BONAINTAN

To write is to redefine, reorganize, and revisit when memories are getting blurred. And of course, to make it less noisy.

[bonaintan]

Can we do the bachelors from our home country and majors from gks? Or is it necessary to have finished bachelors from gks as well?

You can definitely complete your degree (for example, bachelor's) from any university in GKS-eligible countries, with or without any scholarship program, and then apply for another degree program in a Korean university through GKS (for example, master's).

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The Contributor: The Most Emotional Article

This is just my second article for The KPI Institute’s Performance Magazine but researching and writing it quite drained me. Turned out that my editor felt the same when polishing the article. It’s about family estrangement, the situation where you cut off contact with your family members.

Not that I experience it with my immediate family. Thankfully, we have good relationships, talk through family group chats, meet up on weekends, and spend holidays together. I sometimes quarrel with those I live with, but it won’t go for as long as three days because it’s not permissible in Islam teachings. Still, it’s not a pleasant topic to write about and I, for some reason, felt sad when writing it.

It also made me wonder what would make you lose affection towards people who took care of you, people you grew up with, people whose names you called when you first learned to speak. But that might be it. They were the closest to you, so it hurt more when they did you wrong. They knew you better than anyone else, so they knew exactly how to hurt you.

It got me thinking if I would ever feel hurt because of my family, or the other way around, hurt my family that we could never see each other’s eyes anymore. If we would ever be so much in pain that not any single good and happy memory of ours could heal it. If the pain would be worth the distance, and to quit each other’s lives is the only way to feel okay again.

Find the article on The KPI Institute’s Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn page or go directly to the Performance Magazine.

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The Contributor: First Article

I was ecstatic. I made public my (as long as I remember) first non-academic article about family last October in my company’s online magazine. As silly as it sounds, it makes me finally feel like a real writer *giggles*. Even though I have published articles on the same topic in academic journals, it still gives me the sense of being a researcher. But, writing a non-academic article about family is a whole different experience where I bring up more of the issues of everyday family life, the ones that a lot of people can relate to.

I’ve always wanted to write about family, my field of interest, but never mustered up the courage to publish it, even on my blog. I guess I was too worried (I like I've always been, duh) that it would end up being a boring piece of writing and full of theoretical stuff I can’t help it as I’ve been trained for years in doing so when it comes to family. So now, at least once a month, I can finally switch to another ‘language’ (not that family science is full of jargons whatnot) that is a less formal tone of writing.

In my first article, I wrote about family money talks, which are yet seen as uncommon in many societies. Today we might see growing discussions about personal finance all over the Internet and increasing awareness of this topic. But, in the family context, people are not as open about finance with their family members. You can check the article to find some interesting statistics and research findings on financial discussions in the family.

Reflecting on my own family, I grew up with limited exposure to finance from my parents, even though we don’t see it as taboo either. The money values and habits that I learned from them are mainly communicated through their behavior and habits that I witnessed as a kid. For example, they have invited us to donate since we were kids. But, on the other hand, they never shared why they made a certain financial decision that most likely affected us, their children, while that could actually serve as a way of developing our healthy relationship with money. Today, as an adult, I have been trying to engage them in such a discussion, so that albeit slightly, we can develop a better financial situation in our family and even improve our communication.

Find the article on The KPI Institute’s Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn page or go directly to the Performance Magazine.

[bonaintan]

A Journey to KGSP/GKS: Self-reflection

It’s been over five years since I started my journey as a KGSP/GKS awardee, four years since I started mentoring people who were preparing for their applications, and two years since I completed the KGSP/GKS program and posted the series of A Journey to KGSP/GKS here, which allows me to reach out to even more people on the same journey. When starting the series, I just thought to give back as much advice and assistance as I received from past awardees and expand their helping hands to more prospective applicants.

Years back, when I got my first offer to be a mentor in a scholarship mentorship program, I was conflicted about whether or not to accept it. Years after, I was still in doubt to openly share my experience here because I’m far from an expert, let alone guarantee anything that will make anyone closer to their dream school in Korea. It’s probably the weight of giving advice and guidance to other people that I am always concerned about (the same reason that led me to change my career path). But, regardless of the difference I could make, I just hope that this little trace of mine could last for a long time.

Thanks to these posts, I connected with people from different sides of the world who DM me on Instagram and offer me to check their essays. I personally don’t think that it’s an easy thing to do, especially to someone you barely know and have never met in person, given that the essay includes the story of your life, the family you grew up with, even some details that you might have never shared with anyone else. But, despite my limited experience and the assistance I can give, they let me into some parts of their lives and even let me give suggestions on how to present them differently in writing. I think it’s an amazing way to cross paths with people you never knew existed and to be part of their life journey, even just for a while.

For me, reading every essay is a privilege, a worth learning place, and a chance to reflect on. It always feels like putting on different eyes to see and experience the world. And, none of my feedback for them will ever be worth the same. So, I just wanted those who have kindly shared their essays with me to know that I never took this privilege lightly nor took it for granted. It’s part of my long life learning experience, which I’ll always be grateful for.

[bonaintan]

Aku lelah menjadi yang paling memikirkan segalanya. Segala yang telah terjadi dan yang mungkin akan terjadi. Hingga kemudian aku lupa pada segala yang sedang terjadi. Dan aku semakin lelah di malam hari, saat segalanya menjadi yang telah terjadi dan yang mungkin akan terjadi kian dekat.

bonaintan

[bonaintan]

Aku menyesal. Untuk segala hal yang kau rasakan tapi tak satu pun kurasakan. Untuk segala tutur kata dan lakumu yang tak mampu buatku berhenti berpikir dan hanya merasakan. Karena tak ada apa-apa di sana; semuanya penuh di kepalaku. Dan aku kian sibuk berpikir, hingga kau lewat dan aku masih tak merasakan apa-apa.

bonaintan

[ajinurafifah]

Bahagia itu tidak perlu dicari, hanya perlu disadari.

