 Hello, my name is Jisoo Lee and I graduated in 2020. I did a Masters in International Relations and Contemporary War, which was an online-based degree. I did this part-time while I was working in the Department of International Development, now known as the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, which is where I currently work as a Senior Policy and Program Manager. My role is to shape the UK government's policy on economic development and manage economic development programs operating in Africa. Considering my role, my degree was highly relevant and helpful. I was able to enhance my geographical expertise in countries where my department operated. I had modules in African and Middle Eastern security, which helped me understand how the history of the conflict impacted the political and economic context of the area. But my biggest takeaway from the degree was being able to develop an independent worldview, being able to understand how and why nations act the way they do, how and why conflicts erupt, and predicting how the world will evolve. This helped me with my role in strategy, being pre-emptive, and making more robust, evidence-backed policy recommendations in my job. I highly recommend this degree to anyone who is interested in a role in international affairs, and also encourage those to study while working like myself. It is busy and hard, but it will be worth it.