I chanced upon this article on the net

Datuk S Subramaniam, the President of the Nesa Multipurpose Cooperative Society and the former MIC vice president said that academic performance should be the main criterion for awarding of scholarships and not other subjective qualities like interviews and participation in extra curricular activities.

This really led me to think abt my recent submission for a scholarship. Honestly, I did not do exceptionally well for A Lvls (Having only a B B D grade). Thus, I initially had doubts to even submit the application form. However, on second thought, I was thinking, is scholarship all about results? If i do not try, I would not know rite? So I decided to pick up my courage and filled up the form and submtited it together with my supporting docs.

I start to wonder. Is success defined by just academic results alone? Of course there are the few talented ones who can do well academically as well as excel in their CCA, however how many people out there are such perfectionist? And, does getting straight A's definitely mean a successor in the working world?

As a student, I've seen students getting straight A's, but when it comes to presenting in front of a crowd, they do not know how to express their views. I've also seen straight A's students having problems starting a conversations and communicating. In this instance, will they succeed in their career next time? But perhaps, humans are mostly judgmental, this is something we cannot change.

Some may argue that, what is the point of being able to communicate when you could not even think? But I would like to ask, does not doing well academically necessary means a person could not think? Getting great grades depending on memorization, is that thinking?

Einstein quit school when he was 15 cos his teacher told him that his very presence destroyed the other students' respect for the teacher. But was he successful at the end of the day?

I think this serve as a good example to tell those people who are not academically smart, or those who think differently one thing : do not let people who does not believe in you get you down. Because at the end of the day, we are all someone useful, and we are here on this Earth for a reason.

If you fail to get a scholarship today, it is not that you are useless or not good enough, if you are not getting into the course you want in uni, it is not that you are not good enough. It is because we live in a society where competition is strong and people are judgmental. DO NOT let this bring you down or give up because success is not judged by results alone. You can too become successful as long as you stay strong in what you believe in.

I look forward to the day where the next "Albert Einstein" will rise . . .