Happy New Year!
Where my 2013 began. Photo: Oscar Eriksson.
How are you all? A good Christmas and New Year I hope! I had a great few weeks and am now raring to go! Ready for whatever this year throws at me…well most things…though I don’t want to think that we’re half way through the year and that the future I’d rather not think about is creeping up ever closer!
A few nights ago, I was still at home in England, lying in my bed, thoughts rushing through my head, what will I do tomorrow, what must I get done before next week, which weekends do I have free this month…what will happen this year? For me, it’s a million dollar question which I really wish I knew the answer to! I know that many of you have applied or are thinking of applying for a Master’s and that the deadline for applications is drawing in! I wish I could impart some real wisdom, but as my future is as always unpredictable, instead I’ll use this blog to give you some pause for thought. (Please note the information here is merely based on my experience and opinion and by no means fact!)
To me, the Master’s in Global Health is not a means to an end, it is a path to gaining further knowledge. The Master’s is not merely a number of modules followed by a period of thesis research and writing, it is much much more. The Master’s programme is not only global in content it is global in the people it attracts! For me, the students are a wealth of knowledge, everything they say and do is influenced by their culture! And I love this! Crucially, for each student the future is somewhat different…
Returning home
For some, the future will be a return to their homeland, possibly returning to their previous job or seeking a new job taking with them, a newfound insight into global health.
Maybe I will return to England, the green pastures that I call home. Photo: Naieya Madhvani.
Working in Stockholm
Some will possibly stay in Sweden and carve out a new life here. Stockholm, for me, is already like a home away from home, it certainly helps that I have a great network of friends that I can call family but I do feel that within weeks you really feel like the city has become your home. During the year, the KI organise numerous career evenings with people from different backgrounds explaining their road from being a Karolinska student to now working for a company that they really enjoy! My advice here is to be confident and talk to these people, they are an invaluable source of information.
Photo taken in the outskirts of Stockholm, I’m looking onwards and upwards. Photo: Oscar Eriksson.
PhD
For others, it will be grasping any chance to do a PhD. This is a well known option, with many previous students taking this route, it is my understanding that this pathway is somewhat unpredictable, though a definite possibility with a little perserverance. There are a number of ways by which to obtain a PhD position…the take home message here is that a PhD is an option and taking an active approach is better than sitting back and hoping the door will just open.
How about being unpredictable?
Of course, there are many other options, options which I cannot predict! As I’ve mentioned before I don’t know what the future holds for me! I’d describe myself as a person who likes to plan ahead, so this feeling of unpredictability slightly unnerves me but I’ve started making plans, which is the first step! The second step is closing in on the plans and deciding on something that will make the future more concrete. It is impossible to say what the future will hold but I’m optimistic that it will be something I will be passionate about and will in some way encompass what I have learnt from this year.
A poem I noticed on a wall whilst travelling in New Zealand. It reminds me, that wherever I go, I will call that place home. Photo: Naieya Madhvani.
