If you love literature and media as much as I do, and are considering a career in East Asia in the future then this is the course for you

Why did you decide to study MA Politics and Media in East Asia?

Firstly because I enjoy using and researching social media and I am always curious about new things. Secondly I am a vlogger myself and enjoy photography, video and editing, as well as having my own channel on some of the mainstream East Asian social media apps. So I think studying and becoming a postgraduate in this field will improve my understanding of the media side and how it works, and with our lives being so politically relevant, a major like this will help me a lot in my future.

What do you enjoy most about your course and the subject you are studying?

Media, Culture and Society in East Asia is the course I am most interested in, which introduces the media cultures of China, Japan and Korea, and examines their media products, such as films, television series and anime, to understand key ideas around media, society and culture in the context of East Asian societies. Changes in media production, consumption and politics in East Asia under the influence of globalisation are discussed.

What made you want to study in the UK?

The overall cultural scene in the UK, as I grew up reading a variety of literature from around the globe, and after reading a large number of famous books, I found that I loved books such as Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure, all of which were British books. This made me want to come to England to see the places where these authors wrote or lived. (Of course the Harry Potter films are also a driving factor, it's also a successful national brand)

What attracted you to the University of Sheffield?

For me it was because it is a Red Brick University and the campus is beautiful, and secondly the University of Sheffield has a high global ranking and is a member of the Russell Group, which means a good overall strength.

What is it like to be a postgraduate student in the School of East Asian Studies? 

I feel good that even though the classes are online, the professor is very patient and attentive in solving students' problems every time. Most of the students also participate actively in the group discussions.

Do you know what you want to do at the end of your course?

Of course, the first thing I'll be doing at the end of the course is planning a long trip (if the epidemic is under control), after all, for me I'll have to start looking for a job after grad school and I won't have that much time to really enjoy my holidays once I'm working, so I want to travel again and get a feel for the world before I'm fully immersed in it.

Has the department and/or University been helpful and able to advise you on how to reach you goals after graduation?

Both the department and the university offer help in this area. The department updates us every week of career events related to our major. On the university side, I subscribe to the careers service, which sends me daily emails alerting me to some vacancies.

What do you like most about living in Sheffield?

I love it because I've met a group of like-minded people over here and although we can't meet offline now, we have a lot of fun surfing together online. And I'm a foodie and the food in Sheffield is satisfying.

What has been the most difficult thing to get use whilst living in a different country?

So far I haven't had any particular difficulties with life, I've adapted well to life abroad. It's only my studies that are a bit difficult, after all, postgraduate courses are not that easy, hahaha.

Do you have any advice for students from your home country thinking about studying MA Politics and Media in East Asia at Sheffield?

If you love literature and media as much as I do, and are considering a career in East Asia in the future, or continuing your studies in East Asian aspects of media culture, then, this is the course for you.