The dream — it was so vivid. I said it was a dream because it almost seemed like it was. I was half- asleep at 2 AM on a Friday, scrolling my chats in a pitch-black room while being entirely oblivious of what’s ahead of me. Just seconds away before entering the state of subconsciousness, I was promptly informed by a friend (via text) regarding an email — an email that was long-awaited by almost 200 18-year-old teenagers who joined the final stage of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Scholarship. Thinking it was a prank (I thought it would come out in a week and probably because I was semi-awake), I casually opened the Gmail app with zero expectation of the actual results. How foolish I was.
Among the many unread spams and promotion emails I received, there was one incredibly enticing email that stood out from the rest. And to this day, I still can’t stop thinking about the first word written on the email…
I hope that is enough to hook you up to read this to the end. You might be here to prepare for your upcoming interview or to rummage ideas for your essay, or maybe perhaps you just want to have a glimpse of my application process for the aforementioned scholarship. I will be giving tips, followed by my own anecdotal experience. I’m splitting this into two main sections:
Essay
Kijang Academy (Assessment, video submission, ice-breaking, case study, and personal interview)
If you’re far enough into the future, COVID-19 might become an ancient history then (aamiin). But back in my year, we had to go through all of this process virtually from the comfort of our own home. Nonetheless, it was still an eye-opening experience for me. Hopefully, this piece of writing will be able to inspire you in ways that are beneficial <3.
p/s: stay tuned till the end bcs I may have included a cheat code (not literally)
Essay
Out of all the essays that I have ever written, I have never been as invested as this one. It was a generous but reasonable 500-word essay with a flexible guideline on what to write. There were two questions that I didn’t exactly remember, but essentially they told us to convince them i)why we are worthy of the scholarship, ii)our career aspirations.
First step: DON’T RUSH!
I typed them all in caps which means it is important. I have learned my lesson after writing my UEM Scholarship essay beforehand (it was horrible). Take your time to find inspiration. Reflect and contemplate on your past. The good times and the ordeals you’ve gone through that shaped you into becoming who you are today. Jot down anything that brings significance to you while briefly elaborate: i) The description of the event
ii) What did you learn from that event
iii) Relation to your main goal (refer to the question) [ Note: This would come in handy for interviews as well. ]
Then for the 2nd question, try to research your interests to get a better depth of understanding. Explore them. You will be bound to learn something new in this period, do not only think of writing an impeccable essay. Look forward to the journey of writing the essay instead, so you will only write about yourself instead of something that is “try-hard” to imitate the best. I promise you they have read many essays that are full of jargon and pretentious, to the extent that it seemed fake. They want something original, so explore your interest.
Second step: Draft
After you listed your prospective ideas, get to the keyboard right away and start writing. I honestly like to write them promptly without “buat rangka karangan”. I think I can articulate my ideas better that way, but it’s just me. Suit yourself whichever you feel comfortable with the most. One pro I would agree with if you were to rangka your essay first is, you get to estimate the word count better so you don’t have to cut them after. Make sure you answer the question accurately.
Do describe your experience in a lucid manner (Show, not tell). For example: “I enjoy playing futsal to relieve stress” “The laughter and joy of playing futsal allows me to feel like a human amidst the stressful upcoming exams”
The second sentence puts the reader in your shoes more concretely and subsequently, immerse them deeper into the understanding of your perspectives. Also, please give convincing reasons for each of your aspirations/ambitions. If you want to become an economist because you want to help people; explain what makes you think that way. There must be a reason why you choose economics as a channel and why you want to help people. Again, show and not tell. Let your sentences have a hint of mystery, yet easy to be figured out, instead of giving direct ideas. It is just psychology, the reader would be more invested in your stories if they do a bit of work to digest your essay, in contrast to if you just spoon-feed them information.
Third step: Proofread
Alright, you’ve done the main part, now it is time to review it by yourself, followed by your friends/seniors/family. You might have several excess words, so let’s start with that. Shave off words or sentences that are insignificant. One way to do this is by reading that part of your essay with and without the sentence. Then compare which sounds better so you can identify the necessity of that sentence. As for words, search for redundancy. I suggest you use Grammarly to check this, the free version is adequate.
Also, remember to focus more on quality than quantity. Honestly, they don’t care how many competitions you’ve won and all. If you’re not so active in extra co-curricular activities, it’s totally fine. I only mentioned one major achievement in my essay but I proved to them that I truly maximised the minimal opportunity I had. Even little things like being a class monitor can be big if done so with meticulous justifications. So, if you did boast yourself with a list of achievements, I would advise you to limit them to only three at most.
