Nathalia Hecksher

What motivated you to pursue postgraduate study?

While studying my degree in Brazil, I was vice-president of a university extension project in which we would conduct debates in the British Parliamentary Style - as was the official format of the World Universities Debating Championship.

This experience inspired my curiosity about the legal system in England, which is based on Common Law, in contrast to Brazilian Civil Law.

This experience fuelled my motivation to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK, and it was the start of a big transformation to my life and career.

What were you doing before applying for a postgraduate degree?

When I finished my degree in Brazil, the country’s situation was becoming increasingly hopeless, as we were experiencing the peak of Covid-19. I also saw that the political scenario wasn't helping, adding further motivation to immigrate.

I used my time to study legal English, trained for the English proficiency exam, and learned more about how to apply to a British university.

Before applying to the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), I invested a lot of time and effort in making my dream of graduate school in another country possible.

To fund this dream, I worked as a waitress to raise money when restaurants were allowed to open again to pay all my immigration expenses (visa, translation of documents, rent, taxes, university enrolment, etc).

Were there any challenges affecting your decision to study a postgraduate degree? If so, how did you overcome them?

Many challenges affected my decision to study at a British university. Before having a definitive answer, I imagined many scenarios and organised myself to overcome them all.

A very clear example is the language barrier. Many international students believe that they don't need to have knowledge of English before coming here, but I always knew that if I wanted to be successful in my studies, I needed to give up hours of leisure and rest to improve my English.

To overcome this barrier, I looked for a private tutor, and focused on English legal terminology and passing the IELTS exam. This attitude made this obstacle much smaller and brought me confidence in my journey.

Even so, I would like to point out that there are still challenges that no one can predict beyond your control. The key to overcoming these obstacles in life and studies, especially as an international student, is always to be resilient.

Why did you choose City St George's?

Study is an investment, so when I decided to study the GDL, I observed several factors such as: student support, good teaching, good reputation and employability. After that, I applied to the top three universities - in my opinion - and got accepted to all three.

City St George's was my first choice because it had the best results in my research, and I had no doubts when I was accepted.

How are you funding your studies – did you secure any financial support such as a scholarship?

As I had worked and saved money, I knew I could pay for some things, but not the full amount. I couldn’t get any government funding because I'm an international student and unfortunately I wasn't chosen for the scholarship.

When I got nervous - thinking I would have to drop out - my aunt helped me pay for my studies. She always taught me to see education as the most precious asset, because it was through her studies that she transformed her life and that of our family.

How are you finding studying in the UK?

I don't regret a day having made the decision to study in the UK, even when it's winter. As I'm from a tropical country, I love being able to watch the seasons change.

In Brazil it's almost always summer, but in the UK, spring so far has been my favourite season; it brings the dawn of summer along with beautiful flowers and puts an end to the cold of winter.

I also love British education, politeness, and respect for individual and collective rights. I feel very safe living here. Even though I live in London and love the city, I also love the easy access to the countryside and the ease of traveling around Europe.

What does a typical week at university look like for you?

The GDL is an intense course, so some days start at 9am and end at 5pm at university. In a normal week at City St George's, I have at least three tutorials and lectures for each subject (I have 7) lasting an hour and 50 minutes each.

When I get home, I try to organize the house a little, doing a task each day so I don't accumulate and waste a weekend day doing everything.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, I do French lectures with a private teacher and on Thursdays I do therapy, as I value emotional intelligence a lot and I believe it has been an exceptional tool in my routine.

On the weekends, I always try to prepare myself for the next week's tutorials and I make time to go swimming at the gym. On Sundays, I especially go to church as I come from a Christian country.

On some weekends I meet my boyfriend's family in Surrey for a good lunch or quality rest in the countryside.

What has been your favourite module or aspect of your course so far?

My biggest surprise was the EU Law module When the classes started, I thought everything was very abstract, with many articles, and many treatises and I couldn't understand the context or how to apply since I never had European Law back in Brazil.

After picking up the pace of study, it ended up being my favourite subject. Professor Panos Koutrakos explains everything very well and manages to perfectly exemplify how each article applies to reality and context.

What knowledge and skills has your course helped you develop?

I always believed that I had the ability to debate, make public speeches and everything that involved talking. When I started the course, I realised that I couldn't have the same development in English due to lack of confidence.

The tutorials were big challenges for me because I was constantly frustrated, ashamed of saying something wrong in English and that prevented me from answering questions and clarifying doubts.

However, the tutorials were also my learning tool. I was encouraged by classmates and professors to speak and that's how I gained the confidence to debate on an equal footing, clear up doubts and present my point of view in front of a room.

What opportunities and experiences has City St George's offered you so far?

I joined the Law Society to meet more students and also to think about my next steps in terms of my career, as it is a group of people who will discuss a lot about opportunities.

I also became a Student Ambassador to speak about my experience as an international student and inspire other students to invest in their careers.

In addition, I participated in mooting competition to understand a little more about competitions in England and improve my research and public speaking skills.

I also had support from the University's mental health team and they were very helpful in putting together an individual study plan for me.

What are your career plans and how has City St George's prepared you for them?

As the legal system is completely different from Brazil, when I moved I also studied which path I wanted to follow and the steps I should take.

I confess that some barriers were much greater, such as the fact that you need to apply to be a trainee solicitor two years in advance for the best firms.

Thus I tried to adapt my plan, applying for summer internships, volunteer work and paralegal work. With these experiences I know I will be better prepared to apply for a trainee position.

What advice would you give to someone considering a postgraduate degree?

Postgraduate studies are a quick but intense specialisation tool. If you come from another country or from another course, in terms of your career, I believe that the GDL is essential if you think about applying for good jobs and it will also introduce you to subjects that you would not have contact with and would not consider working on before studying your postgraduate degree.

In addition, it is a foundation that you would not learn in most master's courses, because they would expect you to have this legal background. Consider that you will need to dedicate a lot of time, it's like a work schedule.

If you decide to do it, be well organised and make good friends, as you will see these people more than your own family and they will be a great source of support.