How powerful are you in executing your goals? It is not enough to have your goals written down but also, executing them with utmost dexterity and powerful mind is needed. We have a scholar in the house that have powerfully pursued his goals. Personally, I have been encouraged with his story and I will say nothing is impossible.
Welcome to honournaija_blog, can we meet you??
My name is Badiu Akinola AKINBODE, I am an Erasmus Mundus Scholar studying European Masters in Quality and Analytical Laboratories at the University of Barcelona. I hold a Masters Degree in Food Science and Technology with Distinction at The Federal University of Technology, Akure.
What inspired you to seek for scholarship and to study outside Nigeria?
Lack of employment I must say, perhaps if after leaving University years ago, I had gotten a choice job in one of the top organizations I had sent my CV, just maybe, I might have been contented and move on, however, it look like it’s easy for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a job to come by, with support from friends & colleagues who were already overseas, of worthy mention is Samuel Ayanleye, a Doctoral candidate at Mississippi State University U.S.A who inspired and encouraged me that I have the profile to seek for a better life abroad through Scholarship into top schools.
A good friend he is. Were you rejected?? how did you handle it? share your experience
I was rejected 24 times in two years across Universities in Europe, America and Africa, as an emotional human, I once dropped tears during one of those period, sometimes I give myself break and pause for a while, in some other cases, it’s always a fuel to apply the more, got rejected in the morning, by evening of same day, I am on another application, I was lucky to either be in school doing my Msc or working full time, so I had little time to worry about rejections.
Interesting. How many scholarships did you apply for before hitting the jackpot?
I applied for 25 Scholarships in total, I only got a “YES” which crept through on the last day of March, 2021.
Wow. Did you feel excited after getting one? Share your experience.
Oh, What a day, I had carefully opened my mail sent by my Program Coordinator: Prof. Bjørn Grung, I had placed calls to my two closest friends: Asasile Israel & Ayanleye Oluwafemi, during the video call with the latter, I wept uncontrollably, I was luckily at my Village same day, I remembered when Ma’ami came from her place of work where she’s teaching and I shared the news with her, we had both prayed & cried together, of course, tears of joy, I had to sleep & wake up next day before I believe the reality. It was one of the best days of my life, a poor Village boy winning an International Scholarship. It’s Surreal!
Smiles. From your experience, what are the needful things to be done before securing a scholarship?
You must be truthful to yourself, do I have the necessary tools needed to apply for this scholarship, I have been a Scholarship enthusiast since 2017 but I waited until 2019 when I had garnered enough profile before I started applying for Scholarship, graduating with a Second class honour (Upper division) I knew I had to do twice better with my applications than colleagues who had first class, I fine tuned my profile for two years, and only got the Scholarship four years after desiring to get one. How carefully written is your “Statement of Purpose”? There’s no better way to improve on this than to keep writing and getting the rejection, you will learn better, with each day, keep gathering experience that will better your CV, as a person, one of the major tool I used to improve my CV is my Scientific publication, by the time I won Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, I had 10 scientific publications in International Journal of repute in my arsenal.
Bravo. Any platform that students can get scholarships from? please share.
I will recommend LinkedIn & Twitter, I do share some when I see through my twitter handle @powerfulbadeeu or via my LinkedIn Badiu Akinbode, I’ll recommend Erasmus Mundus Nigeria Facebook page too, a closed WhatsApp group “Potential Scholars” founded by my brother & friend: Aiyenuro Ademola was very helpful during my Scholarship pursuit.
Studying outside Nigeria, how does it feel?? Stressful, tasking or quite with ease? Share your experience.
“If I tell you say e easy, Omo Na setup” Lol! It’s very tasking I must say, not something I’ve ever experience all my life, but it get better with each day and you’ll keep getting use to the system with time. A whole lot of Assignments, Group work, examinations, term papers every other day. It’s rigorous I must say.
What are your words of advice to intending scholarship applicants.??
No retreat no surrender, Success is never attained by a sudden flight, Persevere, believe in the process, however, while applying for scholarships, find something doing that brings joy to you, otherwise applying for Scholarships alone without doing any other thing that gives you joy can be depressing, I’ve been there. Each person with its own time, don’t be frightened, yours too will come. Pray as much as you can, I’m a Muslim and all through those years, there’s never a day that I don’t pray to Allah to grant unto me the very best of my heart desires, which was then an International Scholarship.
Wow, I choose to attack my goals powerfully. I enter into 2022 powerfully. Thank you sir for coming.
