Making the decision to continue along the pathway of academia was a fairly easy choice for me. To be completely honest, it wasn’t necessarily the fact that I identify as an academic, or that I live and breathe to do readings. For me, pursuing a master’s degree was a way to extend my third-level education and reclaim the time I had lost because of the lockdown. I didn’t feel too ready to face the real world just yet, and so, I decided to hide within the sanctuary of academia for just a little bit longer. What came as a surprise, however, was how shocking the transition from being an undergraduate student to a postgraduate can actually be.
I mean, obviously, I had been warned about the workload beforehand. I’d witnessed how tired my teaching assistants constantly were during my undergrad. Having done a BA in history and political science, it seemed like a no-brainer that pursuing a MSc in international politics would include a certain period of adjustment, and would require greater effort than my undergrad. After all, I’ve repeatedly been told that doing a master’s degree is basically four years of an undergraduate degree condensed into one year (or two, if you’re a part-time student). As postgraduate students, many of us are relatively used to settling into a new university, navigating issues like adapting to the campus layout and college grading system isn’t necessarily tremendously challenging. Still, I find that certain aspects of this new, (yet somewhat familiar), experience continue to surprise me.
To begin with, everything just feels so much more adult. It’s not just the fact that we’ve already completed three or four years of an undergrad. Many of us have even pursued careers before returning for our postgraduate degrees. I think the best way to put it is that you’re on a closer level to your professors than before. Obviously, they’re still your teachers, and you’re still their student; however, you’ve now completed third-level academia once before and so you know more than you did during your undergrad. You are, therefore, treated differently — that is, as a relatively experienced academic.
“It felt like I had entered a new club I wasn’t privy to during my undergrad, one in which the veteran members were more than happy to share a few trade secrets”
The moment it really sank in for me that things were different than during my undergrad was when I was invited to a mixer for postgraduates and the department staff. Naturally, since undergraduate classes can reach a number of 200 students, such gatherings weren’t possible in the initial phase of my third-level education. Now, however, I was attending events not just with my fellow classmates, but also, with my old professors and teaching assistants. It felt like I had entered a new club I wasn’t privy to during my undergrad, one in which the veteran members were more than happy to share a few trade secrets. More than anything else, the greater opportunities for engagement in postgraduate programmes are what truly took me by surprise.
This can also be reflected within the learning aspect of one’s degree. Due to the large number of students per class, an undergraduate student could spend their entire degree without having to ask any of their lecturers a question. Meanwhile, postgraduates are expected to be much more involved, with many classes taking on the seminar structure previously reserved for tutorials. On the one hand, this could just mean that you’re more likely to do your readings, since you know you’re more likely to be called upon. Indeed, I can confirm that I am now more consistent with my readings than I ever was during my undergrad, simply because it’s what my postgraduate programme demands. On the other hand, many feel more excited to cover certain topics than they would’ve been during their undergrad. Topics are delved into more deeply due to the prior knowledge most postgrads have on these issues.
Even if you didn’t major in the same subject for your undergrad, you can often still enrich classroom discussion through bringing a more unique perspective to the table. This, combined with the greater diversity of students in postgraduate programmes, makes for an enriched learning environment. While one can undoubtedly meet students of various backgrounds during their undergrad, postgrad makes for an especially interesting mix, as you can more easily find classmates from different stages in life. As a result, different students bring their own unique experiences to class, applying them to the core materials and making discussions all the more stimulating.
“For most people, pursuing an undergraduate degree, while a serious undertaking, allows some breathing room, a chance to explore your interests and find out more about what makes you tick. Moving on from this stage to that of postgraduate studies feels a bit like stepping out of the kiddie pool and into the deep end”
For most people, pursuing an undergraduate degree, while a serious undertaking, allows some breathing room, a chance to explore your interests and find out more about what makes you tick. Moving on from this stage to that of postgraduate studies feels a bit like stepping out of the kiddie pool and into the deep end. This is especially the case for postgrads who not only have to navigate their degree, but also have additional responsibilities, such as working as teaching assistants and facilitating undergraduate learning (or, even more challenging, having a job outside of campus, which is something we’ve been repeatedly advised against, due to the heavy workload we’re subjected to). Despite such pressure qualifying as a cause for concern, I’d say that once the initial shock from the transition to postgraduate studies wears off, we should be okay. Every new experience comes with its initial problems, and our familiarity with academia means that we already have the tools we need to manage the challenge at hand.
