My MFA Experience, Part 3: Struggles

The thing I struggled most with during my MFA was time management. This had never been a problem for me as an undergrad. I was always working on something, and was able to prioritize my workload well and get all of my assignments in on time.

My MFA program was different. I had classes just one day a week and I studied only two subjects at a time--for example, I had a writing workshop and a historical authorship class. And while I was able to keep up with all of my obligations for my classes, I was often left with the uneasy feeling that I should be doing more.

After all, I was studying for a master's degree. The MA students at my American university ran around looking perpetually stressed out and exhausted; in between classes, exams, teaching, reading, and papers, it was sort of amazing that they were even able to stand. Meanwhile I was having a comparatively relaxed time: writing stories, researching literary theories and typing up essays in between visits to Brighton Pier with my new friends and going on crazy adventures with Big Chimp. In short, I had the sneaking suspicion that it was all too easy. Surely being a graduate student was supposed to be, well, somewhat painful? Or at the very least unbearably stressful.

As I began to get assignments back with good grades and positive comments, I gradually learned to relax a bit and enjoy the experience. When our final grades came in, I received a "merit," the second highest grade possible, above "pass" and below "distinction." So all that worrying? Completely unfounded. It was just that the British system of education was very different from the American one to which I had become accustomed.

Another thing I had trouble with during my MFA was focus. I feel like if I had had a clear vision for the novel I wanted to write, the entire year could have been more productive. And while I did learn a lot about writing, at the end of the year I still didn't know exactly what I wanted to focus on. I had jumped between a couple of different stories over the course of the program, but wasn't entirely happy with either of them. It wasn't until a couple of months after graduation that I finally got a clear idea of the basic plot for Water Magic--a story I had put on the back burner a few years before--and started working seriously on it.

The other frustrations I experienced came mostly as a result of studying in a foreign country. I was not used to the way things worked in England, and at times the university where I studied seemed unbearably antiquated and silly. Where in America I would handle my class schedule, financial aid, and pretty much everything else online, in England I ended up having to visit various offices in person, and having to go through (what seemed to me to be) ridiculous amounts of paperwork and red tape, as well as stand in a lot of queues, just to do basic things like register for classes or claim my financial aid.

Another frustration was the short opening hours of various offices on campus. The financial office, for example, was only open for a few hours a day. Shops around town were the same: many closed at five or six in the evening, which was a huge change from the 24 hour stores and restaurants I was used to in the US.

And then there was all the trouble I had with my British bank, which never sent me my ATM card, so I had to go into the branch every time I wanted to withdraw money. No one could figure out why the card had not been sent, or how to rectify the situation. They also were unable to look up my account using just a photo ID, which I found absurd. In the end, they suggested I write them a letter to find out about the ATM card, so I ended up just switching banks. But the whole time I was thinking, this would never happen at my American bank.

So looking back, it was culture shock that caused me the most frustration during my MFA year. Things were different than they had been in America, and I found that difficult to deal with at times. My advice to anyone planning on studying abroad would be: just go with the flow, and try to laugh it off when things seem silly. It's all part of the journey.

Next time: My MFA Experience, Part 4: The Wrap-Up