Thoughts about doing a Masters in Nottingham

MAJOR LIFE UPDATE: Three weeks ago, I moved from Greece to Nottingham, UK and I am doing a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Nottingham. Yeah 🙌

The realisation that I am actually living my dream hasn't really sunk in yet. It took me over a year to prepare and apply for this degree and it feels crazy that now I learn about and practise on a field I am so passionate about while I live in a beautiful country abroad. 

Let me elaborate on my Masters programme a bit more. We will explore a variety of genres (poetry, essays, memoirs), but at the moment we focus on fiction, and more specifically on short stories. We are given relatively short creative assignments weekly so that we can practise and experiment based on the discussions of contemporary literary works. The creative side of the programme is accompanied by a critical aspect; we are asked to reflect on our writings and also to provide feedback to our colleagues' work. Additionally, I should mention that we are about 15 students - it is hard to give an exact number as there are always people who attend sessions online due to any flu symptoms or self-isolation restrictions. The main concern I had before getting here was that I wouldn't feel safe to talk and express my thoughts. However, all my professors and my fellow colleagues are extremely encouraging and the environment is so friendly that I raise my hand without any worries or fears. 

Besides all the great academic experiences, I have to say that not everything was a dream. From the moment I entered the UK, obstacles, that I had never thought of, kept coming up. Although I had booked an appointment at the time of my arrival, there was no one to welcome me at my accommodation, I had no food and I didn't know how to get any, and most importantly I didn't know which bank to trust and how to open an account, of which I was in desperate need so that I can get my student loan. All that may not sound such a big deal, but I arrived on a weekend, which meant that I was all alone in a foreign country with millions of questions but no one to pose them to as the reception was closed. And on top of that, I couldn't get out of my room because I had to quarantine for 2 weeks. Thankfully, the support and love I got from my family, especially from my sisters, and my friends kept me sane and I can now enjoy this amazing adventure. 

So, what I want you to take from this post is that no matter what your dream is you can make it a reality if you work hard. But please always remember that reality comes with difficulties and obstacles. I thought that everything would be easy and straightforward once I moved to the UK, but I was wrong. There were days that I was stressed, miserable and paralysed by my new responsibilities towards the government and the university. But it was all the love and encourangement from my loved ones and the thought of my MA course that equiped me with courage and persistence not to give up on my dream.