Earlier this year in spring, over a thousand Birkbeck students graduated from their studies and received their degree. Thanks to alumni donations many deserving students receive financial support throughout their studies. Support can change the Birkbeck experience for students like Ellie, Rakim, Adam and Oluwatobi – read more about their stories below:
Ellie Braithwaite (MSc Educational Neuroscience)
“Birkbeck caught my attention because of the amazing psychology and neuroscience resources and researchers. Since finishing my masters, I have been working at Birkbeck as a research assistant in the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development. I am working with some inspiring people. This is a role I would not have been able to do before getting my Masters, both in terms of experience and confidence. I am now applying for PhDs and hope to do this at Birkbeck – something I never thought I would do before completing my Masters!
Without the bursary I received I would not have been able to pay course fees, travel to attend lectures, or to buy the laptop and resources I needed to succeed. I’d like to say a huge thank you to alumni donors– without you I wouldn’t have had all the amazing experiences I have had, nor would I have so many doors open to me now.”
Rakim Yusufkhan-Jeffrey (BA Linguistics & Japanese)
“Prior to my studies at Birkbeck, I had been in the midst of a difficult time in my life. Shortly after starting my studies at college, I fell ill. This meant that I had to withdraw and was unable to study or work for a number of years. As time went on, I felt stuck.
Then I discovered Birkbeck, and found that it welcomed students of all backgrounds and qualifications. I felt that this was a much needed second chance to attain a qualification and start my career. I enrolled on BA Linguistics and Japanese, and was able to rediscover my passion for the Japanese language. I also gained a newfound love for the topic of Linguistics. Learning about how languages are both taught and acquired in the Language Learning module particularly proved to be very interesting and enjoyable.
I hope to use my degree to become a teacher or translator in the near future. Without financial assistance through my bursary, I would have struggled to make the trip to university during the week and would not have been able to afford many of the materials I needed, such as the textbooks used in each class. Receiving the bursary provided me not only with the opportunity to attend university, but to succeed at it.
Without alumni donors, many students like me would not have been able to comfortably attend and take part in education. No words are sufficient to express how grateful I am for the opportunity that they have given to me, and I sincerely thank them for their generous help throughout my years at Birkbeck, an institution that I hold so dear to my heart.”
Adam McLaren (BA Politics Philosophy and History)
“My inspiration to study at Birkbeck was due to the fact that many of the books that I’d read were written by Birkbeck professors. Furthermore, I knew it had an excellent philosophy and humanities faculty. Originally I had the ambition to get into politics, but when I started my degree I became particularly interested in psychiatry and the history of psychology, especially the works of Freud and Jung – I had found something that I was truly passionate about.
Alumni funding gave me the confidence to focus on my studies without being distracted by financial worry. Funding meant that I could buy a laptop, textbooks and travel to my lectures. The bursary helped me to do things like visit the Carl Jung and Freud Museum, and read extra books and journals that tied into my academic work.”
Oluwatobi Amusan (MSc Investment Management)
“I had been working in accounting for 5 years when I decided I wanted to challenge myself and progress my career. I had studied Accounting and Finance for my undergraduate, and was eager to pursue a master’s degree. I liked that Birkbeck caters for people who want to work at the same time as studying, as it provides an opportunity for study for those who have a lot going on in their daily lives.
I chose the Investment Management course as I wanted to change the direction of my career. Postgraduate study was an adjustment from undergraduate study. I particularly liked the Financial Modelling module, I had never done anything like it before and I really enjoyed the difficulty of it. It was stimulating talking to mature students on my course and I learnt a lot from people who worked in different industries with diverse life experiences.
Receiving funding really helped during my degree. It cut out a lot of stress, and I’m very grateful. Being a student can be expensive; having to buy course materials, pay tuition fees and travelling to lectures, on top of other financial responsibilities. The bursary meant that I could complete my degree without any added financial worry about how I was going to pay for things. Thanks to my bursary, I was able to complete my degree with no hiccups, and with the grade I wanted.
Thanks to my degree I will have skills and knowledge that I can use forever. I’m working in a sector that I’m passionate about, and I’d like to say thank you to the donors who have helped me to achieve what I’ve wanted to do. My bursary is something that I’ve not taken for granted. Funding can really change the life of others, like it has changed the life of mine.”