The world doesn’t revolve around you, get your friends to give some thoughts on your essay. What you want to convey might not be delivered in the 500-word. Ask around for people that you can rely on to summarise the main points of your draft and be open to honest criticisms. Constructive criticisms will improve your writing if you look at it positively. Tell them to put your essay under intense scrutiny for any potential improvement, even if your essay is almost faultless. Like Oli Sykes said, “True friends stab you in the front”. They criticise in front of you instead of letting you stay in the dark, so you know your flaws that need to be fixed.
My first draft was horrendous to the extent that my friend prepared a google document to point out the inaccuracies on my essay every 2-3 sentences or so. Of course, I was demoralised knowing how much I sucked at writing, but it helped me to ameliorate my ideas. I had to scrap a big chunk of my essay, thus scripting an almost entirely different one. Ultimately, I was very much impressed and satisfied with the final product. The small conclusion here is; do accept criticisms, it is totally fine to not have a headstart. This whole process is an open chance for you to learn.
Conclusion
I think that would be all for the essay. Sorry if you’re here for an easy pursuit of ideas. I will only show you the path, you must do the rest. The most important element for this stage is for you to be sincere, show them a portrait of your life in form of anecdotes and arguments. Don’t hesitate to ask for sample essays and thoughts from others. Know that for my batch, arguably only around 200 applicants out of 3000 eligible applicants got into the next stage (like 7%??). Hence, why I am firm with my belief that the essay is the most integral part of the application process. Write passionately. Dedicate as much time as you can to research and work on your essay. You have nothing to lose. Even if you did not reach the next stage, it definitely would be a renaissance for you to discover more about yourself and the world.
Kijang Academy
July 16th, I swear that night revitalised my hope after getting rejected for other scholarships. YESS!! I was invited to Kijang Academy SHJDSHD!! This stage was split into two main parts; assignments and interviews. First assignment (Psychometric assessment)
I honestly do not know much on what to advise here sozz HAHAHAH. One of the few things that I could suggest is very cliche like be sincere and consistent. The AI is designed to know what type of person are you, not to evaluate how good of a person you are. You would be in great trouble if you do not answer the questions truthfully. Also, be consistent with your answers. Some of the questions are repetitive but were rephrased in different words. So, do watch out for that, and don’t put yourself in a pickle.
There is also a belief saying that you should avoid choosing the “extreme” options (Strongly agree/strongly disagree). I do follow this to a certain extent. I do neutralise some of my answers, yet I still pick a few extreme options if it truly suits me. My awesomee senior, Izzati wrote more about this on her blog. It was my vital reference at that time — which ultimately lead me to receive the scholarship. So make sure to check it out!
Second assignment (Video submission)
For this section, we were instructed to produce a short video on the following topics: i) BNM’s steps to assist the rakyat during the COVID-19 pandemic ii) Be better or be the best?
iii) Who is your superhero?
We have about 3 days to brainstorm our ideas before writing a script and shoot the video. And that’s not even including the time to edit. Just like Izzati said on her blog, “time was of the essence”. Choose your topic carefully depending on how much it suits you. I like sharing my life experience and I thought it is a good opportunity for me to pick the superhero topic so I can tell more about myself. Since I believe that my development has been largely impacted by inspirations, I have no problem enunciating my thoughts. If you’re more of a debate person and like argumentative topics, then go for questions like number 2. It is all on you.
Also, be creative in your videos. They give a lot of flexibility for you to interpret the topics. For instance, most people would pick someone close to them as a superhero. It was different for me. I chose someone that probably never knew about my existence, and he is also a quite peculiar figure to be looked at as a superhero HAHAHAH. Nonetheless, I drafted it well by providing interesting facts and how he became a superhero of mine. For this kind of question at least, since they ask about your superhero, I believe it is important that you tell about yourself too.
Flexibility was also given to us graphics-wise. Instead of just presenting your script in front of the camera, you can literally do anything to make your movie more interesting to watch. As long as it adheres to the guidelines and moral appropriation of course. I emulated the style of Vsauce for my video, which if you don’t know, is like a quirky/comical style of educational videos. I also featured myself doing random things like playing with my cats, pretending to drive a car, pretending to participate in a marathon, and a bunch of others. I thought it would be great to provide some sort of entertainment for the interviewers, something strikingly different for them to remember me. Anddd I think I absolutely aced in that aspect. One of the first things they mentioned during my personal interview is the humouring video, which they found very funny! What follows is largely dependent on their first impression of you. If you’re dead serious on your video, then they will be dead serious during the interview too. I captivated their attention with my essay and video (which they read and watch right before your interview), this leads them to invest their interest in me a bit more.
