My Fulbright Journey – Ananda Muhammad and The Deadly Three

Sangar banget ya judul postingan kali ini. Gara-gara maraton membaca ulang Harry Potter series. Hehe. Maksudnya ‘The Deadly Three’ apa lagi kalau bukan Study Objective, Personal Statement and Writing Sample!!! Yuk, simak penjelasanku di bawah ini (WARNING: Lumayan panjang penjelasannya cyin).

Pada tahap aplikasi, selain harus melengkapi aplikasi dan melampirkan dokumen-dokumen yang diminta (Lihat: List of Fulbright Application Documents Required), Anda diharuskan untuk melampirkan pula sebuah essay yang berjudul ‘Study Objective’ atau kita singkat saja dengan SO. Anda akan menemukan penjelasan seperti di bawah ini pada aplikasi Fulbright Anda terkait dengan SO (Tidak menutup kemungkinan aplikasi setiap tahun akan berubah sehingga struktur maupun isinya berbeda dengan tahun-tahun sebelumnya. Silahkan mengunduh aplikasi terbaru pada website AMINEF).

STUDY OBJECTIVE (Master’s applicants only)This section is very IMPORTANT: As part of the evaluation of your application, you are required to attach a one page (please do not exceed the 1 page limit) of a clear and detailed description of your study objectives. Give your reason for wanting to pursue them in the U.S. Describe the kind of program you expect to undertake, and explain how your proposed field of study fits in with your educational background, your professional background, your future objectives, and your future involvement in community development. Please type, do not write.

Jadi jelas bahwa Study Objective ini diperlukan hanya bagi mereka yang ingin mendaftar untuk program Master’s. Untuk pelamar program Doctoral a.k.a PhD silahkan mengunduh aplikasi untuk program PhD untuk informasi lebih lanjut (Yup, aplikasinya berbeda-beda. Pastikan Anda mengisi aplikasi yang sesuai dengan program yang ingin Anda lamar).

Sudah dicantumkan pula batas jumlah halaman yang diinginkan dan apa saja yang harus dituliskan dalam SO tersebut. Sekilas nampak gampang, tapi rada-rada mirip dengan menulis skripsi. Kebayang dong menulis skripsi sehari semalam, gak mungkin banget. Jadi kerjakanlah SO ini jauh-jauh hari. Buatlah kerangkanya sebelum mulai menulis. Diamkan ia sejenak semacam ketika merendam ayam dalam bumbu agar bumbunya meresap (Maaf, artikel ini ditulis pada waktu bulan puasa LOL). Kira-kira diamkan sampai 3 hari, lalu baca kembali. Pasti akan nampak hal-hal yang Anda rasa janggal atau kurang deskripsi. Mungkin Anda akan menulis ulang SO sampai beberapa kali (saya 5-7 kali). Setelah merasa ‘cukup’ puas (Believe me, you will never be fully satisfied), perlihatkanlah pada orang yang Anda yakin akan memberikan penilaian yang OBJEKTIF atas tulisan Anda. Saran saya sih kepada dosen atau orang yang pernah mendapatkan beasiswa Fulbright atau beasiswa lainnya, dan kalau bisa native speaker (tapi yang nggak abal-abal ya, maksudnya bule yang minimal bergerak di bidang education lah, jangan bule turis :3). Setelah mendapatkan saran, pertimbangkanlah saran-saran tersebut. Tak perlu mengikuti semuanya jika memang menurut Anda ada hal-hal yang tidak dapat Anda ubah.

Setelah melalui penulisan ulang yang entah keberapa kalinya, sering kali kita lupa bahwa SO ini harus 1 lembar. Ya, SATU. Boleh lebih? TIDAK SAMA SEKALI. Jadi sebaiknya Anda sejak awal mengetik dengan mempertimbangkan batas jumlah halaman ini. Sebagai info tambahan, SO Anda akan di review oleh seorang native speaker baik dari segi grammar maupun isi. Tetapi jangan salah, review disini ya benar-benar cuma review. Ia akan menunjukkan hal-hal apa yang salah, apa yang perlu dikurangi maupun ditambahkan, apa yang terdengar tidak masuk akal dan lain-lain. Orang tersebut tidak akan melakukan perbaikan-perbaikan tersebut untuk Anda, dan sekali lagi bila ada yang disarankan untuk diubah itu benar-benar terserah keputusan Anda apakah memang ingin diubah atau tidak. Totally up to you.

