If someone
had told me a year ago that I would give up steady, full-time employment to do
my Master’s in a foreign land, I would have scoffed. Not because further
qualifying myself was a ludicrous idea or because the lure of a foreign
adventure was unappealing. But in this less than stellar economic climate, who
would give up a secure job that they excelled at for only the possibility of another at the end of a
year?
Someone
recently said to me, “Education is the strongest
investment you can make, because you’re investing in yourself.” This inspired
the change in lifestyle that set me on my path to Ireland and UCD. While I have
always believed in education as a tool for affecting change, the higher
education system in India is a beast. It is a system few can comprehend, even
amongst those who pass through its hallowed (and harrowing) halls. A
hard-working spirit and thinking mind are no guarantee that you’ll make it
through. For many that do, it is often at a price – disillusionment. This isn’t
to say that higher education in India is universally bad, but it certainly has
a long way to go to measure up on the international scale.
At the end of my BA, I emerged a
self-assured, confident 21-year-old, who didn’t have a clue but thought she did.
I soon learnt that I was at the very bottom of the food chain and I also learnt
how to arm myself to rectify this. Having
worked at the same company for a number of years, and having grown through its
ranks, my understanding of the world has changed significantly. Working full time
gave me focus, without which pursuing a post-graduate degree would have been
pointless.
All of this
led to my decision to apply for my MA. And so began the process to find a
university and a course that would suit me.
Choosing to
study in Ireland was a simple decision. Ireland is known throughout the world
for quality higher education. The “Education in Ireland” fairs held in India
allowed me to meet university representatives and get a better picture of the
system. Beyond this, the course that I was interested in – Media and
International Conflict – was one I thought I would benefit from studying in
Ireland. With its history, Ireland is uniquely placed to discuss conflict.
My reasons
for choosing UCD specifically were two-fold. Firstly, the course they offered
best-matched what I was looking for. The various
modules of this course, designed around media and politics, intrigued me. The
dissemination of information, as well as the manner in which it is
disseminated, has a telling effect on an audience. As such, I felt a better
understanding of conflict-reporting would be useful. Secondly, my interaction
with UCD has been great. I queried a number of universities within Ireland and
without, when I first began the application process. None were as prompt or
helpful as UCD has been. As well as answering my questions regarding the
application process and the course itself, they were most helpful when I
required additional documents for my visa application.
Applying
for the visa was something of a chore. If I had to do it all over again, that
would top my list of priorities. The official website is very clear and lists
all the documents you require, but I felt obliged to check them over
compulsively. That lost me some time. Once the application had been submitted,
waiting for an answer wasn’t easy. Having gained admission to the course of my
choice, the idea that I could lose out based on the visa was difficult to deal
with. The month preceding the start of the academic year is extremely busy, so
it probably would have helped if I’d applied a week or two earlier. While the
whole process is said to take up to 4 weeks, it usually takes between 2 to 3
weeks. I waited 5 weeks before I got my answer (bear in mind that my
application was enormous and there was a lot of paperwork to get through). Of
course, once my visa was approved I thought it had all been worthwhile.
Now that I
am past the big stumbling blocks, the last few months seem fairly surreal. I have
time now to think about moving away for a year and how much of an adjustment
this is going to be. Living with 5 strangers is a disconcerting prospect. As
much as I like to think of myself as a tolerant, adaptable person, I like my
things the way I like my things. It’s
going to take a little effort to settle into a routine with my flatmates that
works for all of us – something I’m going to dive into head first.
I also have
time to think about this course that I am to begin in September. For months now
I have looked forward to it but now that it’s just around the corner I wonder
how well it will match up to my expectations. People have asked me over and
over whether moving from a full-time job to university is going to be difficult.
I never thought so, mostly because I looked at this like another job. You’re
given a number of tasks to fulfil by a certain deadline. So far, that
philosophy has helped keep the panic at bay. The next year will, I hope,
substantiate it.
I’m down to
my last couple of weeks before I leave and it’s been a whirlwind of activity. A
curious (and welcome) by product of my preparation to leave, has been a new
perspective on my home city. I’ve been saying goodbye to old haunts and
memorising smells and views, wondering how much they’ll change over the next
year. I suppose I’ll be the one doing the most changing and I’m looking forward
to it.
