Masooma, an Econ-Pol major shares her experience with profile building, figuring out her motivation, interests, and navigating funding!
-
I have always been interested in exploring the interrelationship of various social factors and how they influence social outcomes. During the summer of my senior year, I started researching master's programs within the field of development studies. I also realized that in order to pursue further studies, it is important to take a step further and complement my academic knowledge with on-ground realities. I therefore enrolled in a social sciences course offered at LUMS where we conducted primary research in the working-class areas of Lahore to analyse economic and anthropological outcomes. Furthermore, I also joined an internship at a public-sector consultancy where I worked on a healthcare project with the Punjab health department.
Such experiences not only complimented my academic knowledge but simultaneously deepened my knowledge of the various branches of development studies. This mature understanding helped me draft a compelling personal statement and also recognize my research interest area which I would pursue in my Master's.
Moreover, I would take this as an opportunity to appreciate the support from the faculty at HSS in navigating my application process. Not only was I supported in drafting my research proposals, but I received an equal amount of support in navigating through fully-funded programs, which is a task students often struggle with.
I believe that adopting a holistic approach to understand one's interest area and leveraging the support of LUMS' faculty has been instrumental in helping me achieve my goal of pursuing a Master's in development studies.
I also applied for my Master's programs for the fall 2023 intake and was also able to receive offers, however due to lack of funding, I had to withdraw my efforts. Motivated by my faculty advisors at LUMS, I was encouraged to apply for the fall 2024 intake. This time, I ensured that I had applied through fully-funded programs including Commonwealth scholarships, Erasmus scholarships, and fellowships in the US. This experience made me realize that it is important for students to understand the importance of finances before they start the application process and plan their applications supported by relevant funding sources.
