JPA Program Khas Kejuruteraan Jepun , Korea , German dan Perancis 2015 (FAQ)

It's the time of the year again ! SPM leavers would be cracking their head deciding what's next for them after completing their studies in secondary school .I'm pretty sure it is everyone's dream to earn a scholarship to further their studies abroad .

Recently ,a few of my juniors approached me to seek information and advice about the scholarship I secured . I'm glad they did , because I wouldn't want to see my juniors being as clueless as I was after my SPM . I regret so much as i missed so many other opportunities that i desired for years because I was so ignorant and clueless . So , I'm going to compile all the questions directed to me and publish them with answers here , on my website . I hope it helps .

Q1 : Which scholarship program are you currently involved in?

• : I'd accepted JPA's scholarship to Japan . Under this program's policy , I have to complete a 2-year-foundation locally before getting a diploma and followed by a degree in Japan . The whole program would take 7 years . 2 years in Shah Alam , Malaysia and 5 years in Japan (3 years diploma , 2 years degree) . I'm currently doing my foundation in Intec Education College ,Shah Alam .

Q2 : why JPA scholarship ? 

• In short , I had no better choices than this scholarship . My dream was to secure a scholarship to study abroad in the States .I studied hard during secondary school to be qualified for KPM Bursary . Yes , I did it but things didn't turn out too well for me . Previously , kpm bursary holders will be sponsored up till degree level (any course) at their choice of university if their result during their prepatory course is maintained . Unfortunately , this privelege is not available for my batch anymore . When I received this news , most of the sponsors out there already closed their scholarship application . 

• I applied for JPA , Petronas and Maybank . I was hoping to scholarship from Petronas , since JPA did not offer the country of my choice , and its very competitive to get a scholarship from Maybank . In the end , I wasn't even shortlisted for Petronas interview . I was really , really disappointed as I feel it wasn't fair when you're turned down without any assessment . As for Maybank , I wasnt called for interview too . Well , let's just believe everything happens for a reason.  I'm very grateful that I was selected for this scholarship and I didn't regret making this decision .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 Q3 : Why did you choose Japan instead of Korea , Germany or France ? 

• It was a decision without much thought since i already decided to take up the kpm bursary at that time . 

• I don't particularly have any preference to any 4 of the countries .Studying engineering in a foreign language is my major concern. So, i chose the country where their language is easier to master .  German is said to be one of the hardest language in the world . I heard european language is not easy . So i eliminated Germany and France as my choice . Rumours also said that these two countries are also harder to get selected as the competition is quite stiff . 

• Between Korea and Japan , my dad told me Japan is more notable in the field of engineering . I don't know how true is that btw ! Besides , Japanese language consists of 80 percent of kanji (汉子/ 漢字/ chinese characters ) which most of chinese-speaking students are familiar with . So if i come across any kanjis that i haven't learnt in class (japanese) , I can always guess the meaning based on my knowledge in Chinese Language . You definitely can't do that if it's in Korean ! So , you're on the winning side if you've learnt Chinese . Japanese is also more widely used and spoken ,according to Wikipedia . 

 Q4 : Do you know anyone who is currently involved in JPA overseas scholarship for engineering program (South Korea, Japan, Germany, France)?

• Yes ! My roommate is in German program , studying ALG ( A-level German ) . I made some friends who will be flying to Korea during orientation too ! The orientation was fun but tiring . They will be flying on the 20th of February this year , a year ahead of me and my friends . All the best to them ! As for France , I don't really know them , as their class in Malaysia was too short , not even a month . They also didn't really join us for the orientation too. 

Me , my Japanese Programme (KTJ ) friends and Korean Programme friends, nice photobomb at the back.
( Photo taken at Pak Li kopitiam, Seksyen 18 , Shah Alam)

Q5. Are there any scholarships which are eligible for us to apply now without actual result?

• Yes , of course they are ! Bursaries and scholarships offered by some private colleges only requires trial results. 

