I finally got an offer for the MSc I wanted to do!! Was absolutely delighted and I'm really looking forward to starting, even though it looks like a real challenge. I have finished my undergraduate degree now and even though I am working as of next week I am just so bored and irritable, I now have time to see my friends again etc and thats great, but I want to be working again, however strange that sounds! But I feel a bit weird doing it because I don't know my undergraduate degree result yet, it feels like I'm tempting fate! So basically I'm asking, what did you all do between your undergraduate and masters degrees to prepare yourselves, and when did you start to do anything? I have access to a reading list so that would be a start, also from my degree I have a few relevant papers etc that I could re-read and put together.

Also I am doing my masters at the same university as my undergraduate degree, and most of the tutors on the new course have taught me before. But is there any difference between how you are treated as a postgraduate than an undergraduate? All I know is that the class sizes are a lot smaller (there are only about 8 on the course) so I guess you'd get more attention and help with things, as the course is a lot more intense and generally difficult. Are you treated more like someone who is hoping to have an academic career, if that makes sense - are they more likely to talk to you about PhDs etc?

Any advice/information appreciated, Natassia

I went straight from a BSc to PhD over a decade ago. More recently I went from a BA to MPhil (taught Masters), and from there onto a PhD again. I didn't do any preparation/reading in advance for either step upwards, and enjoyed my time off! I started studying properly when the courses started.

Postgraduate taught Masters degrees require you to be a much more independent student than during an undergraduate degree. There's a lot less hand holding and basically you have to be more reliant on yourself, making sure you stick to your own deadlines and finding your own solutions to problems. During a taught Masters the staff really should be talking to you about PhDs as well because some of the students will want to go on to one. Basically a taught Masters is a good preparation for doing a PhD, teaching you essential research skills to get through it.

When you're doing a taught Masters beware that it will probably be a 12-month course if studying full-time, i.e. you don't get the summer off. Indeed you'll be very busy during the summer working on your dissertation. As a postgraduate at two different universities I've never had a clue when undergraduate holidays are! I'm always studying. If you're doing a PhD then holidays are even scarcer. Basically you're always studying. So make the most of the break you have now!

Enjoy!

I agree, enjoy this summer! I did my BA, MA and now my PhD at the same university so knew all of the tutors very well - their attitude is different to you when studying for your masters - more informal and not so much of a teacher/student relationship. You will also find that while they will give you more time (a meeting with my supervisor would frequently last 1/2 an hour to an hour as opposed to the 10 mins at BA), you won't get so much 'help' as such - they expect you to find solutions, they will guide you and encourage you, but they also expect you to learn how to work for yourself. The taught masters is also far more intense than BA - it was the hardest year (but most satisfying) of my academic life so far. So.... enjoy the summer - I worked and chilled and did next to nothing in preparation for the masters, if you go on to study for PhD this will be the last long holiday you get - the masters normally runs til mid sept with dissertation submission normally around the 15th or so, then the PhD starts in early Oct so you will have around 2 weeks off, then, well.... lol - you may get a day off again in a few years time, but then you'll be looking for a job ;-)

Hey Natassia, congrats! I have also done my BSc, MSc and am now doing my PhD at the same uni. Personally, I didn't find that as MSc students we were treated that much differently to being an undergrad by the staff, but then there were around 30 students exactly the same MSc where I was and another 20 or so doing a very similar one (although obviously our research projects were different)- I'm in a really big department. I think it probably depends on your subject. I'm in Clinical Psychology, and to be honest, whatever you want to do in Clinical Psychology these days (or Psychology at all for that matter), you really need to have a masters if you are going to progress, so a lot of people on the MSc weren't there just to get onto PhDs, but to get onto practioner doctorates and get jobs as assistant psychologists etc. So it wasn't assumed that we wanted to do PhDs, and if you did, you had to get on with contacting lecturers and putting ideas forward etc. I found the biggest change was when I approached my now-supervisor about doing a PhD- that is when you start to get taken more seriously, and I think the beginning of your masters is a really good time to start making contacts with potential Phd supervisors. As for the workload, it was the hardest year of my life! Really really intense, taught stuff, exams, coursework, and a huge research project, but I'm so thankful that I did it! Personally, I would just enjoy your summer and not worry about reading up etc. Do some useful work experience or just get some money together I reckon! And relax, it's gonna be a tough year (but definitely worthwhile!). Enjoy! KB