Aji Nur Afifah (via ajinurafifah)

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The medicine

I take medicine whenever I am flying. That was Spring 2018 when I first went to see a psychiatrist at the student health center. During Summer break in that year, I had more flights than I ever did in my life which made me freak out months before my first trip. I actually never enjoyed a long trip, especially by plane. But, that year I confronted my fear and planned on having a family trip in Indonesia as well as a trip to a neighboring country with my friends. Within 2 months I had to take on a plane 7 times and I surely needed something to help me cope.

I found people with the same phobia on the Internet are taking medicine before flying. At first, I was hesitant to even consider medication. I never thought that I would need something to help me beat the uncomfortable feeling when flying. I believe people experience the same feeling to some degree, so I have no special routine and just go like everybody else; praying, listening to music, reading a book, watching movies, having a conversation with someone. I don’t know about other people but to me, it’s actually a very exhausting experience both physically and mentally. During the flight, I would stay alert, couldn’t focus on whatever I was doing to kill the time, and could never fall asleep even though I didn’t sleep the night before. When turbulences happen, I would get a panic attack and short-breathing so I would grab my wrist, feel the pulse, and try to breathe.

Some people say at some point you’ll get used to it. The psychiatrist said the same thing to me. But, it’s never clear which point or how many times exactly someone has to be on a plane to eventually overcome the fear. Some people remain alert even in their day-to-day life when things like an elevator can suffocate them or heavy rain makes them tremble. For those people, it would be even harder to get used to flying when even small stuff they see every day still freaks them out.

Looking at how every flight experience I had was never enjoyable, no matter I try to stay calm and force myself to sleep, I don’t think going through it many times in a short period would do me any good. So, I decided to see a doctor and get a prescription. I got my medicine and went back to my room, feeling like a surrender. I was struck by a realization that what the psychiatrist was saying during my medical check-up two years ago did happen to me. I realized that my willpower was never strong enough, I could barely overcome it even after living independently for almost two years at the time, and so I gave up and let the medicine take the lead.

I can’t really explain how the medicine works on me. I take it 30 minutes before departure and on a flight longer than 3 hours I take it again above if I fail to fall asleep. I’m not sure if it’s really how the medicine works, but during the first hour, I somehow feel it starts to kick it. At the time, even though I wouldn’t instantly fall asleep, I could feel something different in my mood. My appetite would become slightly better because it usually gets worse whenever I feel nervous. Then, I couldn’t feel the fear, I would feel normal, calm, and safe like I was on the ground. The mood change is not so significant or turned upside down, but I could feel something is calming me.

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Visiting Taiwan without a visa: That moment when I realize the power of South Korea

Kunjungan ke Taiwan saya lakukan tahun 2019 lalu untuk menghadiri sebuah konferensi. Sesungguhnya saat itu saya berangkat dari Indonesia, yang seharusnya mewajibkan saya sebagai Warga Negara Indonesia untuk memiliki visa berkunjung, if I hadn't had the student visa from Korea.

Saya masih berada di Korea pada saat mempersiapkan keberangkatan ke Taiwan di bulan Oktober. Karena sempat mempertimbangkan untuk memperpanjang masa tinggal di Korea yang habis pada September 2019, saya memiliki opsi berangkat dari Korea atau Indonesia. Jika berangkat dari Korea, maka saya harus mencari informasi perijinan masuk termasuk pembuatan visa di Korea.

Ide untuk mengurus hal-hal semacam ini di Korea tidak pernah membuat saya stres dibandingkan jika melakukannya di Indonesia. Alasannya? (1) Berdasarkan pengalaman mengurus visa Jepang di Korea tahun sebelumnya dan segala urusan perdokumenan sebagai WNA, prosesnya tidak memerlukan tarik urat; (2) Tinggal di Seoul membuat akses ke instansi pemerintah di dalam dan luar negeri mudah dan nyaman sehingga seperti poin nomor 1, prosesnya tidak memerlukan tarik urat; dan (3) Jarak Korea-Taiwan lebih dekat dibandingkan Indonesia-Taiwan, yang pada kasus saya adalah sebuah poin maha penting.

Di bayangan saya saat itu, jika berangkat dari Indonesia berarti saya harus ke Jakarta untuk mengurus dokumen perijinan yang walaupun masih mudah dicapai dari Bogor, tapi proses perjalanannya sangat mungkin membuat stres. Belum lagi prosesnya, yang lagi-lagi di bayangan saya saat itu, akan memakan waktu yang lebih panjang. Dan terakhir, penerbangan Jakarta-Taipei yang walaupun satu jam tiga puluh menit lebih pendek dibandingkan Jakarta-Seoul dengan direct flight, tapi pasti akan memberikan saya tingkat stres yang lebih.

Di tengah persiapan, saya mendapat info dari salah satu teman baik selama di SNU kalau WNI bisa masuk Taiwan tanpa visa, berdasarkan info dari pasangannya yang pernah studi di Taiwan. Saat itu barulah saya menggali info pengajuan visa Taiwan dari Indonesia dan menemukan ROC Travel Authorization Certificate alias Sertifikat Otoritas Perjalanan ROC. Di saat yang sama, hilal saya untuk memperpanjang masa tinggal di Korea sama sekali tidak tampak. So, I guess, this is it. Saya mengajukan aplikasi ROC di Indonesia satu bulan sebelum berangkat, di tengah hiruk pikuk pekerjaan saat itu.

