Why the Wrong Degree Was the Right Start for Me

Laine Smith
May 7
5 min read

When I left high school, it felt like I had unfinished business.

Literally.

Thanks to COVID, I never sat my final International Baccalaureate exams, and that abrupt ending left me feeling like someone had paused my story halfway through a chapter. I didn’t know what would come next—only that I had to keep writing it somehow. I was adamant that I’d go to university, and I was equally adamant (stubborn) that I wanted to study psychology and business. Two solid, respectable fields. Everyone approves of psychology and business, right?

So I enrolled at the University of Buckingham, a peaceful little town with cobbled streets, charming cafés, and more geese than people. For the first three months, I had an amazing time. Then the second national lockdown hit, and life—again—was put on hold.

As I pushed through that preliminary year of psychology and business, something just didn’t feel right. I struggled. Not academically, but internally. It was like wearing someone else’s coat—it fit well enough, but it wasn’t mine. I couldn’t picture myself in a lifetime of diagnostics, boardrooms or therapy sessions. So I paused. Took a breath. Did the soul-searching thing that every twenty-something dreads and every rom-com overuses—and then, I pivoted.

📸 Finding the Right Fit

I stayed at Buckingham, but I changed my degree to Digital News and Media. Best decision I’ve ever made.

It was a blend of journalism, media literacy, and digital marketing, with the freedom to pick modules from across disciplines. I took classes in politics, design, even creative writing. It was like an academic buffet. But what I really fell in love with—unexpectedly, completely—was marketing.

Marketing spoke to the part of me that loved storytelling. It demanded creativity, strategic thinking, adaptability. It wasn’t just about selling products; it was about connecting with people, solving problems, telling better stories. Everything about it called to me—and for once, I was ready to answer.

In my first year, I threw myself into university life. I made loads of friends, got two ferrets, and went to more parties than I care to admit. I even met my future husband (spoiler alert: he’s amazing). Life was feeling a lot more like mine again.

But it was in my final year that things really shifted.

💡 From the Lecture Hall to the Living Room

I moved to the outskirts of Milton Keynes and took a job as a Digital Inclusion Community Officer with Age UK. I had never worked with elderly people in a professional setting before—and honestly, I was nervous. But I’ve never had a job that felt so deeply human.

I ran digital literacy workshops in care homes, taught people how to FaceTime their grandkids, and advocated for digital inclusion at the local council level. I worked in homes, libraries, village halls. I also ran Age UK’s social media, helped with fundraising campaigns, and built content that bridged generations.

I didn’t just teach people to go online—I helped them reconnect with their world. And somewhere along the way, I realised that communication was more than a career for me. It was a calling.

🚀 Stepping into Strategy

After graduating with First Class Honours, I was ready for something bigger. London had always been in the back of my mind—buzzing with opportunity, a complete contrast to the quiet serenity of Buckingham.

So I took the leap.

I started not one, but two new roles:

Social Media Manager for From Field and Flower, an artisanal honey retailer in Borough Market, where I managed everything from content creation to strategy and also helped out on the shop floor, talking directly with customers.
Local Growth Officer for Scouts, where I open new groups, recruit and train volunteers, and promote Scouting across the Barnet district.

Very different roles, right? But what ties them together is community. Whether I’m designing Instagram reels, hosting parent evenings, or selling raw Tasmanian honey to curious tourists, I’m always communicating, always connecting.

And behind the scenes? I was quietly, obsessively working on one thing: getting into King’s College London.

🎯 The Big Goal (and the Bigger Lesson)

My goal for postgraduate study was simple: King’s College London. It was the dream, the only outcome I truly wanted. I applied to a couple of other universities—just in case—but in my heart, there was no Plan B. So when the rejections from LSE and Westminster came in, I felt like the dream had slipped through my fingers.

Then—an email. “Unconditional offer to study MSc Digital Marketing at King’s College London.” I jumped up and down and screamed at the top of my lungs, and I'm not embarrassed to admit it.

Now, I’m in the final term of my Master’s degree. I’ve presented campaign strategies, led group projects, and tackled modules like brand management and consumer psychology. Every lecture reaffirms that this is where I’m supposed to be.

Sometimes, I think back to 2020 Laine—tired, confused, half a psychology student—and I just want to give her a hug and say, “Trust the process.”

💬 What I’ve Learned (So Far)

Over the last few years, I’ve worked across charities, real estate, hospitality, health care, and food retail. I’ve managed campaigns, written content, trained people, raised funds, created visuals, and hosted workshops. I’ve been the front of house, the back of house, and the whole marketing department.

Here are three things I’ve learned that I take into every job:

People First, Always - Whether it’s an elderly person learning to use email or a parent deciding whether to join a Scout group, real connection starts with empathy.
Creativity Is a Muscle - You don’t have to wait for inspiration to strike. Make the post. Design the graphic. Test the tagline. Refine it later.
Failure Isn’t the Opposite of Success—It’s Part of It - I didn’t fail when I changed degrees. I adapted. I didn’t fail when I got rejected from universities. I persisted. Every “no” gave me the energy to chase the “yes” I really wanted.

🔮 What’s Next?

So far, my career hasn’t officially started—but I’ve already achieved one of my biggest goals. And now it’s time to set the next one.

My goal is to secure a full-time marketing role at a purpose-driven organisation, where I can combine creativity with community impact. I want to lead campaigns that don’t just sell, but matter—that connect brands with real people, in meaningful ways.

Long term? I’d love to become a brand strategist or creative director, guiding teams through the chaos of content into clarity and cohesion. Maybe I'll even run my own agency one day (don’t hold me to that—unless it sounds cool in five years).

But for now, I’m taking the next step. One blog post, one application, and one opportunity at a time.

🙌 Final Thoughts

This post is a love letter to every twist and turn I never expected. To the quiet breakdowns and the loud victories. To the people who believed in me when I wasn’t sure what I believed in.

If you’re reading this as a potential employer: thank you for being here. I hope this post gave you a glimpse of not just what I do—but who I am. I’m someone who will show up, figure it out, and put everything into the work I believe in.

If you’re reading this as someone on your own winding path: keep going. The wrong turns aren’t dead ends. They’re just redirections.

Written by Laine Smith

MSc Digital Marketing candidate at King’s College London

Portfolio: www.lainesmithportfolio.com

Connect on LinkedIn: Laine Smith