Reporter at Zag Daily
Please tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Sela Musa and I graduated from Royal Holloway in 2022 with a First Class Honours in BSc Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
Why did you choose to study Economics at Royal Holloway and what did you enjoy most about your course?
Though I had never studied economics before coming to university, I chose to study it as a joint honours programme, as the three disciplines complement each other so effectively. Economics grounds much of the political climate, and I wanted to further understand the relationship between the two disciplines. Learning more about how politics and economics are interwoven, whilst performing the philosophical enquiry and scrutiny that came from my third discipline, has enabled me to further understand the dynamics of today’s changing world.
How was your personal experience of being part of the Economics community as a close-knit group of staff and students?
My experience as an economics student at Royal Holloway is a wholly positive one. The economics department was extremely helpful, and my teachers always offered me their time outside of lectures to follow up on anything that I needed support with. Details regarding assessments were sign-posted very well which took a huge stress off me. Also, there’s great flexibility in tailoring your economics course into whatever you want it to be, with a huge number of optional modules to pick in second and third year. I’m extremely grateful that I got to make those choices and study the fields of economics that I was most passionate about. Also, with the optional modules, I found it wonderful being taught by teachers who have dedicated much of their professional career to researching that specific branch of economics.
How did Royal Holloway help you to discover opportunities and prepare you for life after university or find your purpose in life?
Royal Holloway continuously offered extra support and opportunities outside of my regular studies. I recall in first year when former Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, was invited to deliver a lecture to politics students. I was very grateful for the opportunity to attend, and I found it motivating to be in touch with my subject area in the real world. This was just one example of the university going above and beyond for its students. Also, students still receive support from Royal Holloway’s career services two years after graduating, and my lecturers were always more than happy to help me with my future endeavors even after I had left university. For example, my teacher for Family Economics provided me with a reference for a scholarship after I left Royal Holloway and enrolled at my next institution. Without it, I would not have earned my scholarship.
Tell us about your career journey since graduating and what you do now. What do you enjoy most or find most rewarding about your current role?
Since graduating from Royal Holloway, I completed my Masters in Newspaper Journalism at City University of London. I then went on to complete two journalism internships – one with Monocle Magazine and one with HELLO! magazine. Aside from these, I also freelanced for other news outlets including Zag Daily and the Associated Press. I’ve just joined Zag Daily as a full-time Reporter. It’s a micromobility publication that is focused on sustainable travel and amplifying the new movement. Of all the publications I’ve worked with in the last year, Zag Daily definitely brings me closer to my undergraduate degree which I’m grateful for. We cover a wide range of areas within sustainable transport such as global policies, business acquisitions and societal trends. What I find most rewarding about my job is that I learn something every day. Even if I have a bad day for whatever reason, I will end it having learnt something (no matter how random it may be to the non-journalist). This gives me self-satisfaction with my job, and it makes each day a guaranteed productive one.
What are your top tips for students thinking about a career in your line of work/study?
For those wishing to get into journalism, my biggest tip is to not underestimate your student newspaper and join it if you have one. I joined our student newspaper, The Founder, at Royal Holloway for something to do in lockdown, but I realise now that it played a huge role in getting accepted onto my Masters. Journalism is extremely competitive, and people want to see that you’ve made an effort to get involved, so make sure you utilise any opportunity you have!