Q6 . What subjects do you have while completing your foundation , requirements to pass the foundation and fly ? ( KTJ Program )

• We have 5 main subjects in total . Do bare in mind that each program varies accordingly . The subjects we have in common are Sciences , Mathematics and a foreign language . For my program ( Kumpulan Teknikal Jepun , aka KTJ ) , We study Physics, Chemistry , Mathematics , Japanese Language ,and English (after a year) . Besides, we have 2 minor subjects that is compulsary for all college students which is MPU(Malaysian Studies , something similar to Sejarah)  and CTES (teology)

•  At the end of the fourth semester ( The end of the foundation ) , we will be required to pass the exam called Monkasho shiken for admission into Japan National College of Technologies(JNCT) , or Technical School for 3 years of diploma programme, we may pursue a degree in engineering in any of the Japanese Universities for another 2 years.To pass the Monkasho Shiken  , we must get at least an average of 60/100 for all 5 subjects .

Q7 : Do we need to study everything in a foreign language ?

• Sorry but the answer is yes  ! We are talking about getting an engineering degree abroad in a foreign language. Don't worry . we all started with English first , and switched to our respective foreign languages ,depending on the programme you're in . For KTJ , you're going to study every subject in English except Japanese language of course , during your first semester , which lasts about 4 months . You will have to study the subjects in full Japanese from 2nd semester onwards . You will get all those Japanese textbooks that were imported from Japan , for free if you got the scholarship !

My textbooks in full Japanese Language

Q8 : What kind of engineering courses are we allowed to study ? 

• Any kind of engineering as long as it is engineering . Architecture is not included even though it is classified under engineering in Japan . You don't have to decide immediately . For ktj , we have to decide during our 3rd semester as we have to complete our application to Japan National College of Technologies(JNCT) , or Technical School during that period of time.

Q9 : Is this scholarship still available in 2016 ?

• Yes , JPA has been sending students to Japan since 1983 . The scholarship maybe a little different starting from 2016 but it is still available . Firstly , the place allocated has been reduced to 200 , from 300 . 

• Secondly , it's leaning towards a study loan .It is a scholarship only if you work as a government servant after your studies . You have to payback everything to JPA is you choose not to serve the government . ( As in the image below)

Q10 : How to apply for this scholarship ? How is the interview conducted and is it tough to be selected ?

• The application is open right immediately after SPM results are announced . Keep abreast of the latest update by checking this JPA's Website  or their Facebook Page . The application would normally last a week . You will be informed about the interview after approximately two weeks . For my year (2015) was during the end of March . SPM results was announced on the 3rd of March , yeah one of my happiest days in my life ,btw. 

• How competitive is it to get this scholarship ? 10000 applications and 300 were selected in 2015.

• How was the interview conducted ? Click Here

Q11 : Are all the fees covered in this scholarship ?

• Yes , tuition fees , accommodations , air tickets for those who come from Sabah and Sarawak , books and monthly allowance of RM 430 . In Japan , the allowance per month would be around RM 4500 , and it is the highest amount compared to scholars in Germany , Korea and France.

Q 12 : Are we sponsored until we graduate ? 

• Generally , we are sponsored up to 7 years ( locally and abroad) . However , JPA has to right to cancel the scholarship anytime if our result does not meet their requirement . For korean and Japanese Program , we will graduate with a degree .Due to the different education system in Europe ( German and France)  ,  they would get a master after completing their studies , even though the duration is the same as Japan and Korea . However , it may not be recognized in Malaysia . 

I will be blogging about my life,studies and stuff while doing my foundation ,how I adapt and I will talk about the environment in my college on my next post . Stay tuned . it will be out on March .
(20/3 , Just done blogging about my stay in the college hostel , CLICK HERE )

Like my blogpost ? Follow/be a member of my blog for more  . Look there's a share button below , don't forget to hit that button . Remember , letting others know about a scholarship does not make you lose the chance of getting a scholarship . If you have what it takes , you will make it ！

I hope this blogpost would be as helpful as possible for you people out there , so 

If you have any questions , don't hesitate to ask me (please !）in the comment section down below ! You can ask me too if you want to know the details ,( whether it's about the korean , japanese , German or France Program ) or maybe i missed out something in my blogpost .  I'll reply you as soon as possible !

