Unapotaka kuomba udhamini wa elimu ya juu, fahamu kuwa mwombaji hauko peke yako. Kuna maelfu ya watu kila siku wanatafuta udhamini tena kwa fani kama hiyohiyo unayotaka kusoma. Idadi ya vyuo unayoomba na unaombaje ni vitu muhimu sana.
Huu ni mtazamo wangu: Christiano Ronaldo, Messi (kwenye soka), Kobe, Lebron nk (Basketball) sio wachezaji wa ajabu sana kwa kuangalia uwezo wao wa kufunga magoli. It's Math. If you make so many shots on target, you are going to score. If you don't shoot towards the goal, you don't score. As simple as that. Hichi ndicho Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Bale nk wanachokifanya. Wanahakikisha wanapiga mashuti mengi golini ili wafunge. Ukiangalia Balotelli, Torres na Adebayor wamejitahidi kupiga mashuti, ila mashuti yao mengi hayakulenga goli, na yale yaliyolenga goli hayakuwa na nguvu ya kutosha, na mengine yalikutana na kipa makini kuyazuia.
Kutokana na kuamini, mashuti mengi golini, upigaji kwa ufundi wa mashuti hayo, kumuangalia kipa yupo wapi wakati unapiga mashuti hayo inakufanya upate idadi kubwa ya magoli ya kushinda. Hivyo kwangu nimeangalia mambo mengi ninapoomba vyuo.
Vitu nilivyoangalia ninapoomba vyuo ni vifuatavyo:
- Ninatimiza kigezo cha GPA? Vyuo vingi kwa hapa Marekani vinahitaji uwe na GPA isiyopungua 3.0 out of 4.0 scale, ambayo ni sawa na 4.0 out of 5.0. Mfano tuchukulie (hypothetical) nina GPA ya 3.0 na chuo wamesema wao wanataka mtu mwenye 3.5 hapo ukiomba ni kupoteza muda wako, ni sawa na kupiga shuti nje ya target.
- Aina ya vyuo. Nimeomba vyuo vingi ambavyo ni vya Public na vikongwe. Vyuo hivi huwa na fedha za udhamini kwa kiasi kikubwa kulikoni vyuo binafsi. Sina maana kuwa vyuo binafsi havina udhamini, la hasha vinavyo ila nimependelea kuomba vya umma kama lengo langu.
- Sifa ya vyuo. Nimeomba vyuo vingi vya kawaida, sio vile vyenye majina makubwa mno maarufu kama Ivy League. Sitaki kupoteza muda na fedha zangu kuomba Harvard, Stanford, M.I.T, Yale, nk. Sio kwamba siwezi kuingia, ushindani wake ni mkubwa mno. Unakuta kwenye PhD waombaji wa fani unayotaka kusoma ni kama 800 hivi na udhamini unatolewa labda kwa watu 10. Hapo vita yake sio ya kitoto. Hivyo naomba vyuo ambavyo najua ushindani wake ni wa kawaida na sio vyenye sifa kubwa sana ya kutisha au kupambwa na michezo (American football) kama kivutio cha watu.
- GRE. Nimeomba vyuo ambavyo havina scores maalumu kwa ajili ya GRE. Kuna vyuo ambavyo huwa vina cut off scores tayari hivyo ukiwa na chini ya scores hizo umekwenda na maji. Vyuo niombavyo mimi vingi vinatumia whole person perspective, yaani vinaangalia mtu mzima katika kutoa udahili na udhamini. Vitu kama GRE, GPA, Statement of Purpose, Writing Sample, Recommendation Letters, Resume nk. Ila vyuo vingine ukiwa na chini ya scores fulani huruhusiwi kuomba, ukiomba unakuwa unapoteza muda wako.
- GRE - Kuna baadhi ya vyuo havina kigezo cha GRE, hivi navyo nimeomba. Kuomba vyuo hivi vina faida kuu mbili. Moja ni kupunguza gharama (ukiomba chuo cheti cha GRE lazima kitumwe na official testing yaani ETS na kwa kila cheti/copy unatakiwa kulipa dola 27), pili ni kuondoa kigezo cha GRE kwakuwa scores zangu za GRE sio nzuri za kutisha. Vyuo viwili ambavyo nimeomba havina GRE ni George Mason University (PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution), na University of Hawaii at Manor (PhD in Political Science with Concentration in Comparative Politics and Conflict Management)
- Maeneo ya vyuo. Nimeomba vyuo ambapo majimbo yake si ghali sana kuishi. Kwakuwa PhD inachukua miaka 3-5 kwa hapa Marekani, sipendi maisha yangu yawe magumu mno wakati ninasoma, ukizingatia nina familia. Hivyo majimbo yenye gharama kubwa ya kuishi kama vile California, New York nk yapo nje ya wigo wangu. Nimeomba majimbo ya kawaida mfano Georgia, Texas, Ohio, nk.
- Nimeandaa Statement of Purpose/Motivational nzuri mno, ambayo naamini inamaana kubwa na kuvutia kwa mtu atakayeisoma.
- Kuwa na recmmendation letters tatu na zaidi zenye uhakika.
Baada ya kuangalia vitu hivi, kinachofuata sasa ni kupiga mashuti golini. Nimeshajua golikipa amekaaje, walinzi wapoje na nipigeje. Nilichofanya ni kupiga mashuti mazito golini. Nimeweza kuomba vyuo 16 hadi sasa nikiamini kuwa ni lazima nipate chuo walau kimoja. Itakuwa ngumu mno kupiga mashuti 16 golini kisha nikose goli hata moja. Maana namepitia kila nyanja kuangalia nipigeje na nimepiga vyema.
Vyuo nilivyoomba, mahali vilipo na programs ni kama ifuatavyo
PhD PROGRAMS
1.
University
of Georgia at Athens (GEORGIA) – PhD
in Political Science and International Affairs
2.
University
of Georgia at Athens (GEORGIA) – PhD
in Public Administration and Public Policy
3.
Tennessee
State University (TENNESSEE) – PhD
in Public Administration
4.
Universality
of Missouri (MISSOURI) – PhD in
Political Science
5.
Washington
University in St. Louis (MISSOURI) –
PhD in Political Science
6.
West
Virginia University (WEST VIRGINIA)
– PhD in Political Science
7.
George
Mason University (VIRGINIA) PhD in
Conflict Analysis and Resolution
8.
Kennesaw
State University (GEORGIA) – PhD in
International Conflict Management
9.
University
of Texas at Austin (TEXAS) PhD in
Government
1. Arizona State University (ARIZONA) – PhD in Justice Studies
1. University of Michigan (MICHIGAN) – PhD in Political Science
1. Western Michigan University (MICHIGAN) – PhD in Political Science
1. Kent State University (OHIO) – PhD in Political Science
(Conflict Resolution concentration)
1. University of South Dakota (SOUTH DAKOTA) – PhD in Political
Science
1. University of Hawaii at Manoa (HAWAII) – PhD in Political Science
1. Florida International University
(FLORIDA) –PhD in Political Science
MUHIMU:
Makala hii sio ya kujadili soka ya nani ni bora au timu gani inafanya vizuri. Ninatumia baadhi ya wachezaji, na baadhi ya timu kwa kujaribu kueleza kwa mifano dhahiri na kuweka vitu katika perspective.
MAKULILO
ernest_makulilo@yahoo.com
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