So be creative okie!! One of my seniors created a very interesting vlog for his submission, another even sung throughout the video! Do not be afraid to break the norms.
Kijang Academy Preparation
Abraham Lincoln said, “give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Adhering to that quote, I really worked my socks off prior to the interview day (on the 24th of July). I was fortunate to have seniors guiding me —giving me a first-hand account of what to expect. But there’s no point in guiding someone without execution.
I have a few friends who also got to this stage. We grouped up to work together in discussing sample case studies to get a glimpse of the discussion ambience. After months of isolation, this is a great initiative to loosen up your rusty social skills and get back to your usual self. If you guys are reading this, I want you to know that you are awesome!! :D
I found this really helpful in the sense that I learned to respect others’ opinions, not overpowering the discussion, and to be concise whenever I got the spotlight to speak. I understand that some people might not have the privilege to connect with friends and seniors. In that case, don’t worry! You can always practice with yourself. For instance, I prepared for my JPA interview only by recording myself answering sample questions before watching the recording afterwards. In that way, I can analyse my answers from the spectacles of the interviewers’ view. If you do have the privilege, then do utilise it to the utmost potential.
A mock interview is also a good way to go. Arrange a one-hour session with your friends to practicalize what you have prepared. You know sometimes you had the answer to the question, but then all of it goes blank. So, this is one of the ways to not be uneasy when D-Day came upon. You can also give feedback to one another on what and how to improve. Basically, it was a total joy to listen to my friends’ opinions and stories. It really loosened me up for the interview, in contrast to my supposition that it will be tense. Be professional but casual. Props to them too! Wouldn’t be possible if not for them <3
I am sure you know what to do about the rest. Research on Bank Negara, re-read your essay (they might ask questions on that) and write pre-written answers. Ultimately, be prepared. Not only theoretically, but also practically.
Ice-breaking Session
For my year, we had to pick a virtual background picture that pleases us, fun or humorous. Just like the essay, this ice-breaking session is also the first domino that will affect your whole performance afterwards. This is the time for you to unwind. You don’t need to be too formal in this session, the same goes for the case study discussion later. Prove yourself as a person that is easy-going with others, so you can build a harmonious and interactive discussion.
We were instructed to tell more about our background picture before picking someone else’s as a favourite. Mine is a picture of my friend and a cat, which might seem a bit weird but it has a very rich and sweet-sour backstory to it. I was not the first to present my story. In fact, I was second to last (if I remember correctly). But considering the peculiarity of my choice of picture (I was the only one to choose a picture that is not from the Internet), I think it was a strategy to hook the interviewers up for my turn. Mystery and intriguing were what I aimed for. All in all, it worked! We had laughter and from the expression they gave, I could tell they really enjoyed my story :D. In the end, 3 out of 7 other participants chose my picture as their favourite before proceeding to tell their own fascinating story.
One thing I want to say here is DON’T BOAST YOURSELF. Ice-breaking is not a platform for you to flex and shove your achievements on others — insinuating that you are better than them. Save that for the personal interview. It is not a competition here. In my case, I did not even mention anything about my success though I can totally posit it right away. All I said was about the cat and memories with my friends in taking care of the cat back in MRSM TGB. The task will probably be different for other years, but the argument still stands.
Case Study Session
Okay, let’s put it this way. If the ice-breaking session is to evaluate your social skills, this session is to judge your ability to work in a team. If you still think this is a competition — better drop that mentality. To be brutally honest, I was not the alpha of the group. I was active, but in a sense that is not limiting others to voice out their opinions. I tried to contribute instead of dominating. Give suggestions, not instructions.
Prior to this, we were given a topic about National Vaccination Plan. They gave us a set of statistics and scenarios to take into consideration one day before the actual case study session. Then we had 40 minutes to discuss before proceeding to the presentation and Q&A session. Don’t worry, the case study requires nothing but basic calculation and adequate English proficiency. However, one thing we did was making a comparison table for the vaccination plans. In that way, we were able to clearly outline the critical points.
Let’s get into the technicals here, shall we?
Be respectful. They're your colleagues, not rivals.
Be inclusive. Do not be hard-bitten. Ask for others’ opinions.
Do not overpower the discussion.
Be concise and only speak what is necessary. 40 minutes is shorter than it seems.
Take initiatives (such as writing notes on the chat, doing calculations, timekeeping)
Listen to others and take notes of their info. It might be helpful to credit them for ideas/referrals. It proves that you’re a good listener.
