rest to Allah. I am very grateful that despite almost missing the deadline for GKS and having troubles with apostille I get to be where I am now. I am so excited to be learning Korean Language at Pai Chai University and am able to enroll in KAIST’s Chemical and Biomolecular Department.
Every day here is a fun day. Well, maybe some days are hard and a bit sorrowful. But I am grateful to be able to get to know my fellow GKS awardees at Pai Chai University and be able to hang out with them! And we know that we have each others’ back, so I’m very happy ❤
I never really imagined to be living in South Korea in my 20s, but it really happened. Those days when I can only see and feel Korean culture from a screen has turned into one that I live in daily. God’s plan is really amazing.
To whoever is reading this, I hope that you are in an amazing place right now! And I hope that all of the plans you have for the future work out! And if it doesn’t, just know that God has a better plan for you ❤
