I completed my undergraduate degree in History and Politics from the University of Warwick in 2020. I had always planned on doing a master’s but like many others, my plans had to take a backseat because of the global crisis we were all hit with in March 2020. At the time, I had applied to a few universities and even received an offer from one. However, I had to fly back home to Delhi when news started breaking of there being potential lockdowns. While I was completing my exams at home, I was still hopeful of flying back to attend my graduation and possibly starting a master’s but COVID was here to stay. I had also received a rejection from LSE by this time so the decision to delay my master’s was a lot simpler to make. I took up a few freelance writing jobs and started preparing my master’s applications.

The result from my final year pushed up my entire grade by a fair amount. Hence, when I applied to LSE again, my approach was more or less the same. I spent more time researching the courses available at LSE and decided to apply for an MSc in International Relations instead of an MSc in Global Politics (which was my course choice in 2020). The ideas in my statement of purpose also largely remained the same but I spent a fair amount of time polishing and refining the structure. Finally, I added my freelance work experience to my CV and I was ready to submit my application! While I did give my application my best shot in 2020, this time I truly felt like I had it in the bag. Imagine my disappointment (and slight surprise) when I received an email from LSE beginning with “We regret to inform you…”

Initially, I was so upset that it took me a good five minutes to scroll down and read the entire email. Since I had only submitted one application and LSE allows you to apply for two courses, the school had recommended I apply for another course. Based on my statement of purpose, the school suggested that I may be a better fit for the MSc in Empires, Colonialism, and Globalisation programme. I was given a deadline by which I had to submit a new statement of purpose reflecting my motivations for this particular course if I wished to be considered for it. I was preparing myself for either acceptance or rejection so this was a curveball I had not expected. I researched the programme and found it to be quite fascinating. The programme also offered immense flexibility which meant that I would be able to take courses from various departments in the School. At that point, I had nothing to lose so I decided to take a stab at writing a new statement of purpose.

I have now completed the teaching portion of my degree and as I prepare for my final essays and exams, I could not be happier that I decided to apply for the MSc in Empires, Colonialism, and Globalisation programme. As part of my degree, I have to complete one compulsory module and one compulsory dissertation, which gives me the freedom to design the rest of my degree as per my convenience. I have studied a range of topics ranging from the Mughal Empire in India to Anglo-American relations during the Second World War. Easter break is a stressful time for a lot of people as summer exams are looming overhead. However, I am having a great time revisiting all that I have learned over the course of my degree and I could not be happier with my master’s education.