Seven Things to do to Win Your First Scholarship

 Winning your first scholarship can be a pivotal moment in your academic journey, opening doors to opportunities and reducing your financial burden. Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, there are countless scholarships available for various areas of study and backgrounds. The key is knowing how to navigate the application process effectively and presenting yourself as a strong candidate. In this blog post, we will guide you through seven(7) essential things to do to improve your chances of securing your first scholarship. Let's dive in! 

1. Be Self-Confident: A lot of people feel that they don't have what it takes to be awarded a scholarship. You may be actively looking for scholarships but still have this deep-seated fear or doubt that says you aren't deserving of one, perhaps due to your background or your academic standing. Well, this is to tell you that anyone can win a scholarship; you just need to find out how to. Another way to look at it is that your personal statement consistently conveys your level of confidence, and a dream that you do not believe in is impossible to sell. Therefore before you even attempt to convince the admissions committee, you need to convince yourself even more.
2. Join Communities: As they are typically the ones with the updates, you need to connect with a group of people with similar interests as yours. Many people complain about the lack of information on scholarships, while others claim to only learn about them right before they expire. To avoid all of these, be a part of thriving communities like UnykEd so you can be constantly up-to-date with scholarship opportunities around the world.
3. Research: If you're serious about getting a scholarship, you need to conduct some personal research on funding and available scholarships. Assistantships are also an excellent option if you require a graduate scholarship, but you may have to step outside of your comfort zone to find one. Keep an eye out for websites and social media pages that disseminate information about scholarships. You can regularly check to make sure you're abreast with what is happening. Information is indeed scattered all over the internet, however, you still need to put in a lot more effort by researching.
4. Apply Shamelessly: Now it is time to shoot, but as you do so,  ensure to have prepared all your supporting documents including a personal statement, recommendation letters, transcripts, test scores, and others.  Don't put yourself in a box by applying to one scholarship alone. Lay your eggs in more than one basket to be safe, then wait for the best to happen. Sometimes things won't work out right away, but over time, you will make progress and your application process will go more smoothly; you might even end up receiving more than one scholarship award at a time.
5. Befriend your professors: You will need a lot of people to write recommendation letters for you along your scholarship path, so you should be more intentional about building and sustaining relationships. This is the time you have to start concentrating on developing quality relationships with your university lecturers. Also, remember that their recommendation has to be real and well-detailed, so they also need to have a solid understanding of who you are.
6. Keep Learning; Don't ever think you've gotten to a stage where you know it all because learning is a never-ending cycle. Attend study fairs, boot camps, information sessions, and even webinars. UnykEd hosts bi-weekly webinars on our social media pages. Follow us to be a part of it.
7. Keep Track of Applications: As you get information on different available scholarships, you need to keep track of them so you don't miss any deadlines. It's also important for you to monitor the scholarships and check your mail from time to time even after applying. You might be invited for an interview or subsequent instructions on the scholarship program might be common.

Give your scholarship search process your best. Don't take any part of the journey lightly. For instance, if you're invited for an interview, take some holiday from work if you need to have adequate time to prepare so you don't come off as someone who is unserious about winning the scholarship. Join our platform to learn more about scholarship opportunities and general college application updates. Join here