How has doing a postgraduate degree affected your wellbeing?

Calling all postgrads,
While studying for a postgraduate degree can be an incredibly fulfilling experience with many perks and a world of possibilities opening up to you after graduation, we understand that many of you may have experienced challenges with your mental health and wellbeing along the way.

Here at Student Roost, we'd like to know how your time as a postgraduate student has affected your mental health and wellbeing, and how you have dealt with it, so that we can continue to improve the wellbeing support for our postgraduate students.

Drop a comment or, even better, complete our short anonymous survey here.

Reply 1

UoS PG students

Official Rep

Hi,
I stayed at the same uni I did my UG degree at so have found the transition slightly less jarring than I imagine I would have if either returning to PG study at a later point in time or moving to a different uni for it. However, since most of my friends graduated after third year and left the city, I have had to be extra careful to push myself to join in with new societies and activities, as well as living with new people. As much as this has been great, the added stress of MSc level being more difficult than BSc level has left me feeling pretty spread thin. My MSc is definitely harder than BSc in the way it is marked, the assignments we are given, and the amount of contact hours we have. I am enjoying it a lot and I wasn't ready to leave uni last year so I am definitely glad I stayed and also will have a whole extra qualification, however, I think there are lots of things to consider when thinking about doing a PG degree! :smile:

Abbie
University of Southampton, Postgraduate Ambassador

Reply 2

The_Lonely_Goatherd

I think for me, it has mostly been a good and positive thing towards my mental health (I have schizoaffective disorder). It provides me with something to do, some structure to my week, and a much better support team/network than I'm currently getting from the NHS. It has overall been good for my self-confidence and has helped rebuild my self-esteem, which took a huge battering when I left my undergrad institution with a 2.2.

That said, academia feels like a very toxic environment :s-smilie:

Whilst I'm lucky to have a good and understanding supervisory team, I can't help think this is luck of the draw rather than academia generally being a good place for those with poor mental health :erm:

Reply 3

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

Hi

Being an international student, it took me a whole first semester to adjust to the environment, academics, dealing with assignments and all.
Then, I started adapting to this place. Coming to academics, I felt really intrigued as the studies here are mostly practical oriented, which I was looking for.
Lecturers here are friendly and are willing to guide us as much as possible. We need not worry at all 🤗 I personally chose this uni because this offers an 18 months course with a 6 months of professional experience period in addition to the normal 1 yr pathway.
Student life is great as you will get to interact with different mindsets and can explore the new world and yourself too 😉

Bhavya Harika, Student ambassador
Coventry University