10 Annoying Questions you'll be asked as a Postgraduate Student

During Wellbeing Week, we've been thinking about the potential wellbeing challenges that all postgraduates share on their academic journey. One obstacle that can regularly occur is when the people around you don't fully understand your university journey, or even question why you've made the choices you have. This can lead to doubt, self questioning, and ultimately damage to your wellbeing - but as students at the Graduate School you can take comfort in the fact that this is a shared experience and something that everyone faces.

Every postgraduate has experienced conversations where friends or family ask annoying questions about their degree. They usually go something like this... 

Friend: Hey, how are you? How are your studies going?

You: Hey, I’m OK. Things are going pretty well, thanks for asking. How are you?

I forget what you’re studying. Can you quickly explain it to me?

Can I quickly explain what I’ve been studying for the last several years? No.

Several years. Wow, I don’t know how you do it. Aren’t you tired of being a student?

Well, being a postgraduate student is actually very different to being an undergraduate. To you it might seem like I’ve been doing the same thing for a long time, but in reality every year has been very different.

But don’t you already have a degree. Why don’t you just get a job?

It’s true, my undergraduate degree opened the door to plenty of career opportunities, but they weren’t the right next step for me. I wanted to keep learning and to keep opening up new opportunities, so that’s what I’m doing.

Do you not want the routine of a nine-to-five?

I don’t know. Maybe someday, but right now I’m committed to what I’m doing. I didn’t take the decision to continue my education lightly, I gave it a lot of thought, so I’m confident I’ve made the right choice.

If I was you, I’d be desperate to get out into the real world.

(looking around the room) I don’t know, this seems pretty real to me.

I meant to ask, why didn’t you text me back that time?

I regularly schedule time for pure study and in that time I avoid all distractions, including my phone, so if I’m not replying to you, it’s nothing personal.

That sounds intense. Do you ever get stressed?

I am now.

Oh. Don’t you like talking about your degree?

Not like this, no.

OK, I’ll stop. Just tell me, do you still get a free student cheeseburger at McDonald’s?

Yes. Yes, I do.

That’s cool.

Thanks.