Every day, I see the same email with the same boring phrase in my inbox: ‘Thank you for your interest in this role, but we have decided not to take your application further.’ It always makes me stop and reflect: Was it worth spending £35,000 to leave my home in Albania for London ? Has moving to the UK really changed my life for the better? Studying in London was always my dream. I grew up in a working-class family in one of the poorest regions in northern Albania, Kukës, and since I was a teenager, I have wanted to be a journalist.
I wanted to tell the truth about society, and Albania didn’t offer me any options for a good career. I believe media independence is key, and the latest index from Reporters Without Borders ranks my native country 99th out of 180 countries for press freedom. I wanted to discover where I belonged, and I was eager to find other opportunities.
Abroad, these seemed endless and I knew that London had some of the best universities in the world, especially for journalism. In 2024, I got accepted to study a masters in journalism at City, University of London. At the same time, I secured a job as a communication campaign lead coordinator for an international NGO in Albania, to help me save up some money.
Then my brother in Italy helped me by getting a £10,000 loan to pay my university fees and visa costs . Last September, after I passed an English Language test, I applied for a UK student visa in Albania. Soon, I received my passport with a visa .