Melissa
I applied to Exeter by chance after receiving an email from them saying that they were looking for international students to apply to a Global Excellence Scholarship for Masters in Middle East Studies. I spoke to my Professors and they really recommended Exeter as it’s one of the few places in world you can study Palestine Studies from experts in the field. One of my Professors received his PHD from Exeter and was able to tell me a lot about studying a postgrad at Exeter which made it really appealing for me.
As an undergrad I studied Middle East Studies focusing on Arabic language but I was really interested in decolonisation research studies and this drew me to Exeter. I knew lots of people who had all heard of Exeter and lots of people recommended it to me and thought it was a good opportunity for me to go.
I received the scholarship so decided to come and study here for my Masters. I’ve always been interested in postgraduate study but I just didn’t think it was financially feasible which is why this scholarship was great for me. When this opportunity came through for a fully funded year-long masters in a well-respected institution, it was hard to turn down.
Programme
MA Middle East Studies was appealing as it was the most general degree as a lot of my previous work was more specific. I also really like that I get to pick my modules and have a lot of freedom and diversity in what kind of modules I end up choosing. The two compulsory modules are both built around giving you the basic skills you need to do your dissertation but outside of these you get a lot of freedom to pick the classes that you’re most interested in. There’s a very wide breadth of modules covering different things.
I took a module called Politics of Contemporary Middle East which was really good as it gave me good detailed knowledge of multiple countries in the region, which I didn’t have before. I’ve also taken a module on Palestine which was really good. With this programme you can choose your own adventure on where you want your degree to take you and get a broad knowledge or in depth study of one area.
Gender and Politics of the Middle East was my favourite module so far. We were able to do a creative project for that which involved drawings and creative story telling which I’m hopefully in process of getting published.
Our lecturers are always interested in student thought and want to hear your opinions. Everyone is really supportive and very much makes it clear that their office hours are open. At the beginning of this term I had covid and a concussion at the same time so during that I couldn’t really do any work. All of my lecturers set up time to talk to me about the materials I’d missed in class which I really enjoyed and led to interesting discussions. There’s definitely a lot of support available for sure.
Exeter
I really like the city and something that is really appealing is how walkable it is; shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs are all in a walkable distance. I can go and see a lot of Exeter on my own without having to rely on a car or public transport even though there is a helpful bus network if you don’t fancy walking.
It’s a very nice and manageable size city and I’m able to find places I enjoy being at but I’m also discovering new spots and restaurants etc. I’m really excited for the weather to get warmer and explore more of the beaches around Exeter, I’ve already been to Dawlish Warren which was really nice.
The Streatham Campus is really nice as well; it’s very new for me as a lot of universities in the states have an academic quad with buildings around it. I’ve really loved and enjoyed seeing all the back pathways around campus. For example, the area near Reed Hall is my favourite and I really like the little pond and just sit there on a bench. The plant life is gorgeous and really pretty and I really enjoy being on campus.
I love the Arab and Islamic Institute building and like the silent study space in the basement. There’s also a more casual conversation lounge where you run into other Masters students; it’s a place where you can eat lunch, do work or have good conversations. The building is also really pretty and I spend a lot of time there. There’s plenty of study space around campus and I study at the Institute a lot.
Future
I can see myself doing a PhD in the future but not immediately after my Masters as I need some time away from academia. I want to work a little bit first and ideally, I’d move back to the States and pursue a job at a research group hopefully based in Washington D.C. Specifically, I would really like to work somewhere that collaborates with people with refugee status from the Middle East and engages in critical research of how humanitarian systems operate. Then, I hope to apply to a PhD in Exeter. Eventually, I could see myself teaching at the university-level and working on collaborative research projects about global humanitarian systems.
Societies
I joined the Ultimate Frisbee Team here and this helped me meet people and make friends which really helped with settling in. I felt at home and comfortable with the Ultimate Frisbee group as I played at home in the US. Exeter’s societies and Athletics Union membership were the things that made me feel most settled especially in early stages.
Being a part of the Ultimate Frisbee team has been one of my favourite things so far. I’ve really enjoyed playing with them as it’s been so much fun; we’ve travelled together for tournaments to Plymouth and Hertfordshire for a women’s national competition and those weekends are just really fun. I just really enjoy practising and playing with the team and it’s manageable to do as a postgrad student and doesn’t cut into my study at all and keeps me happy and healthy. Most of my friends are from this group but I also have a few good friends from the Arab and Islamic Institute that are masters students too.