Oh ya, info tambahan lagi that you might want to consider: pada tahap aplikasi spesifikasi SO hanya terletak pada limit halamannya. Tetapi ketika Anda sudah pada tahap review aplikasi, Anda akan diminta untuk mengubah margin halaman menjadi Top = 4 cm, Bottom = 2.5 cm, Left = 2.5 cm, dan Right = 2.5 cm. Nama beserta program dituliskan dengan huruf bold pada sisi kiri atas. Lalu di bawah nama dan program adalah judul essay, yaitu Study Objective atau Personal Statement (yang terakhir ini akan saya bahas sebentar lagi). Judul juga di bold dan di center. Untuk font gunakan Times New Roman dengan ukuran font paling kecil 11. Mengapa hal ini perlu Anda ketahui karena semua spesifikasi ini akan semakin mengurangi space Anda untuk menulis. Jangan sampai poin-poin penting yang harus Anda cantumkan malah harus terpotong pada tahap review. Jadi pikirkanlah dengan baik cara untuk mengungkapkan apa yang ingin Anda utarakan dengan seefisien mungkin, karena memang kita ini sering muter-muter dulu baru sampai pada inti pembicaraan. Hehehe...

Karena permintaan orang kebanyakan (cieh) berikut saya berikan contoh Study Objective saya SEBELUM di review. Kenapa nggak yang setelah di review? Karena SO di bawah inilah yang memberikan saya kesempatan untuk dipanggil wawancara :)

I would like to pursue a master’s degree in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Courses that I am especially interested in  are Curriculum Design and Language Teaching Methodology. This degree is relevant to my educational background – Bachelor’s degree in English language and literature – and to my current profession as a teaching assistant at two universities, Hasanuddin University and Muhammadiyah University. I am certain that a master’s degree will enhance my academic qualifications and help me gain professional development to become a full-time lecturer in the near future.

My experience as a teaching assistant in two universities for almost two years, as well as various English tutor positions that I have held in the past, are my most valuable assets in pursuing a master’s degree in TESOL. I believe that I will also be able to contribute to the coursework that I will undertake by sharing my experiences teaching English as a foreign language in Indonesia. My skills and interest in the field of TESOL have been further improved upon by the seminar and workshop that I participated in, both of which were organized by the English language center of my university in collaboration with the Regional Language Office US Embassy in Jakarta which focused on teaching methods and developing teaching materials, delivered by US university professors who are experts in TESOL. As for study commitment, I believe my distinction as the best university graduate with a 3.99 GPA serves as a testament to my commitment to always excel academically.   

It is important for me to undertake my master’s degree in the US, firstly because I would like to be immersed in a different learning atmosphere, as opposed to studying in Indonesia with its learning culture that I am already familiar with. I also want to challenge myself to continue my studies in the United States and gain a wider knowledge of its cultural values. I believe that as a teacher of English as a foreign language, knowledge about the culture of an English speaking country is immensely important as culture is an inseparable component of understanding a language, and there is a need to share those cultural aspects to the students through designing a curriculum to combine language and culture learning. Hopefully, the students would not only be able to use the language in the approprite cultural context, but also come to appreciate and respect the foreign cultural values. Furthermore, by continuing my studies in the US, there will be many opportunities for me to attend famous international TESOL conferences that are often held in the US. By attending these conferences, I will be able to gain an insight on current trends in English language teaching, connect with experts in TESOL, and learn from their research. 

Upon returning to Indonesia with my master degree in TESOL, I hope to be able to teach a wider range of courses and be involved in new programs that both Hasanuddin University and Muhammadiyah University are planning. At Hasanuddin University, the Faculty of Letters is planning to open a stream specifically for students who are interested to become teachers of English as a foreign language. Meanwhile Muhammadiyah University plans to start international classes in the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, in which classes will be taught fully in English. Both programs will be able to make good use of the knowledge that I acquire in the US. Training teaching assistants will also be one of my goals, as from my experience teaching assistant’s role in university has never been given adequate acknowledgement. I also intend to continue helping out the Lentera Negeri community, a community that I have been involved in the past which helps make English language education available for less fortunate students at elementary school level who are unable to access English language courses. In the end, the chance given to me to continue my studies in the US would not only benefit myself, but also help ensure the future development of Indonesian students and aspiring English language teachers.

