I’m writing this from my lovely new flat in Manhattan, feeling a lot more settled than I was last week. I began this week still in Brooklyn, spending my mornings hopping from local coffee shops and being kept company by my host’ s four lovely dogs. Well, three lovely dogs - there was one who clearly viewed me as a home intruder and made a habit of aggressively barking every time I attempted to enter the kitchen.

At the start of the week my host recommended that I sign up for the Broadway Lottery, a magical system where you can score very cheap theatre tickets by entering a draw. Perhaps it was beginner’s luck, but I ended up getting a seat for Six (the pop musical about Henry VIII’s wives).

The night of the show, I strutted across the Brooklyn Bridge feeling smug about my bargain ticket. I was so pleased that I decided to treat myself to a modest glass of house red at the venue. My smugness quickly evaporated the second the bartender handed me a bill for $35. I’ll say it again. $35 and that wasn’t even including the tip!

I quickly went from bargain hunter to a scammed theater enthusiast (my host later laughed and said she just assumed everyone knew not to buy drinks in Broadway). I sat in my seat, nursing my - not even that nice a tasting - glass of wine with absolute resentment.

Thankfully, the show was brilliant. It’s less of a classic musical and more of an aggressive pop-ballad battle, though I did shed a tear when Jane Seymour sang her heart out for her horrible husband. Highly recommend!

The next evening, I went out for cocktails with my host to raise a glass to the beautiful Dolly Parton. The whole of New York was grieving and the Empire State turned pink in her honour at 9:25pm (nine to five).

By Thursday, it was time to meet one of my future classmates. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about meeting my cohort because it’s quite a small class and we’ll be working closely together for the next year, but they turned out to be top-tier, which made me really excited for orientation next week.

Moving in

Friday was moving in day. I made two agonising trips on the subway, lugging all my luggage (yup, fiddle included) from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Side note; I have a tragic track record with housing. Every time I move to a city or an island, I end up accidentally homeless for a month. So when another Fulbrighter found a furnished, in-budget Manhattan sublet, it felt too good to be true.

It almost is. Sure, my bedroom doesn’t have a window, but aside from the light-deprivation, it’s brilliant. We have our own balcony and separate bathrooms, which feels pretty luxurious for New York. Plus we’re in the Upper East Side. I should be giving full Gossip Girl energy, but last week I was eaten alive by mosquitoes, so I’m looking a little spotty (Blair and Serena would definitely shun me). The flat is about a 75-minute walk to campus, so my plan is to walk for the first week until I can’t anymore - then I’ll retreat to the underground (or take a leaf out of Mamdani’s book and invest in a bike).

On Friday night, a friend I haven’t seen in almost ten years (a lovely blast from my Canadian past) arrived in the city. I was flattered she’d come all this way to see me, until she sheepishly confessed that Harry Styles was playing in town.

Regardless, we hit up the Comedy Cellar that night, which felt like a high-end, mini Edinburgh Fringe packed with semi-famous comedians. After some Italian food near the Underground Village, we went to a local dive bar (dive bars always sound so romantic in the songs, but they’re just noisy sports bars). I can confirm - I’m still shit at beer pong.

Saturday was dedicated to a hangover and some desperate life admin. During a recovery walk, I stumbled upon a Lidl - a true gift from the heavens given the food prices here (they ain’t cheap).

On Sunday, I said goodbye to my Canadian friend and attempted to cook a comforting sausage pasta. Unfortunately, I bought some bizarre American sausage that made the entire dish taste uncomfortably off...but…hey ho..first cooked meal in the city so that’s progress.

I start orientation this week, so I’m really looking forward to that.

Still no sign of Mamdani, but my flatmate claims we live three blocks from him, so my odds are seemingly up.

As I’ve said before, the road to winning a Fulbright scholarship is a lonnngg one. A timeline detailing key moments of the process would have been really helpful, so I’ve tried to detail my journey below for anyone who’s interested in applying/learning about the process.

I’ve included the timelines for the extra funding I chased and my University applications too. Managing all these overlapping deadlines at once was wild, but seeing how the different response windows line up gives a realistic picture of the sheer volume of applications/waiting involved in the process.

The Application Process & The Fulbright Win

• February 2025: Application Opened: The Fulbright UK postgraduate application officially opened. I spent the next three months tweaking essays, chasing references, and obsessing over word counts.

• May 5, 2025: Pressed Submit: Got the application in right before the early-May deadline. And then... I waited because I didn’t hear anything for over a month.

• July 24, 2025: The Shortlist Email: Out of nowhere, the notification landed: I’d been shortlisted for an interview. They sent over the format, asked me to prepare for a presentation, and gave me a firm deadline of July 29th to RSVP.

(The Caveat: My interview was locked in for August 22nd at 11:15 AM online. There’s no in-person option and there’s very little opportunity to be flexible or reschedule. You have to make their date work).

• August 20, 2025: Prep Mode: Two days before the interview, the panel sent over the prep questions. (If you want to read about how I prepped and the exact questions they asked, check out my interview guide here).

• August 22, 2025: Interview Day: Logged on at 11:10 AM, delivered the presentation, answered their questions, and logged off feeling slightly defeated, but at least it was over.

• September 11, 2025: We got an email stating results were delayed. By September 22nd, I couldn’t wait any longer - I had another time-pressured opportunity on the line, so I sent a polite email to chase them up.

• September 23, 2025: I GOT IT! The official offer arrived. The catch? A 48-hour window to accept, followed by 10 days of intense paperwork to officially commit.

(Caveat: You technically don’t have the award until the American side signs off on it. For me, this didn’t happen until February 2026, so for ‘status’ purposes you just provisionally have the scholarship at this point. Over a year ago the Fulbright Board quit…showing it’s not all always straightforward.

• September 24–30, 2025: Securing my place at NYFA. The day after accepting Fulbright, I submitted my application to New York Film Academy (Los Angeles). Less than a week later, on September 30th, I got my acceptance letter.

The Pivot & Transcript Chaos

• November 30, 2025: Changing Direction: After a lot of research, I realised I wanted to apply to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York - but in order to do so I needed to convert my ‘official’ University transcripts so that American Universities would accept them. On the 30th of November I sent my transcripts to be processed by WES (World Education Service) to get them converted. WES is so bad, but that’s a story for another day.

• December 5, 2025: London Event. I headed down to London for an in-person Fulbright event. You get to meet your cohort and ask any burning questions you have. Nervous as I was, I decided to just ask directly: Could I move my award funding from NYFA (Los Angeles) to SVA (New York)? To my massive relief, they said yes.

• January 6, 2026: Submitting Without Transcripts: With SVA’s application deadline looming, my official WES converted transcripts still hadn’t arrived. I completely freaked out, but I applied to SVA anyway to meet the deadline on the 6th of January. Luckily, the admissions team were nice and gave me some leeway.

• January 22, 2026: Transcripts Cleared: WES finally came through and my transcripts were forwarded to SVA, meaning they could finally start processing my application.

• February 5, 2026: Accepted into SVA! Got the official acceptance email. Moving to NYC was actually happening.

• March 30, 2026: Deposit Payment: I paid the $1,000 SVA enrolment deposit.

A quick heads-up for future applicants: While this deposit is deducted from your overall tuition later, you are expected to pay it out of pocket upfront. Keep a buffer saved for pre-departure administrative costs like this.

Layering the Extra Funding

As amazing as the Fulbright news was, the reality of funding film school in New York City quickly set in. Up until this point I’d been working full-time as Head of Marketing at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. I loved the job, but I was beginning to miss important funding deadlines and I felt applications/and my job were being compromised (something had to give). I decided to leave my full-time work and turn my attention to filling out funding applications (you can read more about this decision here).

• March 12 & May 31, 2026: Applied for the BUNAC BEST Award and did the interview at the end of May.

• April 30, 2026: Submitted my application for the Washington Scholarship.

• May 31, 2026: Submitted my application for the Francis D. ‘Pete’ Lyon Scholarship, the Global Scholarship, and BAFTA Ben Jorgensen Scholarship. I never heard back from these so I assume I haven’t gotten them.

• June 3, 2026: Found out I was awarded the BUNAC BEST Scholarship!

• June 24, 2026: Found out I was awarded the Washington Scholarship!

• June 26 – July 1, 2026: Kept the momentum going and submitted applications for the BAFTA Pigott Scholarship, the Dewar Award, and the Scottish Education Trust. Still awaiting the result of these applications.

Visas, Bureaucracy, and Packing Bags

• July 15–17, 2026: Fulbright Orientation: I spent three days in London meeting the rest of my cohort. It finally started to feel real, although everyone was pretty stressed that they hadn’t got their Visas sorted out yet. A full briefing was given by the Fulbright commission.

• July 21, 2026: The DS-2019 Arrives. My official DS-2019 form arrived from Fulbright (this is the document you need to kick-start the visa application). I ran straight down to the local library in Carndonagh, filled out the mountain of visa forms, and booked my US Embassy appointment.

• July 28, 2026: Embassy Interview: Fulbright fast-tracks your VISA appointment so you get a visa interview pretty quick. As a warning, the interviews are normally really early in the morning (mine was at 7am in London). At the end of the interview process they take your DS-2019, and your passport, and then they hand you a letter saying your Visa has been ‘Rejected’. I almost had a heart attack. (Future applicants: Don’t panic! This is often standard administrative code while they physically process the passport and do the newly required social media background checks).

July 30 – August 6, 2026: Visa Wait Timeline

• July 30: Visa status shifted to Approved.

• August 3rd: Visa status shifted to Issued.

• August 6th: The postman delivered my DS-2019 and my passport with the physical visa inside. (Future applicants: if you want the embassy to send your visa back to you, you must bring a pre-paid envelope to your Visa appointment).

August 17, 2026: Flight Booked

After months of paperwork, waiting, and the occasional moment of self-doubt, I finally booked my one-way ticket to New York.

What I Wish I Knew Before Starting

• You can pivot: Don’t feel trapped by the choices you make during your Fulbright application. They understand that plans change. Once you have the award, there is wriggle room to be flexible with the course/university you’re applying to (if you’re on the self-placement track).

