Christina
August 31st, 2007 ›
When I was six months old I chose my name myself by lottery. My parents wanted to let me decide on the name I would be given, so they created a small lottery for me. I picked one wrapped paper out of ten that were available before me and that one read Christina. That was going to be the name that would be accompanying me for the rest of my life. So Christina has by now reached 22 (and a half if we want to be exact!) and is a young girl who likes taking new challenges all the time. The latest one is most probably my decision to study at the world famous LSE and at its globally reputed Department of Government. I’ll come to that…
I was born in Athens, Greece, where I have been living my entire life. I even studied for my undergraduate degree at the National University of Athens, earning a BA in Communication and Media. On completing my studies there I felt the same way as many recent graduates around the world do. Lost is the best word to describe it. By the time I graduated I had already realised that I had learned lots of interesting things but I really needed a change. Of major, of city to live and of country to study. By that time I had gained some voluntary working experience in International Politics and had found out politics was a field of great interest to me. That’s about when LSE comes into the scene. Applying for a MSc course at LSE at first looked like a distant dream to me. But then, I didn’t have anything to lose, did I? (well, apart from several hours online, on the phone and at the university secretariat trying to arrange for letters of reference and translation of transcripts, a few sleepless nights when LSE’s decision was due and 30 GBP for the administrative fee). At last, I found out LSE had offered me a place to study for a MSc in Politics and Government in the European Union(International Relations of the EU stream) for the academic period 2007/08. Needless to say, at first I couldn’t believe it!
For me (and for most of people I’ve had a few words with about that) LSE means “open doors” and a point on one’s CV that can make the difference to other candidates. Its historic name and worldwide reputation in social sciences offers some kind of guarantee of success for its alumni. Of course nothing comes without pain or effort and the school alone will not make it happen. But I’ve realised it’s up to us to take advantage of what the school has to offer, gain from its teaching and research excellence and- combining all that with the school’s name and with hard personal work- take our first steps into this highly competitive job market.
However, more than being concerned about our professional future and success, let’s not forget that we’re now returning to school. Which means studying and often struggling with time and if needed, going beyond our limits. But grad school also means meeting new people from around the world. Opening our eyes to this exciting new environment and to the opportunities this vibrant city called London has to offer. Having fun and sharing experiences. Learning to stand on our own feet and testing our strengths. And gaining a world of memories that we’ll be carrying with us for the rest of our lives. As far as I am concerned, I’m looking forward to all this and I’ll try to share my view of things and life at the LSE and the Government Department with any interested visitor of this blog.
Happy reading!