{"id":146,"date":"2016-02-15T12:25:30","date_gmt":"2016-02-15T12:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/?p=146"},"modified":"2016-02-15T14:43:05","modified_gmt":"2016-02-15T14:43:05","slug":"what-i-wish-i-knew-before-starting-my-pg-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/2016\/02\/15\/what-i-wish-i-knew-before-starting-my-pg-course\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cWhat I wish I knew before starting my PG course\u2026\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zoe Hopkins:<\/strong> \u201cI did the Experimental Psychology (EP) MSc, since my undergraduate degree was not in psychology. My year as an EP MSc student was very demanding – I never felt like I’d manage all the work I needed to do. As it happens, I did manage to get things done, and if I’ve one piece of advice for postgraduates on the EP MSc, it’s this: never be afraid to take time away from the course. Time out is time well spent: it gives you a chance to relax and recharge, and also gives your brain a chance to synthesise all the information you’ll be taking in from your studies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shengyu Yang:<\/strong> \u201c1. If you would like to read PhD right after the MSc course, you had better contact the potential supervisor as soon as possible. During the third term of your MSc study, you can already prepare the relevant proposal and go with the application process. 2. There are gatherings for postgraduate students in the school of psychology at regular intervals. It is fun and helpful for you to meet new friends and talk about your study and life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PG<\/a><\/p>\n

Amy Smith:<\/strong> \u201cHaving completed an MSc, my biggest piece of advice for MSc, MRes and PG students is to have fun with it, and don\u2019t worry about making mistakes! Nobody on your course has all of the answers \u2013 if they did, they\u2019d be the supervisors already (and even then, supervisors don\u2019t have it all figured out). At PG level, we\u2019re all still learning, and we tend to be our own worst critics. Give yourself room for error \u2013 because each problem is a learning experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Philine Harris: \u201c<\/strong>One thing that I only realised during my PhD is how valuable you as a research student are to your supervisor. Your work is as important to you as it is to them and they are grateful for your contribution to their area of research. Never worry about troubling them for their time \u2013 I was worried I might be getting on my supervisor\u2019s nerves with my silly little MSc project, when I actually now realise how much all supervisors value the work of any student doing research with them. Another thing that I wish I knew when I was doing my MSc was the power and the value of asking for help. If you\u2019re stuck (whether doing research for your project or work on the taught modules), ask around for help. Start with your supervisor or academic advisor or lecturer, and if they don\u2019t know, they\u2019ll point you to someone who will. It\u2019s much quicker than trying to find the answer yourself and you\u2019ll network along the way as most people are flattered when someone approaches them for help!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Vlad Costin: <\/strong>\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to express opinions during seminars. Doing an MSc usually means that you are taught in smaller groups and you will often have more seminars than in your undergrad. The more you put in, the more you get. There is no reason to feel intimidated. The lecturers or tutors leading the seminars are almost always very nice and enthusiastic about students who are \u2018brave\u2019 enough to question the ideas discussed. Expressing half-baked opinions and learning how to get better at thinking critically helped me a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Are you interested in doing one of our Masters? Come to the Open Day this Wednesday and talk to the convenors and current students. We will be in Pevensey 1, Lecture Theatre 1A7 and in room 1A1 from 2:45-4pm.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Zoe Hopkins: \u201cI did the Experimental Psychology (EP) MSc, since my undergraduate degree was not in psychology. My year as an EP MSc student was very demanding – I never felt like I’d manage all the work I needed to…<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more ›<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[96113,97953,96114,98521,97762],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pafdEV-2m","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":398,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/2017\/07\/03\/tips-for-prospective-conversion-course-students\/","url_meta":{"origin":146,"position":0},"title":"Tips for prospective conversion course students","date":"July 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Emily Rayfield Conversion courses, such the MSc in Experimental Psychology at Sussex, are unique experiences, and in lots of ways unlike both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. This is because you are covering diverse UG modules at lightning speed. Before starting at Sussex in September I wasn\u2019t sure what to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Masters research"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/files\/2017\/07\/DSC_0713-1024x682.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1284,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/2021\/04\/26\/spirit-of-sussex-award-psychology-nominees-bushra-farooq\/","url_meta":{"origin":146,"position":1},"title":"Spirit of Sussex Award -Psychology Nominees: Bushra Farooq","date":"April 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The Spirit of Sussex Award\u00a0(SoSA)\u00a0Connector team has been in contact with Psychology students to highlight\u00a0their impressive extra-curricular activities. Log onto the Spirit of Sussex Award website\u00a0to start logging points for your\u00a0own\u00a0extra-curricular activities to secure a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.\u00a0 This month the SOSA Connector team wish to highlight the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Masters students"","img":{"alt_text":"Bushra delivering training of menstrual hygiene in India","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/files\/2021\/04\/Bushra-Farooq-Image-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":90,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/2015\/10\/28\/transferable-skills\/","url_meta":{"origin":146,"position":2},"title":"Transferable Skills","date":"October 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Confession 1: I hate writing letters of recommendation. Of course, I still do it and I try to do it well. But I find writing letters of recommend to be relatively stressful. Each year, thousands of students graduate with an undergraduate degree in Psychology across the UK. Relatively few of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Employability\"","img":{"alt_text":"Jessica Horst and Lauren Lush (BSc Psychology, 2010) on graduation day","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/files\/2015\/10\/Jessica-Lauren-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1204,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/2021\/02\/03\/the-american-psychiatric-associations-apology-to-black-indigenous-and-people-of-color-performative-action-or-genuine-atonement\/","url_meta":{"origin":146,"position":3},"title":"The American Psychiatric Association's apology to \u2018Black, Indigenous, and People of Color\u2019: Performative Action or Genuine Atonement?","date":"February 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Alexandra Taylor On January 18th, 2021, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released the 'APA's Apology to Black, Indigenous and People of Color for Its Support of Structural Racism in Psychiatry'. The letter from its Board of trustees aimed to acknowledge the institution's shameful racist history. There is still, without\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Masters students"","img":{"alt_text":"Cartoon shows Black Lives Matter protestors trying to force the BPS ostrich to take its head out of the sand","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/files\/2021\/02\/Institutional-Denial-fin.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":225,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/psychology\/2016\/06\/14\/reflections-of-a-first-year-phd-student\/","url_meta":{"origin":146,"position":4},"title":"Reflections of a first year PhD student","date":"June 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"By Mateo Legan\u00e9s Fonteneau Doing a PhD was never my lifetime objective. When I finished college I started studying an engineering degree, but I realised quite soon that it wasn\u2019t what I\u2019d expected. 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