• Deadlines are softer than they look (sometimes): If third-party services like WES lag behind, email your school admissions team. Most schools will hold your place if you keep them updated on when you think things will come through. KEEP PEOPLE UPDATED. On a separate note, not ALL deadlines are soft. I know someone who lost their BUNAC BEST funding because they missed an email. My point is, if you need flexibility - ask for it. Most of the time you will get it.

• Budget for the pre-departure phase: Between transcript conversions (£120), deposit fees ($1,000), and travel to London for interviews/orientations, the application process itself costs money before grant funds hit your account. I really advise that you have at least £3,000 saved up to buffer any additional costs before your Fulbright money kicks in.

As always, if you are working on your application or thinking of applying and have a burning question, please reach out to me directly on Instagram at roise_nab.

I arrived in New York last Monday so I’ve been here exactly seven days. I left Edinburgh at around 12pm after having a lovely breakfast with the family. I felt surprisingly emotional - unusual for me - but I guess it was because everyone was in one place (a rare occurrence for my family of 8). I’ve also developed this new, lingering feeling that when you leave people, they won’t always be there when you get back - so I was just feeling… nostalgic.

It didn’t help that I left the house twice. Once on time, and then again about 20 minutes later when I realised I’d forgotten my fiddle. But despite the detour, I arrived in good time for my flight, albeit, a little flustered.

The $60 Bribe

At Edinburgh airport I went to check-in with my airline (which will remain unnamed). When it came to weighing my suitcase, the guy at the kiosk sadly declared that it was 15kg over the weight allowance and that I would have to pay an additional cost of £150 - a third of the cost of my actual flight!

I was kicking myself for not weighing it properly, but I reluctantly reached for my credit card, resigned to taking the financial hit. Suddenly, the kiosk guy pulled me aside and whispered “you got any cash?”

I was about to say ‘no’ when I remembered the envelope in my bag with an emergency $250.

“Only dollars,” I whispered, replicating his intensity.

“$60. Meet me around the back in five.” He promptly marked my bag as ‘low weight’ and sent it down the belt.

I was slightly confused - stunned by this casual corruption so early in the morning - but I was also thinking, God, did I just save £100? I walked around the corner and sure enough, the man was lurking under a bank of security cameras. I slid him the $60 as inconspicuously as possible, then crept away like James Bond.

Except… I looked less like 007 and more like a fugitive experiencing an active panic attack. I spent the rest of my time at the gate sweating through my clothes, convinced SWAT would find me. This panic continued to the plane, and for the whole journey I found myself fixated on the idea that US border control would deny me entry for single-handedly undermining the British aviation industry.

Crossing the Atlantic

On the flight, I watched Hamnet to calm my nerves which was a massive mistake. I don’t even think the film is that amazing, but I wept and wept, so much so that the poor woman next to me was probably grateful for the empty middle seat separating us. But the crying was cathartic (and maybe needed), and by the time we touched down in New York I felt a lot better.

Border security was surprisingly fine. The officer was cracking jokes, which completely threw me after hours of imagining a federal prison cell. He let me through without much questioning. Sweaty, disheveled, and weighed down by a 35kg suitcase, my fiddle, and a giant backpack, I had somehow made it.

I made my way to my temporary home in Brooklyn. A friend (of a friend of a friend) had offered to put me up for a few nights. All I knew was that I’d be staying with two women who were originally from Tipperary. I rolled up to the flat, drenched in sweat, and within five minutes of meeting them, realised we all spoke Irish. My 24-hour-sleep-deprived brain nearly imploded trying to translate, but it still brought me a bit of home comfort.

Finding a rhythm

On my first ‘real’ day in New York, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, picked up my student ID card, and did a little interview for RnaG. That evening, I went to a BAFTA networking event and met an amazing Irish filmmaker and two screenwriters from NYU.

The next day, I walked the bridge again to meet my course convenor and sort out a few admin bits. By day three, I was burnt out and ended up watching Sterling Point for most of the day - maybe not the high-brow cinema I should be consuming, but very bingeable (plus it features an up-and-coming Scottish actor so not entirely irrelevant).

After a lazy day in the flat, I decided to head out for a walk, ignoring my flatmate’s advice to take an umbrella. I got caught in torrential rain and wind. It was magical for the first half hour until I had to take refuge in a ramen shop. The owner felt so sorry for me - dripping all over his floor - that he gave me a warm cup of tea. I now know that I was walking in a Tornado - yes, those happen in New York, so maybe next time I’ll heed local advice.

Settling into Brooklyn

By Friday, I was back out at a film networking event in Brooklyn, searching for a producer and cinematographer to collaborate with - this event is a great way to meet other filmmakers. On Saturday, I moved to my second temporary home; a lovely Brooklyn house with an equally lovely host and four dogs (although I think I overwhelmed her with my over-optimistic take on American politics).

Since then, I’ve been logging 20,000 steps a day, exploring massive thrift warehouses, and visiting the Brooklyn Museum (which is free with my SVA card - the Iris Van Herpen exhibition is incredible).

I’ll be in Brooklyn until next Friday when I finally move into my permanent place in Manhattan. Until then, I’m leaning into being a Brooklyn Baby and hanging out in Prospect Park.

I’ve yet to spot Mamdani on a bike... but I’m here for a year, so there’s still plenty of time!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am the incredibly fortunate recipient of a BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship. This award has given me the funds to pursue a Filmmaking master’s degree in America. Because the Fulbright funding only supports one year, I had a choice to make early on. While you can choose a two-year program if you find separate funding for the second year, I decided I wanted an intense, one-year course. I wanted something that would rapidly elevate my skills as a filmmaker but allow me to come home to Scotland afterward to continue building my career.

The difficulty? A lot of filmmaking master’s programs in the US are two to three years long. Places like NYU, Tisch or UCLA offer brilliant courses, but multiple years mean paying astronomical amounts of money. While these universities do offer good scholarships - and being a Fulbrighter definitely helps your chances of getting support - the logistics of securing three years of funding is incredibly daunting.

Furthermore, to secure your US student visa, you often have to prove upfront that you have the money to cover the entire duration of the degree (we’re talking over $300,000). Most people do this via financial guarantors, but if you don’t have someone who can front or guarantee that kind of capital, you’re stuck. Your Fulbright package only proves your funding for year one.

Anyway, I digress. My point is, I drew a line in the sand: I was looking for a one-year course. Specifically, I wanted a program for a Director that included scriptwriting modules. I didn’t want a pure screenwriting or producing course; I wanted a practical, hands-on, “learning-by-doing” program focused on directing films.

I scoured the internet, and for the longest time, I couldn’t find a single one-year filmmaking master’s. Eventually, I stumbled upon two options, so here’s how they stacked up.

Option 1:

New York Film Academy (NYFA) – Los Angeles

MA in Film and Media Production

• Length: 12 months (3 semesters) | August 2026 – August 2027

• Annual Tuition Cost: $67,500

• Location: Los Angeles, California

On paper, NYFA looked great. It was a one-year course, highly focused on the practicalities of filmmaking, and located right in the heart of LA. When you apply for a Fulbright, you have to specify which schools you intend to apply to, so I put NYFA down on my initial application.

However, the more research I did, the more I noticed a specific reputation surrounding the school. Online, many users described it as a “money-grabbing” private institution with a near-100% acceptance rate.

Wanting answers, I asked to speak with the head of the department. To be fair, they put me in touch with him quickly, and he was perfectly pleasant while walking me through the curriculum. But when I gently tried to address the school’s mixed reputation, he essentially avoided the question and said nothing. He also wouldn’t give me an exact cost for the final thesis film - he said it’s as expensive as you make it, which I think is true, but I just wanted a bit of guidance.

Red flag number two: I tried to find previous students’ thesis films to check the quality of the end product. While NYFA proudly lists famous or successful alumni on their website, I could not find raw examples of average graduate films anywhere. They also wouldn’t put me in touch with former students.

The Inside Scoop

Eventually, via Sherlock Holmes style stocking, I managed to connect via Instagram with an alumnus who had done the course. He was an international student from Iran and a fellow Fulbrighter. He gave me a very candid breakdown:

• The Good: The technical training is solid. If you’ve never touched a camera, it’s a great, fast-paced access point.

• The Bad: He called the administration “chaotic” and unhelpful - a massive worry for an international student dealing with complex visa and financial paperwork.

• The Fine Print: He claimed students weren’t easily allowed to use the school’s equipment outside of strict class assignments. There were also massive hidden costs. While most film schools require you to self-finance your thesis film, NYFA was no exception - you need to budget an extra $15,000 or so for your final film. You also couldn’t use the schools insurance or buildings for your projects.

The Application & Financials

The application process is incredibly straightforward. You pay your fee, upload unofficial screenshots of your transcripts (no third-party verification needed), submit your portfolio, and you’re essentially in.

To their credit, their institutional financial aid was great. They immediately offered me a talent scholarship and a means-tested scholarship, which brought the tuition cost down significantly.

The Curriculum

• Semester 1 (Fall): Film Production, Screenwriting, Thesis Development, Drawing Techniques for Storyboarding, Cinema Studies

• Semester 2 (Spring): Film Directing II, Producing, Thesis Review, Media & Culture

• Semester 3 (Summer): Final Film Production, Emerging Formats, Thesis Submission, Theories of Cinema

Option 2:

School of Visual Arts (SVA) – New York

MPS in Film Directing

• Length: 9 months (2 semesters) | September 2026 – May 2027

• Annual Tuition Cost: $64,690

• Location: Manhattan, New York

I found SVA on what felt like my tenth deep-dive Google search, desperately looking for an alternative to NYFA. They offered an MPS (Master of Professional Studies) in Film Directing. It checked every box: one year long, intensely focused on directing, with built-in scriptwriting modules.

The structure was fascinating - classes are held in the evenings, taught by working industry professionals, and the entire year builds toward a final thesis film.