Jadi benda apakah ROC ini? Singkatnya, ROC memberikan ijin masuk dan tinggal di Taiwan selama 14 hari bagi WNI dan sejumlah warga negara lainnya dengan kriteria berikut:

(1)   Paspor berlaku enam bulan sejak kedatangan di Taiwan

(2)   Memiliki tiket pesawat atau kapal perjalanan pergi dan pulang

(3)   Tidak pernah bekerja sebagai pekerja pabrik/buruk di Taiwan

(4)  Memiliki setidaknya salah satu visa yang dikeluarkan oleh Amerika Serikat, Kanada, Inggris, Jepang, Australia, Selandia Baru, Korea Selatan, dan negara-negara Schengen. Visa Australia dan Selandia Baru harus masih berlaku pada saat pengajuan sedangkan visa lainnya diijinkan telah berakhir kurang dari 10 tahun sebelum kedatangan di Taiwan.

That was the first time I was so thankful for a card I used to bring with me wherever I went to in Korea. Not that I plan to travel to Taiwan again and again until the next 10 years, but because of an ease I got amid the stress when preparing for the conference. Also, never did I imagine I would ever go to Taiwan, at least not voluntarily, but it happened to be my expired Korean student visa that saved me some trouble because guess what, the application is free and can be done online.

Cara mengajukan ROC sangat mudah. Cukup masuk ke website https://niaspeedy.immigration.gov.tw/nia_southeast/, pilih Bahasa yang diinginkan, baca syarat dan ketentuan yang tertera dengan teliti, dan lengkapi formulir aplikasi yang tersedia. Kalau data yang diinput sudah benar, sertifikat persetujuan akan langsung keluar dan bisa diprint atau diunduh dalam bentuk PDF. Whatever the certificate was saying, it did like magic to my Indonesian passport when I was in Taiwan.

To wrap up, let me share some shots during my short-stay in Taipei, a city that reminds me a lot with Korea I ugly cracked up when I first landed (bercanda deh, saya cuma kecapean jiwa raga karena perjalanan Bogor-Jakarta dan indirect flight selama 10 jam lebih).

(Pertama kali jadi ‘delegasi’ negara lain)

(Pendakian di hari mendarat menghasilkan pemandangan Kota Taipei, semacam penyegaran walaupun kaki udah ga berbentuk)

(Percayalah, ini salah satu bayangan yang membuat saya bertahan selama di pesawat)

[bonaintan]

I came to a conclusion (or a realization) that life is all about choosing viewpoints, really. It'll bring you further, either to the good side or the bad side of the world. It's not always about how a viewpoint you’re taking this very moment may lead you to a whole different story in the future. Choosing a viewpoint may affect you as fast as overthinking and depression ruining your body. Or else, it may whip you and you somehow manage to finish your work when, in fact, all you do is keeping your head away from your crying pillow.

[bonaintan]

A Journey to KGSP/GKS: Study Plan

After a very long while, I finally managed to post this! This, I guess is my final post on A Journey to KGSP/GKS Series. I’m still considering whether or not to make a post about the interview. I’m not sure I can cover this topic well since my experience is limited to the interview session in the Korean Embassy. Even I heard that each Embassy has its own way of conducting the interview, including the questions given. Anyways, on this post, I’ll be sharing on my experience in writing a study plan (or statement of purpose for the Graduate degrees) for the GKS Application. If you just started preparing the GKS Application, you may want to check my previous posts on the guideline to the application forms and personal statement essay or read my experience in applying for the 2016 KGSP/GKS-G.

So, as we’ve known, a study plan is another important stage to showcase the applicant’s ability in planning his study in Korea. One needs to explain his/her plans before coming to Korea when doing the study in Korea, and after graduating from the Korean university.

Study Plan template (2021 GKS-Undergraduate Application)

Statement of Purpose template (2021 GKS-Graduate Application)

 When preparing for the application back in 2016, I tried to find as many resources as possible. I joined the KGSP Global Applicant Facebook group, searched awardees from Indonesia and other countries online through Facebook and Instagram, and contacted them to discuss their experience and ask for some advice. I then found Mas Nasikun’s blog, a KGSP awardee from Indonesia who did his Master’s degree program at Seoul National University. I was especially very grateful for his posts on how to write a study plan. His posts on KGSP Application are still there and anyone interested in applying for this scholarship will surely find it very useful.

Here I’m making a kind of brief guideline in writing a study plan. I divide them into plans before, during, and after studying in Korea.

Plans before going to Korea. Here, you need to write down things you have been doing and will be doing before going to Korea. This mostly covers Korean language preparation. I believe that ‘taking Korean language courses’ shouldn’t be necessarily on the list. There’s a bunch of fun ways to learn a language, especially the Korean language. What is better than watching Korean TV shows and being whipped by the actors and actresses? (Not watching one?) Okay, if you still doubt whether you should start learning the language by now, I urge you to do so unless you just apply for fun and ‘luckily’ see yourself get a seat at the end. Especially for those who never got anything related to Korea, get yourself used to how Korean language sounds is an important first step that will take you further lightheartedly. I met people who hardly heard the Korean language until they reach the country, and they struggled within one-year language training which I believe could have been less tormenting and fun instead. One year is short if not to say insufficient, trust me.

I was far from fluent when applying for this scholarship program (well, I still am), but I wasn’t unfamiliar with the language either. If there was only one effort in learning the language that I invested the most, it was listening to Korean songs. I wasn’t into K-dramas before coming to Korea, and I could barely make any time to go to a language center. I started learning Hangeul (Korean alphabet) while preparing for the application but just started self-teaching on basic grammars around 2 months before my departure in August. I wasn’t confident in mastering the language in one year, plus my over-anxiety told me to do something to lessen my stress in the future. Still, I knew I should’ve started earlier.

