A conversation with Carlos
In this Q&A, Carlos shares how he adjusted to academic life after more than a decade away from university, overcame the challenge of balancing work and study, and developed knowledge he plans to apply in his future career.
What made you decide to pursue this programme?
I finished university 13 years ago with my bachelor's degree and the plan to always go back to get my master's.
After a troublesome 2023, I needed something to do for myself and finally had the time to look around for the right university.
A good friend had also attended King's a few years ago and explained the flexible module system to me. It felt like the perfect way to fit studying around my job.
How were you feeling before starting your first module?
How did you adapt to studying again?
At first, I was worried I wasn’t getting through the reading as quickly as needed.
Thankfully, with the online seminars and the well-structured modules, it got easier to work out whether I was on track, and I found that most of the time I was actually ahead with the reading!
What support helped you succeed?
I found the time with my dissertation tutor very helpful. But overall, I have to say everyone at King's was very supportive and a great help.
The webinars were also a good way of connecting with other students and finding commonalities in our experiences of the programme.
How have you applied what you’ve learned?
The knowledge I gained about different theories in international relations has been useful when I have to analyse different situations at work.
The knowledge I developed through my dissertation topic is also something I plan to apply in my next job.
What has been the most significant outcome of the programme?
I haven't quite finished the programme yet, but I am planning to work in the field I wrote my thesis about.
Unless my current employer is able to offer me a role where I can use my new skills and knowledge, I may look for a new opportunity where I can apply what I've learned.
What advice would you give to prospective students?
Don't stress yourself out from the beginning. Ask questions. Pace yourself with the reading.
Finally, think about what you want to write about in your dissertation as soon as possible and use the different modules to enrich your knowledge about the topic.