Brittany Howlett

Your time at the University

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I chose Edinburgh because I wanted a high-quality education, and the University offered exactly the MSc programme I was interested in, which I found unique to Edinburgh. I was enamoured with the idea of living in Scotland, and Edinburgh in particular. All this coupled with the University’s reputation of being one of the best in the world, I knew it was the right fit for me!

I loved every moment of my time in Edinburgh - both academic and personal. My degree was a lot of hard work, but it was fascinating and I loved my courses and professors, who pushed me to develop academically. It was a worthwhile challenge, and even though it was stressful and overwhelming at times, I wouldn’t have changed anything.

Outside the academic world, I met wonderful friends from all over the world with whom I shared many travels and cultural experiences. I was also lucky to live with two fantastic Scottish flatmates, who helped me integrate into Scottish life!

I was very fortunate to land a position as a Research Associate at the School of Informatics’ Centre for Speech Technology Research, which complemented the degree I was undertaking. It was a very valuable work experience that allowed me to earn a bit of money on the side.

One of the best parts of the University was the number of clubs, societies and volunteer opportunities that you could join. I wasted no time in getting involved in the Vegetarian Society and the Edinburgh Modern Dance Society, as well as the Pleasance Dancers. I also took advantage of two fantastic volunteer opportunities while at Edinburgh. I taught French bi-weekly to a class of Primary 6 students at Sighthill Primary School in Sighthill, as part of an initiative through Edinburgh’s Widening Participation department, which was very fun and extremely rewarding! I was also a Peer Proofreader for students whose first language was not English.

I’m proud of all that I accomplished at Edinburgh. A year goes by very fast, but I believe I made the most of my time and don’t regret any of it!

Tell us about your Experiences since leaving the University

I was extremely fortunate to be hired onto my current job just as I finished my dissertation. I am the bilingual Resources Coordinator at CATIE, (Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange), a national non-profit organization for HIV and hepatitis C information. Having worked in non-profit health promotion before my Master’s degree, I decided to pursue an occupation in this field.

Even though my Master’s degree may not directly translate to my job 100%, it has definitely given me valuable skills (such as writing, researching and editing) that are essential to my job. I know that having an MSc from Edinburgh definitely helped me in my job search efforts and in my employability, and ultimately my success in securing employment.

I also maintain ties to the University by working part-time as a contracted, independent Phonetics Consultant for Speech Graphics, a University of Edinburgh-based speech technology company. I got this position through my experience as a Research Associate at the Centre for Speech Technology Research at the School of Informatics.

I’m still building my career and professional path, but I very much enjoy my current positions and I know that Edinburgh has prepared me well for future employment opportunities!

Alumni wisdom

Time will fly by quicker than you’d like - take advantage of every opportunity around you to grow and learn, and not just in the classroom or library!

Marks are important, but they’re not everything. Get involved in societies, volunteer, work, travel, play, learn something new for the fun of it! You only get these opportunities once, so grab them!

Related links

MSc English Language at Edinburgh