From my very first email, the contrast in administration was night and day. The SVA admissions contact was incredibly helpful. She was completely transparent about the extra costs, explicitly stating that I should expect to spend around $15,000 of my own money to finance the thesis project. Crucially, she sent me links to past graduates’ work and shared alumni email addresses so I could ask unfiltered questions.

The Inside Scoop

I spoke on the phone for an hour with an alumna from France who attended during COVID. Her takeaway was very balanced:

• The Pros: She loved the course and highly praised the scriptwriting modules. She noted that New York is an incredible, bustling place to live, and unlike LA, you don’t need the massive expense of a car.

• The Cons: Manhattan is intensely expensive. Because the course attracts a lot of international students who have never done film before, she occasionally felt a bit ahead of the baseline curriculum. Her advice was: If you are outgoing and ready to hustle to make the most of it, it’s absolutely worth it.

The Application & Financials

The application process was much more rigorous than NYFA’s. Grades aren’t everything, but your portfolio heavily matters - you have to submit up to three full videos, a personal statement, and a 1-minute video introducing yourself.

The most stressful part was the transcripts. SVA requires international degrees to be formally evaluated by a third-party service like WES (World Education Service) to convert your grades into an American GPA. I requested my transcripts from the University of Glasgow in late November, but it took about 2 months for them to come through. WES didn’t clear them until mid-January. I technically missed SVA’s official deadline of January, but I kept them updated, submitted everything else on time, and they were incredibly accommodating.

My advice to anyone applying to the US: Get your international transcripts converted and evaluated the second you decide to apply. Do not wait.

The major downside to SVA is the lack of institutional financial aid. Unlike other schools, they don’t offer housing or meal discounts. I did receive a $10,000 departmental scholarship (which will go directly toward my thesis film), but otherwise, you are on your own.

The Curriculum

• Semester 1 (Fall): Film Language, Analysis and Criticism; Screenwriting; Producing for Film Artists; Directing

• Semester 2 (Spring): Film Language, Analysis and Criticism; Director’s Toolbox; Editing as Storytelling; The Thesis Project

What Did I Choose?

I’m not going to lie: the financial side of choosing SVA has been incredibly stressful. (I will write a completely separate post breaking down exactly how I managed to piece together funding). The reality is that if I’d chosen NYFA, I wouldn’t have been so stressed about finances. But, ultimately, I realised I’m getting one shot at an amazing master’s degree in America and I just wanted to go with my gut.

SVA simply felt like the right fit for me as a filmmaker. Their communication has been supportive every step of the way - they’ve even been accommodating with a slight delay in my fee payments. I’ll write a separate blog on how I’ve been able to finance SVA…because it has been a journey, but increasingly I’m feeling it’s the right one.

I actually think I could have had a fun time in LA at NYFA. The course does look good and - even if it isn’t perfect - I don’t think you can go too wrong with studying film in LA. Plus…it’s a lot cheaper with all the financial aid. Also, the likes of Curry Barker went to NYFA (albeit he dropped out), so it can’t be that bad!

But for me, SVA felt like the better option… only time will tell if it actually is.

I’ll be sure to post a proper update on my time in Manhattan once I land!

Are you a UK citizen planning to study a postgraduate degree in the U.S? Are you desperately searching for top-up funding to support your studies? Perhaps you’re already studying a postgraduate degree, but you’ve run out of money or need a bit more cash to support your time in America.

If ANY of the above apply to you… then you should definitely apply for the BUNAC BEST Award.

(See my article here for a deeper dive into funding a Postgraduate degree in America).

What is the BUNAC/Jenza?

For those of you who don’t know, JENZA is an organisation that supports travel and cultural exchange between the UK and the US. You might already know them for their popular working holiday, volunteering, or Summer Camp USA packages, where they often help with funding flight placements and visas. They are all about promoting travel, global work experience, and cross-cultural activity.

However, what many people don’t know is that they also administer a fantastic funding pot specifically for British postgraduate students: The BUNAC BEST Scholarship (BUNAC Educational Scholarship Trust).

What is the BUNAC BEST Scholarship?

The BEST scholarship is essentially a “top-up” fund designed for UK passport holders who have already secured a place on a postgraduate course (Master’s or PhD) at an American or Canadian university but are facing a funding gap.

It is funded by the BUNAC Educational Scholarship Trust - a registered UK charity focused on education through travel. Each year, they have a total pot of around £60,000 and individual students can request up to £15,000 to help cover their tuition/living costs during their postgraduate degree. It’s easily one of the most substantial and flexible top-up awards available for transatlantic study.

Also… nobody really knows about it so it’s definitely worth applying to!!!

The Application Process

Applications usually open at the end of January or start of February and they close pretty quickly - normally in early March. Hopefully by early January you should have a rough idea of what school/university you’re going to (even if you haven’t been accepted) which means you’ll also have an idea of how much your time in America is going to cost (spoiler alert: it ain’t gonna be cheap). Understanding your degree/living costs for the year is crucial because the BEST Scholarship is a ‘top-up’ fund so they really want to see:

1. A gap in your funding that they can potentially fill.

2. That you have other funding in place (you can’t just rely on the BEST Scholarship. They want to see that you have other funds and that they are simply ‘filling a gap’).

Let’s be real: the application is dense. In some ways, I’d say it’s more comprehensive than the Fulbright scholarship application (which is crazy because Fulbright is seen as really competitive). But, while Fulbright focuses heavily on your academic study and why America is the only place you can do your research, BUNAC focuses much more on your day-to-day life in North America, what you’ll do while you’re there, and how you will personally benefit from the cultural exchange.

I actually found the application process really helpful. It forces you to consider practical questions about living in the U.S. It also asks you to state exactly how much money you need, so if you haven’t made a detailed budget by this stage… I highly suggest you do.

The application consists of the following:

1) The Financial Breakdown

First, you’ll need to input the financial basics:

• The University (or universities) you are planning to go to and their annual tuition cost.

• Your estimated annual maintenance/living/health costs. (Combined with your University costs, this gives your total cost for the year).

• Any additional funding or personal savings you have already secured.

• The remaining financial “gap” and exactly how much you’re requesting from BUNAC.

2) The Essay Questions

You then have to answer six essay questions and you have a strict 250-word limit for each:

1. Why do you feel you should be awarded a BEST Scholarship?

2. What factors influenced your decision to choose North America for your course of study?

3. What do you think are the demands of living & studying in North America? How do you feel you will respond to them?

4. What are your immediate post-graduation plans and longer-term career intentions? How will the experience of studying in North America help you?

5. How do you feel your time in North America will contribute to transatlantic understanding in both the short and long term?

6. What will you do if you are not successful in your efforts to obtain adequate funding for your proposed course in North America?

3) References

You submit your answers via an online portal. Alongside your answers to the above questions, you must submit two references. A word of warning: your referees have to fill out specific BUNAC BEST scholarship form, so it’s not just a simple case of them uploading a standard letter of recommendation. Make sure you contact your references early so they have time to do this. However, you are the one to upload the references onto the portal so that gives you a bit of control over the process e.g they don’t have to submit through the portal (they just send the form to you).

The Long Wait and the In-Person Interview

The deadline for applications is usually around the 7th of March. After that, you don’t hear anything for a long time. It wasn’t until April 29th that I finally got invited for an interview. You have to accept the invite within 10 days of them notifying you.

WORTH NOTING: If they offer you an interview, it is normally on a Saturday and they WILL NOT change the date. If you can’t make it, you forfeit your chance at the scholarship. My understanding is there is no flexibility. There’s also zero financial support for attending the interview which takes place in London so be ready to fork out travel and accommodation costs if you’re travelling from afar (yello from the Highlands of Scotland). I had to pay for my own flights from Inverness to London, plus accommodation (luckily I had lovely friends I could stay with, but my point is it’s expensive and no travel costs are covered).

My interview was on the 30th of May. I would strongly suggest keeping the end of May and the start of June free if you apply for the award, because - I’LL SAY IT AGAIN - you have to attend the interview in-person in London - there is no Zoom option.

Additional Interview Documents

Prior to the interview, they will ask you to submit a comprehensive breakdown of your budget (which is why having that budget ready early on is a lifesaver). I have advice on writing a comprehensive budget here. They’ll also ask for a copy of your official university acceptance letter so you need to have a place at a University in America/North America to qualify (I think if you’re still waiting to hear back from your University then that’s okay but check with BUNAC).

The Interview Experience

They don’t tell you much about what to expect during the interview. I did email them a week before asking if I could prepare anything, but they kept their cards close to their chests. I will caveat that by this stage in my search for funding, I was head-deep in funding applications, so I was definitely overthinking everything.

Whereas Fulbright gives you most of your questions beforehand, BUNAC doesn’t give you anything to go by so you’re going into it in the dark (well…hopefully this article helps to shed a little light).

The panelists (I had three) will have your written application in front of them, though in my experience, they didn’t interrogate it too harshly. What they will look at closely is your comprehensive budget. Make sure that this is as detailed as possible so they don’t have to grill you on the numbers. Again, my budget example is here.

The interview itself was a bit of a blur, but below is a general overview of what was asked.

Interview Questions

1. The Icebreaker

You know it’s coming, but it’s still the hardest one to answer: “Tell me a bit about yourself and why you want to study in America.” After months of writing personal statements, it’s so hard to condense your life into a concise answer. I had practiced this one, but I could still hear myself rambling. I don’t recommend rehearsing an exact script, but definitely have a clear, punchy opening paragraph that will set you up well for the interview. I’ll repeat, the icebreaker is always the hardest question - prepare for it.

2. The Situational Question

This one really threw me. It felt like a corporate job interview. They asked for a specific scenario where I had previously engaged in cross-cultural activity. My mind didn’t completely freeze, but I hadn’t prepped situational examples (a bit silly of me). Definitely have a few stories/scenarios under your belt.

3. The Exchange/Political Question

I think they’ll always ask some form of cultural question like: “What do you believe is the UK’s biggest misconception of America, and vice versa?” You can get a bit political here. They want to see that you’re engaged with the world and US current affairs. I found that relating these big questions back to my own specific field of study stopped me from being too general/rambly. Also, the UK and US are actually quite similar in many ways, so don’t be afraid to turn the question on its head.

