It’s springtime – final year undergraduate students are on the homestretch. With just a few more pieces of academic work to hand in, and the dissertation, thoughts will soon turn to exams. But what next? Have you considered a postgraduate degree? If so, there are a few key differences about which you need to be aware before applying. Start your research now to go in fully armed.

Higher Workload

The main difference you need to be aware of is that each module will have at least double the amount of work. Where you might have had 1-2 essays before, it’ll be 2-4 this time. Also, there are more diverse types of work: more presentations, critiques, and literature reviews. Therefore, you will need to plan your time effectively – especially if three 3,000-word essays are due on the same day. Typically, you’ll be submitting work every 1-2 weeks.

Seminars

Seminars differ from lectures in several ways; the latter is a presentation with little discussion in which you take notes. The former is a group discussion in which the lecturer acts as a facilitator and conversation starter. Here, communication is a two-way process. You’re expecting to discuss the subject matter both with the lecturer and your fellow classmates. You may be asked to research something beforehand to present at the seminar for debate.

Greater Expectations

As well as the higher workload, you will also be expected to turn in much better quality of work. The pass rate will be higher, and you will be expected to read more sources for an academic piece. However, you will also be expected to reference less and argue your point more. Essay questions will be more open ended and expected deeper discussion. Your dissertation will be longer, and you’ll be expected to do more independent research for it.

Funding is Highly Competitive

At bachelor’s degree level, the process is simple – your eligibility for a student loan depends on your or your parents’ income (depending on your dependent status). Essentially, it’s about your ability to support yourself now (or your parents’ ability). If you received an Adult Dependants’ Grant, or a Childcare Grant, or a Parents’ Learning Allowance, you will not be eligible to apply again for your postgraduate course.

Technically There Are No Holidays

Those four-week breaks at Easter and Christmas are a thing of the past. Even your summer break is gone as you’ll be working almost full-time on your dissertation. If you’re studying a master’s full-time, it really will be full-time. Part time students have a bit more flexibility, but both groups will need to use those breaks to knuckle down. You will be thankful for those gaps, for the quieter campuses and more space in the libraries.