Hello! My name is Raitieli Cabebula. I am originally from the Pacific Islands, Fiji, however I am currently living in the United Kingdom and studying at the University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus

I will be sharing my experience and thoughts on continuing my studies at Exeter for my Masters degree and I hope that my journey contributes to you making your decision to study here too.

I studied my Bachelors in BSc Politics and International Relations With Employment Experience Abroad at Exeter, and am now currently doing a LLM Masters in Law. Having completed a Bachelors at Exeter already, I believe having knowledge of the city as well as the university heavily influenced my choice in regards to where I aspired to study for my Masters. 

For years, I knew that my plan for academia was a journey I was fully set on. And when it came to doing research, my top priorities were the course at hand along with the modules and content I would be studying and whether these would be useful/beneficial for the career path I envision for myself in the near/far future.

MY PROCESS

• Exeter’s Ranking

As an individual, I put great emphasis on ranking. People, reviews and word of mouth can be quite biased or unpredictable depending on the individual’s experience. On the other hand, statistics, facts and numbers have far greater meaning and influence to me, which also contributed to my decision making process for where I wanted to study for my postgraduate studies. 

After doing research, I found out that Exeter is:

• 13th in the Times University Guide 2025.
• 18th in the Guardian University Guide 2025.
• 169th in QS World University Rankings 2025.
• 172th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025.
• 151-200th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023

It is from these numbers alone that I could begin to fully grasp and understand the level of academia on offer at Exeter, as well its excellent reputation as an institution of knowledge.

• Russell Group

From what I understood about the Russell Group, I perceived it as a group of universities with excellent networks and access to resources. Little did I know the depth and importance of being in this group within the academic sphere. It consists of 24 leading universities in the United Kingdom in regards to research, teaching, student experience, policy work and location. These are the aspects that I believe fully make a university and having Exeter in this group truly made it stand out from other universities I was interested in. The Russell Group’s main goal is to ensure that the member universities have the best conditions to flourish and make social, economic and cultural impacts, both as an institution and within its student community. At the end of the day, I wanted to continue to not only learn, but to grow and thrive in an environment that would guarantee me an experience and create an environment for me to develop as a young scholar and a young adult. 

• Alumni

I was strongly influenced by seeing members of the University’s alumni who have done very well for themselves after graduating from Exeter. This allowed me to understand the excellent networks as well as the opportunities on offer for those that join the University’s alumni community. 

Support and community after graduating are things that I believe give many individuals in this life an advantage and open doors to an endless realm of opportunities for work. After graduation, many students don’t necessarily know or have a clear vision for where they want to go or work, therefore being a part of a community with other students who may or may not be in a similar position can offer comfort.

Having a repertoire of successful alumni is something I truly admire about Exeter, and I placed great emphasis on this when deciding where to study.

I truly believe that being in an enriching and supportive environment truly has great influence on how well an individual does, and therefore, after doing research and reaching out to past students who studied at Exeter, who offered great insight into their journey and personal experiences of their time at Exeter, I decided that the University was a good choice for my postgraduate studies.

• Price Range

Obviously, university is expensive so in regards to the things that influenced my decision, price was definitely one of them. 

Having studied my Bachelors previously at Exeter, I got a 20% alumni discount off my Masters tuition fees, which was an essential component in my decision to choose Exeter. In a time of turbulence, inflation and economic crisis, I was very mindful of the price and cost of my Masters, that not only consisted of tuition fees, but also rent, groceries, travel etc… 

Exeter is predominantly a less expensive university in contrast to other options I had considered, so this was definitely a highlight that influenced me to stay here for my Masters.

WHY EXETER?

• Law School – course, modules, professors

When looking for universities and doing research in October of 2023, I narrowed down my options by looking into universities that offered law conversion courses for students with no background in law. The modules and content that would be taught were also essential factors for me, considering that the one area of law I had a main interest in was corporate and business law. Furthermore, I also put a lot of emphasis on the professors as they are who I would be putting my trust into for teaching the course. I attended open days and met up with professors and module leaders from different universities, asking essential questions, such as how I would be assessed and whether a dissertation would be incorporated into the course. Luckily, having already studied at Exeter, I was able to discuss the LLM law conversion course in person with Exeter’s Law department and found the meetings and conversations to be riveting and truly informative. The course content was exactly something I had been looking for as it placed great emphasis on corporate law, as the course I was interested in was a Law and Business course. With the vision I had for my future, I believed the course at Exeter was the best option for me in a professional sense as well as personal. 

