With the recent medical, health sciences and pharmacy intakes at IMU, not only do we see eager faces stepping into a degree of their choice, we also see proud faces of the IMU scholarship recipients who have completed the Foundation in Science at IMU. “To be honest, certainly a well-received one but not completely overjoyed. They reminded me that I will have to work even harder to ensure that I continue to qualify for it. Nonetheless, they are proud for this achievement,” was what Ho Seck How’s family advised him when he received the IMU full scholarship to pursue Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biomedical Science. What would be necessary qualities for a student like Ho Seck How to secure a scholarship to pursue a degree of his interest? Well, this is what Ho Seck How says, “A result that needs to be of above average, a wide experience in co-curriculum activities and most importantly, confidence. You will never be able to achieve your dreams if you never step out of your comfort zone.” Has the one year of the Foundation in Science programme helped him in anyway? Seck How thinks that the FiS programme has shown him where his limits were, and hence resulted in him adjusting his study method accordingly in order to achieve the best result he can. Another proud recipient of the scholarship is Asuka Joy Tobuse who obtained the full scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. For Asuka, in order for one to secure a scholarship, he/she needs to have a good grasp of their studies, be able to maintain their grades consistently, as well as have some soft skills such as time management, be a leader, have good communication skills, a positive attitude, and good problem-solving skills. The ability to communicate well with one’s peers and lecturers is a great advantage. Has FiS contributed in any way to Asuka’s achievement of outstanding results which qualifies her for the scholarship? “In FIS, I was given many opportunities to enhance my soft skills through participation in a community project, being a group leader, and meeting many people, opportunities where I can improve both informal and formal communication skills. In terms of academics, FIS has definitely equipped me with the knowledge needed to start my degree,” says Asuka.
Asuka has a shout out to her juniors in FiS. “Be ambitious! Do not be afraid of dreaming big. Also, there will always be someone who is better than you, so don’t strive to be the best. Instead, strive to be the best version of yourself and if you’ve put your mind to it, believe that you can achieve it. To all the FIS juniors, I wish you all the best in your studies and future endeavours!”
Asqwin a/l Uthaya Kumar received a partial scholarship to pursue Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Medical Biotechnology. Asqwin explains that his parents were happy and grateful, that he has successfully secured the scholarship, because this scholarship would help to reduce their financial burden of the tuition fees. 
Asqwin feels that qualifying for the scholarship, is not only through good grades, but also through developing soft skills. because soft skills such as problem solving, leadership and communication skills, will be very helpful for the students not only in university but also when the students go to their workplace. Mastering these skills will give a huge advantage to students when overcoming obstacles in their workplace. “In FIS, I was exposed to various types projects with the objective of not only assessing our performance but also giving a chance to us as students to develop and improve our soft skills. FIS consists of very talented lecturers who are very supportive in academic and non-academic matters and guided me in the right path, especially my mentor,” Asqwin added. And finally, Asqwin’s advice to his juniors, “Don’t be afraid of failures. Mistakes are there to teach us who we really are and where we stand. Learn from your mistakes and some mistakes will teach you great lessons that even success cannot teach. Also, be yourself and stop comparing yourself with others, you are unique in your own way, it’s just something you may have not recognized yet. Remember it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being happy.” 
It has always been her interest to pursue a degree in Dietetics with Nutrition. And it just got better for Goh Yu Shaine who received IMU’s full scholarship for Bachelors in Science (Hons) in Dietetics with Nutrition. Yu Shaine first found out about the scholarship through her mentor, who encouraged her to work hard in her academics and participate in more activities within and outside of IMU. On her belief of what leads to success in securing a scholarship, Yu Shaine says, “I believe that it is important to be perseverant. When faced with challenges, always remember to pick yourself up even when you fail at times. Take your failure as the starting point of success.” Yu Shaine credits her success also to the one year of the Foundation in Science studies. “My one year as an FIS student has definitely helped me grow. During the first few days of class, I volunteered myself as class representative of my cohort because I wanted to brush up my leadership skills and also to push myself to try different things. I can gladly say that I have evolved ever since then to be much more responsible and a person who has gained trust from her own peers.” In 2018, eight high achieving FiS students won IMU scholarships to pursue their undergraduate degree. The Scholarships in the form of full or partial tuition fee waivers are for students demonstrating outstanding academic excellence, extra curriculum participation and leadership qualities. Read about the other four recipients of this Scholarship at FiS Students Bags Scholarship for Various IMU Degree Programmes.
