Our beloved intern Zainab has left us for pastures new. Well she hasn’t gone that far. She’s chosen to study for her MSc in Forensic Psychology at Coventry University! So being as nosy as we are, we wanted to know all about what life’s like in your first week of PG studies…
My first week of uni was great! I was in and out of the library trying to get a hold of a few of the required reading materials. I managed to get myself a part time job to help with maintenance costs. The postgraduate loan tends to cover your rent and tuition fees, so I’m gunna need the extra side funds for food and all that jazz!
A great place to help you find a job while you’re studying at Coventry is the futureworks. Otherwise a good tip is to be really proactive. Print off your CV and get looking around the shops, bars, cafes etc. if that’s more your sort of thing. Start with your favourite bars first, then if you get the job work won’t even seem like work!
The transition from undergrad to postgrad has been a lot easier than I anticipated. I think that’s because I’m excited to delve into my assignments and figure out my dissertation topic (I have three weeks to do this, but it’s gunna be fine!).
I wasn’t expecting to make friends on the course as quickly as the induction day! But come the day of our first lecture they signalled me over and that prompted a very nice feeling because I was worried I’d be alone for most of the year. That’s not all bad, being the lone wolf and all, but this is loads better. The induction day was really cool and productive. We got visits from the sports centre and the Students’ Union president about course reps and how beneficial they can be for you, we get a cool certificate once the year is over. We also got visits from the subject librarian which was very helpful as she showed us how to access research articles.
Even though we’ve been ‘chucked in at the deep end’ with reading materials, assignments and group presentations very early on I’m enjoying every bit of it. I think the hardest part was transitioning from being a full time graduate intern over the past year, to a full time postgraduate student. They’re two very different things, but I’ve been planning and organising my work schedule, which I’ve done with a calendar that I find pretty cool, if I do say so myself!
If you’re worried about the step up from undergrad to postgrad, I’d really say try not to be. I was, and so far everything has exceeded my expectations and been so exciting and motivating. There’s loads of support wherever you need it, and even though I’m at the beginning of this new stage, I know every step’s going to be worth it.