I'm lucky enough to be doing a part-time Masters over 2 years, so this summer between year 1 and year 2 is not very intense in terms of work, apart from beginning to read around my dissertation idea and meet with my supervisor. It's at this point, now they've seen what kind of students we are, that they are beginning to talk about PhDs with some of us.

Natassia, if you really feel compelled to read *something* over the holidays, how about just reading more popular books in your field? There are lots of books for the intelligent layperson, and that can enable you to follow your interests without getting into study mode when you should be taking a well earned break.

Well done and good luck!



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Thanks for the replies, I think I need to learn how to relax properly! I have worked constantly for my degree, as most undergraduate students do if they care about what they're going to achieve, so its hard to suddenly have nothing to do. I've never been very good with holidays as I love to be constantly occupied, but like some of you have said this is the last break I'm going to have for a while so I need to make the most of it! To be honest though, although studying and working to deadlines is stressful, in some ways I find it relaxing as well, therefore I don't feel that desperate for a break from it. I think for the summer I'll do some reading when I really feel like it rather than knowing I have to do it (I have to do it as well because there'll be no time at the beginning of the MSc course to catch up), earn some money and enjoy my horse - my competing etc has been pushed to the side a bit with my degree so will do more with him, hopefully will find the time to get out to something once a month when I am studying again if I get into the habit now.

From speaking to the tutors on the course, the Masters requires students to be original with everything they do, so I think I'll be asking tutors (at the beginning especially) if I am being original in the 'correct' way, if that makes sense. Basically they will expect us to know the theory inside out from the beginning, hence the reading during the summer. Some of them know I want to do a PhD and I know who I want to supervise mine already, if I do decide to stay where I am. However, I really am undecided about what I want to specialise in eventually for the MSc dissertation and/or a PhD, I really need to start thinking about that properly.

There is so much to think about and worry about, and I haven't even got my undergraduate results yet! Can't wait for the next stage though!

Natssia, I totally know the feeling! I'm set to start my ESRC 1 + 3 this October, and I'm just waiting on my BA results. I'm starting to worry as well about my Master's diss and the unbelievable workload that everyone keeps telling me about, so I want to be prepared. But like everyone else has said, we need to try and enjoy the summer as much as we can!

I think I'm just going to start jotting down ideas for my Masters diss and read around the subject I'm interested in, as well as check out the recommended reading. But nothing too major!

Hope you get the BA result that you want!

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Hi Button, I'm in social sciences too (going to do MSc Psychosocial Studies at Brighton) - what are you doing your Masters in and what have you just done? I'm really bored today, just had a look at one of the module handbooks for the course and it just looks so difficult I'm really worried that I'm going to be way out of my depth even though deep down I know I'm basically capable (depending on BA result), there just appears to be an unbelievably huge jump between undergrad and Masters level and I think I'm going to be one of the youngest on the course which is a bit daunting. Just a bit worried about what I've let myself in for, even though its what I've wanted to do for the past year!
Good luck with everything, Nx

I'm going to be doing an MA in Educational Research at a Uni in the North West, and I've just finished my BA in Education with Psychology.

I know what you mean, the whole thing does seem daunting, but there's going to be a lot more people on our courses who feel exactly the same and will be less prepared than we are! Once the lectures start etc, everything is going to start making a lot more sense and we'll know exactly what is expected of us- anything we do now is just a bonus, that's what I keep telling myself!

I know how you feel about feeling young though- I'll be 21 when I start my Masters and 22 when I start my PhD! But if we couldn't do it, they wouldn't have accepted us.

Try not to worry and enjoy your summer!