Never lose hope.

~ Dee Ying Ling

My dream to further my undergraduate study overseas turned to dust when JPA announced the closure of scholarships one day after the A-level result was announced. This sudden move had affected more than 740 potential JPA Malaysian students. I was at a state of total breakdown and it was my parents who have stood beside me and have given me positive encouragement to move on with other options.

To not waste any time, I scanned through all the education and universities brochures that I have collected over the years, looking for any possible scholarships either locally or overseas. Full scholarships are rare and extremely hard to come by. Not only with all the stringent requirements on exams results and curriculum performance, but other special requirements such as races, countries of origin, courses of study and etc. also play a role for being a candidate of the scholarship holder.

Things started to shade some light after I read through the University College Dublin’s (UCD) education brochures and its website. Getting to know the education adviser Mr CK Chiau from MyStudy was the very first successful step towards obtaining the full scholarship from UCD. Mr CK had successfully instilled in me that suspension of JPA scholarship could instead turn out to be an opportunity for me. He encouraged me not to give up and told me that there are opportunities in Ireland especially in UCD.

With his strong encouragement, I submitted an application. And at the same time, I had the opportunity to visit the UCD education booth exhibition for more information as well as met with Professor Dr Jeremy from UCD. It was a fruitful and inspiring session with Dr. Jeremy.

I was overwhelmed when I received the full tuition fees scholarship offer from UCD after two months of application. It is a dream come true. Without this offer, I would not be able to pursue my undergraduate study overseas. Thanks to UCD, Professor Jeremy and CK. Here I am in UCD, embraced by the refreshing air, greenish ground, beautiful lakes and cooling weather. Orientation week was grand, not to mention the free and delicious food and drinks

Meeting with students from Malaysian Society makes me feel like I am at home. Trips to Dublin City Centre were eye-opening. People here are friendly and helpful, I feel welcomed and safe. Last but not least, I will make the most out of this opportunity so that my university life will be a memorable one.