Tag Archives: Postgraduate

Mastering the student life

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Patricia Nascimento

Advice, Postgraduate lifeinlondon, Postgraduate, work life balance.

Studying a postgraduate degree related to your passions is exciting especially if you are doing it at one of the most exhilarating cities in the world, right? Well, there’s more to it.

Being a master’s student involves dedication, time management, diligence and focus. You can enjoy London to the fullest, but you must master the balance of fun and work to ensure you have that top-notch degree on your CV. Here I tell you the way’s I have managed making it through my master’s degree without stress mounting.

Create a routine

My daily life in London is intense but very exciting. I have created a routine of waking up early to prepare my coursework as soon as it has been assigned to me, this way I avoided stress when deadlines approached. To soldier through I need lots of motivation and I can only describe mine in six letters: C-O-F-F-E-E. Tip: grab your cup and head straight to uni, London is amazing for it, you can find good coffee easily and for a very good price.

Work hard, play harder

Routines aside, studying in London means you’ve got to make time to enjoy its cosmopolitan energy. After a full-day of working hard on the comfy sofas on the third floor of the library, I like to reward myself at the pub with a cider among the company of friends.

Change your environment

If I get bored of studying at the library, I pack up and go to Goswell Road and sit down with my books in a coffee shop – there are countless around campus. I do this often because it allows me to enjoy the city, an added benefit while I get my work done and ultimately avoid building anxiety from work overload.

Weekends to the rescue

Weeks of work are intense and it’s not every day that I can release stress. Sometimes I get so tired I just want my best friend – my bed. So, during busier periods, I am left with the weekends for stress relief.

A warning but sometimes you will have to work through the weekends. But as I mentioned, it’s all about time management and if you plan ahead, you can definitely crash that party on the weekend feeling no guilt at all, and your schedule intact.

If you are into partying hard there’s lots of fun places near campus in Shoreditch, but be aware, you will not be in the best shape or form to study the next day – well, at least I can’t. I am usually knocked out asleep the next day whenever I go partying into the early morning. I usually reserve these nights for when I have no lectures the next day or big assignments ahead.

Embrace your living arrangements

It may sound strange, but during the exam period, or when you are working on a big assignment, it may seem like you are living within the University – I am not joking. I even thought about bringing a tent once. Just kidding! (Am I?).

I live in student accommodation and I’ve built good friendships with my hall mates. It’s good to talk to someone while you cook your meals; you may even have an unexpected study buddy in the common room some days. Having friends to share my difficulties and overall experiences has helped me cope with all the responsibilities I carry as a master’s student.

The golden rule is balance

Don’t be too hard on yourself that you sacrifice your free time, but don’t leave your work behind either because you’re enjoying London life too much. If you want to eat at your favourite restaurant but your deadline is in four days, get it delivered to you. You can enjoy that well deserved day off, while achieving top scores in your coursework too! It’s satisfying to acquire both fun memories and academic accomplishments. So, by the end of September, you could be receiving your degree and enjoying the sentiment of “my work is done!” while having spent the year in one of the best cities in the world. Well done!

How to prepare for exams as a postgraduate student

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe

Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering examanxiety, exampreparation, exams, examtips, Postgraduate, Postgraduateexams.

Hi!

I’ve discovered how tough preparing for exams can be, the mere thought of it brings its own stress! Hold your fears, as I’ll be sharing with you some practical tips and methods that have seen me through. As it is my usual style, I’ll be breaking this down into different categories to drive the message succinctly.

A few weeks before the exam

It’s three weeks before your major examinations and you’ve seen your timetable. Anxiety sets in, as the timetable is a testament to the fact that this exam is really going to happen. The first thing I’m going to tell you is to BREATHE. You’ve been attending classes regularly and you still have enough time to get that “A”, so just stay calm.

Secondly, break down the topics into days, giving you a clear goal of what you want to achieve. I’d advise you to tackle the tough topics first, followed by the easier ones you easily understood during lectures, then the past questions last. When you’re trying out the past questions, be strict and sincere with yourself and don’t keep looking at the answers when you’re still attempting the questions. Also, put yourself under similar exam conditions that you’re going to face, especially when it comes to timing.

Thirdly, make use of mobile apps like Quizlet. Using the flashcard method, it helps you remember terms and definitions.

Lastly, I would advise you to have a reading buddy or even organise mock exams with colleagues on your course. There is an exception to this, as some people will prefer to study alone rather than with others.

The day before the exam

It’s the night before the exam and you’ve put a lot so far into this paper you’ll be writing tomorrow. Again, the first thing is to BREATHE. Yes, you’ll need to remain calm despite the uncertainty surrounding tomorrow’s exam, so make a list detailing the tasks you still need to accomplish and set realistic time restrictions. You have to give yourself a good night’s rest. Don’t even think of pulling an all-nighter, I’ve had a number of experiences of how this goes and none of them ended well.

On the day of the exam

Depending on the time of your paper, wake up early and leave early. Read just your summary notes on your way – no point reading through the lecture notes at this point unless necessary. You’ll need to look through the key points you’ve listed to be sure you’re not missing out on anything important.

After the exam

This section is almost as important as before the exam, as it mostly affects the state of your mind and how miserable or not you’ll be until you see your results. Don’t discuss with friends asking what they wrote and try comparing it to what you wrote in yours. If you choose to discuss, it shouldn’t be more than 30 minutes. There’s also a tendency to keep checking your notes to make sure you got every word right. Don’t do it as this could set you in an anxious mood.

