Katrin Kolbeinsdottir (Iceland)

Dreams come true

 I am Katrin Kolbeinsdottir from Iceland studying a Master‘s in Scriptwriting at Bournemouth University. If you are a prospective student, you may be wondering why I chose Bournemouth University. Long story short – BU gave me a chance. Studying has never come easily to me. I dropped out of high school and didn‘t return until six years later. I successfully finished eleven courses out of the twelve I signed up for but the school put me aside to watch my classmates graduate.

I have always struggled with maths and that has caused me a lot of trouble. Yet, I always knew that I wanted to write. I have always been writing, ever since I was a kid. Writing was my way of escaping life’s problems. When I wrote, I could write my own universe and my own rules. As I grew older I knew I wanted to make a living out of writing. I know, cliché, right? That, however, was not an option for a country girl from Iceland at the time. But a girl can always dream.

Never give up, persevere

I had almost given up on this dream of mine. I turned to journalism to satisfy my need for writing and ended up finishing three years of journalism from the University of Akureyri. I also took a job as a journalist, although my mind was never really at ease. Writing news was fun but it meant writing what other people wanted me to write. Not as fun as it sounds, believe me. During my third year of studying journalism, I started thinking ahead. Did I want to make journalism my life career? Or was there something else available for me?

Valued as a student

That‘s when I came across Bournemouth University. And believe it or not, they offered exactly what I had been looking for. A postgraduate study in scriptwriting. I was blown away. Could I actually study writing? Was that really an option for me? A small town country girl with math issues, who was born and raised on a small volcanic island? Bournemouth University sure thought so. The moment I applied I had a good feeling – and rightfully so. From the very first moment, BU made me feel like I was a valid student and that they really wanted me to join them. I got regular updates on my application and when the call came that I had been accepted, it wasn‘t the surprise it should have been, because the university had been giving me such positive feedback right from the start.

Chance of a lifetime

After I got accepted, the university helped me through the process of being an international student who was moving to another country for the first time. That alone is scary enough, but Bournemouth University made it feel so easy. I was so welcomed. That‘s why I chose Bournemouth University. Because they offered me the chance of a lifetime. A chance to make my dream come true. That‘s why I want to make sure that everyone who is thinking of going to a university knows – just how right it was for me is to choose BU.

By Katrin Kolbeinsdottir from Iceland studying a Master‘s in Scriptwriting