QS MoveON Stand Out Scholarship: 2020 2nd Winner

We're pleased to announce the second of this year's winners of the QS moveON Stand Out Scholarship is Emily Donnelly. The scholarship awards up to €1,500 to two students. 

We caught up with Emily to find out more about the impact the scholarship has had on her study plans.

What are you studying, and why did you choose the university you’ve applied to?

I study History and Politics at the University of Edinburgh and have just spent the last year studying at the University of Oslo. I applied to study in Norway after looking into the history courses Oslo offered. A year studying there allowed me to take a master's level course as part of my undergraduate degree and to work on unfamiliar and exciting topics – ‘Introduction to Runology’ and Sámi history and politics being the most important to me.

The location of Oslo, with great ease of access to nature and to the European continent was also very appealing and allowed me new opportunities to travel.

What do you hope to gain from your degree? How will it affect your career plans?

I hope that completion of my undergraduate degree will allow me to pursue postgraduate study in archaeology. The flexibility of course choice in Oslo has enabled me to explore this path more seriously and given me some academic experience that will help me make the wee jump across fields after graduation.

After the success of the past year studying abroad, I am prepared to consider far more options for what lies ahead, and it is very likely that this future study will also be overseas.

How did you find the scholarship application process? How many sources of financial aid did you approach?

I also applied to a local children’s trust to help fund my year in Oslo. I found the QS scholarship application process very straightforward and I enjoyed the chance to pick a ‘question’ to write on. There were moments during completion of the form that I doubted if I should apply at all – it seemed too competitive and unrealistic! I ended up writing about the fact I too often dismiss the feasibility of opportunities.

What difference did this scholarship make to you? How would your plans have differed without this financial support?

The financial security provided by the scholarship has been immeasurably valuable, particularly in the context of the upheaval and uncertainty caused by Brexit and COVID-19.

QS has been the support structure that has allowed me to properly immerse myself in the Erasmus+ program in a country with one of the highest costs of living globally. I have not had to take on employment, meaning I could dedicate my time to my studies, personal growth, and experiencing life in Norway unburdened by financial precarity as some of my peers have been.

The scholarship has meant I was able to challenge myself to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity I have met this year. Without it, I doubt I would have come out the other side as such a different person - I certainly would have had a very different, shorter year.

What advice do you have for other prospective students who are applying for scholarships?

Apply! Success is not unrealistic, you have as much of a chance as anyone else. I would suggest that applicants be genuine and open about their weaknesses, it is there that they’ll feel the greatest benefit from scholarships.