Remember you still have other papers left and you need to give it your best, do yourself a favor and relax. You most likely would have made mistakes when preparing during your last paper (mostly due to habits), this is an opportunity to improve in those areas and give yourself another shot so don’t waste it. I wish you success!

My journey to City! Shivani Saboo, MSc Entrepreneurship

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Shivani Saboo

Cass Business School, Postgraduate accommodation, application, city university, City University of London, course, India, international, international student, msc, Postgraduate, visa.

So what do you want to study at university?
Management? I think. Yes, I’m extremely interested in business management. Maybe I should pursue a master’s in this! But my bachelor’s was in the same specialisation! Maybe marketing, ummm or entrepreneurship? I’ve always wanted to start a venture of my own!

Where do you want to go and study?
City! UCL! Or maybe Imperial! I want to go the best place I can possibly go to! I love London, everything about the city is so inviting. Also there is so much development there with so many opportunities for the future! I definitely want to be in London! I am scared to live away from home though!

These were conversations I had with my family, friends and counsellors innumerable times! My journey to City has been quite an exciting and exhilarating one. I am from India and studied my first degree in my hometown. I pursued my undergraduate degree in business management, after which I decided to start working. I had long contemplated whether going off to university to pursue further studies would be the right choice for me! Now that I am here, I can safely say it was the best decision I ever made!

I am currently studying on the MSc Entrepreneurship at Cass Business School, City, University Of London. Just like any other prospective student would, I spent a lot of sleepless nights researching everything I possibly could about the university including location, course ranking, accommodation offered, etc. I would ask questions on student forums, university group chats, connect with past students on LinkedIn and ask them everything I could possibly think of. There is a lot to consider before going to university!

The process of applying to City was quite smooth. I submitted my application with my statement of purpose and the required documents which were stated on the website. In the second round I gave a video interview and eagerly waited for a couple of weeks until I got my final offer. The course office was extremely helpful and replied to all of my emails quickly.

My next step was to apply for the Tier 4 student visa. The visa team at City checked all of my documents before I submitted my application. This provided me peace of mind and helped me feel assured that my application was complete.

Then came the accommodation search. The university offers a selection of halls of residence for students. The application process is fairly simple. I am currently staying in the student accommodation called Pure City. The location is fabulous since it is walking distance from campus. Being in student accommodation has also led me to meet some wonderful, like-minded people.

It may seem extremely daunting to take all these decisions, but it is all worth it! Go for it and make the most out of your time at City!

My journey to City: Ibukun Ogundipe, MSc Business Systems Analysis and Design

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe

Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering application, bsad, business systems analysis and design, city university, City University of London, msc, Postgraduate, visa.

The most frequent question I get asked by my friends back at home is “How is the master’s programme? Was it what you hoped it would be?” My answer is always the same: “Yes, it is everything and more!” In retrospect, I remember how daunting this new phase of my life looked exactly a year ago. You might be feeling that exact way right now, which is why I’m writing this article. Hopefully you’ll gain a lot of clarity after reading this.

I come from Nigeria, a country in Africa. Due to the previous internships I had been involved with, both pre- and post-graduation, I was certain I wanted to become a consultant. Consulting for me meant the opportunity to be challenged everyday due to the different projects I would be involved in, and a chance to make a real impact within a business. One year after I finished my undergraduate degree, I still hadn’t started a proper role at a consulting firm even though I had made it through the toughest of interviews. I decided to take a step back and conduct some research on the necessary skills a consultant needs to succeed, and discovered that even though I was building up my soft skills in a lot of the work I was involved in, I lacked the technical skills required. It was then I started my postgraduate study search.

There were some key factors I had on a checklist when considering my postgraduate degree. Firstly, I was very particular about the course content each university I considered had to offer. This was very important to me as it served as a pointer as to whether I was really going to learn what I hoped to. Secondly, I considered location as I wanted a place where, beside from my academics, I would be able to engage in other activities happening in the city. Thirdly, I considered the rankings of the university for the particular course I had chosen. Lastly, I contacted an alumnus from each university I was considering through LinkedIn, to find out first-hand about their experience.

After considering the above factors, I found City, University of London scored the most points for me. The module subjects that made up my course content were exactly what I needed compared to the other courses I had in mind. I went on to contact an alumna in my country and she told me about her positive experience at City, which also justified my decision. Not to mention the fact that City is located right in the centre of London. What more could I be looking for!

Northampton Square. Photo taken during my first week at City.

On to the application process. I decided to apply directly to City. There are quite a number of agents that can help you with this process, but I wanted to be a part of the whole process from start to finish. So, I decided to do it myself, with Google always to my rescue! I think the most difficult part here was starting with the forms, especially because you’re trying to write the perfect words. I would advise anyone doing it themselves to start writing whatever comes to your mind, and once you’re done with the first draft to send it on to someone you trust for feedback.

As for the visa application, as soon as you have your acceptance letter from City you can start this process. It’s really important you start the process on time and ensure you read the requirements thoroughly on the UK government website, as there are some documents that will be required of you to provide. I was so scared of this particular part of the process, as some people I knew had applied through several agents and I was doing this all by myself for the first time. But hey! I’m here now aren’t I?

Basking in -3 degree weather!

It’s been an amazing seven months so far, it feels like I arrived yesterday. I have so much more to tell you about my experience at City and how I’ve been dealing with the never-ending winter, coming from a country with an average of 73-88 degrees. Stay tuned and kindly let me know in the comments if you have any further questions. You got this!