Magic moments: Finding your next step and living in Edinburgh
By Maria, from Kenya, studying MSc Africa and International Development
My name is Maria and I’m currently a student at the University of Edinburgh. I’m originally from Kenya and I’m pursuing a masters degree in Africa and International Development.
My undergrad was in business but career-wise, I moved to the development sector, so I worked with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). I had the practical knowledge but felt that I needed to show that I have academic experience for that as well, not just the hands-on stuff.
I pursued this degree not to change careers, but to add on to what I already had on the ground.
Life in Edinburgh
I love Edinburgh–it’s walkable, so I’ve done a lot of walking while I’ve been here! There are different places to go like Arthur’s Seat and beaches, which is great when you want to balance school with finding friends. Unwinding from books and going to these beautiful places has been amazing.
It has been a safe city as a student and everyone has been so kind and accommodative. Most amenities are just within reach, like shopping centres and hospitals.
There are a lot of tourists as well. I’m a fan of Harry Potter, so every time I visit Victoria Street, I want to go in the merchandise store and there are always queues! You will find more people in different areas and sometimes you may think that these are also students, but you come to realise that these are just tourists visiting the area.
I’m here on a full scholarship and also work as a Student Ambassador. The payment I get for Ambassador jobs sometimes goes towards an extracurricular activity, like going out with my friends or having a cup of tea.
I specifically use that cash to support activities that I want to do because as much as you’re here for academics, I believe that you also need some time off to unwind and relax.
Finding the degree for you
The University of Edinburgh’s website is so rich, and it has a lot of information. I had to narrow down exactly what I wanted to do. I was working in the development sector, so my goal was to find a programme that deals with development.
First, I searched “University of Edinburgh postgraduate studies” online. Just like that, it was the first link I saw and from there, there were various programmes placed in the different faculties on the university website. Mine was in the College of Humanities, and I had to narrow it down to the School of Social and Political Science.
I was looking for International Development courses, so I just typed in ‘development’. There were various development courses there. There was International Development or Africa and International Development. I had to go through the various programmes to find exactly what suits what I’m doing.
In each programme, they even have the modules provided by the University. So I had to go through these and ask myself, “Exactly how does this programme or module fit to what I want in the in the end?”
I wanted to pursue Africa and International Development because the majority of their courses are things that I really wanted to have after school.
Top tips for applying
Start your application early and on time. Don’t wait for the last minute to start the application, just go through the prerequisites of what is required. As an international student for instance, I needed to do the English test.
If you do the application late, that means you have a small window to take your English test.
For my course, I was required to provide a personal statement. Be as authentic as you can, just express yourself and answer why you really want to study this course, and why the University of Edinburgh? Someone reading your personal statement can easily tell if you’re not being authentic, so just be you and give it your best.
At the end of the day, start your application early and give yourself some room to work on it on time.
Student support
The best thing the University of Edinburgh offers for students is support services, especially with being an international student myself.
Sometimes you’re homesick, so there are mental health services and other things to help you. Even during the dissertation period I’m still able to get support which is important as I’m working on a very sensitive topic.
When I came here, I was a bit sceptical about reaching out but I thought, what’s the worst that can happen? Ever since I started reaching out, I’ve never stopped.
If you have any issues, just ask someone. Be it the lecturers or non-teaching staff, everyone is here to support you. Send them an e-mail and be assured that they’re going to answer you instantly. That additional support has helped my whole time being here — I felt at ease and able to balance everything. The support also helped me to focus on my studies and not worry about other things.
Everyone has been here to support me and my academic journey.
