Studying International Relations, was always a bit of a no-brainer for me. Having grown up as part of Northern Ireland’s first post-conflict generation, topics of peace and conflict, polarisation and deliberation, and security have consistently fascinated me, so studying international relations was like extending these interests beyond the borders of what I had always known.
I studied (and was slightly obsessed with) Politics and History at A-level, which I studied as well as English Literature and Spanish. I spent much of my time reading books prompting me to critically engage with and challenge what I knew. Naturally, I wanted to study somewhere completely different to what I had always known and somewhere to push and expand those intellectual boundaries.

A unique student experience
Because Durham offers such a unique student experience, granting you multiple spheres of community through its colleges and departments, the prospect of coming here alone to study something completely new didn’t seem so daunting. From the moment I walked through the doors of St Mary’s obnoxious checker-boarded floors, I knew that I had a community that would act as my secure support system throughout my time at university, it was also fortunate that Mary’s is exceptionally beautiful, and during my first year, it was very convenient to live less than a 5-minute walk from the SGIA department!

The School of Government and International Affairs
SGIA granted me unique opportunities to expand the borders of my own knowledge and architect new experiences for myself. With modules allowing me to specialise in particular regional or specialist studies within International Relations, such as International Security Studies and East Asian Studies, I have been able to narrow my studies down into areas of specific interest relevant to my post-university ambitions.
Given the flexibility of the International Relations study programme, I have also been able to learn a language in conjunction with my core studies. Learning Korean has been an incredibly eye-opening and interesting experience and has given me what I think is a decently distinctive skill!
Having devoted much time to East Asian, security and sustainability studies, I plan to search for graduate jobs in South Korea, The Netherlands and the UK.

Take a year abroad
Perhaps most attractive, however, was the guaranteed opportunity to study or work placement abroad across a range of prospective countries during my third year of study, which I certainly took advantage of. Living and studying in Amsterdam since August 2024 has been the single greatest and most beneficial experience of my life so far, as I have been granted the opportunity to explore divergent areas of study and live independently in Europe – if there is one opportunity I recommend grasping with both hands, it is this one!
If you can’t tell, I have absolutely loved my experience at Durham and studying International Relations so far and anticipate returning to graduate in 2026. I hope to see you there!
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