Preparing for Postgraduate Study with Danny Rogers

Danny Rogers is studying for a PGCE Secondary Physical Education. Here are Danny's top tips for starting postgraduate study.  

Try to see what pre-reading or what your course will likely entail prior to starting. Postgraduate courses can be intense so getting a head start can help you massively! Try to gain experience during the transition that will benefit you. Especially if the experience you gain is directly related to what you are going to study. 

Keep on top of it. Postgraduate study requires good time management skills and accountability. If you have this nailed in your final year of your undergraduate study, you will be fine! The workload can be intense, but breaking it down into manageable chunks is the key to getting through it. Remember to take rests away from your work/study but be disciplined enough to ensure you are completing your studies to the best standard possible! 

Staff are experienced with students struggling at postgraduate level, so don’t worry if you feel like it is only you struggling, because I can guarantee you aren’t! Staff are helpful with dealing with workload and creating strategies and plans to help you manage your workload effectively. From my experience, I have received regular check ups regarding both my work load and my wellbeing as a student and there is a clear supportive culture that looks to support every student in whatever ways they can. 

Get your name out there, go to the CPD event that you were considering, ask your colleagues if they have any contacts. Postgraduate study and securing a job can be massively influenced by who you know within your related field, so by getting your name out their and creating a ‘brand’ of your name and what you can bring to the job role massively weighs in your favour! 

Staffs are equipped with a fantastic placement team that find the right placement tailored to your needs and progression. They consider the factors that can often be overlooked to ensure you have a positive experience but also one that develops you in your career.  

Postgraduate study is one of the hardest financial challenges I have faced, however, I’ve managed to get through it so far! I think it requires very strict and structured planning. Looking at what available bursaries there are as well as what financial support the university can offer. There are multiple different financial support strategies that can be tailored to suit your specific situation and if you are in position where you are struggling financially, the best thing to do is to speak to your lecturers or the student union who will try to help in any way that they can! 

Knowing you have a student loan coming in each term, I’ve found it easier to take out each months direct debits straight away and put them into a savings account. That way, I have it ready for when that payment is needed. The rest of the money, use for essentials. It’s important to remember that the loan is there to be spent! For those living in accommodation, this can be an even bigger challenge. However, budgeting your meals and essentials each week is the key to managing your money right! 

Knowing when to switch off from placement/course work. Its vital to dedicate adequate time to your hobbies or general down time to ensure you are getting the switch off your brain will need. Making sure you value physical activity as well as eating good meals are important for keeping motivation and allows you to set goals away from your course work that you can work on, it truly helps with keeping you motivated all around! 

From my experience, my lecturers are very approachable and want to get to know you as more than just being a student. If what is disclosed is something they might not be able to support, then they immediately refer you to the student wellbeing service to get you the best support for you and your wellbeing. Speaking to your lecturers is crucial, as they need to know how they can accommodate to your needs whilst taking part in your studies. 

It’s important to remember that every person is on their own journey with university. Some may seem way further ahead than you and have everything all planned out. Some may just be going with the flow. But the most important thing is to focus on you. How much progression have you made throughout your undergraduate study? Are you the same person from when you started to when you finished? Also, if you are successful in getting onto a postgraduate course, take pride in knowing that you are good enough and fully deserve to be there, otherwise they wouldn’t have accepted you onto it in the first place. We are all like plants and we grow at different rates, maybe your growth spurt hasn’t come yet? Keep the faith, and you will get there! 

Money anxiety is common amongst students, especially being situated within a cost-of-living crisis. Fortunately, the atmosphere at staffs is one that supports and cares for every individual. My best piece of advice is to speak up about it. Speak to your lecturers, course mates, and student union. It takes a lot to say to people that you are struggling, but it’s the best way help can be provided. Here at staffs, we have a partnership with Black bullion that offer a wide range of support from advice, saving tips, managing your fess, important information, and help you with your personal finances. 

Speaking to your student union, they will know the area best to ensure that you are getting the correct support that you need. Commonly, the officers that work within the students union have a god understanding of the local area and what can be offered to ensure you get the correct support that you need. 

I’d say get an early exposure to how they work. Within your first week, find out info on how to book a room to study or how the library works. By doing this, you save the hassle of trying to get used to the systems whilst your deadlines are fast approaching! 

Setting small goals can help to start with. Smaller achievable and realistic goals can help with motivation and consistency. Which then allows you to build up to the bigger goals you have set out in your mind. If it is a big goal that you’ve got in mind, break it down to the very basics. What is the first step you need to do to get you on that track. Take them baby steps at first, and then before you know it, you’ll be where you need to be! 

The city centre of Stoke-on-Trent is Hanley, not Stoke, which is a town situated within Stoke-on-Trent (This also confuses Stokie’s so don’t worry!)

If you get called ‘Duck’, please don’t be offended, it’s just us being friendly!

The people of Stoke are some of the friendliest you will meet! Don’t be afraid to say ‘good morning’ to people you see when walking past, I can guarantee nearly all will say it back!

It is an unwritten rule that when you visit Staffordshire, you must try a Staffordshire oatcake. I promise it is a culinary revolution that will change your life completely.