Big big thanks to mas Syayid (Check out his amazing blog! This link will take you to his post on his Study Objective) yang sangat membantu saya dengan berbagi contoh Study Objectivenya. Mas Syayid memiliki background ilmu yang sama dengan saya sehingga saya jadi semakin tahu pengalaman-pengalaman apa saja terkait TESOL yang harus saya cantumkan. That’s why I felt obliged to share my SO. Semoga ada juga calon-calon Fulbrighter yang memetik manfaat dari artikel saya ini :)

Now moving on to the Personal Statement atau disingkat PS, essay ini akan diminta setelah Anda berhasil melewati tahap wawancara. Berikut adalah struktur yang dapat Anda gunakan untuk menyusun essay PS (dikutip dari email petunjuk yang saya peroleh dari AMINEF):

• Paragraph 1 : Describe your education.
• Paragraph 2 : Describe your practical experience in your field of interest.
• Paragraph 3 : Describe your special interests.
• Paragraph 4 : Describe your career plans.
• Paragraph 5 : Describe significant factors that have influenced your educational and professional development. For example, did you experience any educational and professional hardships? Did you have a special mentor or advisor that helped you achieve your goals? Did outside factors that affect your development?
• Paragraph 6 : Explain how long have you had practical experience regarding your proposed field of study and why more education is still needed in that area.

Apa bedanya SO dan PS? Menurutku sih PS itu ya... lebih personal. Haha, apa sih, maksudnya lebih detail mengenai passion Anda karena space di SO is very limited. Menurut email petunjuknya sendiri sih PS itu berfungsi memberi gambaran kepada reviewer aplikasi di Universitas tentang “...your personality, attitude, background, and strengths”. Untuk lebih jelasnya (karena saya udah kehabisan kata-kata LOL) berikut adalah contoh Personal Statement saya sebelum direview.

Even before I enrolled in the English Language and Literature Department at Hasanuddin University for my undergraduate degree, I was already passionate about teaching the English Language. Whether it was volunteering in English clubs or just helping out my friends in class, I felt a great satisfaction in sharing my knowledge of the English language. Thus, when my high school teachers asked me which department I would choose to pursue my undergraduate studies in, I replied instantaneously, ‘English Language and Literature’. At Hasanuddin University, I studied English language and literature for seven academic semesters which was considered quite fast. 

After I graduated in March 2013, I immediately applied for a job as an English instructor at a local language course. It was not my first time as an English instructor. In my third semester as an undergraduate student, I Writinged as an English instructor at a language course near my campus. At that time I was given the opportunity to teach elementary school children. In my second year, I also did some volunteer Writing as a tutor for freshmen at my department, as well as teaching English reading comprehension strategies to undergraduate students from various majors which took place in the ‘American Corner’ at Hasanuddin Univesity’s main library. At my first job after I graduated from university, I taught English language learners from various ages and backgrounds. I taught elementary school children to university students, as well as hotel employees and a ship technician. Furthermore, before I officially graduated from the university, in February 2013 I was already employed as a Teaching Assistant by three of my lecturers. I taught ‘English Reading Comprehension Strategies’, which is a compulsory course for undergradate students at Hasanuddin University, to students from the English, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Psychology, Law and Economics Department. I also taught ‘English and American Drama Analysis’ for a semester to English Department students. Currently I have been a teaching assistant for three semesters. After I graduated, I still did some volunteer Writing as an English instructor at the university and a local community where I taught less priviliged children. Recently, I have also been involved in teaching undergraduate students of the English Language Teaching Department at Muhammadiyah University of Makassar. 

In between studying, I have always enjoyed creative writing. I even had the chance to publish a novella in second year at university, after I mustered up the courage to show my Writing to a visiting lecturer who was also an author. He introduced me to his publisher and not long after my novella was sold at local bookstores. In 2010, I sold 500 copies of my Writing which may look small in number, but I considered it to be one of my biggest achievements. Currently I have taken an interest in writing about the culture of my ethnicity, Makassarese. Apart from writing, I also enjoy performing in dramas. In high school, I have performed in several small dramas and parodies which I enjoyed immensely. This continued to my freshman year at university where I also participated in dramas and parodies at cultural events. 

Hopefully, in the near future after acquiring a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, I will be ready to advance my career as a lecturer at Hasanuddin University. As a lecturer, I expect to be assigned more responsibilities such as teaching a wider range of classes. Meanwhile, I will also do research in the field of TESOL, specifically in curriculum, technology in language learning and English for specific purposes, as these are my specific areas of interest. I also envision myself as a lecturer who will not only guide her students in class, but also outside class. During my studies at Hasanuddin University, I saw that the lecturer-student relationship outside class was almost nonexistent. Students create programs which are essentially beneficial, such as study clubs, but are not well supervised and as a result it could not reach its maximum potential. I plan to bridge the gap between lecturers and students, and in the process of doing so, I would also like to increase the students’ interest in doing research. In the end, my ultimate career objective is to develop myself  to become a specialist in Indonesia in the field of TESOL. 

