International Engineering Ambassadors
Insight into the life & course of international students.

Wednesday, 14 December 2016

Interview with a Merit Scholarship Winner

By Muhammad Shuja
 
This blog is a transcript of an interview of a postgraduate student (Muhammad Faraz) who won 2016’s Pakistan Postgraduate Merit Scholarship. The aim of the interview is to provide advice for prospective students who would like to apply for this scholarship.

Me: Hi, and thanks for your time. Let’s start by getting to know about you. Tell me about yourself.
Faraz: My name is Muhammad Faraz Imam and I am from Pakistan. I am a student of Electronics and Electrical Engineering and currently studying MSc in Advance Electric Machines, Power Electronics and drives at Sheffield.

Me: What course did you do at undergraduate level and where?
Faraz: I completed my Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan.

Me: What were your reasons of choosing University of Sheffield to do your postgraduate degree?
Faraz: I was quite impressed with Sheffield’s core emphasis on continuous innovation and scientific development in engineering. I wanted to join in researching and developing of projects together with exceptional academics in my area of specialization.

Me: How has your time in University of Sheffield been so far?
Faraz: It’s been excellent so far. Sheffield has one of the loveliest and peaceful atmospheres in Europe. The University has various clubs and societies which everyone is welcome to join. I have joined the Debating Society which has given me a chance to improve my communication and interpersonal skills.

Me: Congratulations on winning your scholarship. How did you find out about this scholarship?
Faraz: The University has a very good administrative system in place. I was generally looking for scholarships and stumbled upon the Pakistan Postgraduate Merit Scholarship.

Me: How was the application process for you?
Faraz: As everyone knows, applying for an International Scholarship at a world-class institute is not an easy job. You have to compete with many deserving and excellent candidate in terms of academics and achievements. I believe that in my case, I remained optimistic throughout the process and listed out all my achievements. I then chose the best ones for my essay. These achievements included work experience, previous scholarships and projects which I did during my undergraduate.

Me: Did you receive support from the university to work on your application?
Faraz: Yes, like I mentioned previously, the university has a remarkable administrative system in place. They were quite prompt in replying back to emails with answers to any queries I had during the application process.

Me: What advice would you give to prospective students planning to apply for these scholarships?
Faraz: I would advise applicants to stay positive, think about your future goals, and what caused you to build an interest in the university. Write sincerely and clearly, make sure your essay shows who you are as a person and a student. Don’t be shy to talk about yourself, cultivate your own tone, and dwell on your relevant strong points.

Me: Do I have your consent of posting a transcript of this conversation online?
Faraz: Yes.

Thanks a lot for your time.

If you would like to view more information regarding scholarships and funding, please visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/international/enquiry/money/scholarships


Tags: Muhammad, Shuja, International, Engineering, Sheffield, postgraduate, scholarships, funding, Muhammad Faraz Imam

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