Hello, I’m Fiona, a second year PhD student at the University of Nottingham in the Business
School and today I’m going to be sharing some tips for new Master’s and Postgraduate
students at the University.
So, for anybody starting out on a Master’s, I’m going to begin with a few tips which
might have helped me when I first began mine.
So, to begin with the workload.
That might be something you’ve been thinking about and I found this to be relatively similar
to my undergraduate degree.
I had a taught programme of modules which meant having a regular timetable listing all
of the classes I should attend.
These are a mixture of lectures and seminars/workshops, very much in line with my previous University
experience.
Something that is slightly different is the assignments so I had most of these through
the Winter holidays and the Easter holidays and the key difference is that coursework assignments
were no longer 3000 words like they are at undergraduate level.
Instead, the word limit had increased to 5000 words, so that just required more time management,
it took slightly longer to read the material, and also to write those extra words.
But it is something that is completely manageable at the same time.
Also, at the Master’s level in terms of socialising with friends and managing time,
I found it really important to keep up with my extracurricular activities.
So, I really enjoy playing tennis and I re-joined the BUCS tennis team and trained on Monday,
Tuesday and Friday mornings and played matches on Wednesdays. And quite a lot of people in
my class also played different sports, a number of them were Sports Scholars. So that is something
that you can also manage during your time studying a Master’s and I think it’s really
really good to have something other than your work to focus on.
Finally, you might also have some questions about funding your studies.
I applied for a Business School Scholarship for my Master’s and I was successful in
that application which meant that 100% of my fees were funded.
There are various levels of scholarship at the University.
So, this leads me on to talking about my PhD experience.
Following on from my Master’s dissertation and having a really positive experience with
my supervisors, I discussed with them about the possibility of applying for PhD funding
to continue my project which is looking into loneliness in work with increased remote and
hybrid working.
So, to do this I wrote out my application and applied for Business School funding and
I was successful in obtaining that for a three-year PhD programme.
Other students have their funding from a variety of different bodies, so it’s worth looking
into all of the different possibilities.
Also, a PhD is quite different to a Master’s Degree in terms of the set-up of your day.
You don’t have such a structured programme.
So, there are certain modules that you have to complete and you have to pass them.
It’s, again, not marked in the same way as a Master’s where you can get a pass,
a merit, or a distinction.
It’s either a pass, or fail.
Other than these six modules which you have to pass, there isn’t a set structure to
your day.
So, you’ll have supervision meetings, usually a minimum of 10 per year, and within those
meetings you’ll agree with your supervisors about the next steps that you’re looking
to take in your project.
So, to begin with in year one, I was focused on my literature review and now moving into
year two, I’ve been focused on the methodology and the framework for my overall PhD research.
Work-life balance is also another really important issue.
I tend to have certain things that I quite like to do, for example going to see friends.
I’m also a member of the Doc Soc, and actually the President this year and the Welfare Secretary
last year, so being involved with an SU group or society is another great way to meet people,
but it also gives you a way of switching off and social events to attend within that particular
community.
Whilst studying for my PhD, I also like to participate in some other activities, so I’ve
been able to do some teaching over in the German Department, but also in the Business
School.
There are things like marking that you can also do, so having a discussion with your
supervisors about things that you might like to do will also help you reach out and be
able to experience a whole range of other opportunities.
The highlight of my PhD experience so far has been the opportunity to attend a conference
with the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology out in Bordeaux.
So, as a PhD student, you also have a funding budget to be able to attend research conferences
where you can also present your work.
So, whilst that might seem a bit daunting in the first instance, it’s such a great
experience, number one to be able to travel but also to benefit from all of the knowledge
that you’ll gain just from being around so many other academics and researchers and
see what’s currently going on within the particular field you’re working on.
So, overall being a postgrad at the University, I’ve found to be a really positive experience
and I think trying to integrate in societies like the sports societies where you’re also
mixing in with the undergraduate students, as well as the postgrads is a really positive
thing because you just meet so many people also with a shared interest already.
Good time management also really helps and maintaining a good work-life balance.
Don’t feel guilty if you want to go and play sports, do some baking, have a chill
because the work at this level is challenging, so you will need to take breaks just so that
you stay mentally fresh.
I hope that some of these tips have been useful and that you really enjoy your experience
as a postgrad at the University.