Lastly , ok mom and dad , this is part of the reason why I'm always on my cellphone , lately . I'm actually blogging . 

Peace out (\/)

JPA Program Khas Kejuruteraan Jepun, Korea, Perancis Dan Jerman 2015 Interview

Basically this JPA Program Khas is a scholarship for SPM leavers to venture into the studies of engineering in four different countries as mentioned , Japan , Korea, France and Germany . Applicants who successfully secured the scholarship will have to study the respective foreign languages before doing their degree , in foreign language of course .For further information , Click Here . For more detailed information about the JPA Program Khas Jepun (Kumpulan Teknikal Jepun ,KTJ) , stay tuned to my blogspot for more updates from me !

Sorry for being long winded , but I'm going to share everything from head to toe .

The application was opened for 8 days after results of SPM 2014 were announced . The day the results were announced was on the 3rd of March , which means the application for the scholarship was closed on the 10th of March . We were informed to attend their interview in less than two weeks after the deadline . I nearly missed the interview as I thought we would be communicated through email . In fact , the 'call' for interview was done through the website I applied for the scholarship.

The 'call' for interview . The interview is known as Tapisan Student Assessment Center (SAC). Almost everyone got this 'call' tho ! 

Besides that , we were told to do some psychological test too . It consisted of 2 sections , around 300 questions for each section . This test was meant to know our interests and our characters , I guess .

Section A (JPA Program Khas Kejuruteraan Online Test)

A 'sneak peek 'of questions from Section A

Section B (JPA Program Khas Kejuruteraan Online Test)

A 'sneak peek 'of questions from Section B

The location of the interview was in IIUM , Kuantan , a public university ( IPTA ) in my town . They named the interview SAC ( Student Assessment Centre). The dress code was weird , I wasn't sure whether it was formal or casual . They wanted us to put on a long-sleeve T shirt with collar and a track bottom. I was thinking , " are we tested on our physical ability or what ? where can I get a long-sleeve T shirt with a collar ? " That's quite a one of a kind of combo , LOL . I didn't care and I just wear my white long-sleeve top ( school uniform ) , and it was obviously not a T-shirt . Surprisingly , I wasn't alone ! 

We were informed to reach there by 8 in the morning , I went to a room/hall following the indicators on the wall . I reached there a few minutes before 8 , went into a room and registered myself . I passed all my documents , original and photocopy to them and waited there .

The interview started at around 8 something because we were waiting for more applicants to show up . There were supposed to be 20 - 30 applicants , but I wasn't too sure about that because I just took a quick glance at the attendance list when I signed it . In the end , there was only 15 in total that turned up for the interview ( for my session ). For your information , the interview at my place lasted for about 5 days , 2 sessions per day . The interview centre at my place was mostly for applicants from Pahang , near to Kuantan to be specific, however , there were a few more centres for the jpa interviews throughout Malaysia , so don't worry of the need to travel too far for the interview !

Part I : Ice - Breaking 

The interview started with an ice-breaking session . Some people just thought that it was just an ice-breaking session but nothing more . If you're alert enough like me ( facepalm) , you know the interview had started and you were being observed and judged ! First impression is hella important guys !

