*POST-CHOREOMUNDUS TRAUMAby Nneamaka Augusta Igbonezim and María Peredo Guzmán Do you still remember what you felt the very day of your graduation in Roehampton`s hall, after completing those two wonderful years, together? Or perhaps, you are going towards that glorious day…? Although we believe that the Choreomundus experience is something that accompanies us wherever we go, we acknowledge that finishing an International Masters can be an empowering and sometimes frightening transition. In this article, I would like to share a few of my experiences, some tips and ideas that could be helpful for you as you journey through your Choreomundus and post Choreomundus time. I don’t claim to have all the answers but you can learn a few things from this. First, remember that you are not alone, you have a thriving alumni community that’s always available to help you. So, take advantage of this and reach out to them, ask questions seek counsel, ask for guidance. Just talk - it does help! While in Choreomundus, remember to enjoy your time in every country you visit: It’s not just about studying, there’s an intercultural exchange part of it. I know feedback on your coursework or your assignments can be slow. While you wait, benefit from the many resources you have available to you in the Universities’ libraries and online. You can also count on your fellow students, and spend time with them, as you will miss them later… You also have the alumni and their diverse knowledge base. Having gone through the program already, we have been on your shoes, and we are in a good position to guide you and advise you in diverse matters, from useful literature, to the cheapest laundry in Clermont… Choreomundus is a process for us, but each cohort is part of the process of the programme. I believe that for every cohort there’s been some improvement. So, always try to look on the brighter side of things. Another good piece of advice for you is to find alumni whose areas of interest connect with yours, dissertation topic, fieldwork location or residence location is similar to what you’re working on. You can buddy up to more than one person. Having diverse conversations can stimulate your mind, you might be asked questions that would help you think about your dissertation differently and possibly shine more light on areas that you might have ignored. They can also recommend articles or books to read. Natasha (C1) was that buddy to me many times, via text, audio and video calls. Squeeze the knowledge from the guest lecturers. I looked out for the ones whose research matched mine. I took their contact information and I openly communicated with them. I tried to get an opportunity to speak one-on-one with them, before they leave, about my research and I got ideas from them. I still maintain email communication with some of them. Sometimes I send them something to look at and we share thoughts. Just before he finished his studies, in 2019, I had a long chat with Mululu (Cohort #6) about the ideas we could bring to CAA. At that moment, we dreamt about a team called “The buddy team”, a group of people who would be there to support newcomers, academically and personally. After months trying to design a plan for such team, CAA realized this: Everyone can be a buddy for the others. Some alumni are finishing their PhD, others are just starting, and some of us chose to go towards artistic creation and social work. Some of us went back home with a big bag of tools to transform our realities, while others stayed in Europe or went somewhere else. We are searching for the right way to design such a good database with connective dots, so newcomers could find affinities with older alumni for networking and expanding everyone's possibilities. We are building a project to create a private database of Choreomundus alumni dissertation titles, abstracts, areas of interest, geolocations, and key words. That way, you can narrow down who to speak to, and you don’t have to talk to only one person. Post-Choreomundus life could be challenging, that’s why you should save as much as you can while you still get your stipend. Find different and creative ways of explaining the peculiarities of your research to people, because you’ll find yourself doing that a lot. While some of us want to continue to a PhD, others go straight to get a job, but whichever the case, you have to put in energy and work to get to the next step. Personally, it took me over a year to get a job and when I finally did, it was an unpaid internship at the Smithsonian Institution, but it was a great opportunity for me and I don’t regret it at all. Breathe, take it easy. You are not the same, you have changed during this time far from home. Embrace and observe those changes in future encounters with others, and take note of the ideas that come to your mind. Take your time, some of us needed two years to figure it out, others one, others just a few months... even if you don't see how; things will fall into place. Stay within the dance/art community as much as you can. Keep on dancing as you navigate your way through it all. Best of luck! Amaka (cohort #2) & María (cohort #4)
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