How I Secured a Fully Funded Master's at Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom Through the Chevening Scholarship

My spoken English still carries a foreign accent, so when I meet someone outside my home country, my introduction is always followed by the same question: where are you from? Hello, my name is Ana Jakimska. When I say "Macedonia," not everyone knows exactly where that is. I usually add, "north of Greece," and people nod, picturing a warm summer and a relaxed life under cedar trees.

That picture isn't quite true. Macedonia is a mountainous country, with a landscape that can be unforgiving, hot summers, cold winters, and people shaped more by decades of political corruption than by ease. Growing up in this environment taught me to adapt, to move between different registers with ease. I believe this is also what makes it natural for me to move between imagined worlds in my work as a film writer and director.

I made the leap from literature to film when I was 24. Since then, I have directed two short films that have travelled to festivals around the world, and I spent two years in the UK studying directing fiction for a global audience at Goldsmiths, University of London. That chapter changed my life, and it was only possible through the Chevening Scholarship.

Chevening Scholarship Details

The Chevening Scholarship is awarded by the UK government, through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to promising leaders from around the world. It supports high-achieving young professionals from developing countries who would otherwise find it difficult, financially above all, to study at a UK university.

I received an award of roughly £50,000, which covered my full tuition at Goldsmiths, University of London, plus a monthly stipend of around £1,500 and a return flight for my journey to the UK and back home. This amount covered my financial needs fully and on time.

Were You Offered Any Other Scholarships?

No, I haven’t applied to any other scholarships yet.

Educational Background

Thanks to family friends who had returned to Macedonia from abroad in the early 2000s, my parents learned about an American private high school in my hometown, Skopje. This school was very different from Macedonia's public education, and it was there that my academic ambition grew. I became excited about studying how societies work through different periods of change, such as wars, revolutions, and technological shifts.

After high school, I studied journalism for a year and worked one summer as a journalist. I then moved on to study World Literature at the university in my hometown. The depth of that degree led me to explore film as a narrative art form. Following a suggestion from one of my literature professors, I checked the programme at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje and decided to enroll in film school. That is how my long journey into film began.

If so, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I first learned about the Chevening Scholarship while I was a film school student, working a paid photography gig at an event in my hometown. It turned out to be an introductory Chevening event, where education officers from the British Embassy explained the scholarship, and alumni spoke eloquently about their studies in the UK. I remember listening to them in awe, hoping to reach that same level of confidence and eloquence one day. That day stayed with me, and every year after, I asked myself whether it was finally the right moment to make the big move and apply. After my second film, I decided it was time. I began researching film schools in the UK and studying their programmes.

To apply to the schools I was interested in, I needed to prove my command of English as a non-native speaker. I found that my shortlisted institutions all preferred the IELTS exam, and I discovered that the British Council in Macedonia offered it locally. I had taken similar exams before, the SAT and TOEFL, in high school, so I already understood the structure: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. With only two weeks before the test date, I looked for someone to help me prepare. I posted about it on my social media, and a tutor got in touch. We worked intensively every day, and I practiced on my own using questions and templates from past exams. On the day of the test, I scored well enough to apply to any of my shortlisted schools.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Chevening Scholarship?

Applying for Chevening was a long and rewarding process in itself. Writing the application became a journey of self-structuring, and in some ways, self-discovery. I went back to the beginning of my academic interest and reminded myself why I do what I do. I looked back at everything I had built, with the help of classmates, tutors, professors, and my own family and friends, and how much those communities shaped me as a professional and opened doors for me. Finally, I thought about my future: five years from now, what did I want to have achieved? What mattered to me beyond a paycheck? How could I help make my home country better for the generations that come after me, even if it was just a small step in the right direction? And how could I do the same for my host country, the UK, which welcomed me with open arms and gave me so much? I carry forward with gratitude for everyone who has shaped my life’s trajectory.

I remember writing that application fondly. It's something I return to whenever I need to find my direction again, like opening a map to check the road ahead.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I can never know for certain, but I think it may have come down to one specific question during the interview. One of the interviewers asked me, "Ana, why don't Macedonian filmmakers make comedies? Why is it always doom and gloom in Macedonian cinema?" It's an interesting question, because comedies are made in Macedonia; they're just not as popular. Film is a mirror of the society we live in. If the cinema that makes the news is doom and gloom, what does that tell us about our country? Thinking about the answer to this question is a stark reminder of our own agency. Let's make our country better. Let's create the conditions for comedy to succeed, for audiences who have known good times in their own lives.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I came back home with a changed perspective. If anything, what I would tell my past self is to understand that returning doesn't mean things fall into place right away. There is a real period of adjustment to life after the UK, and it's worth being patient with yourself as you go through it.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

A degree abroad is a serious, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is not a gap year between jobs, not an escape, and not simply the "logical next step" after finishing a previous degree. Give yourself time. Work, explore your field, and let new questions and unfamiliar territory fuel your curiosity. Make sure you pursue a programme like this exactly when it makes the most sense for your career.