Making My MBA in London Possible

I always knew that, at some point in my career, I wanted to study a postgraduate degree abroad. For me, studying outside Mexico always represented an opportunity for both professional and personal growth, and as I progressed in my career it became increasingly important for me to live that experience. I also think that, often, the longer you put it off, the more you feel you have at stake, especially your stability. That's why sometimes you shouldn't overthink it and should simply take the leap.

I chose the UK for several reasons. One of them was the language. Even though I already had an advanced level of English, it felt a little rusty, and I wanted to keep studying and practising it in an environment where I would genuinely have to use it every day. I also wanted to learn and become comfortable with professional terminology in English, something I consider extremely valuable for my career.

And, of course, there was London. I had visited the city a few years earlier and had loved it. I love the history, the culture, the sheer number of things you can do, the parks, the museums and, above all, the diversity of people you come across. Today, having lived here, I can say it was one of the best decisions I could have made.

But undertaking a postgraduate degree abroad also means facing a very concrete reality: the cost. Although during my five years of professional experience I had worked and saved, an international master's degree, combined with the cost of living in London, amounted to a sum I simply couldn't cover on my own. What's more, when you move to another country, all sorts of expenses start appearing that you hadn't even considered at first: paperwork, visa, flights, deposits, transport, setting-up costs and many other things that add up. My mum also supported me as much as she could, and without her it wouldn't have been possible either, but even putting together my savings and all the support I could gather, I needed an alternative source of financing.

That's why I decided to apply for a loan such as those offered by FUNED and FIDERH. For me, it wasn't just another option, it was what made it financially viable to study in the UK.

My application process was, to be very honest, fairly chaotic. I also acknowledge that this was partly down to me, because I decided rather late that I wanted to do the master's and ended up doing a lot of things in quite a rush. If I could go back in time, I would definitely start the process earlier and more calmly.

What's more, during the process I learnt something important: you won't necessarily receive the amount you initially had in mind. I had a budget and an amount I needed to cover my expenses, but the loans I could obtain ended up being lower than I expected. That made the process quite stressful and meant I had to find ways to supplement my funds through other means.

Despite that, my experience with the people at FUNED and FIDERH was very good. I always found people who were kind, attentive and willing to help me. In a process that can be overwhelming in itself, having that support made a big difference.

And once I arrived in London, the challenges were different. One of my main fears was speaking English, because knowing English is one thing, and quite another is taking part in a discussion, defending an opinion, or simply expressing yourself naturally in front of a room full of people.

I also had a lot of impostor syndrome. I was surrounded by extremely talented people, many of them with more years of professional experience than me, and at first I wondered whether I would really be up to the task.

Over time, I gained confidence. The MBA experience itself, the workshops and the support we received helped me enormously to open up. But, above all, I learnt that it isn't about who knows more or who has the most impressive track record. Everyone arrived with a different background and different skills, and that's precisely what made the experience so enriching. We all had something to learn from one another.

Ultimately, I can say with complete honesty that without this financing my MBA would not have been possible. Even with a scholarship and having chosen a school that, within the context of UK MBAs, was fairly affordable, the investment was still too high for me to cover on my own.

What I value most about this type of loan is that it's genuinely designed to support students who want to keep developing themselves. The terms are far more favourable than those of a traditional bank loan, and, above all, you don't have to worry about starting to repay it while you're studying. That allows you to focus on what really matters at that moment: studying, making the most of the opportunity, and living this enriching adventure to the full.

For me, this support didn't simply mean being able to pay tuition fees. It meant being able to seize an opportunity that, otherwise, I would probably have had to let pass by. Today I can say that studying my MBA in London was one of the most important experiences of my life, and I am deeply grateful to have found a financing alternative that allowed me to make it a reality.

- Rocío