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May 2010
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Off to global citizenship
Was the first year at UWI anything like you imagined? For the most part, no. I’ve always heard people heavily criticise UWI for a whole range of reasons and so, when I started my first year I had very few Do you feel that the Nadimah who entered a year ago has changed? Yes. A lot too! I think it’s a built-in plus of going to any university—having to realise that high school is over and being more responsible for your learning, building relationships and minimising conflicts with a far wider range of people than you’re accustomed to, and generally realising that to a large extent you have gained control of who you’re going to be in the future. I’d like to think that I’ve become more independent and mature over this year and hopefully more open and friendly to new people. What are you going to do next year? Heading to the University of Nottingham to do International Relations and Global Issues (MSc) for four years, with the second year being spent in a foreign country out of the UK…can’t wait. What influenced your decision? I think more than the choice of institution, I want to experience the world beyond Trinidad, beyond the comfort zone of home. I want to interact with people from every corner of the globe, to expand my mind beyond the limits of my own perspective, to see the world from a new angle and I think that an education in the UK promised me just that. In many ways, UK universities, although accused of using international students for profit, serve as a meeting point for the world’s minds and I couldn’t let myself miss that assembly. Given that my field is International Relations, I automatically decided that studying in such a setting would give a true international seasoning to my education. I don’t think anyone can put a price on an international experience; it is certainly an education that transcends the limits of a degree. It also helped that the UK is often regarded as the doorway to Europe and the rest of the Eastern hemisphere and as someone craving the opportunity to travel, it took little convincing for me to decide to go to university abroad. Luckily for me, my degree of choice offers me the chance to study for a year at one of a selection of universities scattered across several countries, including Malaysia, Australia and China. As I’ve seen it, there are several opportunities available to students studying at the universities that I’ve scrutinised in terms of internships, volunteer programmes and travel opportunities and I think those are the things that help to develop character and separate individuals on the job market. After winning an open scholarship, I really couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by. Have you found your calling yet? I think I’ve had too many callings! Over the past 10 years, I’ve probably found my calling the same number of times. I’ve considered everything from chemical engineering, to law, to medicine, to teaching, to journalism, to becoming a chef. I still don’t know where I’m heading and my choice of International Relations is based on going with something that I love and am interested in. I’m hoping that being abroad and exposed to the world will finally bring me the right call. I’m pretty much open to wherever the road takes me, even if it means having to do a second degree after this one. I have faith that I’ll figure it out eventually. |
Nadimah Mohammed was the recipient of the President’s Medal in 2009 and began her first year of university life at the St Augustine Campus. On the eve of her final exam, she answered some questions about the next step in her university journey.