Advice for prospective postgraduate students
Success with postgraduate studies requires pro-active planning and preparation even before you start with your studies. Prospective students can establish a solid foundation for their success by gathering sufficient information about the academic program they apply for, the institution and potential supervisors. In this video, a group of senior postgraduate students discuss strategies for effective adjustment and provide advice for a personally satisfying postgraduate experience. Links to additional resources offer valuable directives for the successful transition to advanced qualification levels. Video, 9.49 minutes
Who might find this useful?
Gather information from university websites about research niche areas and the supervisors working in these research fields. Use the information to write a motivation (250 words) why you want to apply to a specific university/academic department and motivate why you should be selected for the program.
Explore these additional resources
- University of Michigan: Adjusting to graduate studies http://www.campusmindworks.org/students/preparing_for_college/grad_academicdemands.asp
- Trent University : Transitioning to Graduate School https://www.trentu.ca/graduatestudies/pathways/documents/TransitiontoGraduateSchool.pdf
- Stanford University Transitioning to Graduate Studies https://biosciences.stanford.edu/current/incoming/transitioning-to-graduate-school.html
- Kearns, H. & Gardiner, M. (2011). The care and maintenance of your supervisor. Nature, 469, 570. https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7331-570a
- Kearns, H. & Gardiner, M. (2011). Waiting for the motivation fairy. Nature, 472, 127. https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/support/graduatestudiesoffice/documents/hugh-kearns-handout-nature-procrastination.pdf