MA Creative Writing student Anna writes about her experience of studying a Masters in a different area to her undergraduate degree.
Many of us chose what degree we’ll do when we are 18. That is such a young age to be deciding which subjects are yours, which career paths you want, what passions you want to follow. And for many of us, we don’t quite get it right first try.
I want to change my subject area
It can take a lot of willpower to finish an undergraduate degree, especially if it’s in a subject you no longer like. And at the end of 2022 that was what it was like for me. I had spent three years falling out of love for my undergraduate subject and was left feeling very confused as to what my next steps should be. My undergrad was in midwifery which only really gave me one career option: become a midwife. And this was the one thing I knew I absolutely didn’t want to do.
What I really wanted was to study a Masters in creative writing, an interest which had been organically growing and developing for the past few years. But that was crazy, right? How could I possibly change my academic journey so drastically?
Support at University of Birmingham
But actually, switching subjects isn’t that uncommon. At the University of Birmingham there are so many support systems in place to help you and which really helped me in my transition. There were the academic support services, which were always there in case I needed help writing an arts essay, after three years of doing science ones. There were the professors themselves, who’s office hours gave me the space to ask specific questions and get support tailored to my needs. And there was also the Careers Network, who were able to talk with me about where such an eclectic mix of degrees could take me.
Maybe a diversity of experience is a strength
Of course, it was daunting at first, sitting in those first few lectures surrounded by people who had just finished undergraduate degrees in a subject which I was very new to. But I soon found that I was not the only one to be coming from a different background. Quite a few of us who had crossed the great divide from a science subject to an arts. And we were all new to the content being taught, so while some people had a head start, I felt I was quickly able to catch up.
But one of the best things about our small seminars and workshops is that everyone has something unique to say. We are all coming from rich and varied backgrounds, both academically and in life, and coming to this degree from a different route gave me a unique perspective to bring to my lectures and to my creative work.
Following your passion
The word passion still haunts me from my personal statement writing days, but in this case, I really think it is relevant. If you have a heart for a subject, regardless of what it is, follow it. Having a different undergrad really hasn’t held me back and I am so grateful to be finally studying a subject which I love.