#Skiiskiimaster

33 MOMENTS BEFORE 33 DAY 31/33 MA International Relations I got admission into the University of Portsmouth in 2021, but I resumed in early 2022. What followed was a lot of back and forth between Lagos and Portsmouth. I was making music, doing influencing work and trying to keep up with school at the same time. Sometimes I’d spend months in Lagos and only two weeks in Portsmouth. It was a whole juggling act, but somehow, I was having the time of my life. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t always easy. There were nights when I had to stay up working on essays and trying to meet submission deadlines. I remember one assignment in particular, a policy brief on the Russia-Ukraine war. That experience gave me a different perspective on international affairs. It also made me realise just how much I enjoyed the subject and how good I could be at understanding and analysing these issues. Let’s just say that some of the things you see in movies about war, diplomacy and international relations are not as far-fetched as you might think. I also found myself learning a lot beyond the classroom. Between travelling, studying, making music and doing everything else I had going on, it was an interesting period of my life. I was also attending film school during this time, so there was never really a shortage of things to do. I submitted my final project in early 2023. My research focused on transformational democracy, and I genuinely enjoyed working on it. Around March 2023, I received the email confirming my graduation. That was a beautiful feeling. Then came July, when I finally got to celebrate the achievement at my graduation ceremony. Bisi came, my cousin came, and having them there to share that moment with me made it even more special. What made that period even more interesting was that I was also graduating from film school around the same time. Two different academic journeys, both coming together in one season of my life. Looking back, I wouldn’t say the journey was conventional. It was Lagos, Portsmouth, London and back again. It was music, influencing, late-night assignments, film school and everything in between. It was demanding, but I enjoyed every bit of it. I’m grateful for the experience, the people I met, the things I learnt and the opportunity to earn my MA in International Relations from the University of Portsmouth. One more box ticked. 🎓