Hayley Smith
"I’d really love to go on to do a doctorate at Surrey following my MA. I didn’t expect this to be the case when I started, but my course has inspired me so much and I’m really keen to develop further research in my field."
Course
Translation MAEntry year
2018"I’ve wanted to do a masters since I graduated in 2007 but, for whatever reason, it was never the right time. I studied French for my BA and always knew that, eventually, I wanted to take this further and specifically study translation. Last year, everything just seemed to fall into place and my husband encouraged me to go for it! The campus is easy for me to get to from where we live but, above all, it was the course that attracted me – there are modules that other universities just don’t offer, like an in-depth look at translation technologies, as well as the more creative literary translation module.
I am a true Francophile and love everything to do with France and the French language! Studying and carrying out translation requires you to not only know the language really well but also to understand different cultures and have a firm understanding of how best to convey complex messages to them. People often think of translation as just changing a text from one language to another, but translation occurs in any situation where you’re trying to make someone understand your message in the best possible way.
I wasn’t expecting to have the opportunity to attend so many classes with colleagues that speak all sorts of languages, not just French and English – if you’re a passionate linguist, as I am, it’s really fascinating to learn how other languages work, even if you don’t speak them yourself.
"The staff on my course are terrific – they have such a broad knowledge and skills base and are really approachable."
The Library is just fantastic – most things you could ever wish for are there! The Library staff have also been really helpful in helping me get hold of books that aren’t available, which is a great service to have. The staff on my course are terrific – they have such a broad knowledge and skills base and are really approachable. I now feel so much more confident about what I can achieve. Starting the course is just the beginning of my career change, which is scary, but my tutors have been really encouraging and supportive, which is a real confidence boost.
I’ve also had so much personal support from the Centre for Wellbeing – I was quite unwell last year and still need a little support and guidance. I’ve been offered this at Surrey and feel very lucky, as friends of mine in the same position at other universities felt very alone.
I’d really love to go on to do a doctorate at Surrey following my MA. I didn’t expect this to be the case when I started, but my course has inspired me so much and I’m really keen to develop further research in my field."
Discover more about our postgraduate courses in languages, communication, translation and interpreting, including our MA Translation.
