The third stage of the Research Student Scholarship application
process is the panel interview. It is held a week or two after the written exam.
My panel was composed of six people. They sat around a small table right across
me. Half of them were Filipino and half were Japanese. They were all very
friendly throughout the interview. No one lashed at me, growled at me or
grilled me with intriguing questions. I was surprised at how small the interview room
was, how close the panel was to me and how nice and all-smiles they were. This
setting made me a little more nervous.
I love interviews. I enjoy talking to people about random
things. I never get nervous during interviews. Well, I do, before the
interviews. I would hear my heart doki doki inside me. But as soon as I am
settled on my seat and the interviewer starts asking questions I usually become
more at ease. Well, not on this interview, at least.
You know that feeling when you really, really want something
that you can’t explain why, you just feel it. That’s what this scholarship is
for me. This is what Japan is for me. There are no exact words why I want to go
there, it’s just that I know I have to be there!
Unlike my other previous posts, I won't be giving some definite pointers on this post because honestly, nothing can prepare you for your interview. It would help you if you know a little about how the process goes so you would have a picture of what to expect when your turn comes. I would just like to share my experiences during the panel interview and how things transpired.
I guess, it would be helpful if you review your proposal beforehand
because it is a surefire that the panel will ask about it. Show them that you
know what you are talking about and you have a clear picture of what you want
to do in Japan. If it pleases you or if it eases your nervousness a few days before the interview, you can anticipate
some possible questions and practice answering them. I did this because I don’t
want to feel too lax about the interview. But honestly, it didn’t help much.
When you’re there in the middle of the interview, you wouldn’t even remember a
thing you practiced! But it pays to have these answers stocked at the back of
your mind just in case they come in handy. As I said in another post, there are
a lot of surprises in the application period, especially in the panel
interview. Some questions that you don’t expect to come out, come out, and
some questions you feel would likely come out, don't come out.
One of the moments wherein I was caught off handed during the interview was when
one panel member asked me: Why do you want to study in Japan? This is a
question I keep on hearing, I keep on practicing to answer, but I keep on
failing. One of the panel members told me that if I have a stable career in my
country, why would I want to go to Japan where I don’t speak the language. No
one will listen to me, he said. I know he’s right. This is where my Ms.
Universe answer comes out, “Everyone is entitled to a new beginning. And I am
ready to face whatever it takes,” I said. It’s not a practical answer, too cheesy, too rhetorical, but I guess it
worked because here I am in Japan now.
But seriously, I was in the verge of tears at that time. I felt
pressured to answer correctly. I don’t want to make mistakes. I felt pressured
to express myself correctly. I don’t want to give a wrong impression. The
moment I came out of the interview room, I felt like I failed in both of them. But
thank God, I was wrong.
The next stage of the process is securing a certificate of admission from your desired university which can be read here How to Get the Japanese Government Scholarship (Monbukagakusho): Securing a Certificate of Admission
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