Postgraduate Life

Postgraduate life can often be quite different compared to studying as an undergraduate. For PGT students, you will often find that you have less contact time spent in lectures and seminars, and instead you are required to spend a greater proportion of your time reading, writing, doing data analysis or carrying out other independent work in labs, fieldwork sites or archives. Life as a PhD student is also different from that as a Master’s student. As a PGR student, you may have significantly more time left to your own devices even compared to PGT students.

You don’t have to set yourself a fixed working timetable such as 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, although you might find this a useful way to separate your time studying from your own, free time in which you can relax and forget about university life for a while. You might have other responsibilities or part-time work which you need to factor into your week, so find the best schedule for yourself – there is no one-size-fits-all. Once you’ve found a routine that works for you, try and stick to it in as disciplined way as possible. For example, if you have a deadline and end up having to work longer hours than you would normally one week, don’t beat yourself up over it, but do try and take back some time for yourself the following week. It can be easy to slip into a pattern of unsustainable working hours, particularly at crunch times such as when writing up a Master’s or PhD dissertation, but setting aside time to not read, write or be in the lab is important – and, in the long run, more effective.

If you find you are consistently working long hours to meet unrealistic deadlines, in the first instance you should talk to your supervisor and try to address the problems with them. If you need further advice regarding supervision, or wish to make a complaint, talk to the SU’s advice service, details of which you can find here. There are also courses run by Researcher Development which might help you to use your time more efficiently. The Library also has resources and workshops for all students, including specific workshops for both PGTs and PGRs. You can also take a look at our postgraduate Advice and Support page for more tips.

For PGT students, the way you study at Master’s level can be quite different to how you studied at undergraduate level. You’ll probably have less contact time with the academic staff in your department, instead spending more time in the library or at your desk at home reading, writing or doing research. This of course depends on the specifics of your course. However, it’s important to try and connect with others on your course as much as possible. If you have a course rep (see below), they may organise events – this can be anything from grabbing a coffee as a group after a lecture, getting together for group projects or going on a night out or for dinner with others in your cohort.

Whereas undergraduates’ academic year can often end with exams in the early summer (May – June), for PGT students the summer is often one of the most important parts of the academic year. Although you may not have classes from May to August, often this is when many students will complete their dissertation or other research projects as the culmination of their course. This period is particularly independent, so you should try and keep in touch with others on your course, which is often a great way of helping each other out with any issues which might come up during your dissertation writing process – others are probably having the same problems as you.

For PGR students, one of the main issues you may come up against during your PhD is feeling isolated. If you do – don’t worry, this is normal. Even compared to PGT studies, as a PhD student the contact time with academic staff is much reduced. You may only meet your supervisor once every couple of weeks, or even less frequently depending on what stage in your PhD you find yourself. For PGR students who work in a lab, for example, your day-to-day life may resemble more a 9-5 work environment, but for many it will involve reading, writing and researching on your own for the majority of the day.

If you have a dedicated space such as a PhD computer room or lab, we really encourage you to make the most of it and spend as much time on campus as possible. Being around others not only helps to reduce the risk of feeling isolated, but often provides a more stimulating atmosphere – often the best ideas come from chatting over a coffee during a break from reading, for example. There are lots of tips and tricks to be learnt from those in the latter years of their PhD studies, particularly when you are in your first year as a PhD student.

In all likelihood, any issues or problems you’re dealing with have also affected others in your School or Department, and spending time in a space where you can informally ask questions and received advice is incredibly valuable. In particular, it can help with “imposter syndrome” – the feeling that you don’t belong or don’t know what you’re doing, which every PGR student feels at some point. Again, this is completely normal, but talking to others about any issues you might be having with your studies really helps.

As a PGR student, you’ll likely only meet your supervisor once every few weeks. This can vary widely depending on your supervisor and the stage you are at in your PhD. Whereas in your first year you may spend most of your time familiarising yourself with the literature on your topic and only see your supervisor once every month or two, it’s not uncommon to have weekly meetings when you are close to handing in your thesis towards the end of your degree. Talk to your supervisor and figure out what works for both them and you, and make sure you set out clear expectations around this – you want to be sure that you’re getting enough support without relying on your supervisor too heavily. It’s a delicate balancing act, but you should find what works for you.

