Background
- Benedicte Hafskjold (28 years old) from Drammen, Norway.
- Bachelor in development studies from the University in Oslo.
- Worked as a nursing assistant, and worked as a volunteer with children in Peru, teaching English and arranging social activities at an orphanage.
- Also worked with HIV/AIDS prevention among high-risk groups in Pondicherry, India, with the organization SfDRT.
On writing the master thesis
Deciding on the topic was a difficult process. I went back and forth adjusting to what was possible in reality, and I changed my topic at least two times, before I ended up with the final one.
I did my field work in Oslo, Norway. It was a bit challenging to access the field, but it eventually worked out fine. I did not have any additional funding for my project besides what I was given from L?nekassen. The writing process was intense, but also fun. I worked for long hours every day, but it was really nice to see how things came together and how it turned out in the end. It was a hard, but enjoyable process.
On the study environment
I really enjoyed studying with international students. We learned so much about each other, and the fact that we all came from various backgrounds made the discussions lively and interesting. We also became good friends and had so many nice parties together. I definitely think it was a strength for all of us to be in an international class environment!
Lessons learned
It is difficult to pick out the most important thing I learned, because I learned so much during these two years. But if I have to decide on the most important things, I think I have to say it was what I learned during the field work and the writing process. Especially how to collect data, analyze them and structure it all into a thesis.
The most challenging during these two years was field work and the writing process. It is a hard, but enjoyable process. You love it and hate it at the same time.
After graduation
I got a job at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration as a Senior Executive Officer. Here I work with asylum seekers under the age of 18, and my main area is Afghanistan. I do asylum interviews and further case management. In addition, I am writing two articles based on my master thesis: one together with a researcher from Fafo research institute, and one on my own.