How to get scholarship, step by step

 
Lay an eye to particular scholarship.

I usually look at scholarship advertisment. If I found it interested, then I will apply. Although it is possible to find the department where you want to study first then apply the scholarship, I don`t do that because usually the nominal of scholarship is small. I am only interested to fully funding scholarship. Some scholarship, however, request you to apply officially to university and get accepted before apply the scholarship (mostly European scholarship I think)

Get the scholarship form and read it carefully

Make sure that you are elligible to the scholarship, you are within the age range, the topic you want is included, your background is acceptable etc. Some scholarship is mainly for gov. employee, some are for age 35 and below, you fulfil the minimum language requirements etc.
Find the university you want to go

Make sure that you know where you want to go. Only very few scholarship that just want you to write down what subject you want to do and you can choose the university later. Again, check the requirements carefully

Collecting the requirement

Be very careful with the requirement. If it requires international TOEFL/IELTS, then do it. If it is not specified, better ask than sorry. If it asked for 2 recommendations, get two, some even specifically asked for direct supervisor, make sure you get it as well. Some scholarship request you to develop contact with the department you want to study, then try to get it.

Make sure that your application is "selling"

Imagine yourself the person who need to select which application is acceptable, which is not. That person need to look hundreds and maybe thousands of application. Make sure that your application is neat, clear, concise, to the point and rich instead making it a flowery boring story that nobody want to finish reading it. Think, what is your strong point that makes you different from others, what is the founder agenda etc. Also make sure that when they say one page explanation, it`s one page. Try to put as much related information in the limited space

Pay attention to deadline
Things to consider:
Scholarship cost lots of money. Think that it is the founder investing the money on you. What can you give them in return. Therefore you must have a clear idea why you want to take the degree, why it is important for you to take that degree, what your future plan is, how the degree will support your plan, what is the benefit of your degree and knowledge for you, for your office, for your country and for the founder. Remember, no need to bluffing and saying things like "solving poverty problem in Indonesia" but be more specific and achievable such enhancing teaching language curriculum in University ABC, particularly in terms of develooping comprehensive student learning by doing approach. You must have the confidence that you need the degree, you can do it, and you can implement your knowledge in your work

Master and above degree is not a path to get a job. I was wrong and tought master is sellable to get a better job. To some extend yes, but it is actually wiser to think that master should be used to enhance your qualification at work. Therefore, make sure that your educational background, your work and your proposed study are matched, or at least try to matched them

Have confidence. Technically, passing the administration selection is the most difficult part. Possibility for a person to pass interview is much higher than passing the administration part. If you keep failing in the interview part, means that you are not really clear about your own proposed study (or you can`t express it well). During the interview, make sure that it is you that lead the interview, you should elaborate each question, and it is quite important to be original. Sometimes it looks nice if you quote from other sources (to make you look smarter). I like to quote Confucius saying during interview. During my interview for ASF, the major question was, "why do you want to this topic, and why you do it in South China? ." The answer: "Majority of research in this issue discuss the problems that occur in North China. If I do it in the north like other scholars, what will be my additional value? The project will use new approach in looking at the China`s one child policy beyond the common pattern where instead of comparing single and non single child, I compare male and female single child. That is my scholarly contribution for the discourse. Later one of the professor said that he is very impress with that answer, because they looking for original approach. So, make sure that you have the confidence, you have the educational background in that issue, and you seems know what you are going to do,

Get the requirements they want

Make sure that you can fulfil all the requirements. It is very useful if you have some additional things that you can offer. In my situation, I get involve with lots of social organisations dealing with HIV, drug abuse, community empowerment etc. Since I am doing social studies, these are very positive addition for my applications. Trainings, seminars, articles are important too.
Hope that the info are useful.

indians help to dave the world

By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Tue Mar 11, 1:53 AM ET

PALENQUE, Mexico - North American Indians assembled in the shadow of ancient Mayan pyramids Monday discussed how their tradition wisdom could help save the planet, and were told that even indigenous cultures have struggled with environmental abuse.

More than 200 leaders from 71 American Indian nations in Mexico, the United States and Canada came together in this Mexican jungle to find indigenous solutions to pollution and ecological problems threatening the planet.

"Our Mother Earth is being polluted at an alarming rate, and our elders say that she is dying," said Raymond Sensmeier, a Tlingit leader from Yakutat, Alaska. "The way the weather is around the world ... a cleansing is needed."

The conference began with a pre-dawn ceremony that included fire, copal incense, chants in Lacandon Maya and blasts from a conch shell.

Speakers reminded attendees that even Indian cultures have battled with environmental abuse and pointed to theories that deforestation contributed to the collapse of the Maya who built the temples at Palenque.

