Before I came back to do my master's, I had spent a year living in Melbourne, Australia and then I worked in Cambridge. I was feeling discontent with the path I was on and started thinking about what made me happiest. I'm happiest when I'm learning, so I began to look around for courses that would interest me.
When I found the Media and Cultural Analysis course, I knew that it was exactly what I wanted to do. When deciding where to go to do my master's, Loughborough was my first choice. It was where I studied my undergraduate degree and I couldn't imagine going anywhere else. The best thing about Loughborough is that the campus is so alive and always full of energy. An added benefit is that it has low rent prices, which was a consideration I needed to make as a postgraduate student.
On my programme I love the variety of topics that we cover and the lecturers are so friendly and willing to help. It is also great that all the students come from different backgrounds and have different experiences as it really makes class discussions interesting.
Being a postgraduate student is different because most people on my course have taken a couple of years out between graduating the first time and the master's, which means that they have often decided to return to university to fulfil a passion for the subject. It is also different because there is a greater focus on your work and what you can contribute to the subject knowledge.
On a typical day for example, I wake up early so that I can watch the news while I get ready. This is helpful as so much on the course can be aided by a good knowledge of current affairs. I then head to a lecture and afterwards might go home or to the library to do reading before I have to go to work. After work I often settle down to work on essay plans or do further reading for assignments.
In my time away from my studies I am a member of the Hiking Society and have attended events run by the Postgraduate Executive Officer. I also spend a lot of weekends away from Loughborough travelling to visit friends or going to gigs and shows in Nottingham and Leicester.
In five years I would like to have gained further experience as a Social Media Manager and be working at a successful level in that field.
If you are considering studying a postgraduate programme - apply! You will learn so much, have a great time and make great friends.