• Location

Exeter is a city in the south-west of England, located in the county of Devon, and is well-renowned for its beautiful campuses, being on the list for top 10 most beautiful universities and campuses in the United Kingdom. It has beautiful views with lovely, serene scenery, a city with a long history and a tight knit student community. The location itself is very convenient: being in the south-west of England, it is close to home for me and also close to other cities nearby, making it easy to take short trips from if you’re ever tempted to travel. 

Exeter is a beautiful combination of city and countryside as well as seaside. Having done my Bachelors in Exeter already, knowing and being aware of what the city has to offer already was definitely something that I took into account.

It is a location that has much to offer, and even after living in the city for years, there is still much that I have not done. The city always has something up its sleeve to offer for students as well as locals.

MY CHOICE

In the end, I chose to study at Exeter for my postgraduate course. Some of my other reasons included:

• People

I had other friends that were also going to stay for postgraduate and Masters courses, so going into the next phase and step of my academic career knowing I had the comfort of friends and peers staying in the same city was definitely something that provided a sense of home and community.

• Family

My grandfather also studied at this university. Doing my Bachelors as well as my Masters here, I truly hope to continue on his legacy and intend on making myself as well as my family proud. 

• Future 

In the near/far future, I intend on becoming a solicitor, specialising in corporate law and working within the legal side of business. Having done a placement within business, I believe having knowledge on the legal aspects of things would most definitely provide an advantage for me in this sense when starting applications, looking for work etc. Every step and decision I make, I intend on having it benefit and contribute to my future. Studying my postgrad degree at Exeter is definitely another stepping stone towards achieving my goals and ambitions in life.

MASTERS APPLICATION- TIPS

After fixing and narrowing my options down to choose Exeter, when it came to the stage of applying for the Masters course, it was a process that was predominantly simple and easy, however there were elements I had to consider such as preparing a referee, writing a personal statement etc… In this next section, I will go into some tips that students ought to keep in mind when applying for postgraduate study at the University. 

• Reference 

When it came to asking for references, I requested these from my professors as well as a personal classmate that also graduated from the University. I believe that the best people to truly reflect your demeanour through their references are those who have personally seen you in action within the classroom. This is why I asked my professors to provide my references, knowing that they had taught me during my final year of university, which is when I truly shined academically and studied modules that I truly enjoyed and thrived in. 

• Personal Statement

When writing a personal statement, I would say first things first, do your research! Especially if it is for a different area of academia compared to your previous degree, do as much research as possible for the intended course. And ensure that your passion, drive, ambition and interest is translated clearly and concisely through your words. If you are truly passionate about further study, ensure that this is showcased through your personal statement. In regards to the word count, different universities have set standards, so make sure to also do research in relation to what requirements you should be hitting. When writing up a rough draft, I asked some students who have already studied a Masters or were studying postgraduate degree within a similar/if not the same demographic. Sometimes constructive criticism will make or break your work, however if it is from the correct people that truly want to see you succeed, then do not be afraid to ask for that extra help! During the period of considering where to study, I learned that Exeter had advice services present on campus and online, such as the Career Zone – help is always valuable so take this and use it to your advantage. 

• Qualifications & Work Experience

In my experience of applications and academic study as well as work experience, a common issue when getting to the stage of showcasing any form of work experience is that people get cautious and insecure of what they bring to the table. Any experience is still experience at the end of the day! A very important note to remember also is that you should be confident in yourself. Whatever experience you have, whether it be a little or a lot, use it to your advantage and apply it and transfer it in a way where it is clear which skills and experiences will benefit you for your desired course. Even if it is something as simple as a waitressing or retail job, skills that can be used within postgraduate study such as discipline, finance and business skills can be transferred, so communicate these skills in a way that displays your maturity and growth. I did not study law prior, however I had experience within governmental roles, charity and volunteer work as well as placement within business working as a data analyst. All of these were very different roles, however with each experience I learned something very valuable that can be used within law and ensure that I stand out also when applying for commercial and corporate roles within law. For example, being tech savvy, having knowledge within a particular industry and being very well-rounded in current matters and continuously being educated on different areas makes me perceived as someone who is openly interested in the current times, as well as malleable and easily adaptable in the workplace.

I truly hope my journey has been helpful and informative! I can say this with genuine and sincerity, choosing to study another year at Exeter has been one of the best decisions I have made, not just for logical or professional purposes, but on a personal note, my journey in this city is not yet over and I look forward to what else this city has to offer for me.