Things I wish I knew before doing my postgrad

Starting a new course is always a little daunting, so recent Masters graduate Jazmin looked back on her time as a postgraduate to give you all of the advice she wishes she's had before she started.

Here’s an eye opening fact: by the time we reach postgraduate level, most of us will have spent roughly 17 years in education. That’s right, it’s been that long. About 40% of the students at Goldsmiths are postgraduate, and despite the wealth of experience that we will have gained over all of our time spent studying, there’s only so much you can do to prepare for the next stage of education.

You can labour over the course outline for hours but there are some things you can only know through living it. Don’t get me wrong, jumping straight into a new adventure and learning new things as you go is one of the most exciting things about it all. But if you’re anything like me and prefer to have a bit of a heads-up about what to expect from the postgraduate experience, here are some of the things I wish I knew before I started my Masters.

It’s OK that it's nothing like undergrad

If you enter a Masters degree after an undergraduate course, just be aware that your postgraduate course is unlikely to be quite like your previous degree. Of course, it’ll be a bit more challenging than before, and the dynamic is a bit different, but don’t worry, we all manage to adjust pretty quickly.

You're still allowed to make mistakes

Don’t forget that you signed up to the Masters course to study, research and develop, not to teach! So embrace the opportunity to be in an environment where mistakes can be learned from without causing any sort of lasting damage.

You’ll become friends with your lecturers

At postgrad level, be open to having a real relationship with your lecturers. The classes are generally smaller and you’ll get to know each other really well. Just don’t be afraid to pop in to the office to chat about anything from module confusion to more general concerns, they can be the most helpful people in the world.

Welcome Week is for you too

The fresh-faced undergraduates will channel most of the excitement and lets face it, we’ve been there, done the tours and got the fresher t-shirt; but that’s no excuse not to get stuck in. You’re never too old for society stickers and free samples, and if something low-key is more up your street than a club night, there’s plenty to chose from at the Goldsmiths Welcome Week Events.

One year isn’t a very long time

Most full-time masters courses are just one year long, and the best advice I can offer is to give 100% from the very beginning. You’ve probably heard it before but there’ll be a lot of content over a short period and you’ll struggle to make back time when you’re stressing over your dissertation next summer.

You don’t have to have a life plan

There’s a really big sense of panic among students moving on to further course, and we all feel like we need to have the rest of our lives planned out now that we’ve taken another step on the education ladder. Well, the truth is – we don’t. No matter how specific your chosen course is, unless you intend it to, you never quite know, where you’ll end up or who you’re going to work for until you get there, which is perfectly OK.

Want to know what some of our ex-postgraduate students have gone on to? Have a look at their alumni profiles.