Words by Andreea Moise, MSc Brain Sciences.

Introduction

Having finished your undergrad, wide-eyed and excited to begin your master’s, you think to yourself, “What awaits me on this new adventure?” I’m here to tell you it may feel daunting treading onto this undiscovered territory. It is a huge jump from undergrad to master’s; perhaps it would be helpful to remember some of these tips!

Getting low grades

You may find that what was considered an A in undergrad is now barely a C. Having been a high-achiever, I panicked when I got a few C’s in my first semester here. Don’t freak out! Low grades reflect the new difficulty level of a master’s, not your level of intelligence. The fact that you got into this course shows you belong here, so throw aside the ‘imposter syndrome’ many students experience. You are graded on how well you apply the skills they teach you in this degree and your understanding of the assignment. Low grades and feedback show you where and how you can improve. Take it as a learning experience, not a blow to your confidence!

Feedback

Speaking of feedback, I remember getting a B1 in my first semester. At the University of Glasgow, feedback is given to all students individually or as a group, but I wanted more detail to improve my writing skills. I arranged a meeting with my teacher who graded the essay and she said, “I’m so glad that you’re here because not enough students ask for additional feedback for high grades!” – yes, B’s are considered high grades at master’s level! A small mistake had lowered my grade from A to B. She was super encouraging, and I made sure never to make that mistake again, so much so that I only got A’s afterwards!

Don’t hesitate to ask for further feedback when you get low or high grades! There is so much to learn and lecturers are always more than happy to help students.

Tight deadlines and levelling up skills

Deadlines… Oh man, these deadlines! They’re crazy tight. Although daunting, the pressure to finish a high-quality piece in so little time forces you to develop your skills.

Time management is obvious – how do you read so many sources, make sense of and extract the information, write up a couple of drafts, meet the criteria, and polish the final version all before the deadline? The answer is to increase reading speed, scan the sources, and pick the most relevant information instead of reading everything. Take it from me: I went from writing a first draft within 1 month in my first semester to 4 days in my third semester.

You’re learning how to tackle a task efficiently. Tight deadlines will become your normal!

Mastering the skills

There will be a lot of course-specific content to remember, but let’s be honest – you will not remember everything. What you will learn, however, is a ton of soft skills. Where do I find the relevant information I need? A type of textbook, searching a database using keywords, who to ask for guidance. How do I write more formally? Get help from AWSP or PAL, and browse books in John Smith for reading and writing skills. How am I supposed to remember everything for exams? Simply attending classes and wider reading from reading lists, you will absorb the information like a sponge and find that you remember much more than you think.

Employers and PhDs alike highly value soft skills. Even though you won’t remember the content, you know where to find it and how to apply it! After all, why would it be called a “master’s” if you didn’t become a master of your craft by the end of your degree?

Teamwork

Throughout all this, you might think you are alone in feeling overwhelmed. Speak to your classmates and ask how they’re getting on. They likely feel just as anxious, tired and stressed out as you. But you know what’s nice? Complaining to each other and then laughing about it. That sense of camaraderie is so strong during a master’s that it propels you forward and makes everyone’s day better. You can bounce ideas off one another, get some opinions, some pointers on where to find information – teamwork!

This is how it will be when you begin your career or move on to a PhD, so do not fret, friend, for you are not alone.

Health above all!

With all the hard work you put into studying, it’s easy to slip into the mindset of “I’m wasting so much time cooking, going to the gym, cleaning around my house… I don’t have time to go out with my friends or hobbies! And now I’m feeling ill and wasting all this time…”

If you take some time off, you’ll be resting your mind and body. What you can do with a fresh mind is double the work you’d do if you keep going with a tired mind! You do not want to come out with a certificate and health issues at the end of your degree.

Time spent on yourself is time well spent! If you are healthy, the degree will take care of itself as long as you keep working hard.

Conclusion

All in all, a master’s will be demanding and like nothing you’ve done before. Remember this: you will finish with flying colours, a master of your craft, and a degree on top of that! You can do this! Now off you go, world changers!

First published: 21 August 2023

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