As much as I started to love being here in Cepu (yeah, after almost 3 years), it didn't stop me from trying to get away from here. Permanently. I'll take any chances that's possible.
Then one day, the gate to my exit road was finally opened.
It was a broadcast email from the company HQ, about scholarship offering to its employees. Of course we had to pass some selection tests. I didn't think twice, I submitted the application email and annoyed my colleague on HR Dept. to include my name on their internal memo. And the trial was begun.
I got called for the first test, psycho-test, Test Potensi Akademik (TPA) and focus discussion group. Interview with a psychologist was also included. It was the happiest time, cause I could meet old friends from all over company's business units. We studied together, a little bit, and hang out together, a lot of that, hahaha,,,, And I passed the test. Surprisingly.
There came the next test, which were GRE Test and TOEFL Test that using the Internet Based Test, online. These test is the creepiest of all. I've never done the GRE Test before. Some of my friends said, it was similar to TPA, but in English. Kwaaaang,,,, kwaaaangg,,, I should study, no mater what. @rhinotherhino bought me the practice book and @kusitarini sent the soft copy of her practice books. But it wasn't easy to find time to study and I finally started to study a week before the test date and intensively only 3 days before the test date. GRE Test has 3 parts, Quantitative Test (basic Math), Verbal (reading, vocabulary) and Analytical Writing.
I studied the tips of Analytical Writing, the structure of paragraph, and the vocabulary that can be used. The range of writing's score is 1-6. My goal was score 3-4. Yeah, based on my previous TOEFL Test, I know I'm not that good in writing. 3 to 4 is good enough. For the Verbal part, there were soooo many words that I had to memorize and also their meaning. The practice book and Sita adviced me to make flash cards. But I didn't have the tiiiimmmeee! So I just tried my best to remember all of them. The last one, the Quantitative Math, my favourite. I knew it was basic math, but the last time I take Math test, it was a loooong time ago. And it's in English ya, by the way. So I decided to study the terms first and then practiced. You know what they said, practice makes perfect.
On the test day, I was so nervous. I felt that I was doing pretty good in writing, but I was frozen for some minutes in Quantitative Test. I forgot the entire Math terms that I had studied! After taking a couple of deep breath, I could go on. The Verbal Test was not that good, but I've predicted that before. We knew the test result (Quantitative and Verbal) right after we've finished the test, but we needed to wait for the Analytical Writing score. So my Quantitative score is average (152 or 660), my Verbal score is below average (42 or 340) and my Analytical Writing is average (3). Basically, not that good.
For TOEFL Test, at first they said that I could use my previous test result that was taken on February 2012. But in the end they asked me to take the test too. So I had to study again, still using the Kaplan books and CDs from Mba Izah. It helped me to get used to the TOEFL materials. And of course, practice practice practice. I saved the CD's content in my iPod so I could studied everywhere, I didn't have to bring my laptop to play the CDs. On the test day, I felt more nervous than the last time I took TOEFL Test, because I felt that the pressure was so high and intense. This is my getaway ticket, for God's sake! I didn't want to blew it. Alhamdulillah the result was better than the previous test. My score is 100 or equals to 600 for Paper Based Test. From 4 parts of the test, my score was increasing for Reading, Listening and Writing parts, but decreasing for Speaking. The Writing score was the one that increased significantly. I guess, studied the Analytical Writing for GRE Test was helping.
So all the test participants had took the test, and we're waiting again for the next memo. We didn't know the selection's criteria, we didn't know what's going to happen next. The thing about the test committee is they're not giving us the complete information. About the test, the selection criteria, the scholarship program, the purpose, etc, etc. They kept us wondering and guessing, waiting for their emails or memos. And somehow, I passed this second test. I had nooooo idea why, but thankful.
Then came another memo for the third test, interview with user and psychologist. I don't think I nailed it either. I felt like I didn't give them smart answers. And here comes another waiting moment. I'm getting tired with all the tests and waiting and hoping. So I only pray, if it's meant to be, it will come to me eventually. I've done my best, hope for the best and let God do the rest, like always.
For what it's worth, at least I've tried to win a getaway ticket,, ;)
I studied the tips of Analytical Writing, the structure of paragraph, and the vocabulary that can be used. The range of writing's score is 1-6. My goal was score 3-4. Yeah, based on my previous TOEFL Test, I know I'm not that good in writing. 3 to 4 is good enough. For the Verbal part, there were soooo many words that I had to memorize and also their meaning. The practice book and Sita adviced me to make flash cards. But I didn't have the tiiiimmmeee! So I just tried my best to remember all of them. The last one, the Quantitative Math, my favourite. I knew it was basic math, but the last time I take Math test, it was a loooong time ago. And it's in English ya, by the way. So I decided to study the terms first and then practiced. You know what they said, practice makes perfect.
On the test day, I was so nervous. I felt that I was doing pretty good in writing, but I was frozen for some minutes in Quantitative Test. I forgot the entire Math terms that I had studied! After taking a couple of deep breath, I could go on. The Verbal Test was not that good, but I've predicted that before. We knew the test result (Quantitative and Verbal) right after we've finished the test, but we needed to wait for the Analytical Writing score. So my Quantitative score is average (152 or 660), my Verbal score is below average (42 or 340) and my Analytical Writing is average (3). Basically, not that good.
For TOEFL Test, at first they said that I could use my previous test result that was taken on February 2012. But in the end they asked me to take the test too. So I had to study again, still using the Kaplan books and CDs from Mba Izah. It helped me to get used to the TOEFL materials. And of course, practice practice practice. I saved the CD's content in my iPod so I could studied everywhere, I didn't have to bring my laptop to play the CDs. On the test day, I felt more nervous than the last time I took TOEFL Test, because I felt that the pressure was so high and intense. This is my getaway ticket, for God's sake! I didn't want to blew it. Alhamdulillah the result was better than the previous test. My score is 100 or equals to 600 for Paper Based Test. From 4 parts of the test, my score was increasing for Reading, Listening and Writing parts, but decreasing for Speaking. The Writing score was the one that increased significantly. I guess, studied the Analytical Writing for GRE Test was helping.
So all the test participants had took the test, and we're waiting again for the next memo. We didn't know the selection's criteria, we didn't know what's going to happen next. The thing about the test committee is they're not giving us the complete information. About the test, the selection criteria, the scholarship program, the purpose, etc, etc. They kept us wondering and guessing, waiting for their emails or memos. And somehow, I passed this second test. I had nooooo idea why, but thankful.
Then came another memo for the third test, interview with user and psychologist. I don't think I nailed it either. I felt like I didn't give them smart answers. And here comes another waiting moment. I'm getting tired with all the tests and waiting and hoping. So I only pray, if it's meant to be, it will come to me eventually. I've done my best, hope for the best and let God do the rest, like always.
For what it's worth, at least I've tried to win a getaway ticket,, ;)
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