4. The Budget Question

I thought they were going to interrogate my finances, but I’d done a good job of clearly showing my funding gap. They asked how much I was requesting, and I honestly said the full amount (£15,000). They also asked what I would do if I didn’t get the money. For better or worse, I told them I would still find a way to go. Realistically, without BUNAC it would have been incredibly difficult to fund my year in America, but I was committed to seeking other loans and funding, so it felt like the honest answer. Maybe if I’d said I couldn’t go without them it would have worked out too, who knows!

The Outcome

Whatever I did, it worked! I ended up getting awarded the full amount (and my advice is that if you can clearly show you need the £15,000 I would just ask for it. Be bold.) They emailed me with the good news on the 3rd of June. It’s a really quick turnaround from the interview, which is lovely because you aren’t left waiting for weeks. The timing was also perfect for my visa application, as I could officially list BUNAC as a guaranteed income stream making my visa application more viable.

The Timeline Breakdown:

• Mid-February: Applications open

• Beginning of March: Applications close

• 29th April: Interview invitations sent

• 11th May: Deadline to submit supporting documents (budget, acceptance letter)

• 30th May: In-person interview in London

• 3rd June: Final outcome email

By far, this is the best top-up fund you can get for a Master’s or PhD in America or Canada as a UK student. It is highly substantial, and the trust genuinely cares about supporting students abroad. Also, I don’t know why but not that many people know about it, so if you get an interview I think there is a high chance that you will get some form of funding, even if it isn’t the full £15,000. I cannot recommend putting an application in enough.

As always, if you’re thinking of applying and have any questions, reach me at roise_nab.

Fulbright is a scholarship that offers financial support (up to $66,000) to study a Postgraduate degree in the U.S.A (you can learn more about the Award here). I was fortunate enough to win the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship for the 2026/27 academic year, and I’m keen to help demystify the application process.

A core component of the application is your Reflective Essay (although, up until recently it wasn’t compulsory). This is a 300 word essay that is expected to cover the following:

• At Fulbright, we believe that to solve global challenges, we urgently need to bring together the minds and the energy of people from all cultures and backgrounds, and build cohorts that reflect the vibrant diversity of both our countries.

• The Fulbright Programme was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War with the aim of increasing the understanding between peoples and nations. In a continuity with this aim, we understand that our Fulbrighters come from a variety of backgrounds, bringing different lived experiences and beliefs that help build our cohorts and community.

• With this in mind, please share with us a 300 word reflection that you think will help us better understand your application and your journey to the Fulbright programme.

My Advice:

There’s great official advice on how to write the essay and what the Fulbright Commission are looking for (check out Fulbright’s guide here). I think the best advice I can give is to simply share the essay that worked for me (and won me the Fulbright BAFTA Scholarship).

Keep in mind that the example below was specifically for the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship, so it’s slightly different from other Master’s programmes, but hopefully it helps give a sense of what they’re looking for.

END.

As always, send me a message at roise_nab if you have any specific questions.

Fulbright is a scholarship that offers financial support (up to $66,000) to study a Postgraduate degree in the U.S.A (you can learn more about the Award here). I was fortunate enough to win the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship for the 2026/27 academic year, and I’m keen to help demystify the application process.

A core component of the application is your Personal Statement. This is a 500 word essay that is expected to cover the following:

• Conduct a careful, well thought-out self-assessment with reference to the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s values and objectives to be able to demonstrate an understanding of our mission as well as how you can further it.

• Compose a narrative essay in which you include information about your formative experiences (educational, professional, personal), personal and professional ambitions and special non-academic, extracurricular interests.

• Describe who you are, what your goals are, and what you hope to achieve in the U.S. and upon your return to the UK.

• Outline your motivations, relevant preparations for and expectations of the Fulbright Programme.

• Do not repeat the study objective essay or provide a narrative of your CV.

• Remember: the personal statement is an indication of your written communication skills. Make sure it is well organised, written and spell checked.

  ---

My Advice:

There’s great official advice on how to write the essay and what the Fulbright Commission are looking for (check out Fulbright’s guide here). I think the best advice I can give is to simply share the essay that worked for me (and won me the Fulbright BAFTA Scholarship).

I will caveat this by saying I went a bit rogue. I tried writing standard drafts, but trying to squeeze my cross-cultural life story into 500 words felt incredibly clunky. So, I took a gamble and wrote my personal statement as a screenplay. I guess it paid off, but this is just to say that you don’t have to do something high-risk like this. But if there is a way to bring a bit of your creativity, or your subject into the personal statement, I would try to do this to make you stand out.

Keep in mind that the example below was specifically for the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship, so it’s slightly different from other Master’s programmes, but hopefully it helps give a sense of what they’re looking for.

My Fulbright Personal Statement:

END.

As always, send me a message at roise_nab if you have any specific questions.

Fulbright is a scholarship that offers financial support (up to $66,000) to study a Postgraduate degree in the U.S.A (you can learn more about the Award here). I was fortunate enough to win the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship for the 2026/27 academic year, and I’m keen to help demystify the application process.

A core component of the application is your Study Objective. This is a 1,000 word essay that is expected to cover the following:

• Write a clear and very detailed description of the programme you want to pursue in the U.S. in an essay format. As this is an indication of your written communication skills, make sure it is well organised, written and spell checked.

• Explain your motivation for applying to the Fulbright Programme.

• Clearly identify the area(s) within your field of study in which you want to specialise or concentrate. If there is specific research that you want to accomplish, please explain it as fully as space allows.

• Outline how the period in the U.S. will enhance your knowledge, skills and understanding, and your future development in the specified discipline. • List the universities where you would like to study, highlight your top choice, and explain why you have made these selections. This ONLY applies to those who have selected the Independent Placement model.

• Applicants applying to a Master’s or a PhD programme should detail the programme they wish to undertake, the course they wish to study, research objectives (if applicable) and how the study plan fits with their training and career to date.

• Applicants who intend to pursue research while being enrolled on and in the advanced stages of a PhD should identify the research question or objectives, methodology, expected results and planned dissemination of information.

My Advice:

There’s great official advice on how to write the essay and what the Fulbright Commission are looking for (check out Fulbright’s guide here). I think the best advice I can give is to simply share the essay that worked for me (and won me the Fulbright BAFTA Scholarship). Keep in mind that this essay was specifically for the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship, so it’s slightly different from other Masters programmes - most Master’s applications want to know your exact thesis topic and require deep subject-matter expertise. For me, I focused more on why I got into filmmaking and the type of films I hoped to make

My Fulbright Study/Research Objective:

END.

As always, send me a message at roise_nab if you have any specific questions.

Okay, so you’ve submitted your Fulbright application and now you’ve been called to interview. Eek!

First off, well done. Loads of people apply for this, so you’ve done incredibly well to get to this stage. I also think that by this point, everyone who is called to interview is entirely deserving of the award. They’re no longer looking for who is “better” on paper; they’re just looking to see if something live tips the scales.

To give you an idea of the interview timeline: I submitted my application on the 5th of May, and it wasn’t until the 24th of July that I heard back with an invite. They ask you to confirm pretty quickly whether or not you can make the interview, and they give you a date then and there. The date for my interview was Friday the 22nd of August.

They also let me know that two days prior to the interview they would send out the exact questions they were going to ask. The interview itself is done via Zoom, lasts approximately 20 minutes, and consists of two distinct parts.

Note: The scholarship I applied to (and won) was the Fulbright BAFTA Scholarship, self-placement, UK-US. My advice speaks directly to that process, but hopefully it’s useful for anyone else applying for a Postgraduate Fulbright Award.

Part 1: The Presentation

I was asked to prepare a short presentation lasting no longer than five minutes. Your presentation has to cover the following criteria:

• An outline of the study/academic work you intend to carry out in the United States.

• How you became interested in your field of study and what your journey has been like to this point.

• The potential wider impact of your intended academic work, and how you intend to disseminate the outputs.

• The US universities you have applied to (or intend to apply to) and what motivated you to choose them (for self-placement), OR why you decided to apply through the IIE placement.

  Crucial Rules: I was asked not to prepare a PowerPoint or any other AV, and they explicitly didn’t want me reading from notes. We were also told that while our application had been read by the entire panel, the interview panel itself was made up of individuals who might not specialise in our specific field. So you’re talking to people who might not completely understand your research.

Part 2: Questions from the Panel

I was told ahead of time that the panel’s questions would cover various aspects related to the ethos of the Fulbright programme, aiming to learn more about my experiences and plans.

True to their word, exactly two days before the interview, they sent over the following four questions:

1. Can you tell us what you know about the US-UK Fulbright Commission and what excites you about carrying out your project through the Fulbright Programme?

2. We are interested to hear about situations where you have taken initiative and made a difference, either in your academic community or in your wider communities (that you are part of). Can you give us a brief example?

3. This question has two strands to it: Firstly, beyond academia and life at your host institution, which aspects of American culture are you interested in? Secondly, how will you meet people outside of your academic field during your time in the U.S.?

4. As a Fulbrighter, you will be expected to help people in the U.S. understand more about life in the UK. Please take a moment to choose a current issue related to life in the UK. Describe and explain it to us the way you would to someone who is completely unfamiliar with the issue. It can be any cultural, social, or political issue.

We were also warned that we would get one random, unscripted question at the very end. I can’t remember the exact wording of mine, but it was tailored to my application - specifically about the fact that my films were quite culturally localised, and how did I expect them to resonate with an American audience.

Keep in mind these were tailored to my specific project and host country (UK-US) - your panel may focus on entirely different topics!

How I Prepared (And What I Learned)

I will caveat this by saying that I had a very chaotic life in the lead-up to my interview. If you can, carve out a day or two - or even just a solid hour or two right before the call - to just calm down and centre yourself. It is a massive opportunity, so give it the time it deserves to work on your answers.