Btw , there was a late comer during my session . When asked why he was late , he said he overslept and gosh , my eyes were wide open for 0.5 seconds ( not more than that to avoid letting others  know that I'm shocked ,LOL my housemate taught me this by the way ) Respect his honesty but he had just pushed the self -destruct button . =0

We were given a number tag each , hung around our neck throughout the interview . Make sure they can see the number tags !  We were told to stand in groups based on our country of choice ( for the scholarship ) , based on our birthday month and so on . We were also paired up and were told to speak to each other . They would ask us questions about our partner after like 5 minutes . For my interview , they asked our partners name , former school , hobbies , hometown and so on . I got to know from my friends (from other states) they would ask really unexpected questions like their shoe size too ! So yeah, expect the unexpected okay ?  I guess they were trying to examine our communication and social skills .

Towards the end of the ice-breaking session , we were also asked our reason(s) for choosing that particular country . My choice was Japan ( It wasn't really my choice tho ) and I couldn't think of any better reasons because I know nothing about Japan LOL ! So i just say their technology amazed me . Some applicants be like , oh ya , germany , france because their country is soooo beauty beauty !  so romantic , this and that . HAHHAHA respect their honesty , and yes , eyes wide open for 0.5 seconds again . They shouldn't say that even though it's true ! oh well ... hahahahhha

Part II : Group Discussion and Presentation in Malay Language 

After that , 15 of us were separated into 2 groups and were brought into a room . So , that means there were 2 group discussion and 2 presentations , all in Malay Language .

The group interview focused on questions related to policies implemented by the government, such as the Government Transformation Program (GTP) and Economic Transformation Program (ETP)

There were 2 tables and we sat in groups around the table . We were given a (same) theme with 2 different topics . We were assigned with one topic each and were supposed to discuss about the topic and come up with points for the presentation.

The theme we got was about " Pembangunan Kawasan Luar Bandar di Malaysia " (Rural Development in Malaysia) . My group mates and I were supposed to think of the ways to develop rural areas in Malaysia . So we had a discussion , brainstormed about the points and planned for the presentation . the time allocated for the discussion was like one and a half hour , if I'm not mistaken .The presentation was like less than half an hour . You may think there was a lot of time , but time was a little bit tight for us during the group discussion .

After the discussion , we ( 2 groups) took turns to do our presentation .After every presentation , the interviewers would ask questions . This is the time for you to stand out and shine among the others ! Grab the chance to answer their questions WISELY but not to the level where you took the chance of the other applicants COMPLETELY . Remember , it's not an individual interview, it's a group interview and your attitude towards your group mates was observed too , I believe . Give chance to others while you shine , like a diamond in the sky *possessed by Rihanna for a moment * ( LOL) .

Thank god I could handle it when an interviewer 'fired a canonball ' at me , okay , I might have exaggerated a little . I was suggesting that the government should fix a quota for rural folks to be prioritized in education scholarships , job opportunities and so on . Told them equality doesn't mean justice , to support my point . In fact , I didn't really agree with my point . But , oh well , just carry on . I also made an analogy, told them how different is giving RM20 to a 2-year-old baby and giving it to a 20-year-old adult . The interviewer asked confidently , what if I don't wanna give you this scholarship and give it to a rural student , is it okay ? Hahaha this was completely out of my expectation /.\



There was another question being asked based on one of my group mate's point , which is giving rural students a chance to venture into HIGHLY respected  ( caps locks because I think every single job is respected , but in a different degree of respect , perhaps , ehem ) job fields like medics, engineering and so on. The interviewer asked , if all of them are nurtured to be doctors and engineers , who will be cleaning the city , tapping the rubbers and working in paddy fields and farms ? So yeah , I'm grateful that something popped up in my mind , so I had another chance to speak , something the interviewer wanted to hear . ( She literally told me that , haha )

IIUM , Kuantan , the place of interview for the JPA Program Khas Kejuruteraan Scholarship .

After every presentation , there was a session where we were supposed to ask the presenters questions related to their presentation . Yes , we are supposed to ask and not just keep quiet .

