Make It Happen: Studying Abroad On Scholarship
Everyone has a dream. But a vision is not enough.
There are many struggles and sacrifices in the journey of reaching one’s dreams; we may be required to study harder, or take more time establishing achievements to get closer to our dreams.
The key is to try hard and try again.
Stephanie Hardjo, Ruangguru’s Head of K12 Products, is one who had done many things for her dream and succeeded, one of which was getting a master’s degree abroad on scholarship.
During the premier episode of Ruang Ngobrol — a live online conversation program where Tim Ruangguru members share insightful stories about their experiences — Stephanie said her journey towards getting a scholarship for her master’s degree began upon receiving her bachelor’s degree in economics from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2014.
In 2016, Stephanie first joined Ruangguru. There, she tried developing a product for students in Singapore to prepare for exams, oversaw the operations of ruangles and ruanguji, and participated in the creation of ruangbelajar, which is Ruangguru’s current core offering.
After two years of cementing different contributions in Ruangguru, her dream to continue her master’s degree with a scholarship resurfaced. Her plan was to study in the United States. Stephanie thought of what she’s sacrificing in the process: the opportunity to work and earn a living.
She left Ruangguru and pursued it anyway.
Eventually, her efforts and experiences brought her to the steps of Harvard University, one of the best universities in the world, on a scholarship.
Stephanie talked about her journey and more in Ruang Ngobrol. Below, find some of Stephanie’s tips on how she was able to study abroad on scholarship.
1. Seek information. Diligently!
In your search for potential scholarships, it is important that you strategize your research and the information that you are looking for.
You may start your research by creating a list of organizations that are aligned with your majors. Why? Because they are more likely to be your potential donors. After that, you can dig deeper on the organizations’ vision and mission and start finding a contact person within that organization to chat casually about the opportunity.
For organizations that already have a specific scholarship program, make sure you read the requirements and what the scholarship covers, carefully, before applying.
Another key aspect is skillfully negotiating the scholarship agreement contract. So, practicing and sharpening your ability to negotiate with others is a must.
2. Networking
It is not impossible that we cross paths with people we worked with before. Stephanie even said she received information about her eventual scholarship from an acquaintance. Additionally, while working in Ruangguru, Stephanie had the opportunity to connect with many people and collaborate with many organizations, including those overseas. This means, it is crucial for you to establish good relationship with others.
Nowadays, there are different tools that can help us connect with others. It’s easier and more accessible than ever!
3. Make A Plan
Making plans and choosing activities that align with your passion and interests are important, including courses. Therefore, before embarking on graduate studies, make sure you have a plan of what to do in the future, which will then help you to prioritize your choice of courses and maximize your learning in your study.
Stephanie said that she learned so much more from professors who taught her things she was genuinely interested in.
After graduating from Harvard, Stephanie went back to Indonesia, and ended up rejoining Ruangguru. Stephanie said that one of the reasons she returned to Indonesia was because of another dream: a career in education.
“I decided to join Ruangguru again because of its good culture and work philosophy,” Stephanie said. “I also felt that I have the opportunity to be able to create my own project and develop it with a team in a good working environment that fosters discussion.”
According to Stephanie, education can “break” a person’s mindset. People might see education as something that gets you through exams, schools, colleges, and work. For Stephanie, education is so much more; education helps one think better, analyze and solve problems better, teach and lead better, and other important life skills that go beyond school.
At the end of the Ruang Ngobrol episode, Stephanie also talked about how one can get to know their interests. According to her, it takes a minimum of two years of work experience to determine one’s interests.
“After those two years, you will be able to consider how you want to make a career step, and you would know how many opportunities you have before you decided to take your next step,” Stephanie said.
Stephanie advised that it’s OK to take a break, distance yourself temporarily from work, and only after should you conclude on how you could take the next step of your career.
Last but not least, keep reaching for your dreams as high as possible, and never give up!
If you dream of a career in education, just like Stephanie, give it ago with us in Ruangguru. Click here for a chance at reaching your dream!
