Oliwia's Story

Hi, I’m Oliwia. I come from Tychy, a town in Poland with about 100,000 people. If you had asked me a few years ago where I would be today, I probably wouldn't have guessed I'd be doing a Masters in Digital Media and Creative Industries at the University of Birmingham.

Getting here wasn't a straight line. Physically, it was a move from Poland to Newcastle, then a gap year in the Netherlands, and finally here. But the reality behind that journey was much grittier than it sounds on paper.

The reality check

I come from a working-class background. Losing my father when I was a toddler meant I grew up watching my mum carry the weight of our world on her shoulders. That taught me early on that independence isn't given, it's earned.

Moving to the UK meant navigating a financial system I didn't fully understand. During my undergraduate degree, reality hit hard. As an EU student amidst the chaos of COVID, accessing a maintenance loan wasn't straightforward. Unlike for Home students, for me, working wasn't just about extra pocket money. It was a legal requirement to keep my funding. That meant finding a job during a pandemic was a necessity, not a choice.

I spent my summer working in a massive warehouse, and later, I balanced my classes with shifts at a busy delivery company. It was exhausting, but I didn't just clock in and out. In both roles, I worked my way up, earning promotions to leadership positions, and eventually securing a fully remote role. Those "survival jobs" actually gave me my first real lessons in management and a CV boost I didn't expect.

Work hard, travel harder

However, that hard work unlocked a new world for me. Once I secured my maintenance loan and stable work, I made a pact with myself: work hard, travel harder. My routine in my third and fourth years became a bit crazy.

After handing in my assignments in May, I would catch the cheapest flights I could find. My schedule switched between exploring Greece, Switzerland, Spain, or Portugal during the week, and flying back to the UK to work 12-hour shifts on weekends. I even managed a month-long solo backpacking trip across Canada, landing back in the UK just one day before the new semester started!

Sleeping in hostels wasn't just about saving money. It proved to me that I could navigate the world on my own. I met people from all over the globe who were just as lost as me, and those connections stuck. I still get invitations to visit them in their home countries today.

The detour

Despite that excitement, after graduation, I hit a wall. I felt burnt out. I took a gap year and moved to the Netherlands to live with my partner. I even started a different degree there, thinking I needed a total career change.

But quickly, I realised I had made a mistake. During my Bachelor's, I had interned and volunteered at various film festivals. I realised I missed that dynamic environment. I didn't necessarily want to just create content anymore - I wanted to understand the industry from the inside out. I wanted to study how media works, its laws, and its global impact. Quitting my course in the Netherlands felt like a failure at the time, but it was actually a moment of clarity. It taught me that it is okay to stop, turn around, and correct your course.

Finding balance at Birmingham

With that clarity, I started looking for a degree that combined creativity with strategy. That search led me to UoB. I chose this Master's because it offered exactly the broader perspective I was missing. It gave me the chance to understand the industry from the inside out.

The contrast between my undergraduate experience and my life now is huge. I landed a job as a Student Content Shaper on campus. It feels surreal that instead of packing boxes or rushing deliveries, I am now paid to create content that helps other students. It finally feels like the pieces of the puzzle are fitting together.

Of course, I am still figuring things out. I have a restless spirit and I constantly seek new experiences. I struggle to stay still for too long because I am always looking for the next opportunity or the next place to explore.

My advice

If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be: don't worry if your path looks different from everyone else's. If you have to work 12-hour shifts to afford a backpacking trip, or if you took a gap year that felt like a detour, it doesn't make you less of a student. It makes you resilient.

And if you ever feel lost or just need a pause from chasing new adventures, try to find a small taste of comfort. For me, that happens on Wednesdays at the Guild of Students. There is a gentleman there who runs a Polish bakery stand. Being able to buy real Polish bread and sweet rolls (drożdżówki) makes Birmingham feel a little bit more like where I belong.