So, you need to explain that any plans during this time are to prepare you for life in Korea and of course the degree program. Here, you also need to mention your goals during the language training program. You may divide it into two semesters; what things you will do and the level of Korean proficiency you aim in the first and second half. There are many programs you can participate in during language training, such as the Buddy program, voluntary work at Korean schools, cultural festivals, etc. You may do your research and mention what you’re mostly expecting to do to improve your Korean skills.

Plans during your study in Korea. This section is a little bit different for GKS-U and GKS-G applicants AND applicants via Embassy and University Track. GKS-U applicants are provided a separate section for this part whereas, for GKS-G applicants, this part is combined with the plan before coming to Korea. Regardless, the best way to deliver this part is by setting a timeline for your plan, either per semester or per academic year.

For GKS-U applicants, I personally think that you can simply mention the number of credits in total to graduate and the average number of credits every semester. As for the course, you can mention some courses you’re particularly interested in and the reason (for example, those courses are in line with the topic interest of your final project/thesis, or they will be beneficial for your future career). These are basic information, so make sure you check the curriculum and graduation requirements! Other things to include are plans on taking short-term courses during summer/winter break and organizations/clubs/other student activities you will want to join (check on the university/department website for reference). Don’t forget to elaborate on why you need these activities (project it to your future goal).

For GKS-G applicants, I recommend writing down your study plan per semester since dividing into two academic years may limit the details. Depending on the major, you may set different goals each semester. Generally, I believe, the first semester would be the time to strengthen your fundamental knowledge regarding your field of study while adapting to the Korean education system. Some may have chances to start consulting with their academic advisor/professor even working in a lab. In the second semester, you may need to start working on your research plans. Here, you may briefly explain the thesis research you want to do. Most Master’s degree programs in Korea require a thesis for graduation so make sure you prepare one. Unless you’re applying for the Research Program, no need to go very detail on this. Three important points to include when explaining your research plan: what the research topic is, why you want to work on it, and why Korea and/or your university choice is the best place to carry out this research. In the third semester, you will probably need to sit for a comprehensive exam and start conducting your research. For social science and humanity students, you should prepare the ethical clearance application by the end of this semester or during the semester break so that you can start conducting your research, especially, collecting the research data, as the new semester begins. Finally, you may wrap up your final semester by completing the thesis and publishing or submitting a research article to a journal (some departments have it as part of graduation requirements).

For Embassy track applicants, I don’t think you need to elaborate on your 3 university and major choices and the reasons behind every choice. You likely apply for similar if not the same major. Despite different names, the focus study should be the same and that’s what you need to elaborate on. What I did back then is briefing the reason I applied for that major (I already mention it in the Personal Statement so I just briefly explain it here) and what topic of study I will focus on my thesis research. For university track applicants, you may explain the reasons for applying to the major and the university of your choice and your study plan followed by the plan each semester.

Plans after graduating from a Korean university. The keyword for this part, I believe, is future career. And the best way to show the reviewer your enthusiasm and your visionary side (regardless of how vague the future life is yet), is to name your future goal. I think telling what kind of job you aspire and some motivations behind it would work. Another important point to include is whether you will return to your home country or stay in Korea after graduation, accompanied by things you will do afterward. Again, this part may seem vague for some, especially for GKS-U applicants. Still, you need to make it as detail as possible, regardless of whether you’ll change it someday in the future or whether it seems unattainable for now. Dream big! If you plan on going directly to a graduate school, briefly explain what motivates you to continue your study and what field of study you’re going for. For GKS-G applicants, I guess their work for this part shouldn’t be too difficult as some are likely to already have a job and/or know where they’ll go after receiving the degree.

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I hope you find this post helpful and may as well be a reference for writing your study plan. Best of luck with your GKS application and your study in Korea.

[bonaintan]

A Journey to KGSP/GKS: Personal Statement

Finally, here is my third post on A Journey to KGSP/GKS Series. Previously, I wrote about my experience in preparing for the KGSP/GKS application back in 2016 and just before this post I wrote about how to fill in the KGSP/GKS Application Forms. This time, I’ll be sharing my two cents on how to write a Personal Statement, one of the essays of the GKS Application. When I prepared my application, it took me around 3 months to finish writing both essays. I remember starting to write as soon as I decided to apply for the scholarship in November, putting it off for a month or so, coming back and forth for the revisions, and finishing it a few days before the application closing date.

The GKS application forms have included the essay template with instructions and points to include which I found very helpful. I always enjoy writing, but writing an essay in English for studies back then was especially hard because English isn’t my first language and I never learned writing academic English properly. Here are some tips that I did and I wish I had known when writing my essays for the GKS Application.  

Personal Statement template (2021 GKS Application)

First, find your application’s identity. “Why do I want to study in Korea and apply for this program? Why should the reviewer choose me among hundreds of applicants?” These questions are the ones that I kept coming back when writing my Personal Statement. As I kept digging the reasons, I somehow found the identity of my application, a statement that will clearly describe me and hopefully will leave an impression for the reviewers.

I see Personal Statement as a stage to promote myself. It tells a story about me, my personal values, and significant events that happened in my life which lead me to aspire to study in Korea and apply for the GKS. The goal is to convey my story in the most impactful way possible that no matter how ordinary it is, the reviewer will still remember me after reading other hundreds of similar or even better stories. To do this, I don’t think I can merely rely on a list of achievements and experiences I have because they probably aren’t so outstanding among other applicants. That is why I need to put an identity into my application, to make my story stronger than my own name.  

In my case, “an applicant majoring in Family Studies” is the identity that I highlighted. Given that Family Studies is not a common field of study especially in Indonesia, regardless of how important it is for our society (don’t get me started into Family Sciences 101. Lol.), I guess it was the strongest point of my application that granted me a seat for an interview in the Korean Embassy. I could be wrong, but the interviewers asked about it during the whole interview session.  