For the past year and a half, my experience as a teaching assistant has helped me shape my ‘preliminary’ beliefs and attitudes about the teaching and learning of the English language. I stated ‘preliminary’ because I believe after acquiring a master’s degree in TESOL, the knowledge and skills that I have acquired will help me evaluate my teaching strategies as well as the beliefs and attitudes that I have adopted. As an educator, I can never be satisfied with my degree of education. I have the obligation to my students and myself to continue developing myself professionally in order to deliver my classes efficiently, effectively and most importantly in a way that my students will be motivated to use the English language.

Kalau dibandingkan antara SO dan PS jelas terlihat perbedaannya kan? PS jauh lebih detail, terutama menyangkut apa saja yang saya kerjakan ketika kuliah dan setelah lulus namun masih tetap berhubungan dengan bidang studi yang akan saya ambil. Perlu saya kemukakan juga bahwa format PS sama dengan SO.

Setelah PS (Yaaa, masih ada lagi *ketawaneneksihir) ada Writing Sample (akan diminta setelah Anda lulus tahap wawancara seperti PS). Beneran ini horor banget kerjanya. Dikasi waktu 5 hari untuk menyelesaikan perbaikan SO, PS lalu membuat Writing Sample rasanya nano nano. Masalahnya essay-essay ini akan digunakan untuk melamar ke universitas. Gak lucu kan kalau udah lulus wawancara eh gak dapet sekolahnya? Bukan untuk menakut-nakuti ya, tapi pada kenyataan walaupun sangat jarang, ada candidate yang tidak berhasil diterima di satu universitaspun (More on this in my next posts). Walaupun ada banyak faktor yang menentukan penerimaan seseorang oleh universitas, tapi pasti SO, PS dan Writing Sample memiliki bobot yang cukup berat. Jadi jangan setengah-setengah ya. 

Untuk Writing Sample tentunya berbahasa Inggris (ya iyalahh) dengan jumlah halaman 5-10 halaman A4 diketik 2 spasi (untunglah). Writing sample ini harus merupakan karya sendiri, maksudnya selain bebas plagiarisme tetapi juga BUKAN merupakan kerja tim. Misalnya tugas kampus dulu yang dikerjakan secara kelompok atau jurnal dimana ada multiple authors tidak dapat Anda gunakan. Anda dapat menggunakan tugas essay waktu kuliah dulu ataupun skripsi Anda yang telah dirangkum asalkan relevan dengan program studi yang akan Anda lamar. Nah, pada kasus saya karena skripsi saya merupakan analisis sastra sedangkan program studi yang akan saya ambil adalah TESOL maka otomatis skripsi saya tidak dapat saya gunakan. Jadilah saya kekurangan tidur selama 5 hari yang horor itu. Tak apalah, apapun buat beasiswa ini. Hehehe... (Tips: Walaupun belum ada pengumuman hasil wawancara atau bahkan aplikasi, ada baiknya Anda mempersiapkan Writing Sample ini sedini mungkin).

Contoh Writing Sample? Gimana ya, karena menurut saya Writing Sample punyaku gak banget buat dishare jadi silahkan cari contoh-contoh Writing Sample di Google ya. Hahahaha. Intinya harus ada Title, Introduction, Isi, lalu References. Nggak usah pakai sampul, langsung saja ya... Pastikan Anda pakai format APA (Nggak tau apa itu APA silahkan cek link ini: http://www.apastyle.org/). Oh ya, untuk Writing Sample gak akan direview oleh native speaker, jadi pastikan grammar dan spellingnya sudah oke sebelum disubmit! 

Nah, itulah The Deadly Three. Cukup membuat stres memang, tapi give it all you got karena ketiganya sangat menentukan kelanjutan perjalanan Fulbright Anda!

Have any questions? Please comment! Good luck!

Edit (26/06/2015): Untuk SO dan PS, jangan sekali-kali menyebutkan nama universitas di US tempat Anda ingin melanjutkan pendidikan. Hal ini dikarenakan SO dan PS ini akan digunakan untuk mendaftar di beberapa universitas sekaligus. 

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Disclaimer: This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State blog, all views and information presented here regarding the Fulbright Program are the author's own and does not represent the Fulbright Program nor the U.S. Department of State.