At the time, I was working full-time and had a massive work event the day before. I then travelled down to Edinburgh the night before my interview. Because I was stressed, I over-rehearsed all my answers to the point where it felt like I was following a strict script.

I strongly advise against doing this. I think you can practice your points, but you still need to leave yourself room to think on the spot. I just felt far too rigid.

The presentation at the start went really well - I had prepped for it intensely and delivered it naturally. Similarly, because they sent the questions two days early, I was able to do little rehearsals in my head. However, what really threw me was that final, unscripted question. My adrenaline was pumping, and because I was so rigidly attached to my practiced script, I lost the ability to pivot. I really bluffed the final question (and that’s not just me being overly critical). It was pretty bad.

I came away from the call feeling like I’d fallen at the very last hurdle because I convinced myself that you needed to absolutely nail every single question to even be in with a shot.

If you feel this way after the interview, please give yourself some grace. I’m sure you will have done brilliantly, even if you walk away thinking it was awful.

It wasn’t until the 22nd of September that I finally found out that I’d won the award!

My Top Tips for Success

• Read over your application: If you’ve gotten an interview, it’s because they loved what you wrote. Read over what you said and what you promised; it will give you the perfect foundation for their questions.

• Get into a good headspace: Try to clear your diary the week of the interview. Take a couple of days off work if you can afford to, or just lighten your workload. We are talking about a $66,000 scholarship, and you have exactly 20 minutes to convince them that you’re worthy of it. Give it the time you would give a life-changing job interview.

• Check your tech early: Make sure your Wi-Fi is strong and you know how to log into Zoom. It sounds silly, but on the morning of my interview, my laptop forced a massive update and then booted me out of Zoom. Luckily, I’d given myself a time buffer so I wasn’t late, but it was a major moment of panic you want to avoid.

• Practice, but don’t script: Like I said, I got too caught up in my exact wording, which meant I fluffed my final answer. It was fine in the end, but on another day, that could have been make-or-break for me. Be prepared to just talk like a human being.

• Answer the question: This one may seem obvious, but it’s so easy to forget to do. They send the questions two days in advance so you can think over answers and be specific. Really focus on what the questions are asking and make sure you answer them.

• Nail the presentation: This is their very first impression of you. Unlike the questions (which you only get 2 days before), you have a whole month to prepare for the presentation. The fact that you aren’t allowed slides is actually a blessing - you won’t get caught up in technical difficulties. Get it running smoothly and make sure it gives a real flavour of who you are. Practice. Practice. Practice.

• Be kind to yourself: Once the laptop clicks shut, let it go. I was so tough on myself and convinced myself I hadn’t gotten it. It always goes better than you think it did, and if you stumble on one question, it is absolutely fine (nobody is perfect and they don’t expect perfection). They want to see that you’re human and you’ll be able to make human connections in America.

Hope this helps someone out there!

If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out to me at roise_nab.

Okay, this post is going to be a long one because I’m doing a deep dive into the Fulbright Scholarship process. For context, I applied for the Bafta Fulbright Scholarship - academic year 2026-27. I’ve been successful in winning the award and - with its support - I’ll be heading to New York to study my Masters in filmmaking next month… but I would have found it really helpful to have had an article like this one before I applied.

**** Just as a caveat, I’m writing this article as a UK student (specifically from Scotland) heading to the USA to study a filmmaking Masters. While my specific lens is the UK-to-US track, the Fulbright program operates all around the world. If you are a non-UK citizen, some of this information may be helpful. If you’re applying from England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, I hope that this article helps you understand what Fulbright is and what the application process entails.***

Grab a cup of tea…coz it’s going to be a long one.

What is a Fulbright Award/Scholarship?

The Fulbright Program is one of the most prestigious international educational exchange initiatives in the world. Founded in 1946 by the U.S. government, its core mission is to champion cultural diplomacy, improve intercultural relations, and foster global competence between the people of the United States and other nations.

It operates as a massive, global two-way street:

• For U.S. Citizens: It sends students, scholars, professionals, and teachers abroad to study, teach English, conduct research, or share their expertise.

• For Non-U.S. Citizens: It brings international students, scholars, and professionals to the United States to do the exact same.

For this article, I’m focusing strictly on the Fulbright Graduate Program, which funds postgraduate students from the UK to study in the US (specifically for a Masters degree although they fund PHDs too).

I personally found it incredibly difficult to secure funding for a Master’s degree in the UK (I don’t think there’s much funding, particularly for creatives), which is why I turned to America.

What Are the Available Scholarships?

Fulbright offers an incredible mix of postgraduate scholarships. Some are strictly tied to specific institutions - for example, if you win the New School Scholarship, you have to attend The New School in New York. Others are tied to specific industries: the Alistair Cooke Scholarship is earmarked for journalism, while the BAFTA Scholarship requires you to apply to a filmmaking course. There are also “All Disciplines” awards which allow you to study any subject at any accredited university in the U.S.

I won the Fulbright BAFTA Award, specifically for studying film in America. It covers creative subjects - screenwriting, cinematography, and directing - but note that it does not cover acting or film criticism.

What does the scholarship provide?

Essentially, Fulbright provides a financial package of up to $66,000 and guides you through the visa and university application processes. When applying, you will choose between two tracks: the IIE Placement or the Independent Placement. I’ll dive into what these two options mean later on.

The Application Timeline

The application process is a marathon, not a sprint! I believe it’s best to think of it as a full two-year timeline from the day you open the application to the day you step onto campus.

Here is how the general timeline flows:

• Applications Open - February

• Application Deadline - Early May

• Interview Shortlist Notified - Mid-July

• Interviews Conducted - August

• Final Decision - September

• University Applications - Autumn/Winter (ASAP)

• VISAs and Funding - January - Summer (the following year)

• Departure to the US - August (the following year)

To show you what this looks like in practice: I opened my application in February 2025 and submitted it in May 2025. I was shortlisted for the Award in July, interviewed in August, and I found out I won the Award in September 2025. I spent October - December 2025 applying to my chosen universities. Final funding details were sorted mid 2026, and my Visa was firmed up in July/August 2026. My actual departure date isn’t until mid-August 2026.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

Any UK citizen can apply for the UK awards. The official criteria state that the majority of applicants should hold a 2:1 undergraduate degree. I want to offer a huge caveat for the BAFTA Scholarship: so much of your application hinges on your creative portfolio and films. If you don’t have a 2:1, I would still stick in an application.

Also, if you’ve been out of uni for a while, that’s okay. I graduated in 2019, meaning there was a five-year gap between my undergrad and this Master’s degree. That gap gave me a lot of experience working on films/writing and I believe it made my application stronger.

If you are passionate about a project, want to do a Master’s, and can’t find funding in the UK, and are happy to go through quite a long process, I would highly recommend sticking in an application.

IIE Placement vs. Independent Placement

Before looking at the actual application process, you need to understand the two different application tracks. They offer different styles of university placement and distinct financial packages.

• Independent Placement Model: Offers up to $66,000 in funding, and you manage your own university applications entirely.

• IIE Placement Model: Offers up to $66,000 in financial support negotiated directly by the Institute of International Education (IIE), plus eligibility to apply for the Opportunity Fund for extra financial assistance.

Full disclosure: I chose the Independent Placement track, so I cannot speak perfectly to the IIE experience (although I’ll see if I can get insider knowledge from my fellow Fulbrighters).

I chose Independent Placement - and I highly recommend it for anyone applying for the Bafta-Fulbright Award - because it gives you total control over your destiny. You tell Fulbright exactly where you want to go, you apply to that school directly , and if you get in, that’s where you go. As a film student, I knew I wanted to be in either Los Angeles or New York. By managing my own applications, I had direct contact with the admissions departments and absolute certainty over my location.

With the IIE track, you give them a list of suggestions, but you are somewhat at the mercy of the commission. They apply to the schools on your behalf and place you based on where you get accepted and where funding aligns. While it might sound easier to let someone else handle the paperwork, I preferred being in the driver’s seat.

Both paths have clear pros and cons, so do a bit of research and I’m happy to answer any questions about the Self-Placement track. I also don’t believe you’re disadvantaged choosing either (it’s just about which one works best for you). If you are looking at a lengthy two-year Master’s, the IIE track and its access to extra funding might be the smarter financial play. Talk to other alumni to see what fits your situation best.

The Application Stage

Once you have picked the scholarship you wish to apply for and chosen your placement track (IIE or Self-Placement), you are ready to face the online application portal. As a reminder, applications are open from February to May every year.

Because I won the BAFTA Fulbright Award on the Self-Placement track, my advice is always in relation to that scholarship, but I suspect the core components remain the same across all the scholarships (maybe sample writing/portfolios will differ depending on your subject).

1. Personal Information, CV, and Transcripts

You will start by inputting standard background information: universities attended, awards won, personal information, and academic transcripts.

Pro-Tip: If you did a study abroad program, you need transcripts from both your home university and the host institution. I had to submit files from both the University of Glasgow and my exchange university in Canada. Email your uni registrars to get these early so they don’t hold up your submission.

You will also be asked to upload an employment history and a CV (I can’t remember what the guidelines were for the CV, but for reference mine was 4-pages long). Don’t panic if your resume feels short - or, conversely, if you’ve been out of school for a long time and your CV is lengthy. I had five years of post-grad work experience, but I think the reviewers appreciated seeing that I had taken time to really think about why I wanted this specific course.

They also ask about language skills and prior exchange experience. While Fulbright aims to give US experiences to those who haven’t had them, my year in Canada didn’t hurt my chances.

2. The Heavy Hitters (Written Essays)

The core of your application rests on three major written pieces. I’ve linked my exact winning examples below:

• Study/Research Objective (1,000 words): [My winning example is here]

• Personal Statement (500 words): [My winning example is here]

• Reflective Essay (300 words): [My winning example is here]

3. References and Essentials

You will need three references submitted directly through the portal. The system will literally prevent you from hitting “Submit” if these are missing. Ask your referees early and make sure they submit on time. One of mine took 6-weeks to reply.

You should also have the following digital copies ready to upload.

