I applied for my Masters course in January of this year, after discovering an advert on Facebook. Who'd have thought that Facebook advertising might actually turn out to be a good thing, and in this case life-changing? The advert was for the Erasmus Mundus Masters degree in Journalism, Globalisation and Media so I clicked on it and what I found, ticked every single box for what I wanted in an MA course.
I've known that I wanted to take a Masters degree for the past two years and had been searching since the summer of 2012 to find a course either in English or in Journalism. It was not until I took on the role of Editor for my university newspaper and magazine, the Wessex Scene, in July 2012 that I realised I wanted to pursue journalism as a career and there were times when I severely questioned that decision, believe me. Having now come out the other side, relatively unscathed and with the skin of a dragon I now firmly believe that I have made the right choice.
I sent my application off in the first week of January after a very quick turn-around. I didn't really rate my chances as I'd had to rush the application to get it in on time and I thought that there would be many more applicants who'd had far more experience than I had. My experience included some work experience with my Auntie at her magazine called 'Sportsister', a year as Sports Editor and then a year as Editor for the Wessex Scene and presenting a radio show with my friends for two years. However, I applied for the 'Journalism Across Cultures' specialism and for that I had a wealth of experience including many trips to Germany including work experience there and a month-long Government funded trip to China for 'Study China'. I really played to my experience of living in different countries and learning about culture and I think ultimately that helped me to gain a place.
I found out I'd got the place in March. I was walking down Portswood High Street in Southampton, with my then Deputy Editor Jo, when I found out. The email popped up on my phone and for a few minutes I just could not contain my excitement, much to the amusement of everyone sitting in Costa or Sprinkles. It was lovely to find out the news in the company of one of my long-suffering friends and it was euphoric to discover that I was one of only 80 people selected out of 400 applicants. I need to hold on to this initial excitement and sense of pride because it really was all-consuming and will be a powerful force to get me to Denmark.
It's now only one month until my flight to Denmark and I have to keep reminding myself that no, it's not a one-way flight, and that Denmark is only a short 1.5/2 hour flight away so really it's not that bad and not worth the worrying. But I think it's just the idea of moving away and the definitive opening of a new chapter in my life which is pretty daunting.
Lately I've been walking my dog a lot in the mornings and evenings. In the glorious, hot weather we've had lately, these walks have been especially enjoyable and a nice moment to myself to think about what lies ahead. A few times in the evening sunlight I have walked through long grass, following my dog Honey, and watched the butterflies fly around. It is times like this that I feel extremely excited about the future and about my career. Other times I have walked out of the house feeling really stressed and the walk has helped to clear my head and help me feel more relaxed. I only feel stressed because I am stepping into the unknown and leaving my family, friends and boyfriend here. In essence it's quite a selfish move but I think at this point although it doesn't come naturally to me I need to be selfish.
I laid all my clothes out yesterday and worked out what I still needed to get for my trip. Everyday I move closer to the day I leave and I feel a bit like I'm running out of time. I am very lucky to have the support I do from my family, friends and boyfriend and will strive to make the best of this trip for myself and for them.
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| Honey, my dog |
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