University of Southampton

So this year I have struggled with the program that I am studying under. It is a good program, but really hasn't been the best fit for me.  It is a program designed for linguistics language teaching, English Language teaching, Global Englishes, ELT/TESOL studies, and then mine which is Applied Linguistics Research Methodology. Most of the modules dealt with teaching, which I really didn't need, and my program was limited on what I could take as optional modules. Some of the modules had good information that was needed (Description of Language, Research and Enquiry in Applied Linguistics) but I struggled to see the relevance for me for things like Global Englishes, and what I hoped to be helpful like Second Language Learning, well, wasn't. Though I did find Discourse Analysis to be quite fascinating, it links into what I like, which is Metaphor, especially in intercultural communication. 

When asked about what I wanted to do for my dissertation/thesis, everyone looked at me weird, including most of the professors and tutors.  I just learned to be the odd man out and well, that was ok.  Most of the students were either ELT/TESOL or English Language teaching, which were about 80% Chinese.  My program, which was the research methodologies, had 3 of us.  Me, one from the Czech Republic, and one from Great Britain. I often wondered why I felt like I needed to study at Southampton. I was really confused. I will walk away with the research methodologies that I need for the PhD, but the fit  was awkward. 

Most of the school's funding comes from the Sciences and medicine.  So if you are a student in that area you can get funding and internships as well as scholarships etc.  The humanities have no idea what funding they will have from year to year, if any.  

When I biffed it and ended up in the hospital, it all became rather clear to me why I was at the University of Southampton.  It wasn't for my program, but for what the school is known for - cancer research.  I would see signs on campus that would say "the cure for cancer? it's you".  In fact, just outside the hospital ward I was in, they are building a new cancer research center as part of the hospital.  We could watch and hear the construction daily as the extension was going up.  

The University of Southampton is the leading university in the UK for cancer research.  It is on par with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Stanford, and John Hopkins. One of the top people at Huntsman came from Southampton. It is on the cutting edge for treatment and research.  I couldn't be in a better place right now for what I need to beat this cancer. In fact, it is exactly where I need to be. I don't feel the need to rush back to the states because the answers are here; I won't have any medical bills when this is all done. 

The Lord knows what we need, even if we don't.  It isn't coincidence that I am studying here. I'll forgive the humanities faculty for not being exactly what I needed because right now the university's research on cancer is exactly what I need.