• University transcripts

• A clear scan of your passport

4. Choosing a School

As part of your application, you must declare your target destinations. For the IIE track, you will list up to five schools. For the Self-Placement (Independent track), you focus heavily on one or two.

My biggest advice for independent applicants is to choose the exact school you genuinely want to attend. When I applied, I put down the New York Film Academy (NYFA) campus in Los Angeles. It was the only program I could find that checked all my boxes: it was one year long and allowed me to specialise intensively in writing and directing.

(Spoiler alert: That is not actually the school I am attending now, and I will explain why in a future post!)

The lesson here is that you can pivot your university choice later if you win the award. But for the sake of the Fulbright application, hone in on one or two specific courses. My narrow focus actually made my pitch far more convincing; it proved that this specific American course was the only place in the world I could achieve my goals.

The One-Year vs. Two-Year Choice

Okay, this is a slight tangent and probably only relevant to people applying for the Fulbright Bafta Scholarship, but it’s worth noting that Fulbright funding for Self-Placement scholars only covers one year.

This is great, except that the vast majority of prestigious US film Master’s programs (like UCLA, NYU, Tisch, or AFI) are two-to-three-years long. This means if you want to go to a top-tier multi-year school, you will need to find independent funding for years two and three (we’re talking about $100,000 a year). Plenty of BAFTA Fulbrighters do this successfully every year, and it’s worth reaching out to former Alumni to see how they funded their multiple-year degrees.

For me, I wanted to really focus on my Masters and make the most of my year in America without having the stress of securing funding for the second year. That limited my options to one-year programs and the primary (arguably only) one-year Master’s that fit my needs was the MA in Filmmaking at NYFA in Los Angeles so that is where I applied.

(Again, I actually ended up not going to NYFA and instead I’m attending the School of Visual Arts in New York, but I’ll explain that choice in another post).

Deep Dive into the Written Essays

As mentioned above, there are three crucial elements to the application. Below I’ve given some advice on each of them. Again, this is in relation to the Fulbright Bafta Award, so other Awards/Scholarships might require something else.

1) The Study Objective (1,000 Words)

Out of the entire application process, this is your primary sales pitch. It needs to explain exactly what you want to study and why America is the only place you can do it. Fulbright provides a massive guidance document on their website - read it cover to cover because it’s likely better than any advice that I can give.

When I wrote my first draft, I focused way too much on my personal life story. Don’t do that. Save your personal history for the Personal Statement. The Study Objective should focus heavily on what brought you to this moment as a filmmaker, the technicalities of the course, and your “bigger picture.” When I say bigger picture I mean what is your ultimate mission, how will this Master’s in America help you to bring it to light. Fulbright wants to fund world-changers - make them believe that you can change the world through your work.

You’ll notice in my example that I didn’t mention alternative universities. I kept my message laser-focused on one ideal fit. Even if you are keeping a few backup options in mind, my advice is to write this essay with deep specificity (obviously if you’re in the IIE placement I would assume you have to talk less about a University and more about your study plan).

My winning example is here.

2) The Personal Statement (500 Words)

This document is where you show your passion, your drive, and the narrative threads that make you who you are. It shouldn’t repeat your CV or your Study Objective; instead, it should provide the emotional and human backstory to your application. Again, Fulbright offers loads of advice in their guidance document on how to write this.

I’ll admit - I went a bit rogue with this one. I tried writing standard drafts, but trying to squeeze my cross-cultural life story into 500 words felt incredibly clunky. So, I took a gamble and wrote my personal statement as a screenplay. I guess it paid off, but this is just to say that you don’t have to do something high-risk like this. But if there is a way to bring a bit of your creativity, or your subject into the personal statement, I would try to do this to make you stand out.

My winning example is here.

3) The Reflective Essay (300 Words)

This is a newer mandatory requirement, and the 300 words disappear fast. I hate ‘Reflective Essays’ - I feel it’s really hard to get any substance into them, especially when you’ve already written the Study Objective and the Personal Statement. Again, there’s advice from Fulbright in their guidance document, but I think what they really want to see in this section is that you are engaging with a global challenge. How will your work impact the world?

Be confident here. You’re trying to sell yourself as a world-changer. The reality is that my short films might not single-handedly rewrite global history, but I deeply believe that the cultural lens I am creating is vital and could improve the world. Show them why your specific creative/academic mission matters on a global scale.

My winning example is here.

4) The Creative Portfolio (BAFTA Candidates Only)

Finally, you’ll be asked to submit supporting documents. I assume if you’re applying for other subjects they’ll want to see written work/examples of your work. To win the BAFTA Fulbright award, I had to submit a creative portfolio.

I submitted the following:

• 3 x short film screenplays (around 15 pages each)

• 3 x links to completed films that I wrote and directed

My biggest advice - if you’re looking to direct - is that you must submit complete films. Film schools and panels don’t want to see a flashy, rapid-cut showreel; they want to see that you can successfully hold a compelling narrative from a clear beginning to a definitive end.

It’s worth noting that the portfolio that I submitted to Fulbright also secured me places at both the New York Film Academy and the School of Visual Arts. I’ll talk more about that process in a later post.

Conclusion

So, in a nutshell, that’s it! Apply early, get references early, and just give it a stab! I feel in Scotland, the Fulbright Award isn’t really published or promoted that much, but anyone - with a good creative portfolio - can apply and potentially win it.

I will be dropping detailed articles on different topics that might be helpful in relation to the Fulbright Awards, but in the meantime, if you are working on your application and have a burning question, please reach out to me directly on Instagram at roise_nab.

What’s Coming Next?

There is still so much of this journey to cover, including:

1. Surviving the intense Fulbright interview process.

2. The reality of applying to US universities (and choosing between NYFA and SVA).

3. The logistical mountain of paperwork once you actually win the award.

4. Financing your Masters in America (spoiler: the Fulbright money doesn’t cover everything!).

Keep an eye out and…

…Goodluck x

For the past couple of months, I’ve been jobless. It wasn’t entirely without motive - I’ve been hyper-focused on securing funding for next year, which means my typical steady income has been on pause. Because I knew I’d be taking time off to focus on funding applications, I had built up a healthy little savings pot. I benchmarked enough money to easily see me through this transition period.

But once you’ve mentally earmarked money as “savings,” it’s incredibly hard to break out of that mindset.

As soon as I left my job in February and started dipping into that account, a wave of unease hit me. Even though I had saved this money specifically to act as a temporary income, when it came to actually relying on it... I found it really hard to spend.

To make matters worse, I had made a promise to myself before this started: I would still go out for coffees, I would still take weekends away, and I would continue to live a nice - slightly less expensive - life. These savings weren’t a last-resort emergency fund; they were a direct replacement for my monthly pay check, and I had every right to use them. Yet, the guilt remained.

I think I’ve always had an interesting relationship with money. It’s never really been the driving force behind my decisions. Like most people, I associate money with success, but reputation and doing meaningful work have always outweighed my need for a massive pay check. I’ve also always been quite frugal. I live within my means, so I’ve usually felt like I’ve earned “enough” - even when my pay was low or I was freelancing.

Sounds like a healthy mindset, right?

Yes and no. The flip side is that I genuinely find it hard to spend money. I almost hate it. Saving gives me a sense of pleasure and freedom - the comforting idea that I can do whatever I want with that money at a later date. Except, when that “later date” actually arrives, I fuss so much over spending it that the joy gets completely drained.

Sometimes, my frugality makes sense. I’d genuinely rather stay in a cheap hostel than a five-star hotel, and I prefer buying second-hand clothes over brand-new ones. Those are just personal preferences. But then there are the simple things - like going out for a coffee - that actually bring me genuine joy, yet I find myself fiercely resisting them. For what? Just to see a number in an account stay the same?

This whole internal monologue has come to a head because my relationship with money has had to completely transform. I recently won a massive $66,000 scholarship, and ever since, I’ve been hunting down top-up funds to cover the rest of my tuition costs for a Filmmaking Masters in New York. We’re not just talking about a few thousand pounds here; I needed a significant amount of money to cover international health insurance, tuition, and hefty living costs. Suddenly, the personal savings I was so proud of felt like a drop in the ocean. My old monthly salary felt like pocket change, and I had to pivot entirely to the world of high-stakes funding.

I’ve now managed to secure a few grants, and it’s a bizarre feeling. Receiving a lump sum of £15,000 is surreal - realistically, when I was freelancing, that was close to my entire annual take-home pay. Wrapping my head around money as massive, sporadic lump sums rather than a predictable monthly pay check is a total mind-bend. And at the same time that I’m securing these funds for the next academic year, I’m still eating into my personal savings. I have to keep reminding myself: that is literally what they’re there for.

I’ve learned that the only way to survive a saving mindset without losing your mind is to declare certain things "frictionless." There are a handful of monthly costs that aren't strictly necessities, but they keep me sane - so I’ve made a deal with myself not to think about them. My gym membership gets me out of my small flat. Spending £9 on two lattes so I can work in a cafe keeps me inspired. Saying yes to dinner with a friend, or filling up my car tank so I can escape for a drive - these are no longer up for debate. I've built them directly into my baseline routine. They might not be essential for survival, but they are essential for my life.

But the harder question to answer is: how do you learn to spend beyond this?

I’ve been reflecting on this a lot because this past month was exceptionally expensive. I went away on holiday, celebrated multiple birthdays, and had to travel to London for a funding interview (which wasn’t reimbursed). On top of that, I love treating my friends and family when I see them. Gift-giving isn’t my love language at all - in fact, buying physical gifts just stresses me out - but I love paying for a dinner, buying a round of pints, or treating the people I love to an experience.

Looking back at the bank statement for the month gave me that familiar sting of anxiety. But as I sit with it, I’m trying to reframe how I look at my finances.