There’s nothing much to worry about for this session. Yes, you need to be well prepared, but not to the extent where you’re being too meticulous on a task that was meant to be brief and simple. A general reminder for this session is “do not be self-centred”. That is all.
Individual Interview
This is your final chance to prove yourself. The first thing that you need to know is; BE SINCERE! Being dishonest or over-exaggerating your achievements/knowledge can be analogised as borrowing one million dollars from a loan shark, it would only get you into trouble afterwards. The reason is, questions will be asked by the interviewers according to your previous answers. So, let’s say if they asked you “What is your passion?”, and you sugarcoated your answer by saying that you love history. They will ask follow-up questions that are related to history and BNM’s horizon. In my case, I kinda over-boasted myself by mentioning that I am interested in behavioural economics. The consequence is very risky, but I humbly said that I just learned about the theory and will try my best to answer based on what I understand.
Also, be open to corrections before you proceed to talk about anything factual. This will prove that you’re not a “palataologist” that always “acah pandai”. In my opinion, it is a big advantage if you appear humble, yet passionate about what you’re doing. It is totally fine if you don’t know what to answer. Just admit that you’re underinformed and they will shift their attention onto other questions that fit your knowledge better. If you proceed to answer blindly, it will only result in time wastage and the interviewers will most probably criticise your lack of factual accuracy.
Hence, I extremely advise you to be truthful and be yourself :).
Here’s a bit about my experience — I was actually expecting the interviewers to ask more personal questions since that was the case for my seniors and even my fellow friends post-interview. However, once it was my turn, they put me into the hot seat — bombarded me with high-level questions. One of the first questions they asked me was veryyyy factual indeed; “I see that you’re into behavioural economics, tell me how this can help BNM”. The reason they asked this was because of a paragraph of my essay where I mentioned behavioural economics as the future of economic theories. (Another reason to know your essay in-and-out before the interview). With my very basic knowledge, I took a risk by talking about “game theory” in economic decision-making. I did pretty well (I think) before it backfired at me when the interviewer asked me about books and economics professors relating to that field of study. At that time I had to back up and admit my illiteracy on that. They were okay with it and moved on to other questions that I definitely can answer better.
Here is a brief version of my advice in accordance with its importance:
#1 Be yourself, be honest (Yes it is cliche but it will save your life)
#2 Emphasise more on the benefits of your co-curricular activities — not the results
#3 Show your passion, speak with enthusiasm. You must prove that you learn because it is your passion, not an obligation.
#4 You do not need to be too formal. You can even rojak. Make your speeches interesting. #5 Don’t speak for too long. Be concise to keep them entertained. Don’t worry they will ask you questions until they are satisfied. Longer answers will only label you as boring when compared to others.
#6 Ask for a minute before answering their questions if you need to. I did and they’re totally fine with it.
#7 Have fun throughout the session. Don’t be someone that has infinite knowledge but zero personality
#8 Know your interviewers, so you can eye out what particulars they are interested in. It is also super attractive to compliment/refer them on what you’re saying.
#9 Do a background check on BNM. Know why they’re different compared to other banks and scholarships. Put that as a reason why you want Kijang Scholarship.
(Hint: they’re a central bank, and one unique difference that sets apart itself from other banks is…) p/s: yes this is the cheat code
Conclusion
I think the essay is the most pivotal part of the application. Even until the final stage, they will judge you (or be biased) by your essay. An impressive and striking essay will give a positive long-lasting first impression on you. Even if you mess up your interview a bit, you still have hope in your essay (and video) to lobby their judgement. I kicked off my essay with a quote from Plato regarding economic inequality. Instead of giving statistics to elaborate the issue, I explained by narrating it from my perspective and encounters
“The epiphany came to me after watching the film “Snowpiercer”, of which I found my passion in economics.”
From this sentence only, I conveyed that i) I am a movie buff, ii) I am inquisitive even when I am having fun, iii) I have a definite interest in economics.
The reason I mention this here instead of the essay section is that this is the epitome of my writing that can be applied to every stage and session of this whole selection process:
i) Be passionate about your hobbies and interests. Even if it seems common and unbeneficial on the surface (in my case it’s movies)
ii) Be curious and excited to learn something new
iii) Be determined to be a scholar of the Central Bank of Malaysia
And yes, if you’re wondering. I did get the scholarship in the end. The 7-days waiting period seems like forever. The agony of waiting and sacrificial efforts that I made was totally worth it. So, even if you didn’t get the award at the end. Make it a stepping stone for you to work harder. Getting this scholarship is an opportunity, but not a guarantee for you to excel in the future. Results do matter, but the journey is more important. I am sure you will learn a lot from this experience.
All the best and have fun!! <3
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