Tips on how to make the step towards postgraduate study

UCL English Linguistics MA first year student Jingqi He gives her tips on making the step toward postgraduate study. 

Making the transition from an undergraduate to a postgraduate student, especially as an international student, could be challenging. Apart from the increased academic demands, it also means you need to adapt to a new culture and take care of yourself alone. To help you navigate these processes more easily and effectively, there are several tips on how to make the step towards postgraduate study as an international student based on my personal experience: 

Prepare for the increased academic demands. In postgraduate study, students are expected to undertake significant amount of independent study (at least 5 hours a day in my discipline). That is why in postgraduate study there are more student-centered seminars which require extensive reading before class and discussions during class, instead of teacher-centered lectures. Postgraduate students are also expected to submit work of high quality and originality. Especially if you plan to pursue a PhD degree after postgraduate study, it is quite important to get a distinction for your postgraduate degree. Therefore, before starting your postgraduate study, it is always recommended to know your course structure well, brush up on any academic skills that could be important for you study, and even do some reading in advance.

Prepare for your financial planning. London is an international mega-city, and its cost of living is not low. Before starting your postgraduate study in London, it is important to estimate the total cost of your study, including the tuition fees, rent, travel costs, health insurance, and other personal expenses. There is a wide range of scholarships and funding offered by the university, government, and private institutions. All the relevant information are available on the university website. Please remember to apply early and meet the deadlines. If you are considering to take up a part-time job to expand your budget, please remember that students are only allowed to work 20 hours per week in the UK. 

Prepare for living in a brand new city. Personally I had done lots of preparation for moving to London because I always want to be organized and prepared. If you never come to London before, I recommend you to get familiar with things in London like public transportation, healthcare system, weather (you’ll see:)), visa stuff, etc. Language barrier is also an important problem to solve for international students. Prepare for and take English proficiency tests well in advance. 

Remember to keep work-life balance. With the increased academic workload, it could be hard for postgraduate students to balance their academic studies with personal lives, internships, part-time job, etc. Prepare for managing the stress and pressure, and always remember to seek support from the outside world. Mental health and well-being support is available through university.

Find out more about postgraduate study at UCL.