Money is an energy; it’s meant to circulate, not just sit in a digital vault gathering dust. Yes, saving gives us security, but what is the point of security if we don’t allow ourselves to actually live? The money I spent this month went toward memories with family, investments in my future career, and moments of hard-earned relaxation. It’s okay to spend money. In fact, sometimes you have to spend it to build a life that actually feels good to live. I’m learning to let go of the guilt, take a sip of my takeaway coffee, and trust the process x

For the past four months, I’ve been in a weird limbo state. I left my job in February 2026 to focus fully on funding applications for a Master’s degree in the U.S. (the course starts in September 2026). Prior to leaving the job, I had secured $86,000 dollars for the course, but I was still down $34,000. There was no way I could make $34,00 in the space of 6 months working at my job, so it made sense to quit (or at least drop down to part-time so I could work on funding applications). Sounds simple, right?

WRONG. Nothing is ever simple.

I find quitting really hard. I think most women do. Even if I know it’s time to move on, even if I’ve planned to leave, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m letting someone down. It’s strange because I’ve spoken to men about this, and while they feel remorse, they don’t seem to carry the same acute anxiety around it that we do.

Anyway, I had originally taken this job because it was a maternity cover. I thought I’d found the perfect antidote to my inability to quit: my contract would literally come to a natural end in December 2025, my predecessor would return, and I would be free to move on (apply to funding).

Of course, that’s not how it happened. December arrived, and they asked me to stay on for another month. What was one more month? An additional month of a full-time salary in an amazing job. I told myself I could focus on the applications in February. It wouldn’t cost me much time, and it would give me the space to do a proper handover with the returning Head of Marketing.

But January came and went, and suddenly we were in February. By this stage, I had tied up everything and was trying to carve out little pockets of time to work on my funding applications. Deadlines were looming, visas needed sorting, and the stress was starting to mount. But it was also getting harder to leave because I’d stayed so long (I’d had about three ‘leaving’ dos) that each goodbye, each ‘final’ meeting, felt falser and falser.

I finally gave myself a hard deadline of mid-February. I needed to be out.

And that’s exactly when the offer came. Do you want to work part-time? On paper, it was the perfect job: doing my exact role, but just one day a week. I could work remotely, choose my own day, and set my own terms.

It was so tempting. I knew from experience that I would worry about money the second I stopped working, so one day a week seemed incredibly manageable. It would give structure to my week, provide a small financial buffer to dampen my anxiety, and keep me sane while I tackled the funding mountain.

But deep down, I knew the reality wouldn’t match the pitch.

Firstly, in my heart of hearts I knew that the job couldn’t actually be done in a single day - or at least, not the way I wanted to do it. As a chronic over worker, I knew I’d spend the first two months burning energy just trying to reestablish boundaries and accept my own limitations, which I hate doing. Plus, I didn’t actually want to work remotely. So much of what I loved about the role was being on campus, meeting colleagues for coffee, and managing my team in person. Stripping that away meant reducing the job to a series of online meetings and remote management, which is a whole different beast. To top it off, the organisation was entering a massive, exciting phase of change. They needed strong, consistent leadership, and knowing I was leaving in September meant I would always have one foot out the door. (ALSO…I’d have to quit AGAIN).

Looking deeper, I realised this was a pattern. I always choose the sensible road - the financially stable option, the CV-booster, the practical path - even though I am deeply committed to building my life as a creative. Staying on for that one day a week was just another safety net.

But what if, for once, I bet on myself? What if I fully committed to applying for funding without an income, believing that something good would come of it?

When I actually did the math, the illusion of the safety net fell apart. Working one day a week for six months would get me a maximum of £6,000. While that would make my daily living easier and protect my savings, it wasn’t going to fill the massive £26,000 gap I needed for my Master’s. Meanwhile, some of the scholarships I was looking at were worth £15,000. I realised that if I treated the application process like a full-time job and actually trusted myself to win them, I could make far more than the part-time gig could ever offer. I just had to believe I could do it.

Now, let me be totally honest with you. The only reason I’m writing this article right now is because I’ve just been awarded a £15,000 scholarship. It feels amazing, and it makes the last three months feel justified, proving that completely quitting was the right decision.

But if you had asked me a week ago - before the email arrived - I would have told you I’d made a massive mistake. I was eating into my savings, nothing was coming from the applications, and I was full of regret that I hadn’t just taken the safe £6,000.

My point is this: I really do believe you should bet on yourself, but you need to know that the choice is always riddled with doubt. That agonising uncertainty doesn’t mean you made the wrong call; it’s just part of the price of admission. You have to learn to live with it.

If you can’t, that’s okay too. Stay in the job, keep the security, because you’ll be a lot happier.

But maybe…just maybe… if you can learn to sit with the panic, to hold your breath through the quiet weeks when nothing is happening, you might just find that uncertainty holds a much higher return on investment (and happiness) than a safety net ever could.

I spent twenty-four hours in London this weekend, a whirlwind trip from Inverness to Gatwick. The purpose was heavy: an interview for £15,000 of funding for a personal project. For the past month, my head has been buried in funding applications, so I thought that would set me in good stead for the interview, but all I felt was dread.

Deep down, I knew I was prepared for the interview (having talked about my project in great length over the past two months), but the closer the date loomed, the more I doubted myself.

When pressure builds like this, I did what I’ve always done - I headed to the hills.

I’d originally envisioned a summit camp for my birthday on the Monday (a solid five days before the interview), but the weather had other plans leaving the day feeling frustratingly incomplete. However, on the Wednesday a sudden weather window opened and me and my mum decided to go for a hike. We set our sights on the Braeriach Ridge in the Cairngorms of Scotland - an iconically tough two-day hike (definitely not for the unfit or the faint of heart, of which we were both).

Braeriach is a monster. It is the third-highest mountain in the UK, a remote and punishing landscape where you have to haul yourself up thousands of feet of relentless, ankle-smashing boulder fields. The scale of the plateau is vast and exposed, entirely devoid of shelter, flanked by terrifying, sheer cliffs that drop straight off into the abyss of the corries.

But despite the terrain, our first day was perfection. We walked for 9 hours straight and pitched our tent on the summit of Cairn Toul, watching the sunset bleed across the peaks as we settled in for the night. We went to bed around 10pm and instantly my mum was snoring. But cocooned in the freezing cold, sleep entirely evaded me. Instead, my mind raced: Why am I up a mountain right now? What am I doing about this interview?

My eyes opened early the next morning having not slept a single wink.

The hike out was a grueling, knee-crunching slog over miles of rough terrain. We had to navigate our way back down the heights, completely shattered, but we finally stumbled back to the car and eventually made it back to my flat around mid-afternoon. With my flight to London scheduled for the following morning, I tried to force some last-minute interview preparation, but my brain was fried. I surrendered and went to bed at 8:00pm, passing out straight away. My alarm went off at 5am the next morning and I felt… surprisingly fine.

During the travel day to London, a wave of relaxation washed over me. Something about the scale of the climb had shifted my perspective, allowing me to finally breathe. My legs were aching and my feet were mapped with horrible blisters, but mentally, I was chill. I spent a quiet evening at a friend’s flat and rested easy.

The interview itself was tough. The panel felt a bit unpredictable, but I held my ground and answered okay. The tension broke a little when I realised one of the panelists was from Scotland and had climbed Ben Nevis a week earlier. Sharing stories of the ridges and the weather became the perfect icebreaker. Perhaps I hadn't quite ruined my chances by escaping to the hills; if anything, maybe the mountains had given us something to talk about.

I left the room feeling like I’d done an okay job. Of course, the human brain is cruel and two hours later, the spiral began. I started dissecting everything I should have said, convincing myself I hadn’t got the money.

And you know what…maybe I haven’t got the money. But do I regret the climb?

No. I bagged four Munros and summit camped on one of the sunniest days of the year. The ridge gave me a sense of calm that the endless application process had entirely stripped away. It anchored me, even helping to fend off the little depression funk I get the week before my period.

I suppose this is all just to remind myself that sometimes, you desperately just need a break. You have to allow yourself the space to have fun, and trust that your past hard work will carry you through the big moments.

Gosh…this all sounds very zen (probably because I’m sitting at the airport with a pint in hand). Perhaps - if I don’t get the funding - I’ll look back and wish I’d spent those days studying for the interview instead of up the hill.

But somehow, looking back at those peaks, I doubt it!

(Edited: I got the £15,000!!!! )

Everyone’s had it. That idea that won’t go away. That vivid scene playing on loop in your head. So this is your sign from the heavens. Make that short film you’ve been dreaming of!

For the sake of this article, I’m assuming you already have a really brilliant (but modest) script. All you sci-fi writers… keep the galaxy-spanning space operas for your tenth film. If you don’t have a script, I’ll cover that in another post. But this post is for the people who have the idea, have put pen to paper, and now want to make it a reality, but don’t know where to start.

What if I told you that I didn’t know how to hold a camera, had never held a boom mic, and had never written a call sheet in my life... but my very first film made it into more than 20 film festivals worldwide and won multiple awards?

Skip the film school tuition - all you need is a good idea and a little guidance. Here is the exact survival guide I wish someone had given me before day one.

1. Build the Right Team

Here’s the thing: I made a film without knowing anything about cameras. Naive? Some of you might say yes. You’d be correct. But making a film isn’t about knowing how to pull focus - it’s about pulling the right people together.

I started by asking a friend who worked in the industry for advice. They told me to get a cinematographer. I reached out to one, and she wanted to bring on her own team - which instantly got us a 2nd camera operator (essentially someone that helps the cinematographer work the camera). Plus, she had contacts for a Producer and a Sound Recordist. Within a week, I had a crew.

In my personal opinion, this is your bare-minimum crew on-set to make a good film:

• Cinematographer (and a gaffer (someone who does the lighting) if they want one)

• Sound Person

• Actor/s

• Yourself of course! (Director/Producer/Swiss-Army Man)

Everybody else is a lovely addition, but you don’t need them to get started. My one caveat: you probably want a Producer/1st AD - or just someone on set whose sole job is tracking time and making sure you’re getting the shots you need.

