My Masters Degree

A few years have gone by since my last post. A lot has happened and changed.

It hasn’t been the easiest of rides, but there have been many highlights too. For my “coming-back” post, I’d like to talk about my Master’s Degree in Songwriting and Production.

2022 – I don’t believe this is 3 years ago. I look at the time on my laptop – yes, it’s August 2025. I remember when I was a kid that my Mum would say, “Time goes quickly when you get older.” I didn’t believe that was possible. But now we’re crawling closer to 2026.

In this time, I have passed my Master’s Degree in Songwriting and Production. This was a complete shock to me, as I spent most of my first year of the course bed-bound with severe ME/CFS (I used to think it was moderate, but I now know otherwise), and struggling to keep my head upright in video call lectures. When it came to my second year, it happened to be the first time we had fewer restrictions with the Covid-19 pandemic’s lockdown, and so there were many in-person lectures. I used my electric wheelchair. I would be there during lectures, and even when I had study skills support, trying not to fall asleep. I would sometimes hear a cough from my study assistant, who noticed when I was feeling under the weather with severe fatigue and pain.

Then in May, I was in the sun with a friend during what was a very hot day, and it was like something lifted inside me. After this, I noticed that although I wasn’t “better,” I was much better than I had been. It still became a task to complete my degree though. Due to this and having caught Covid (in the June/July time), I was able to get extensions on my assignments.

I submitted my assignment on October 2025 gone 3am in the morning of the day of submission. I remember this well, cause I submitted it, went to sleep again, and then woke up to travel to Oxford to see Derren Brown live in Oxford. This was a ticket I had bought before the severity of my health, and I was determined to go to it.

When I was in Oxford, I didn’t worry about the results I may have got. This is very unlike me. I am a massive worrier. And even when I got home, leading up to receiving the results, I hardly worried about them. I was worried about my song submissions, if anything. But otherwise, I was happy, content that I did my very best.

So what changed? This isn’t my normal thinking.

When I was bedbound, I remember hoping and praying that I would get to a position to live my life again. I never knew I would get part of it back. But back then, I was doing a master’s degree mainly from bed. I needed support constantly from study skills, mental health mentors and study assistants. Apart from these sessions, and the lectures (which were very few during the week), I could not do anything else. I could barely breathe without severe pain and even needed support to eat.

So when I look back, I actually look back with pride. A pride I haven’t felt in many years. Trust me, being proud of myself never happens.

I don’t share this to boast. This is simply my journey with doing my master’s degree under what was life-changing and difficult situations. From a health perspective, I pushed myself a lot to do this degree. I don’t recommend others pushing themselves. But I think back to that promise that if even if I got a tiny bit better, I would make sure I take life and opportunities with both hands.

I am too. As of October 2025, I’ll be starting my MPhil/PhD qualification. Back then, this wouldn’t have been possible for me, but I’m determined to do whatever I can now.

And having things like this helps keep me going!