Monday 12-10-2020 - 11:59

By Hannah Black

Originally posted on Hannah’s blog Theologei here.

I am now a masters student…what?!

With this realisation, a feeling of dread can come about, as you believe everything done in undergraduate study is suddenly ‘not good enough’ for the big postgraduate world, full of long essays, big dissertations, and the longest academic year thus far!

But do not panic! The skills you gained throughout your undergraduate study are going to be incredibly helpful for the next year. You are more prepared than you think!

Study tip number one: be flexible

This may seem like a very vague study tip, and I guess it is… but hear me out. What worked for me in first year, didn’t work in second year, and when I thought I had mastered studying in second year, I had to change everything for third year. You may not have been through such a dramatic shift as I did, but I am sure at some points you thought to yourself, ‘is this actually working or am I doing it because I think I should?’

I am a very stubborn person at the best of times, especially when it comes to studying, so I have found myself outright refusing to change a studying style for a particular module just because its worked for me in the past. It took me until my third year to learn that it is okay to change how you work best. Now I realise, not only is it okay, but it should be encouraged! Not one way of studying will work for everyone at all times, so don’t be scared of switching it up.

Study tip number two: timing is everything

I cannot do a lot of studying without breaks. I know that is not the case for everyone, as some people sit down and prefer to get their task done before so much as taking a breath! In my undergraduate degree, I quickly realised that I can get academic ‘burnout’ rather easily. If I spend too much time on one task, I get fed up, exhausted, and demotivated. This is when I discovered the pomodoro timing method, and now I couldn’t study without it!

Essentially, it is a form of focused study which requires your full and complete attention on a task for a set period of time, with a set break after that timer is complete. When I had been practising this focused study for a while, I came up with a pattern that worked for me: 25 minutes with a 5 minute break for pre-readings, 50 minutes with a 10 minute break for essay preparation and writing. These timings could be completely different for you, depending on your ‘study stamina’, but having that break has done my studying and mental health wonders!

Study tip number three: technology is your friend (I promise)

We have access to so many incredible tools to help us study, stay motivated, and keep connected to other students. The last point is of course most important at this point, and I will explain how connections can be built and kept even while studying online.

Firstly, I must recommend an app that relates to the last tip. It is called Forest, and it uses the pomodoro timing method but also grows a tree that dies if you leave the application. Sometimes having your phone right in front of you is a very difficult distraction to avoid, so forest motivates you to stay off your phone while in a focused study session, and it’s very cute to see the different trees, shrubs, and flowers you can collect! It also has a group function, which helped my partner and I stay in touch on busy days apart.

Now, connecting with others. Unfortunately this will be more difficult this year. Gone are the group study sessions in the library or at the café. But do not let this stop you from studying with your friends. Video calling is a great way to keep up a conversation while studying, and I recommend you do this when working on something less intensive (I find it impossible to read while someone is talking for example). The company can do a lot for mental health and is a bonus if you’re all motivating each other to get work done.

Group chats can be powerful tools too, especially if you have one centred around your course or certain modules. Finding people in your classes that have a similar studying style to you can be really helpful when you need to motivate one another and give advice.

Speaking of advice – there is so much advice available to you. Through YouTube channels, Tumblr blogs, websites, leaflets etc. The most important thing I learnt in my undergrad study is not to be afraid of searching for help. I’ll say that louder for the people at the back… 

don’t be afraid of searching for help.