Second, make your essay hook. If you put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes who has to deal with a hundred applications, how will you sort it out? There are sure other considering points such as grades that are quite easy to determine. But, when it comes to essays, how will you rate it and choose from a pool of applicants? Just like its name, a Personal Statement should be personal yet interesting. Personal; it tells who the applicant is, his/her experiences, achievements, values. Interesting; no matter how different every applicant’s life story is, the reasons to study abroad and apply for the scholarship might not be so unique, thus, the way it is written should be fascinating and impactful. That is how an essay hook will make your application stand out and assure the reviewers that you deserve one seat until the final round.

There are many ways to write an essay hook; quotation, question, strong statement, metaphor, etc. You may try many different ways before finding the one that matches the big picture of your essay. An essay hook is aimed to attract the reader since the beginning of your essay. This is also related to the whole picture of the essay and the information in the next paragraphs. As I decided to emphasize my major in Family Studies, I open my essay with the story about my own family and what values I was grown up with. I also wrote about how people used to ask what my major is about and whether it really is necessary to learn about family sciences at university. I keep this point as the whole idea of my essay which helped me to explain why I had to go to a Korean university.

Third, be reflective. Reflecting is such a habit to me. You know, that tendency to lay awake in your bed and replaying what has happened that day in your head and what you could’ve done to make it better, or at least, to make yourself feel better. Well, I learn that doing it isn’t always good. But, when it comes to reflecting on your past experiences and achievements in your Personal Statement, I can never stress enough how important it is. After mentioning all your precious achievements and writing how eventful your life is, you need to explain what lessons learned that you get, what skills you learn, and how they contribute to who you are today. It might sound cliché to write about how your leadership skills have been sharpened through many organizations, but I don’t think it will do you bad to show that you have learned from your experience.

Fifth, make an outline. To me, an outline always does wonder. You might have ever practiced it for school assignments. It’s really as simple as starting from the points mentioned in the essay instruction; (1) family background, (2) latest education, (3) significant and relevant experiences (working, internship, organization, clubs), (4) motivations to study in Korea and apply for the GKS. You can write down ideas for each point and add a few sentences for the explanation. As you develop each point, you may want to write it in 1-2 paragraphs and keep it as your main idea. This will surely help your writing stay on track, lead the plot and transition from one idea/point to another without jumbling up.

Sixth, don’t expect to finish it in one night or even one-seating and then submit it on the next day. Only after giving it some time and re-reading it a few days later that you’ll notice every mistake in your essay, those misspellings-wrong tenses-wrong expressions, even if you’ve been very meticulous especially when it comes to writings. Also, I can never stress enough how you should stop yourself from editing those punctuation marks or misspellings while typing because it will put your idea on hold and take much time to finish your first draft.

Finally, ask someone to proofread your essay and give feedback. I received a lot of help from my English tutor who gave valuable feedback on my essays. Having someone read your essay sort of allows you to get through the pre-review and the nerve-wracking of the application screening process. Also, your essay will look different from someone else’s perspective so it’s important to get their feedback even if it’s as simple as word choices. Especially, because Personal Statement is an essay about ourselves, we can easily understand it but it can be hard to be objective. Your best friend will tell you some confusing parts, things that you should explain better, or simply tell whether the storytelling is interesting enough.

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There are a lot more awesome tips all over the Internet on how to write a great Personal Statement essay. These are basically what I did when I wrote my own for the GKS application. I have no idea exactly which part of my application that granted me the scholarship, but I believe that the Personal Statement had its big share. For another essay, Study Plan/Statement of Purpose, you can check my post about it here.

[bonaintan]

A Journey to KGSP/GKS: Application Forms

I decided to write A Journey to KGSP/GKS series based on my experience as KGSP awardee in 2016. Just like other awardees, I also received a lot of chats and DMs from people asking about KGSP/GKS applications. It’s not that I’m tired and annoyed by answering the same questions over and over again, that I decided to post it online, really. That is practically what I’ve been doing in the past four years which, at some points during my student life in Korea, turned out to help me cope with the situation and keep me on track as I was reminded how far I had come.

Just recently I changed my mind to write and post it online so anyone can read it and I myself can re-read it (for whatever reasons), after joining in a mentorship program (supported by the Indonesian Student Association in South Korea aka Perpika) as a mentor for the Indonesian students and graduates who are interested in studying in Korea and preparing for the scholarship application. I mentored a similar program from MITI Klaster Mahasiswa back in 2017 called Youth Connection but I guess at the time I wasn’t feeling okay enough to share it. Now that I graduated safe and sound, I guess posting it online won’t hurt. So, this is the second post of my ‘A Journey to KGSP/GKS’ series, and I’ll try to post the next ones as soon as possible.

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As I’ve mentioned in my previous post about my journey to KGSP/GKS, I decided to go for this scholarship application the second I learned about this program. One of my thoughts at the time is how simple the application looks. And it is indeed simple, at least for me who had never applied for such a program and dealing with forms in English. The guideline also states everything clearly. Of course, I got a lot of help from KGSP/GKS awardees I met online who were very kind to share their experience. But, I tried to do my share as much as possible by doing my research on the Internet in advance, making sure I didn’t irritate them by asking trivial questions I can easily access on the Internet or even the application guideline, and avoiding the questions which are more on self-preference, such as “Is it okay if my recommendation letter is folded?”

KGSP/GKS-G (for graduate) and KGSP/GKS-U (for undergraduate) Application Forms are all over the Internet. It can be downloaded from various sites, such as Study in Korea, Korean Embassy sites, some Korean university sites, and Topik Guide. Along with the application guideline is a separate file of the application forms (although the complete guideline includes the forms as well), University Information, and FAQs files. These are the first reference and ammunition that no single applicant should ever miss. You might have your sister as a KGSP/GKS awardee and you can easily ask every single detail, but really, that kind of mentality will get in your way someday. So, go get the guideline and read it! (Sorry, I’m being too enthusiast here.)

