Try not to compare Postgrad to Undergrad

I know, easier said than done, but I promise this will help. In Undergrad you probably had much bigger classes, more hours in class, you weren’t expected to have as much background knowledge and you probably had more friends going through the same thing as you. A lot of people I talked to about those first few months of doing their Master's acknowledged feeling nostalgic and a bit sad about the difference between what they had experienced before at uni and what they were going through during their Master's, but different doesn’t have to mean less enjoyable.

READ MORE: How Different is Postgraduate Study from Undergraduate Study?

You have more freedom to explore what actually interests you about your subject now and the more you deep dive into that the better your work will be. And you have a whole new group of people going through the same stuff as you.

Make friends with other Master's students

Seems obvious but you’d be surprised how often people think they can do a Master's without much support. Once you actually get into it though, having the names and numbers of a few people so you can commiserate over awkward questions and celebrate finishing assignments will help a lot. It might appear a bit more complicated now, the age ranges and backgrounds tend to differ more in a Master's class but that’s exactly why a lot of people are looking for a friendly face.

My lovely friend Kaitlin who did her dissertation at the same time as I did 

Think about your dissertation or final project early

No one likes to hear this but I can’t tell you how much it helped me to know I had an idea for my dissertation sorted by the end of November and I wouldn’t need to panic about finding a supervisor or coming up with something last minute before proposals were due.

You don’t even need to have anything solid but if you have one or two ideas find out who might be a good potential supervisor and go talk to them. You might change your mind but at least you’re doing it now and not later in the year.

Make time to study

I mean it. Not to sound like your mum but you really do need to be cracking open books or loading up whatever programmes you use. The more you leave your preparation for assignments until closer to the deadline, the more stressed you’ll be. Plus, if you’re reading more, remember all that extra knowledge I was talking about that will impress your lecturers? That's how you’ll get it.

READ MORE: Learning to Learn: My Journey to Finding Effective Study Habits

A Master's is stressful enough without making things worse for yourself by doing everything last minute. It’s the reason you often have fewer hours in class as well. Just stay out an extra hour or two and go to the library, you’ll see how quickly it’ll make a difference.

What's a typical day like for a Master's student at Queen's?

Have a few different places to study

You’ll be doing a lot of work, especially coming up to assignment deadlines and dissertations or final projects, therefore you’ll need multiple places to study.

If you’re like me then your brain won’t work if your body is stuck in the same place for too long. I can stay and work in one place for a few hours but then I need a change of scenery to refocus, and the walks between places help make sure I take breaks.

READ MORE: Top Spots to Write Your Dissertation

Try and keep them close together so you don’t have too far to go, and  maybe pick somewhere you can grab some food while you work. The library is great for obvious reasons and you can go down to Hope Cafe for a snack when you're hungry, the SU has a few great places to study and the terrace is great for some fresh air on your break, while Botanic has some great cafes and your school might have a study space as well.

Take a tour of the Thomas J Moran Graduate School

Don’t forget to take breaks and enjoy it

You are back at uni, and while it might not be the same as when you were in first year, there’s loads of ways to take advantage of being back here. There’s societies to join, pints that need drinking and afternoons off that need taken advantage of. It will help with the stress and make sure the Master's is something you enjoy doing, not just a degree you get.

Hopefully this advice helps, a Master's can be daunting but it really is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had.

Find out more

How Can I Fund My Postgraduate Degree?

Why I Returned to Belfast for Postgraduate Study

Study MA History at Queen's

Niamh O'Neill MA History | Postgraduate Student | Downpatrick, Northern Ireland Hi, I’m Niamh, a 22 year old student from Downpatrick, a town a little south-east of Belfast. I have a passion for stories of all kinds which is why I love my course and also why I’m so talkative if you meet me in person. I’m a member of a few different societies, but the main one you’ll find me at is QUB K-Pop Soc where I’ve been a member for 3 years now. I hope my blogs give people a new insight into Belfast and Queen’s because I know it has a lot to offer. Please come say hi if you see me about campus!