2. Work with Actors You Know

My two main actors were a friend and my cousin. As a first-time director, it was incredibly nice knowing I could boss them about without worrying too much about hurt feelings. More importantly, I felt that the existing personal connection meant I could get the absolute best, most authentic performances out of them. Also - hire actors that are like your characters. My cousin was loud, my character was loud. My friend was quiet, his character was quiet. If their personalities are like the characters, you’re half way there to a natural award-winning performance.

3. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse

Have you ever heard of a table read? Well, go one better. Get your actors to act out the scene again and again… before you even set foot on set.

When it comes to the day of the shoot, you want them to have everything down to a tee. You need your brainpower free to direct their small movements and tweaks in the performance (and loads of other things if you don’t have a Producer etc).

Pro Tip: Rehearse in the actual space or location you’re going to film if you can. It changes everything. Additional tip…try not to have tones of locations for your first film. Every time you move location, that’s time wasted. For first-time filmmakers, I would say try to locate your story to one location. Get the most out of the actors…not the scenery.

4. Lean on Storyboards

I pride myself on being a good communicator, yet I still found it incredibly hard to get my cinematographer to see my vision. It wasn’t because she didn’t get it…I was just so bad at explaining. It was so clear in my head, that I thought it must be clear to her.

Work closely with your cinematographer ahead of time so they deeply understand each scene. They’re the one bringing the visuals to life while you work with the actors, so trust them. They will bring amazing ideas to the table - like blocking and visual motifs - but you have to give them time. It’s not their fault they can’t read your mind, and they definitely won’t be able to do it on a stressful shoot. Do the prep. It’s worth it.

5. For the Love of God, Have a Call Sheet

You’ve put so much planning into your film. Make sure you actually have a plan for the day. If you don’t know what a call sheet is, do a quick Google search. There are tons of free templates online and they’re all good. At its core, it’s just a strict schedule of exactly what order you are going to shoot in the day. Make sure you know what shots you need to make the film work and then make sure you get them on the day. Simples!

6. Create a Budget (Even for a “Free” Film)

Even if you’re spending zero pennies and everyone is giving you their precious time for free, make a budget anyway. Do it just to see how much an actual film would cost.

Inadvertently, you will end up racking up expenses - whether it’s buying someone a coffee, paying for petrol, or printing off scripts. Document all of your spending.

7. Have an Editor Lined Up Early

So much of a director’s job (especially on a low-budget film) is focused on pre-production and planning that it’s easy to completely forget about post-production. Just make it through the shoot, just make it throgh the shoot. I didn’t have an editor lined up, and it slowed my entire process down significantly (I spent about four months just looking for one).

If you can edit it yourself, great. But if you can find someone else with a good eye, even better. They bring a refreshing, objective perspective to the footage and take a massive amount of stress off your shoulders.

8. Don’t Film in RAW

Oh my lord. If I could give you one little gift, it is this: do not film in RAW. If you aren’t a tech person, “RAW” just means the camera records completely uncompressed, unprocessed data straight from the lens. Think of it like a digital negative - it preserves every bit of colour and shadow data so a professional colourist can manipulate it later.

The catch? The files are absolutely monumental. A 10 second clip can be 5 gigabytes.

We shot in RAW and it was my biggest mistake. The shots looked spectacular, but the files became an absolute nightmare to work with. Because the data size was so massive, normal computers couldn’t process it smoothly, and I really struggled to find an editor willing to touch it (especially since I was out of money and looking for pro-bono help).

Then again... the film did look spectacular, so maybe it was the right decision. But save yourself the headache: skip RAW for your first project and shoot in a standard compressed format like ProRes or MP4.

9. Prioritise Good Sound

You don’t have to know the ins and outs of audio engineering, but make sure your sound person does.

The Golden Rule of Film: Audiences will forgive mediocre footage. They will never forgive bad sound.

It is devastating to sit down to level your film and realise the audio is all over the place. Find a dedicated sound person and get them on set.

10. Enjoy the Ride

Gosh, I was so stressed about money, budgets, and equipment that I think I brought some bad energy to the set. I thought I was pretty good at covering up my emotions, but people can sense what you’re feeling. As the Director, how you feel completely impacts everyone else.

It’s going to be stressful. You’ll feel like you haven’t got all the shots you wanted. But try to step back and enjoy it. You’re making a movie!

Note: I haven’t even talked about marketing your film yet, which is a massive piece of the puzzle. I’ll be breaking that down entirely in another post.

If you want to follow along with my filmmaking journey (and learn from my mistakes), hit the subscribe button below!

I feel so lost. This week I turn 29, and I honestly can’t decide if I’m happy or sad. And the fact that I can’t even decide how to feel just reiterates my lostness.

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with my age, but I’m starting to think that maybe that’s just the reality of your 20s as a whole. I feel like I’ve spent the last decade throwing different things at a wall, praying that something would stick. Filmmaker, marketer, writer, musician - I’ve always known I have creative potential, but I’ve always felt it’s never quite fully materialised.

But for a long time, that was fine. I had my 20s to work it out. I had a whole decade to follow my dreams.

On the subject of dreams: a few months ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop with my sister. I was venting to her about how I couldn’t afford rent, how none of my creative applications were panning out, and how overall, I was just feeling completely under the weather.

She looked at me and said, “Welcome to following your dreams.”

She had a point. Following your dreams is romanticised as this beautiful, chaotic, fun adventure. But my actual experience? It’s been laden with financial stress, anxiety, and a general, nagging sense that I’m never doing enough.

At the same time, I look at my friends in corporate jobs, and the one reassuring takeaway is that I don’t want that lifestyle. I’ve even dabbled in the corporate world myself, so I know for a fact it’s not for me. So why, then, am I still filled with so much doubt?

The doubt used to feel fun, too. It used to be exciting that there was all this potential waiting to be unleashed, that there were multiple roads and lives you could live, and you were still young enough to chase them. I know dreams don’t die when you get older, but I’m starting to get the sense that life is moving on and there’s so much I want to do. But maybe that’s just the reality of living - never quite achieving full-potential but always trying.

There’s a saying - I can’t remember who said it, maybe Mark Twain - that goes: “Most men die at 27, we just bury them at 80.” It’s a bit depressing, but I get the grim gist of it. By 27, a lot of people give up on their dreams.

So, I’m trying to reframe my relationship to age. It is actually an amazing milestone that I’ve made it to 29, haven’t had the level of success I’d like yet, and I’m still sticking at it. Most people would have thrown in the towel by now.

So, here’s to the next year.

...Oh Lord, I don’t even want to think about what I’ll be like when I turn 30.

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Probably too much. I left a secure job (for a second time) a few months ago and this has finally created enough headspace to actually sit back and process the last few years.

To understand where I’m at, we have to rewind a bit.

Ever since graduating in 2019, I always said I wanted to do a Master’s. I knew I would return to formal education eventually, but I wanted to work for a bit first - mostly because I wasn’t even sure what subject I wanted to pursue. Then, life got in the way. 2020 brought Covid, and I ended up a bit stuck on a Comms/PR path that I hadn’t fully chosen. Don’t get me wrong, I was good at it, and I loved the storytelling aspect. Marketing and I have a classic love-hate relationship; I try not to engage because I know how powerful it is, but for that exact same reason, you have to engage. Either way, I wanted to get off the train.

So, in 2022, I jumped.

The Illusion of Free Time

My catalyst for jumping was that I was given a small amount of money (£800) to work on a short film, and by that stage, I’d managed to save up enough money to buy myself six months of pure focus. What was interesting, though, was that almost the exact day I quit my job, I started looking for a new one. Even though I didn’t want one, and even though I’d saved money specifically to buy myself time, there was something deeply ingrained in me that craved that lifestyle and strove for security. I’m not even someone who is driven by money - it was just the fear of the lack of it.

Despite my uncertainties, I stuck with it and ended up making the film (a whole other story for another day), though for various reasons, it wasn’t fully completed until 2024. Alongside the film, I was freelancing as a communications advisor for a number of different organisations, including a tech start-up and an arts charity. I loved the freedom, even if money was always a central anxiety, but I also realised something about myself: I am a chronic over worker.

I don’t necessarily think overworking is a bad thing, but it is bad when you don’t fully believe in the project. And while I did believe in these projects, deep down, I always wanted to be pouring that energy into promoting my own things.

I needed to shift my focus - my chronic overworking - back to my own projects and a Master’s seemed like the perfect way to do it. Back on track.

The Fork in the Road

Cut to late 2024. I was finally preparing for my Master’s. I’d been accepted onto a Scriptwriting course at Queen’s University Belfast. I was ready to go home, spend time with my grandparents, get my Irish language skills back on track, and re-immerse myself in the North of Ireland.

Then, a job opportunity popped up.

It was a 15-month contract as the Head of Communications for an established Gaelic organisation on the Isle of Skye. The salary was significant (more than I’d ever been paid), and I felt severely under qualified, but I threw in an application thinking, why not? I had nothing to lose. I was already set up for my Master’s in Belfast and I was ready to hit the ground running. If I got an interview, great experience, but there was no way I’d actually get the job.

Spoiler alert: I got it.

What followed was a week of absolute agony. This is a recurring theme in my life - I create so many opportunities for myself that I become paralysed by choice. Having multiple options actually makes me more anxious than just having one, yet I always strive to keep all doors open.

Ultimately, I decided the Master’s could wait. I’d defer it for a year and start the following term with a healthier bank account and a “Head of” title under my belt. A tiny part of me felt like I was selling my dream to the corporate world, but since that corporate world was in the heart of Gaelic culture, I figured it wasn’t too bad a compromise.

The Road Ahead

That job came to an end in February 2026. As it turned out, I didn’t end up doing the Master’s this past September either (well, I did for about a week but that’s another story), because life changed again.

But looking back at the timeline between quitting my job in 2022 and sitting here now, four years later having quit another job, it’s a strange feeling. Sometimes it feels like so much time has passed and I’ve achieved very little. At the same time, just typing out the past couple of years reminds me that I’ve done some things.

So, I’m trying to live in the motto ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination’ but sometimes that’s difficult when you feel you just keep getting lost along the way.

But I guess for now… I’m just glad I’m not on the train.

Róise