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| My University Crest |
Today I got the news that I have passed my final assignment dissertation and therefore the whole Masters Degree course! It's the culmination of two years studying at Masters level and I have to say, I didn't find it to be too bad. The worst part was the disruption due to the Covid pandemic, but other than that it was a fairly straight forward course.
That said, I feel nothing but a huge sense of relief that I have done enough to pass with Merit and I can now look forward to my second graduation this November. I don't think I've fully processed the fact yet and I certainly don't have the energy left over to celebrate!
But I have achieved the goal I set for myself back in 2013, when I first returned to college to study Level 1 in Counselling. (You can read my tips for Academic Success here ) Back then, I knew that I wanted to do the university Masters degree that I've just completed, and so I would need to gain my full under-graduate degree before I could apply for post-graduate courses. So I embarked on 5 years of studying, qualifying as a counsellor in 2018. I did all that just for the chance to apply for the Masters degree.
Most people would not do this. They would see that they didn't hold the entry level requirements for the Masters, shrug it off and call it a day. I didn't. I saw it as a challenge and I spent five years of my life studying a subject that didn't fully engage me, just to apply for the course I really wanted to do, with no guarantee that I would be offered a place.
Over the years, people have asked me why I was studying counselling when I wasn't that enamored by it. I would always reply that I had my own reasons for doing so, but that they had nothing to do with counselling long term. This Masters degree was the reason! I stuck with the dreary counselling courses so that I would give myself the best chance of getting onto the course I'd been dreaming of and aspiring to for years! And now I have the added bonus of being qualified to open up my own private counselling practice whenever I want to, as well as achieving the Masters qualification I was actually aiming for in the first place!
That's what it means to be a Bruce and press ahead. Obstacles and barriers don't get in our way for long! We always find a way through. I'm not making myself any promises or putting myself under any real pressure, but my Bruce spirit is quietly reminding me that there is only one rung of the academic ladder to go - PhD. I'm telling that little voice to hush up! But it's the same little voice that once whispered Masters Degree to me, and now I have one, so we'll see.
All things considered 2021 has been a good year for me thus far. I've passed my Masters degree and have a graduation to look forward to.
I have a new publisher and I am working on fresh projects as we speak, which are due out next spring. That feels like such an achievement these days with the industry being so difficult to break into. So many people never even get to taste a single bite of the publishing cherry, while I've been offered a big second chunk of it! And I was signing contracts even before I'd written my dissertation, so it has been a very smooth transition from university back into publishing again and for that I feel very grateful.
I'm so glad I got published back in the late 1990's - I wouldn't want to be starting from scratch these days as the odds are just not that great for new, unpublished writers. Now at least, my name speaks for itself within the industry and that has led to me getting a new publisher relatively easily. I'm excited about my new projects too!
I'm also back horse-riding on a regular basis again. I had my first big ride on the autumnal equinox and it was such a wonderful way to celebrate one of my favourite sabbats. Being out in the fresh air, riding horses and enjoying the golden glow of autumn sunshine - it was exhilarating and wonderful and I enjoyed every single minute. It's great to finally be back in the saddle. I've just not had time for horses while I've been studying and I have missed it immensely, so it was fantastic to be back, catching up with my old horsey friends, enjoying the feel of a glossy neck and the thrum of hooves beneath me as I rode. It was fabulous and I can't wait until next time!
So the universe has been kind to me this year and I feel very fortunate to be able to say that when I know lots of people have been struggling due to the pandemic. There is light at the end of even the darkest tunnel though. For me, returning to the stables is a way of giving back, as equestrian yards were hit hard by the lock downs, so it nice to feel like I'm helping my friend's business, at the same time as having fun with horses myself.
As for 2022, all I know so far is that I'm heading back to Oban in the autumn and I can't wait to spend time in the Highlands, by the sea, cruising around all the Islands.
Graduation, horse-riding, holidays, writing for new publishers, reading books for professional review... Life is good! It just goes to show that no matter who tries to tear you down or sabotage your success, if you just keep on doing your own thing, you will win in the end! And Victory is always sweet! 😉 Keep fighting for what you want...
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