Deciding between studying for a Master’s degree or braving the big wide world of employment was a tough decision for me to make. After graduating in 2015 I was unsure exactly what it was I even wanted to do with my degree. I spent many hours searching the internet for jobs and even applied to most of them. The thought of no more exams or assignments and actually earning money in a job I enjoyed was very appealing. However that was the problem, I didn’t feel I was qualified enough for any of the jobs that were actually attractive to me. This lead me to the decision that studying for a Master’s degree would enhance my future job prospects and enable me to end up in that dream job one day. But… I was then faced with the issue that there was no government funding for Master’s courses coming in until the start of the 2016 academic year.

Graduation!

When I was weighing up my options I decided to visit the BU scholarships website in the hope that I may be eligible for a scholarship in order to help with funding the course. After reading through all of the different scholarships that BU offered, I discovered I was eligible to apply for the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship for the ‘Most promising postgraduate (Master’s) applicant,’ as I’d taken my undergraduate degree at BU. I saw it as a huge long shot and was considering not even bothering with the application as I thought there would be so many applicants I wouldn’t even stand a chance. Luckily, I talked myself into writing the personal statement. Only a couple of hundred words later I sent the application off and put it to the back of my mind.

A few months later I received an email to say I had been successful in my application and I had been awarded the full tuition fee scholarship. I couldn’t believe my luck and I was so grateful to the university for providing me with the opportunity to study as a postgraduate.

So anybody who finds themselves in a similar situation as I was in when I graduated from my undergraduate degree, don’t completely rule out the option of postgraduate study just based on the cost. A scholarship of any amount can make a huge difference and they are out there for people of all different disciplines, you just need to find the ones that are most appropriate and apply!

A slightly less formal photo!

By Stephanie Farrant