Thankfully, the application forms stay pretty the same over the years. Minor changes might have been done as well as the regulation changes. But, it does not affect that much to the application procedures, thus making it easy for the applicants to prepare the applications way way way earlier even before the opening period. And that’s what I did back then. I downloaded the application guidelines from the previous years and noticed that the forms stayed the same, so I started to practice filling in the forms and prepare for the required documents.

The first part of the application forms includes the application checklist. Depending on the program you apply to, either Undergraduate or Graduate Degrees, the required documents are slightly different. The application checklist for the Graduate Degree Programs consists of all required documents for three different degree programs (i.e., Master’s, Doctoral, and Research Programs) so the list is a little bit longer. As for the Undergraduate application, three types of documents are required for certain documents (graduation certificate, transcripts, certificate of citizenship, and awards). I might be wrong on this since I had no experience in preparing for the undergraduate application, but here is what I understand about the difference between the original, official notarized translation, and copied documents.

2021 GKS Application checklist (above: Undergraduate; below: Graduate)

The original document, like its name, is the original version of a document that can be written in many different languages depending on the country where it is issued. For Indonesian applicants, the original document of the graduation certificate is the one written in Bahasa Indonesia. In case an applicant only has one copy of the original document, they can submit the certified copy version which is the copy of the original document certified/stamped by the issuing institution (e.g., school). In Bahasa Indonesia, it’s called dokumen legalisir.

Since all documents have to be written in either Korean or English, here comes the second type of the documents to accompany the original document, official notarized translation. As for the graduation/degree certificate and transcripts, some schools might provide the English translation. Otherwise, an applicant needs to have it translated into Korean or English by a sworn translator. From here, the document has to be legalized again by the notary. In the end, the official notarized translation should be a document written in Korean or English and should have 2-3 different stamps: issuing institution, (translating institution), and notary stamps. The last is the copied document which is the photocopied version (black-and-white document).

The number of copies submitted depends on the application track. For those applying via University Track, they should send only the original/certified copy of the documents to the university of their choice. As the screening process is taken place in Korea, the documents should be the very best  legalized version. For countries that require apostille version of the document such as Indonesia, some documents (degree certificate, transcripts, proof of citizenship) have to be apostilled or receive the consular confirmation from the Korean Embassy in the country where the document is issued.

Notes for my Indonesian fellows, here is the procedure to get the documents apostilled: legalized by the notary >> Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) >> Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) >> (Korean) Embassy.

If applying via the Korean Embassy, one original/certified copy document, one official notarized translation, and three photocopied documents have to be prepared. Apparently, some Korean Embassies, including the Korean Embassy in Indonesia, may apply different regulations. Korean Embassy in Indonesia requires the applicants to send only one copy of the original document and the copies will be made by the Embassy.

The next part of the application forms is the applicant’s personal information, which is considerably easy to be filled in. As for the applicant’s name, some who do not have a separate family name may find it confusing at first, like in most cases of Indonesians. In such cases, simply write the same as your passport name: first name and middle name (if any) as the given name and last name as surname. For the university and major choices for graduate degrees, some confusions come from the differences between Division, Department, and Major. The best way to solve this is by referring to the University Information file, on the list of majors offered. As for the grades/GPA, use the CGPA conversion table on the guideline to convert various grading systems. If the CGPA conversion table does not apply for the grading system of the applicant’s school, the information on how to do the conversion should be attached.

Applicant’s Personal Information (above: Undergraduate; below: Graduate)

For awards and published papers, I believe there is no limit number but I personally mentioned the best two. You may want to mention the rest, if they are quite significant for you, in the Personal Statement. For published papers written in language other than Korean or English, the original title and other details (e.g., journal name) can be mentioned first, followed by the English title in parentheses.

The next forms to be filled are Personal Statement and Statement of Purpose/Study Plan. Instructions have been provided clearly on each part, so I believe it comes back to the applicant’s writing ability to come up with the best way of storytelling which hopefully will impress the reviewers. I have made a post for some tips to write Personal Statement and Statement of Purpose/Study Plan based on my experience.

Recommendation letters are another important required document for KGSP/GKS applications. An applicant should receive two recommendation letters from two recommenders. The letter template has been prepared in the application, but the recommenders may attach their own template. Just make sure that they understand what points should be included and that everything should be written in either Korean or English. This letter is confidential, so you may want to clarify beforehand as to who will translate the document if your recommender writes it in other languages.

The last is self-medical assessment/personal medical assessment which is a brief medical history of the applicant. It can be filled in independently by the applicant without going to the hospital or any healthcare center and should be filled in all honesty because you shouldn’t let any wrong information stated in the application forms get in your way in the later selection process of the medical check-up where pretty much everything will be revealed.

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That is the end of the KGSP/GKS application forms. This is crazily long I know, but I hope you will somehow find this post helpful. 

This post has been updated following the 2021 Application Guidelines. Please do let me know if you find incorrect information that I stated here. And I strongly encourage all applicants to read the guidelines by heart as it has much more detailed information.

[ludhinivolva-deactivated2023102]

Kenapa orang bisa jadi hebat?

Karena Allah tutupi aibnya.

Banyak orang dielu-elukan karena prestasinya, karena kesuksesannya, karena rupanya, dsb. Padahal mereka dan kita juga sama sama manusia. Pasti pernah berbuat salah dan dosa. Maka alangkah sombongnya orang - orang yang mengatribusikan apa yang didapat kepada dirinya sendiri dan seakan akan lupa akan segala kesalahannya. Apalagi mereka yang merasa lebih tinggi, lebih suci, lebih baik. Mungkin Tuhan tertawa melihat tingkah hambanya.

