MY AFS INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE

I decided to write about my AFS interview experience which happened about a month or so ago to give some clues to the future students who'll be applying next year to prepare their very best for the first interview!

It was around April when I sent in my applications for the AFS student exchange program. A few weeks later, I received three emails, a sms, and two letters confirming my application and that I was selected for the first interview. (Lol. I don't know why I needed to be inform in so many ways.)

On the day of the interview, I went to pick up Amber from her house and went to the interview location stated at the letter. Amber and I call ourselves the 'early bird' as we're never late for anything haha. We're against the 'Malaysian Timing'. We arrived half an hour early and a volunteer saw us and said we came too early lol. Hahaha! We would be there earlier if I didn't get lost around Amber's house. 

We waited at the canteen and soon people started coming. We were grouped in random teams after registering. 

The awesome group mates and new friends I made, together with the volunteers of the camp!

We started of by introducing ourselves and drawing out our 'personality flag'. Then, we went out to play 'Country Bomb' right after the presentation of our flag. My group lost at the very first round itself because we weren't focused enough! Hahahahaha.

After that, we did some group discussion on the latest issues, played lots of super fun team building game and even danced to margarita! Thrice! It was hella fun but embarassing. 

It was games, games and more games throughout the 10 hours camp. It was around noon when I was called for my interview. I waited outside the hall with 5 other interviewees and went in for an interview after 15 minutes of chatting with the others and a few volunteers. 

There was two interviewer, I shall address them as A and B. My first impression was that they were really friendly as they told me to enjoy myself. I wasn't as nervous as I was outside probably thanks to the cooling air-cond inside! Well, there's nothing much to worry about actually. They're just humans anyway. It's not like they'll eat you or something...

Well, the interviewers didn't eat me for sure, but they sure did made me felt stupid. I did my best to answer questions like 'Think of me as a foreigner, how would you explain your country politics if you were asked?' I was there, blanked, asking if it was offensive to answer a slightly sensitive question. (Well, to some people it may be sensitive.) Then interviewer A started giving me the ' I don't give a f-, just answer my question' look and I got so nervous and answered the question in the best way I could think of by saying 'there's pros and cons for everything.' Lame, I know. I panicked. Then interviewer B who was really nice asked me to describe Malaysian culture if she was a foreigner. I did my best. Thankfully I've experience some while travelling around Malaysia or else I'd be dead meat.

Most of the questions were asked by interviewer A while B was flipping and looking through my files of certs. Pretty sure she was impressed with the Korean test results I obtained lol. She kept staring at it. 

Overall the interview session was horrible and scary! I would therefore conclude that interviewer A now gave me an impression that she was like radioactive substances. Attacking at random times, whenever she likes and interviewer B was calm and nice and friendly like a sheep.

Be well prepared is what is important I guess. I regretted doing research only the night before the interview. Well, AFS has this slogan that says 'expect the unexpected'. I certainly did not expect this scary interview session when all they say when you first enter is 'just enjoy yourself and have fun'. Well yeah, my friend certainly 'enjoyed' so much that she came out from the interview room crying. Poor friend. 

My only advice to ya'll is that you should put in 120% effort and do your research about Malaysia, from traditions to races to politics. Always be positive no matter how much you hate that topic during the interview. When they ask you to give your views, give your honest opinions but don't be so negative! All the best for ya'll! On a side note, you may suffer from an 'exchange mania' where you'll be constantly checking to see if you made it, having nightmares and lost concentration if you're someone like me who cares a lot about the failure and success.

The experience is up to you to decide whether it is fun or not. Like how my PE teacher always say:  'to determine whether a game is fun or not is up to the players who is playing'. I find this experience fun (except the interview) and I learnt a lot of things throughout the whole camp but a few of my friends find it boring. It's definitely up to you and since you're given a chance, why waste it? You won't lose anything in the end anyway. 

I'm just gonna sit and patiently wait for my rejection letter. x