Another experience and scholarship

 Halo guys! It has been a very long time I have not written a post here. I think it was in April when my last writing was posted. Phewww~

A lot of things happened from May to November. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we could not move freely as before. It saddens me more knowing the fact that Europe now is struggling with the second wave of the coronavirus. The case is growing rapidly compared to the previous wave in March and April. During the summer break, the case was much lower. Thus, the mobility of the people quite rose. From a psychological point of view, it was understandable as they had been through a hard situation in the first wave. Students could not go to school, some worried about the money as the job opportunities were lacking, and others merely tried to stay sane to ensure the stability of their mental health.

But thankfully, this semester some universities conduct laboratory and practical activities which I extremely glad for. Last semester, I could not obtain any laboratory skills because my university did not open their labs due to the restrictions applied in Poland to carry out all university classes on an online platform, e.g. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, and others. I am also grateful that my university provides us with a complete version of Microsoft Office to support our learning system during this difficult time.

New experience

Clean wort after filtration

Tanks to boil the barley and hops to produce the wort (the "beer" without alcohol)

Barley malt

Beer with 5.2% ethanol

Fermentation tanks

Long story short, I had an opportunity to visit a brewery home-industry in which some students from my university are working and conducting their research there. If you guys are not familiar with the term the brewery, it is the place where beer is produced. It was an incredible experience for me since I would never expect this kind of chance to happen in my home country. My professor explained in the chemical, physical, and microbiological ways how to produce the beers. Two days later, my laboratory work in fermentation technology was about the evaluation of the barley and malt. They are raw materials to obtain the end-product, which is the beer. I thought the beers are just like kefir or yogurt (easily make), yet they are completely different. We have to examine barley and malt carefully to generate the best quality ingredients for the beer. Hence, the product will be tastier and the price is higher eventually. There are three main ingredients to produce a beer, consisting of water, barley (malt), hops, and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Malt is germinated barley that has been dried to further use in beer production, while hops have a crucial role in the beer as it has a substance called alpha acid. Alpha acid will be isomerized to generate iso-alpha acid that contributes to the bitterness of the beer. 

the Rector Scholarship for Best Students 

(Stypendium Rektora dla najlepszych studentów)

(Technologia żywności i żywienie człowieka means food technology and human nutrition)

Furthermore, I also have another great chance that I have never expected before. Approximately a month ago, I applied myself for the Rector scholarship. This scholarship is awarded for the 10% best students in a given field based on the academic record from the previous semester. The criteria I mentioned is for the students of second-cycle study or what-so-called master's students. I tried to write the application since my previous academic achievement was not bad. I got 4.88 out of 5.00. Based on the ranking released by the university, I was in the 3rd to 5th position among 98 master's students in the faculty of food technology. Along with the blessings and prayers of my parents, I finally signed and sent the scholarship registration file to the International Relation Office. I did not expect much because I realized that several other students might be in the same position as me. 

(Notification confirming the student received the Rector Scholarship)

A month passed by, I almost forgot about the scholarship. I got the notification from my university account that I managed to pass the final assessment by the Rector board. At this time, I did not know that it means I successfully get the scholarship. On Friday, November 20th, 2020, I had a laboratory work in natural sweeteners subject. While I was working on my stuff, I suddenly received a notification from my bank account that I got a transfer from the university. I was confused because it was not the date to receive any scholarship payment (because I am an awardee of the Ignacy Łukasiewicz Scholarship by the Polish government). I thought there was a mistake before my friend told me that it might be the Rector scholarship. I was a bit shaking but trying so hard to control myself in the middle of the lab activity. After all the things were done, I texted my mom and dad through WhatsApp to share the good news, also my partner. Later on, at night, I was surprised by the information from the university website that the scholarship will be given monthly. I did not know this fact because I applied for the scholarship only to "try" at the beginning. I do not know how to express my gratitude to Allah, my Only Saviour. Allah is the Only One who makes everything possible. I am so thankful to be given this opportunity and indeed it encourages me more to give my best in everything I do. Even though, I ever reached a point where I was extremely hopeless, not knowing what tomorrow holds. But, from now, I should always remember that He is with me. He listens, He sees, and He knows every single thing that will happen, what is the best, and removes what is not. 

I only want to share this little happiness with you. I hope you do not take this as a "show-off", instead I would like to write this as a gentle reminder that experiences matter, trust in God matters, and the prayers of your parents are matter.