[stay-close]

And then I felt sad because I realized that once people are broken in certain ways, they can't ever be fixed, and this is something nobody ever tells you when you are young and it never fails to surprise you as you grow older as you see the people in your life break one by one. You wonder when your turn is going to be, or if it's already happened.

— Douglas Coupland, Life After God

[bonaintan]

Tell me when it’s enough.

Tulisan ini merupakan salah satu refleksi dari sebuah drama Korea berjudul “He Is Psychometric (사이코메트리 그녀석)”. Yep, you read it right, I reflected on the drama that I watched and wrote it on my journal lol. Itulah salah satu aspek yang membuat saya menikmati Korean series. Selain karena jumlah episodenya yang pas (tidak terlalu panjang atau pendek) dan akting para aktornya yang luar biasa (terutama pada crying scenes), jalan cerita dan dialognya menurut saya mengandung banyak makna dan mengajak penonton untuk mencernanya lebih dalam melalui berbagai sudut pandang. Terlebih setelah saya bisa memahami Bahasa Korea, setiap scene dan dialog menjadi semakin menarik dan berarti karena ada nuansa-nuansa tertentu yang tidak selalu bisa diterjemahkan dengan memuaskan ke dalam Bahasa Indonesia ataupun English.

Singkatnya, spoiler alert, drama ini menceritakan lelaki bernama Lee Ahn yang memiliki kemampuan psychometric, yaitu melihat kenangan benda hidup dan mati melalui indra peraba. Dia mendapat kemampuan itu setelah kehilangan kedua orang tuanya pada kebakaran di apartemen tempat tinggalnya. Lee Ahn diselamatkan oleh Sungmo yang kemudian berperan sebagai kakak laki-laki angkat yang membesarkannya, dan merupakan satu-satunya orang yang tidak bisa Lee Ahn baca kenangannya. The plot twisted, Sungmo ternyata merupakan pelaku penyulut kebakaran demi menyelamatkan ibunya dari kejaran sang ayah yang menyekap keduanya di basement sampai Sungmo berusia 10 tahun. Drama ini berakhir dengan Sungmo yang menyerahkan diri ke kepolisian akibat kejahatan membakar apartemen yang dilakukannya bertahun-tahun silam dan kekerasaan terhadap ayahnya yang mencoba mengejar dan melukai ibunya lagi.

I was hooked on Lee Ahn’s line when meeting Sungmo in prison, in one of the final scenes.

“I wish someone would tell us when it’s enough. The resentment, the hatred, and the guilt.”

Saya tersadarkan bahwa dalam hidup kita terus-menerus bersinggungan dengan pertemuan dan perpisahan, memiliki dan kehilangan, melukai dan dilukai. Saya sangat setuju dengan kalimat Lee Ahn, dan nyatanya berharap hal yang sama. Ketika seseorang yang penting pergi selamanya dari kehidupan kita, kita tidak tahu kapan harus berhenti meratapi dan merasa kehilangan. Ketika kita dilukai, kita tidak tahu kapan harus berhenti membenci. Pun ketika kita melukai, kita tidak tahu kapan harus berhenti merasa bersalah dan menyesali. Seandainya saja ada lampu indikator sebagai pertanda bahwa kehilangan, kebencian, dan penyesalan yang kita rasakan sudah cukup, sudah mencapai batas maksimal dan ini saatnya untuk reset.

Ada satu kesamaan di tengah rasa kehilangan, kebencian, penyesalan; lelah. Lelah jiwa raga. Jika kita membiarkan diri mengambil jeda sesaat, kita akan tersadarkan betapa melelahkannya memelihara perasaan-perasaan tersebut. Kemudian kita pun mulai bertanya, “Sampai kapan? Satu tahun lagi? Dua tahun lagi? Apa selama ini sudah cukup?” Tidak ada jawaban pasti, bahkan mungkin setelah kita bertanya di sepertiga malam pada saat pintu langit terbuka.

Oftentimes, we just get through busy days and lonely nights until at some point in life, we sleep without tears on the bed sheet, we laugh without feeling guilty, we remember them longingly once in a while without feeling pain in our hearts anymore. We, eventually, manage to get through those days when the loss, the hatred, and the guilt is all that mattered. But still, we never know when or how it happens. I believe that time does heal our broken hearts only when we let it so, only when we let go who has gone, keep them in our hearts, and cherish them in our memory, only when we let ourselves move and keep on living.

[bonaintan]

A Journey to KGSP/GKS: How I Ended Up in Korea

Everyone has at least one turning point in their life. It’s a momentum when one believes that his/her life has completely changed and a new one has begun. To me, KGSP/GKS is one of my turning points. I wouldn’t say that my journey to get the scholarship and my student life in Korea were full of blood and tears. Tough days were there, but there must be a bunch of more heart-breaking stories other than mine. God allows us to experience things and difficulties within our ability and even though I had mine in an unexpected way, I know that He had been very soft to me all the time. It was the time when I learned different versions of myself I never knew existed. And just now, months after I graduated and managed to finish the program safely that I had the courage to share my experience.  

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Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP), which has changed its name into the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), is a scholarship program from the Government of the Republic of Korea. This program provides foreigners the opportunity to continue to higher education (undergraduate and graduate degree programs) in South Korea. You may click here for more information.

Studying abroad has always been one of my dreams since high school. It turned from a mere dream into a plan once I graduated from university. Given my major is not a common one (Family Science) especially in Indonesia, I knew that I should go overseas to do my master’s degree program. I could’ve just continued my studies at the same university where I graduated, but even my advisor suggested to find some overseas universities, the most possible one is in Malaysia. At the time, Korea hadn’t been on the list as I had no idea if any universities were providing my prospective major.

