Undegrad to Masters to PhD - What's the Difference?
Everybody knows that an undergraduate degree should look different to a masters. And a masters degree should look different to a PhD. But what does it feel like going from one to the other? How does your daily routine change? What is the workload like? I completed an undergrad and Masters in Computer Science and Mathematics, and I am 2 years into a PhD in reinforcement learning. I want to share what it feels like to do all three, and what the biggest differences between all three are.
Daily Routine
The daily routine of an undergraduate feels much more structured than that of a masters and PhD. You have lots of your time blocked out by lectures and tutorials, so you build your daily routine around these. As a masters student, you still have these but you have a better idea on where you want to focus your time. You might decide to juggle a tutorial to focus on other work, or catch up on a lecture to attend something else. There is still a structure to fall back on, but you have more experience to guide yourself in where you spend your time. In a PhD, your time quickly fills up with meetings, and work, and writing. But you have a say in when these things happen. You can dictate more when you take your meetings, and when you want to do your work. There is more of it, but you have a larger say in when it gets done, and the responsibility of deadlines falls to you.
Workload
I feel the amount of work you do is the same in all three. What is different is the schedule of that work, and how long you have to do it. In undergrad, you have lots of coursework and exams as deadlines to work towards. But semesters are relatively short, so your work is focused, and can feel rushed. You have breaks separating semesters, so it can feel like you are rushing to do work, then resting, then rushing again, then resting. In a masters, you still have these deadlines, but they are over a longer time period. You're working to get things done in time, but you have a bit more time to figure things out. A PhD is far different. You have some deadlines to work towards, but for the most part you are on your own. You decide where to put your time in terms of months, rather than days and weeks. An undergraduate is a collection of sprints. A masters is one big sprint. A PhD is a marathon.
Social
Undergraduate social life is a little terrifying, but the secret of it is that most people are also terrified. It will be the first time most people are living away from home and figuring things out. Knowing that makes finding friends as an undergraduate much easier. Along with plenty of societies to get involved with, undergraduate social life can be busy and bustling. During masters, you have a less time to socialise. It is still definitely there, but your priorities shift more towards your work. Doing a PhD can be lonely at times. Like a masters, you have less time to put towards socialising, but you are also working on your own research. During undergraduate and masters you are part of a cohort of people. Whereas in a PhD you still have people around you, but they are much fewer and less connected to you. There are still opportunities to meet people in societies and events, but doing so can take a lot more work than during undergrad and masters.
Daily Routine
The daily routine of an undergraduate feels much more structured than that of a masters and PhD. You have lots of your time blocked out by lectures and tutorials, so you build your daily routine around these. As a masters student, you still have these but you have a better idea on where you want to focus your time. You might decide to juggle a tutorial to focus on other work, or catch up on a lecture to attend something else. There is still a structure to fall back on, but you have more experience to guide yourself in where you spend your time. In a PhD, your time quickly fills up with meetings, and work, and writing. But you have a say in when these things happen. You can dictate more when you take your meetings, and when you want to do your work. There is more of it, but you have a larger say in when it gets done, and the responsibility of deadlines falls to you.
Workload
I feel the amount of work you do is the same in all three. What is different is the schedule of that work, and how long you have to do it. In undergrad, you have lots of coursework and exams as deadlines to work towards. But semesters are relatively short, so your work is focused, and can feel rushed. You have breaks separating semesters, so it can feel like you are rushing to do work, then resting, then rushing again, then resting. In a masters, you still have these deadlines, but they are over a longer time period. You're working to get things done in time, but you have a bit more time to figure things out. A PhD is far different. You have some deadlines to work towards, but for the most part you are on your own. You decide where to put your time in terms of months, rather than days and weeks. An undergraduate is a collection of sprints. A masters is one big sprint. A PhD is a marathon.
Social
Undergraduate social life is a little terrifying, but the secret of it is that most people are also terrified. It will be the first time most people are living away from home and figuring things out. Knowing that makes finding friends as an undergraduate much easier. Along with plenty of societies to get involved with, undergraduate social life can be busy and bustling. During masters, you have a less time to socialise. It is still definitely there, but your priorities shift more towards your work. Doing a PhD can be lonely at times. Like a masters, you have less time to put towards socialising, but you are also working on your own research. During undergraduate and masters you are part of a cohort of people. Whereas in a PhD you still have people around you, but they are much fewer and less connected to you. There are still opportunities to meet people in societies and events, but doing so can take a lot more work than during undergrad and masters.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Placement year yes or no?
- Educational psychologist, uni help?
- Exeter Penryn - Sidings or Glasney 2025
- Pharmacy vs chemistry?? URGENT HELP
- MRes - Is it offered in any discipline?
- D.phil /M.phil decision?!
- Would this academic path be a good option?
- Can I use the remainder of my postgraduate loan to do a Master's degree?
- Psychology masters and PhD
- Manchester University Degrees
- How much do grades matter for PhD applications
- What Should My Masters Course Be In?
- What are the requirements for a Clinical psychology phd??
- Aspiring Therapists
- Applying to masters in US from Russell group - theoretical
- Career options from Biomedical Science courses?
- Career change from Physics to Finance/Healthcare?
- Loan for different subject Master
- Self-study linguistics to an undergraduate level and then pursuing a PhD in it after?
- Doing a PhD immediately after 1YFT MSc
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
1st Years: what's been the biggest surprise about university life so far?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Does anyone else feel they're constantly making the wrong decision/FOMO?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Can i use AI NOT to write but to assist with essay writing? Reasons are....
