Hi, I'm Sonen Soth
This is the story of my
Scholarship Journey.

I am Sonen Soth, an experienced marketer and strategist from Cambodia. I recently completed my master's degree in public relations and advertising in Australia. During my undergraduate studies, I was an exchange student at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Communication Arts' B.A. in Communication Management (International Programme) for one semester (5 months). My main motive for pursuing that degree was the opportunity to receive media management education at one of Thailand's most prestigious universities, where I gained new experiences and perspectives in news reporting and marketing.

Scholarship Details

The scholarship that I received was the ASEAN 2017 Scholarship program of the Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University. The scholarship granted tuition fees, a living allowance worth 50,000 THB, and round-trip air ticket reimbursement which did not exceed  9,500 THB.

Educational Background

I consider myself an average student with a GPA of 3.60 when I applied for the scholarship. Like any other media student, I was not solely concerned with achieving good scores in class. Building strong relationships with my lecturers and doing my internship at a local news outlet as well as volunteering at youth organizations prior to applying for the scholarship have helped me stand out as a candidate.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for Scholarships and Institutions?

I knew I wanted to apply for scholarships, so I took the TOEFL and IELTS before even starting my scholarship application to get it out of the way. The more familiar I became with the practice examinations, the easier it was to score higher. I got a 7.0 on my IELTS and 90/120 on my TOEFL, I did lots of practice tests to prepare for these two exams, which helped me get familiar with the questions and time limitations. For this scholarship particularly, I used only my IELTS scores for the application. I have applied for other scholarships and got accepted as well; however, the ASEAN scholarship seemed more suitable for me. Since it was my first time living and studying abroad, I didn’t want to go too far from my home country—that’s why Thailand was a great choice. I learned about this scholarship by reaching out to Cambodian seniors who were studying at Chulalongkorn University at the time.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Looking back, I wish I had taken more time to review the courses before applying, especially since my university in Cambodia didn’t allow me to choose my own subjects. I wasn’t fully aware of how to select the best courses to maximize my studies. However, I was very satisfied with all my classes and deeply appreciated the support from ASEAN scholarship coordinators, my lecturers at the Department of Media and Communication, Royal University of Phnom Penh, and the Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, during my scholarship journey. Their guidance was invaluable as I regularly checked in with them about my progress.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

When looking for scholarships, study all of the terms and conditions, including eligibility, universities, and allowances, to see whether they are a good fit for you. For me, the ASEAN scholarship allowed me to put my ability to live and study abroad to the test in a short amount of time; as a 20-year-old, it was an ideal choice.