I only did my research on schools in Malaysia and the US until I ran into a broadcast message about overseas scholarship for graduate programs. The list was quite long so I did a quick scan and started to dig into each based on my country preference, where Korea happened to be one of it. Back then, my knowledge of Korea was limited to dramas that I got to watch along with my older sisters (if you have three older sisters you can hardly choose what to watch on TV) and then some bands my little sister listened to. So I’ve been a fan of the Korean entertainment industry before coming to Korea, but studying there was never on any of my imaginations because I was skeptical on the idea of learning a new language (there were days when I laughed on Korean language and how the actors/actresses look, never imagined it would be part of myself in the future).

Surprisingly, the moment I learned about KGSP/GKS, I decided to give it a go. I did calculations on time and energy that I had (I was working at the time) and knew that I could afford only one scholarship application at the time. So I wrapped up my research on other countries and scholarship programs and spent the rest of the year preparing for KGSP/GKS applications, which means that I literally gave my all to my first scholarship journey. As a person who was spoiled by her parents and never had experience in scholarship application before, it was quite overwhelming. But, I tried hard to prepare everything myself despite their disapproval. It was actually my way to show them as well as God that I could do it and I would make it (what a confidence. Lol).

I sent my application to the Korean Embassy in Jakarta as I applied via Embassy Track. I learned that the competition on the first round through this track was not a joke, but I simply preferred having three university choices rather than one and I didn’t want to take a risk of having my documents lost on the way (that’s odd, I know, but I’m always more on the safe side). Thank God, I got the interview call and then had my documents sent to Korea after passing the interview process. The next round was having my documents screened by the Korean National Institute for International Education (NIIED) in Korea and once I passed this process, I had to wait for the email from my chosen universities, whether they wanted to do another interview or directly announced their decision. At this round, a lot of awardees say that you’ve already put your first step in Korea and there will be at least one university that will accept you. The saying was such a tranquilizer for me that I even started to make my packing list (’m not always this confident, seriously).

I got the first email from Kyungpook National University who was interested in my application and sent me a written interview. While undergoing the university selection process, applicants have to submit the medical check-up form. And it was around that time when things started to go down the hill. It should be easy if you have no history of having any acute diseases. I was not a healthy kid myself so I was quite worried that something off would unveil. It turned out that the underlooked mental health check-list was the one that got in my way. I took my medical check-up in a nearby hospital which happened to be a mental hospital where the doctor couldn’t simply sign my form without doing all the tests including the mental one. So, I had to take a written test to get the psychiatrist's signature, which unfortunately turned out that she didn’t want to give.

It was probably the wrong time to take the test. I was tired and drained out after taking several tests in a day. But, I know the result wouldn’t turn out differently had I done it on another day. So, I had to respond either yes or no on 300 questions. I guess the test basically tries to reveal your mental state (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) through your fears and your response to stressful situations. Unfortunately, my result didn’t come out well. As silly as it sounds, I couldn’t hold my tears in the counseling room when the psychiatrist showed me the result and told the story of people with similar cases like me and what happened to them. I sobbed not because she couldn’t give her recommendation, but because finally came the day when someone put my condition into words. It might sound like I was being judged and the way she frankly explained it to me was also unpleasant, but nothing was wrong with what she said which made me feel even worse.

You might think I could’ve just taken the test again in another hospital. But, I couldn’t let my money go down the drain, and asking my parents’ money was not part of the plan. Plus, I had no ample time to do it all over again and get the results on time. More than anything, I started to doubt my decision to study abroad. I knew that the fear of living away from my parents and not being able to handle things independently had always been there all along (I don’t know if anyone at my age could relate). Not only one person who pointed it out, but I kept on denying it. So, when it was brought to the surface especially by a professional, it was painful to the point that I considered withdrawing because I couldn't even trust myself to take a risk.

Surprise-surprise, only a few days after the medical check-up I received the acceptance email from Kyungpook National University. I took it as a yes from God. I had come that far and I wouldn't trade my spot for some future events no one never knew would really happen. So, with as much courage as I had, I took the mental health test again suggested by the kind nurse who listened to me crying in the counseling room, answered the same questions differently, and managed to receive the psychiatrist's signature to complete my medical form. Later, I got the acceptance notifications from Pusan National University and Seoul National University as well, which I ended up choosing the latter for my graduate school in Korea.

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Preparing for KGSP/GKS applications and undergoing the selection process for months have taught me the pain of waiting and struggling. At one point, it showed me that I could push my boundary and instead of jumping out of my comfort zone, I tried to widen it and made things that were used to be hard become part of myself. With the permission of God, I could turn myself into such an overconfident head by asking prayers from people I know (in case my family’s prayers were not strong enough to persuade God. Lol). At another point, I was awakened to things I have been feared to deal with although I know I eventually have to. Confronting my fears wasn’t always pleasant nor that it affected me positively and became part of my comfort zone, but I did my share by trying to face it. At the end of the day, I learned Ikhlas and literally let God do the rest and decide for me. While waiting for the announcement I pictured the day I was rejected, hoping that it would ease the pain later. I also told myself hundred times that everything would be okay even if I failed as long as the sun still rises; I would cry my eyes out for days, receive comforting words halfheartedly, and wake up one day feeling okay again. 

And my journey to be part of KGSP/GKS came to a beautiful end as I flew to Korea in August 2016 and started the real struggle for 3 years. Some of what the psychiatrist said back then about people with similar cases like me did happen to me too, but I finished it differently. It was tough years and only God’s mercy and the people I spent my time with in Korea that helped me to stay sane and get through it.