My Malay Language got really 'rusty' as I had not spoken it for quite a while since I only had 3 malay classmates during my senior high . I used to speak English and Chinese , a lot , seriously . Left with no choice , I just pushed myself hard to speak and I did lose my words at times . I used to speak the language VERY fluently T.T

Part III : Group Discussion and Presentation in English Language 

Moving on , we were brought into another room , with another 2 interviewers . The ambiance here was more serious and formal tho , because the interviewers never flashed a single smile , but a poker face , or bitch face like people called it .
                                                                                                                                                         

                      


Like the previous session , I shook the interviewers' hand and greeted them with a smile and got my seat . The interview was carried out exactly like the previous session , but all in English . Group discussion , presentation and questions.

The theme was about overpopulation of foreign workers in Malaysia ? ( well, I'm not too sure , but yeah ... ) and my group mates and I were supposed to elaborate the effects and challenges . The task assigned wasn't too clear . We were wandering what did they mean by the word ' challenge' . Was it the challenges to solve the issue , or the challenges of having too many foreign workers here , in Malaysia ? We decided to ask the interviewers , but to no avail . =( We were told to think and analyse  it ourselves . Danggit , hahahha .

There we go , started to brainstorm , discuss and plan . The time allocated was the same as the previous session . English was the only language we used during this session . So yeah , I'm on the winning side hehehe , ( JUST KIDDING) , I mean compared to BM session which had forcibly tied my tongue . I tried really hard to untie it tho .

So , I was verbally or indirectly 'assaulted' by one of my group mate . I can't blame him tho . We were talking about the same point . He was supposed to elaborate the effects of that particular point , while I was supposed to talk about the challenges . This kid had so much to tell until his elaboration swayed so far away from his scope and overlapped what I was gonna talk . Nice one indeed . I had to think of another elaboration to support my point in JUST 1-2 MINUTES WHILE THIS KID WAS PRESENTING HIS PART (OR MAYBE NOT ONLY HIS PART ,if you know what i mean lol) , NO, I'M NOT KIDDING YOU. This guy talked so much till you might thought that was an individual presentation . Our existence were like... not bothered by him . =(

 Gosh , when I found out he didn't manage to secure this scholarship , I cheered a little , to myself . I know I shouldn't , but put yourself in my shoes ! You know how much he annoyed me , while I'm trying my best to be the best of the best ! My opinion on why he didn't get the scholarship ? Well ,I think he's too bossy , that's all , further elaboration might reveal his identity .

My Thoughts 

It was quite competitive . Everyone was like on the same par . They had the confidence , could speak well and mingle about with one another . So, at the beginning , I was wondering how would they judge us . I guess i got my answer now ,after the entire interview .

 I learned to always expect the unexpected ,remain calm and think of alternatives when we were 'screwed' by the others . (LOL) And , of course , remain humble and approachable the whole time . In addition , it's important to make a true and valid statement . This was pointed out by one of the interviewers when a few applicants made  random statements that was believed (by them) to be true .

After the interview , I had a feeling that I actually made it .As mentioned above , I said what the interviewers wanted to hear during the BM session . During the BI session , I managed to make the interviewers nod their heads while I was presenting my points , although I was so screwed up by one of my group mate =.=   I just didn't feel like myself that day , or I just underestimated myself all this while ?Thank god, I just couldn't explain how was I be able to become so nimble that day . I'm usually very blur and 'out of the situation ' , like all the time.

I'm really, really grateful that the interview went really well for me . All this while , my parents are always criticizing me , saying I'm as timid as a rat , lazy, no confidence , childish and all the bad stuffs . So , I guess I proved them wrong now , earning an overseas scholarship from the government that worth hundreds of thousands ! =)


Like my blogpost ? Follow/be a member of my blog for more  . Look there's a share button below , don't forget to hit that button . Remember , letting others know about a scholarship does not make you lose the chance of getting a scholarship . If you have what it takes , you will make it !

By the way I've completed another blogpost about the questions you guys might have , regarding this scholarship. Click Here

If you have any questions , don't hesitate to ask me in the comment section down below ! I'll reply you as soon as possible !

Peace out (\/)