Week In My Life As A Postgrad

Hi! 👋
I thought I’d share my experience as a postgraduate student and what a typical day in the life looks like for me!

A bit of background: I did my undergraduate degree in BSc (Hons) Psychology at De Montfort University and I completed this in the summer of 2023. I am now enrolled on the MSc Psychological Wellbeing course also at DMU and I aspire to become a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. My tutors and academic staff are really helping guide me towards my dream career and are offering support and advice to help me succeed in it! I also moved to Leicester from Birmingham for university, and I’ve lived here since!☺️

My faculty is the Health and Life Sciences. This covers all health related, science and social courses. Some examples of courses are psychology, nursing, midwifery, forensic science and paramedicine! There is always help on hand with the faculty support staff and everyone is so kind and friendly!😊

Each day looks a little different for me😃
I have lectures every Tuesday and Thursday and those days I tend to just wake up, have breakfast, get ready and head to uni. The lectures are very interactive as we are a small cohort and we get to ask lots of questions and really get to grip with the topics and concepts. I dedicate these days to just consuming knowledge and allowing what I have learnt to sink in.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have no lectures so these days I spend doing assignments, wider reading and work for my job as a research assistant.

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I am currently completing an internship at DMU with the Frontrunners team. I am researching psychiatric detentions in public spaces, and it is so interesting! The Frontrunners process is for DMU students to apply for to gain real life work experience. There are many many roles with different interests!

On these days I will plan my day out as a typical 9-5. Sometimes I work from home and other times I prefer to work in the library. I enjoy working there, or the Eric Wood Learning Zone, or Hawthorn breakout room. These places have plenty of computers and space and they are often quiet and distraction free! It depends how much work I have to do where I will choose to work.

I will start the day by writing a to do list of all the things I would like to get done. This might be preparing for lectures, doing wider research and reading or working on assignments. I like to plan plenty of breaks throughout the day, so I don’t get burn out. Luckily with my jobs as a research assistant and student ambassador I can plan my own schedule and decide when to work. This helps me to make money but also keep university as a focus. 📖

A typical to do list might look like this:

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- PSYC5401 reading for this week

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- PSYC5402 reading for this week

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- Start researching for case study assignment

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- Look for relevant articles to the case study

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- Read and note down case study marking rubric, structure and tips

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- Respond to emails

I try to set myself realistic goals and tasks for the day so I am not disappointed if I don’t complete them all. This helps me feel productive and keeps me in a healthy mindset!🧠

After doing my work I like to walk my dogs, relax and watch TV. Balancing your time and making time for yourself is super beneficial. You can’t produce your best work if you’re tired and stressed. Planning your time efficiently is the best way to stay motivated and productive!🖋️

I hope this helps!

Hannah🐄
DMU Student Rep
MSc Psychological Wellbeing Student🧠

(edited 2 months ago)