“Cameras on, microphones off.” These words echoed in my head, and although they are not new to me, they felt very different. With one click on the link sent, I am immediately -if the Wi-Fi in Lebanon is by chance fast enough- exposed to new faces, new voices and new ideologies, as I dive into the infinite world of online learning. I have done this before, so why do I feel out of my comfort zone?  Maybe it is the pandemic, the online world or the fact that I am a… new student? And why, despite this chaos of virtuality and newness, I find myself enjoying the underlying pleasure it gives me?

I decided to take my learning journey further by enrolling in Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ), as a Master’s student in the newly opened option “General Translation into English as a B language” in the Ecole de Traducteurs et d’Interprètes de Beyrouth (ETIB). I was thrilled to know that the University known for its high-quality education has finally given English educated students a chance to be a part of their translation world.

It is no wonder that ETIB has ranked the highest in Lebanon. With the diversity of its courses, the professionalism in dealing with its students, and the instructors’ continuous concern to ensure that their students are getting the best out of their learning journey and adapting to the various means of online learning technology this pandemic has forced upon us. As an English educated student, the university is working perfectly to make me and my friends feel included in their French system-based institution, ensuring that we receive the information needed for us to rise as competent as our fellow French speaking translators.

Is it tiring, you might ask? For sure it is. Stressful? No doubt. Especially with the challenges the online learning has created. However, no one said it is going to be easy, it can’t be, for the best things are always the hardest! And the black under-eyes that the bright screens and sleepless nights gave me will live to tell the story of my hard work in the bright future; the story of a proud Saint Joseph University female translator who uses languages to make a difference, or bring a world so apart, a little bit closer.

                                                                  Fatima H. Sadek

M1- MA in Translation