How Can a 15-Year-Old Outline Future Study Plans for a Scholarship Application?

[recon]

I've just been asked to fill out a scholarship application form. There's this part of the form that asks me to : "Describe in not more than 200 words the plan of study and / or research you propose to pursue if given an award, and relate this plan to your future career."

I've asked and received confirmation from my school's deputy principle (who happens to be in charge of all these) that this part of the form has to be filled out.

Now, I hope you can see the predicament I am in. I am sure that the application form was meant for much older people in University, but somehow, the authorities were too lazy to adapt the form for younger applicants applying for Senior High School Scholarships. This Scholarship will allow me to continue my high school studies overseas in either Germany, Australia or New Zealand in one of either the medical, sports or dentistry fields.

I, unfortunately, have not an inkling of what goes on in these fields - certainly not well enough so that I can outline plans for my future career. My academic strength lies in Mathematics and Physics. My interests lies mostly in these fields, but I may give medicine a thought.

So, my plea to you is : "Please help me with concocting a plan for my university years." It doesn't actually say what field my research has to be in, so you may chip in ideas about research in Physics and Mathematics too. :)

 

[Moonbear]

Recon, when is the deadline for this? It's 3 AM here and I'm pretty tired, but willing to help. Can it wait a day or two? This does sound like an application geared for someone at a higher level, so it's hard for me to think of what to suggest that you might find interesting. For the sake of the application, you're probably better off sticking with your strengths, but I can't be certain not being familiar with this type of scholarship. You can probably provide a more vague answer than if you were applying at a higher level. For example, you can talk about what you want to study in math or physics (it says plan of study and/or research, so you probably don't have to talk about actual research), and give some ideas of what you want to do "when you grow up." If you like math and physics and want to consider something medical, you could talk about a career in something like developing technology, such as the next generation of MRI, for use in medicine.

I'll try to think of more answers tomorrow. And maybe others here will have some ideas too.

 

[ek]

Why are you doing this when you are only 15?

I never did do any scholarship stuff. Way too lazy. But here I am with the first year paid for and am ready to finally get a first job next summer to pay for next year.

 

[recon]

ek, I'm applying to get into Senior High School, not University.

 

[ek]

ek, I'm applying to get into Senior High School, not University.

Oh, I read that as a scholarship for Senior High students, my bad.

Apply to get into high school? I've actually never heard of that. Seems weird.

 

[recon]

The education system in Brunei is modeled after the UK's. You go through 2 or 3 years of kindergarten, 6 years of primary school, 3 years of lower secondary school, 2 years of higher secondary school, then 2 years of college. After that, you go to University.

I think that 'Senior High School' is the U.S. equivalent of the Bruneian 'college'.

 

[Polly]

Hi Recon, why should you be applying for a scholarship that ultimately leads to an area of study that you are presently not interested in? Did you say you have been asked to? Seems like a bad move to me.

 

[recon]

At the level I am in, schooling is not very specialized yet. So it doesn't really matter that I do two years of college studies under their scholarship, but back out just before university.

Also, it is extremely unlikely that I'll ever be sent on a scholarship to study Mathematics and Physics because my country has no present, dire need for specialists in such fields. As frustrating as I find that, it is highly probable that I may eventually have to forgo my dreams of becoming a mathematician or physicist.

 

[Polly]

Recon, do you mean you have no other way of furthering your studies if you do not apply for the scholarship, not even in your home country? If so you just have to say you want to be a doctor. Having said so I find it so sad to have to sell your ambition short, and yours is a valid and respectable ambition too. I have a friend who got a scholarship to study Vet in Australia, busted her guts for five years to compete with guys with farming background and a keen interest. Came back absolutely hated the pressure of the job (pet owners crying to you everyday) and quitted. Work is a long term thing, you have got to do something you like and enjoy doing.

 

[Moonbear]

Okay, if pretending to have an interest in medicine is what it takes to further your education, here's a site that explains some of the different specialties.
http://www.aamc.org/students/cim/specialties.htm

Given your interests in physics and math, you probably can make the strongest argument for nuclear medicine or radiology, or possibly biomedical research in orthopedics.

Rather than trying to convince anyone you want to be a practicing physician, you might be more convincing to talk about research in a biomedical field to develop new technology for treating or diagnosing disease.

 

[recon]

Thanks for all the replies. :)

I'm just filling in the application form at the moment, without knowing the specifics of the scholarship. Yeah, that's right: I know absolutely nothing about the scholarship except for what I wrote in my first post. The teacher did not provide us with more information.

It's highly probable that I won't get the scholarship anyway, and even if I do, I don't really think I'll accept it as I don't want to end up like Polly's friend. I'm still filling in the form, in the hopes that it might be referred to in the future for other scholarships.

Moonbear, I'm wondering if radiologists frequently suffer from radiation sickness.

 

[Polly]

Very wise.

 

[Moonbear]

Good luck with the application.

Moonbear, I'm wondering if radiologists frequently suffer from radiation sickness.

No. They take a lot of measures to provide personal protection and minimize exposures to radiation. They are rarely even in the same room as the patient. There's a joke I just heard yesterday: "What's the best way to hide a dollar from a radiologist? Tape it to the patient."