Credits: Dan Mitu
Author: Luna Mia Sigle
In 2018, I moved to the UK to study at university. I had known for some time that I wanted to study English, so it made the most sense to do it at the centre of so many of Shakespeare’s, Woolf’s and Dickens’ stories.
On my first day at the University of Westminster, I was terrified. I suppose that is how you feel when you challenge yourself, so I must have been doing something right. I was also excited; entering that beautiful building in the heart of London felt like a movie. I did not know which modules to choose because I wanted to do them all. Coming from a small town, I was astonished at the amount of people and diversity I found.
I remember feeling like I was ages behind my peers. Most of them had done their A-levels on English Literature or Languages, and I was an English as a foreign language speaker; I could barely understand English poetry (and I still struggle sometimes). I did not want to stand out. Blending in was already a hard enough job.
Last week, I was awarded an Academic Excellence Award for the second year of my BA English Literature and Language. I was invited to a ceremony where professors and university staff recognised and celebrated the academic achievements of the top undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Looking back to this terrified first-year student, I am certain that I made the right choice when I picked my university. The University of Westminster has offered me an incredible number of opportunities to learn and grow, from discovering my favourite authors to finding a part-time job as this blog’s assistant editor that makes me feel fulfilled.
After my first-year assessments were marked, I received an email from one of my lecturers: “Dear Luna, excellent work on the assessment for this module. You scored the highest grade in the class”. He did not have to do that; his job was to mark the assessments. Just like, at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, they did not have to organise a whole ceremony to celebrate academic successes. But they did. As Professor Dibyesh Anand remarked on his speech to awardees, “success matters”.
At the Difference blog, we like to share newsworthy and topic pieces that are linked to current research or activities in our college. We want to showcase all the ways in which we make a difference. I didn’t expect to become the centre of one of these pieces, but the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Excellence Awards is one more way in which we have made a difference.
Last week, I was congratulated for my effort and hard work, and that made a difference to my university journey. I sent pictures to my mum holding my certificate, and that made a difference to her. I am sure it had similar impact on many of the students and academics there. Today, I am able to share my experience in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Difference blog, and I hope that makes a difference too.
