Postgraduate study at Newcastle
The Rural Social Science (Research) MSc programme was an intense learning experience with a lot expected of each student. The course was challenging in terms of the quality and quantity of work required but also rewarding with a great sense of achievement.
Postgraduate community
The postgraduate community was diverse and offered great opportunities to meet people from different backgrounds and disciplines. Many students taking the postgraduate research modules were from industry which gave great insight into potential career paths.
Highlights
The highlight for me was conducting my dissertation which I found incredibly rewarding and which solidified my ambition to pursue a career in social research by pursuing a PhD.
Beyond undergraduate
Postgraduate study helps you to develop a high level of personal discipline, time management and work ethic. Studying at postgraduate level also demands a higher level of critical analysis towards literature and your own work.
Advice to postgraduate students
I would suggest it is important to get a structure to your working week with a good work/leisure balance. The most important thing is to take advantage of any opportunities for work experience. If you can back your academic grades up with relevant experience it greatly improves employability. In the same way, if you can develop contacts while studying these will prove extremely useful when you graduate.
Career path
After graduating I went to work for Durham Rural Community Council which is where I completed a work experience placement. My long term plan was is to get a PhD studentship and I am currently waiting for a reply upon a PhD application.