Education has a considerable impact on our life for several reasons. To reach our educational goals, we must work hard in class to achieve our academic goals in life. To get a scholarship support to study in the US to further studies in the respective career only comes through hardships. To achieve our dreams and be a successful people depends on how hard we work not only in school but also in our lives.
First, the most important step to getting scholarship support depends on the high school score after graduation. The rule that applies to getting scholarship, changes from country to another, but in my home country, Kuwait, it is the most important step for several reasons. First, for one to get acceptance for the scholarship in the US, one should attain excellent grade point average (GPA) A in the high school. I was studying very hard every day during the high school period just to get excellent marks to get an acceptance to go to the US to study through scholarships. In life, one undergoes challenges. I wanted to be an Army pilot where they require very high score, a GPA of 3.8. Therefore, I did not manage to get a chance because I scored a GPA of 3.6 besides getting 3.8, a deficit of 0.2. The marks I got were capable of getting me a mechanical engineering major. Second, after high school, I had to take some English language exams such as Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). I studied hard for the IELTS exam, and I went ahead contacting a tutoring center to teach me the way to answer the exam and score highly. I sat for the ILELTs exam, and I was able to get 5.5, thus enabling me to apply for the scholarship support in the US universities. Third, I took all my relevant documents to the Ministry of High Education to check for the eligibility and make sure that all my papers are complete. After one week, they send me an email that said that I was among those successful for a scholarship support to study in the United States (Byram & Feng 150).
The second step was to study English as a second language (ESL). I arrived in the United States on 15th September, 2013 and went to Kuwait Cultural Office in Beverly Hills to register in the checklist. Then I bought a Sim card and went to the Bank of America to create a bank account through which I would receive my salary. Finally, I went to Cal Poly Pomona to take the English as a Second Language (ESL) test. During the period of taking ESL, I started with an exam called International Test of English Proficiency (ITEP) which is used to determine the level of my language. I started with level two and the primary goal in the (ESL) is to improve our English language and be ready to study my course as a university student. Apart from English language, they also taught us about how to act, socialize with the American society and be ready for the American university. Besides the regular classes, there were elective classes to help us to improve our skills to get a better score in the TOEFL and IELTS exam. During the third quarter, I had a big problem with one of my teachers. She was my grammar and writing teacher. She was very unfair to me. Some days I got angry with her, unable to control myself and misbehaved by talking to her badly. She reported to the director about what had happened in the class. Then I got warnings from general administration about the matter. I tried to explain what happened in class that made me misbehave, but all was in vain. They listened to the teacher who treated me unfairly, and I had no otherwise, but to apologize and continue with my education during the last quarter in Cal Poly Pomona (Byram & Feng 150).
Third is to be a student at the California State University of Fullerton (CSUF). The first five days were the orientation in the university, telling us about the system of the university and the important rules and regulation that will guide us throughout our entire stay at the university. Then they took us around showing us various classes in the university to familiarize ourselves with the campus. Lastly, during the orientation we were helped to register for the subjects we are supposed to undertake in our respective courses. In addition, we were advised to go and see the academic advisor officer for more information on anything we didn’t understand and seek clarity on some issues or advice about our courses. I signed for American history but since English language was not my first language I had some problems in the first two week in the university. Also, I didn’t have any knowledge in American culture that made my classes in American history much harder for me. I tried to drop that unit and start another course in Art, but the deadline had passed a long time ago. I, therefore, contacted the academic advisor on the issue facing me; then I was allowed to drop it and took another subject unit. Second, being in a class as a CSUF student, I tried all my best at all times in my classes by doing assignments, practical and tests very well to get good results in my transcripts and finally the best grade when graduating with a degree in a Mechanical Engineering (Byram & Feng 150).
In conclusion, my scholarship has been my most important part of the educational life. I learned that nothing comes on a silver platter but through hardship, perseverance, and hard working. It’s only in this way that one can successfully succeed in his/her studies, career, and his/ her entire life. Actually, getting a scholarship to study in United States was my greatest opportunity I have ever had in my whole life and I appreciate every effort I got from my parents, friends and anyone who contributed towards my achievement because it had to be my destiny, my whole life. Finally, I knew I had to become a mechanical engineer in my entire life which was the best thing that happened to me. It is my great pleasure and pride to encourage all other people who have dreams of studying in the US. I encourage them to utilize all the channels possible so that they win scholarships to study in US and those capable of supporting themselves to do so.
Works Cited
Michael Byram, Anwei Feng. Living and Studying Abroad: Research and Practice. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2006.
