'I stayed calm right until the end!' - scholarship winner describes his success

In May 2009 our parent organisation, Cambridge Assessment, launched a scholarship to enable students from Pakistan to take up their place at the University of Cambridge without the worry of creating a financial burden for their families.

We recently met one of the first winners of the University of Cambridge 800th Anniversary Scholarships – Zulifqar Ali – who started his Politics, Psychology and Sociology degree at Queens College last September.

Zulfiqar (pictured) was thrilled to discover he’d won a scholarship in February 2010. He said he would not have been able to take up his place at the University without it. So how did it happen?

'My school, Karachi Grammar, supported me throughout my application to the University,' he said. 'I applied for a scholarship and was interviewed in Dubai last October. I watched lots of online lectures to help me prepare for the interview and broaden my horizons. The interview was really stimulating. There were two interviewers on the panel and they asked me to think about things in different ways – such as the role psychology plays in politics. You really need to be able to back up your ideas. Nothing is wrong as long as you can support your arguments. I felt nervous, but I stayed calm right up until the last minute.'

Inspired by Cambridge

Zulifqar met the entry requirements for the University having achieved impressive grades in his Cambridge International A Levels. He also participated in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including debating, sports, and guitar lessons, and won six Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards. We asked him how he is finding life at Cambridge:

'This is my first time in England. I have always felt a connection to Cambridge. At school our books were published by Cambridge University Press, and then I studied Cambridge exams. Everyone in Pakistan knows the University of Cambridge. It’s amazing to be here and to study alongside some of the smartest people in the world.

'The tutors at Cambridge are really inspiring. They can ignite your interest in something so that you want to go off and do more research into it on your own. At school the focus was on exams, at university it’s about working on your own and developing your own knowledge.'

Zulifqar says that his Cambridge International A Levels helped him prepare for university: 'They taught me how to think critically which is helping with my university studies. They gave me analysis skills too.'

Just go for it!

So what is his advice to fellow students in Pakistan? 'If you want to study at the University of Cambridge, don’t be put off by the financial barriers,’ he says. 'If you believe in working hard, you should apply for Cambridge and one of the scholarships. Cambridge offers amazing opportunities – both academic and socially.'

Good luck to Zulifqar with his studies, and we wish him every success with his ambitions to become a lawyer. Cambridge Assessment is pleased to fund the University of Cambridge 800th Anniversary Scholarships, and we encourage other students in Pakistan to apply.

source:http://www.cie.org.uk/news/features/detail?feature_id=37414

Extra marks for right attitude- CBSE

 The Central Board of Secondary Educationhas said Class IX students can score higher marks in maths or science by showing they have a healthy attitude or adequate life skills.

In a recent circular, CBSE has asked schools to award higher grades in subjects under the scholastic category, which includes English, mathematics, science or social science, to students who get exceptionally good scores in coscholastic areas where they are tested attitude towards the teacher, discipline, or leadership qualities.

All school heads are advised to explain this promotion policy for Class IX in detail to parents, teachers and students to create awareness and avoid unnecessary inconvenience at a later stage the CBSE circular said. School heads consider this directive as a reminder to schools that have failed to take assessment in co-scholastic areas.

While considering co-scholastic areas for promotion of a student from one class to the next, CBSE has said that after converting grades into grade points, a student who scores in the highest range may be upgraded to the next higher level in two scholastic subjects, and those in the second highest range may be upgraded to the next higher grade in one scholastic subject.

For instance, a child is good at debating, which reveals leadership qualities, then scores obtained in this activity could be added to the student's English scores. ''Some schools have been following this. The CBSE directive is a call for others to keep up with these proactive schools,'' said Satish.

Senior principal of Chennai's RMK Group of Schools, C Satish said that some schools still consider only academic skills for promotion. This circular is expected to be a wake-up call for such schools to take note of the importance that the CBSE places on developing life skills, and attitudes and values of children.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Tamil_Nadu/Extra_marks_for_right_attitude-_CBSE_13538/