"As we stand here, very near Palenque, I am mindful that some scholars have suggested that environmental stressors contributed to the decline of the Mayan civilization," said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator Elin Miller. "The planet-wide stress on the environment today means that collaborative efforts ... are not just good things. They may well be essential for our survival."

But, as Bill Erasmus, a representative of the indigenous people of Canada's Northwest Territories noted, "part of our role is to wake up the world. It is very obvious to us all that the climate is changing."

Mexico's environment secretary, Juan Elvira Quesada, said the gathering is meant "to present the teachings of the original peoples of North America."

"In this way, the indigenous communities can become the natural guides to restoring balance and harmony in the world," he said.

The lessons they have to teach are simple — based on reviving Indian notions about ownership, use, compensation and respect.

"I sometimes talk to scientists," said Sensmeier, "and they compartmentalize things, put things in boxes and disconnect them, and doing so promotes disharmony and imbalance."

Tips Memilih File Gambar

Ketika menulis sebuah artikel, berita atau apa saja di web/blog, akan kurang jika hanya berupa text. gambar kadang sangat diperlukan selain untuk memperindah tampilan, juga memberikan gambaran yang lebih jelas tentang artikel yang ditulis. Ada beberapa format image yang biasa digunakan di web, yaitu JPG, GIF dan PNG. Sebagian orang tidak begitu memperhatikan pemilihan image ini, karena yang sering dikenal selama ini JPG, maka hanya itu yang digunakan. Memang format JPG mempunyai ukuran yang relatif kecil, tapi apakah senantiasa seperti itu ?

Pemilihan image ini sangat mempengaruhi kecepatan web / artikel kita ditampilkan, jika ukuran besar maka loading juga akan lambat dan sebaliknya, maka selain kualitas, ukuran juga penting untuk diperhatikan. Berikut karakteristik secara singkat ketiga format image tersebut.

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format)

GIF ini pada awalnya merupakan format yang banyak digunakan untuk web, bahkan telah menjadi format standard ( dikenalkan sejak 1987). Meskipun GIF dapat mangandung berbagai macam warna 24-bit ( 16.777.216 macam warna ), tetapi satu image gif hanya dapat mempunyai kombinasi sebanyak 256 warna (8-bit-per-pixel), sehingga untuk gambar dengan kombinasi warna yang banyak seperti foto, jika diubah ke format GIF akan terlihat pecah-pecah. Format ini cocok untuk file dengan tampilan warna yang terbatas/sederhana, seperti gambar dengan blok warna-warna tertentu, garis dan text. Keunggulan format ini dapat digunakan untuk menyimpan animasi, sehingga masih sering digunakan untuk banner (iklan). Karena masalah lisensi kompresi yang digunakan, maka dibuatlah format pengganti GIF yaitu PNG.

JPG atau JPEG ( Joint Photographic Experts Group )

Pasti sebagian besar kita sudah tidak asing lagi dengan JPG. Format ini cocok untuk gambar dengan kombinasi warna yang banyak dan komplek, seperti foto pemandangan dan sebagainya, karena menyimpan warna 24-bit. Oleh karena itu format ini paling umum digunakan dalam dunia fotografi, mengingat ukuran file yang relatif kecil dengan kualitas yang tetap bagus. Jika ingin menampilkan gambar dengan kombinasi warna yang kompleks, dan ingin tetap mempertahankan kualitas tampilan, maka jpg merupakan pilihan terbaik. Hanya saja, JPG tidak mendukung transparansi.

PNG (Portable Network Graphic)

Berawal karena masalah lisensi format GIF, maka dibuatlah format PNG ini. Pada awalnya dukungan PNG masih terbatas, tetapi saat ini hampir semua browser sudah mendukung format ini. Tidak seperti GIF, format ini dapat menyimpan kombinasi warna 24-bit, tidak terbatas hanya 256 warna. Ukuran file yang dihasilkan relatif lebih kecil dari format GIF. Terdapat banyak kelebihan dibanding format GIF, hanya saja PNG tidak bisa menyimpan animasi, meskipun ada format turunan untuk animasi, yaitu MNG. Selain itu, browser lama seperti Internet Explorer 3 dan sebelumnya ( jika masih ada yang memakai) belum mendukung format ini.

Seperti GIF, format ini sangat cocok untuk menyimpan image dengan kombinasi warna yang sederhana, seperti text garis dan blok warna. Image dengan ukuran lebar dan tinggi yang besar dapat mempunyai ukuran yang sangat kecil, jika hanya terdiri beberapa blok warna dan text saja. Tetapi sebaliknya, walaupun gambar cukup kecil, tetapi jika kombinasi warnanya cukup komplek, seperti pemandangan, foto dan sejenisnya maka ukurannya akan besar. Keunggulan lain format ini adalah dapat menyimpan transparansi /alpha chanel.