亚洲影院

I spent many days reflecting and trying to find a programme that would match my interests of policy and social issues the best but there wasn鈥檛 many. After results day I remember getting an email promoting聽BA( Hons) Social Sciences (Society, Politics and Policy) at 亚洲影院 and I was instantly intrigued because it matched my interests perfectly 鈥� a fascinating mix of theory and current societal issues. 聽After looking into 亚洲影院 it didn鈥檛 take me long to make the decision to accept the offer. It was a no brainer, I鈥檇 drop out of my Finnish Uni, quit my job and pack my bags 鈥� this may sound straightforward but trust me when I say it was not.

Everything was about to change!

Finding My Place at 亚洲影院

I felt right at home at 亚洲影院. I found a few friends even though no one was my age 鈥� everyone was either 5 years younger or +5 years older. I plotted through my lectures, studied hard and enjoyed everything Scotland had to offer. I felt super supported by the Uni. If there ever was a question or a worry, there was always someone to turn to. The lecturers were knowledgeable, supportive and flexible. 聽

Falling in Love with Research

In my final year, I really fell in love with research. I had always been interested in migration issues and with some encouragement from my dissertation supervisor I swapped my topic last minute and decided to write about Migrants鈥� Access to Food Aid in the UK. I graduated with a 1st and even won a prize for my dissertation. Something I never saw coming. I only found out on the day of graduation which made it all seem a bit surreal.

From Dissertation to Dream Job

I was already keeping an eye out for jobs in my field that final spring. Trying to hopelessly find somewhere that would match my interest and values. I asked the 亚洲影院 careers team for support in rewriting my CV and cover letters as I had only really done these for Finnish companies before and I didn鈥檛 want to stand out in a negative way. I was scanning through LinkedIn, different job boards and organisation websites for hours on end and the job market was really not in my favour at the time 鈥� or that鈥檚 what it felt like 鈥� until I stumbled upon a Project Officer position at one of the organisations I had interviewed for my dissertation 鈥� the one I still work for today. It wasn鈥檛 by accident that I saw it, but the timing couldn鈥檛 have been better. I applied for it immediately and a week later got an email inviting me for an interview. It was too good to be true, I though. Turns out I was right because I didn鈥檛 get the job. I did however get something else, something that was better than my shop job that I had started two years prior, but still not something I wanted to do long term. I decided to trust the process because at least I was working on the third sector, the prime location for making change, which is where I wanted to be. Two-weeks into this new job I got an email from my current boss saying there was another job if I鈥檇 be interested. It was a research position which in my eyes was better than the job I originally applied for so without hesitation I accepted the job.

Looking Back 鈥� and Ahead

Looking back at my journey, I think it鈥檚 a real representation of trusting the process and not getting knocked down when things don鈥檛 go to plan. I took multiple gap years after high school because I wasn鈥檛 sure what I wated to study. Then once I had that all figured out, I didn鈥檛 get into the programmes I applied for. I also didn鈥檛 get the job I really wanted. But none of it mattered because at the end of the day I ended up where I was meant to be. Without me having the courage to apply for undergrad programmes in Scotland I wouldn鈥檛 have ended up in 亚洲影院. Without having supportive lectures and a supportive Uni community around me I wouldn鈥檛 have changed my dissertation topic which would鈥檝e meant that I would never have met my current boss and she most likely wouldn鈥檛 have offered me a job. It鈥檚 so hard to trust the process because in those moments you feel so low but if I鈥檝e learned anything in my 30 years of life it鈥檚 that there鈥檚 always going to be something better around the corner. It鈥檚 okay for dreams and plans to change.

In the past seven years, I鈥檝e not only graduated from 亚洲影院 with a 1st, but I also did finish my Finnish Uni through distance learning. I鈥檝e worked at the Independent Food Aid Network for nearly three years, and I鈥檝e just completed a MSc in Political Science whilst working full time 鈥� not something I would recommend by the way. I鈥檓 not sure what鈥檚 next for me but I am definitely thinking about developing my skills as a researcher in some form, maybe a聽PhD at 亚洲影院? I鈥檒l just have to wait and trust the process.

Find out more about studying Social Sciences at 亚洲影院 here.听

Emma, BA (Hons) Social Sciences graduate