PGR students will also likely be attending reading groups, which are unlike the seminars or lectures you will have become used to at undergraduate and Master’s level. Reading groups are a forum for either postgraduate students or postgraduate students and other members of academic staff to meet and discuss the latest research in your field or a particular topic. These can be intimidating at first, but follow the lead of PGR students in later years of their PhD and don’t be afraid to ask questions – these meetings are part of the learning process and can often be a space to work through ideas with others in your Department or School. No one expects you to have all the answers, especially when you are just starting out on your PhD journey. If there’s a particular topic you’d like to explore in more depth but which isn’t covered yet by a seminar or reading group in your Department or School, you can also start your own! It’s not unusual for postgraduate students to propose and run these types of events, even for a limited time (for example, a handful of sessions over several weeks).

As postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, particularly in terms of how much time you spend with others on your course, it’s a good idea to try and find other ways to meet people and get involved in campus life.

Every PGT course at Queen Mary will have at least one (possibly multiple) course representatives (“course reps”), students from a particular course who act as the point of contact between other students on the course and the academic staff. Course and Subject reps should be invited to attend Student-Staff Liaison Committees (“SSLCS”), where they can communicate any issues which their fellow students are having to the staff in the relevant Department or School. They sometimes also act as the social secretary for the course, organising group events such as study sessions, nights out or even just meeting up for coffee. If you have a problem related to your course, in the first instance you can contact your course rep. If you don’t know who that is, you can find out on this page. There are course rep elections in September for some PGT courses and in January for others. There are also a number of other reps, including reps at the faculty level who you can get in touch with if you have other issues. If you want to know when the next elections are for your course, you can email su-coursereps@qmul.ac.uk and ask (remember to mention the name of your course).

For PGR students, there are subject rep elections run by the Students’ Union every January. “Subject reps” are very similar to course reps, but the name reflects the fact that PGR students are not necessarily enrolled in a specific course in the same way as PGT students are, but instead grouped together according to subject of field (in Departments or Schools). PGR Subject Reps also attend PGR Board Meetings with the Doctoral College, which includes all Subject Reps across faculties. Like course reps, you can find out who your rep is by going to this page, where you will also find details of the postgraduate research reps for each faculty.

If you are interested in becoming a rep for your course or subject area, you can take part in the Students' Union Elections. If you want to make a change to any policies, Student Council is the forum for all Part-Time Officers to vote on policies which the Students’ Union must put into practice. You can submit a motion to Student Council here. If you want to implement a change which specifically affects postgraduate students, then you can also attend the postgraduate board, a subcommittee of Student Council which votes and makes policy specifically related to postgraduate matters. Find out more about the postgraduate board here.

As a PhD student, you may also have the opportunity to teach undergraduate students, and possibly even PGT students. At Queen Mary, you are likely to be a “Teaching Associate” (TA) or “demonstrator”. Often, you won’t get this opportunity in your first year but in the later years of your PhD, once you have settled into PGR life more (although some PGR students may teach in their first year). Teaching can be one of the most interesting and stimulating parts of being a PhD student, but also comes with increased stress (including imposter syndrome!). Researcher Development runs regular courses which every postgraduate student at Queen Mary who will teach can attend, but your Department or School may also run sessions tailored for your specific field.

If you teach, you can also sign up as a member of UCU. While the Students’ Union represents all students at Queen Mary, UCU represents academic, teaching and other professional services staff – this includes you when you are teaching (and only in your capacity as a TA or demonstrator). In other words, any issues related to teaching should be addressed to UCU, whereas issues with your PhD studies fall within the Students’ Union’s remit. You are only a full member of UCU while you have a teaching contract (i.e., while you are currently teaching at Queen Mary), and this affects things such as voting rights and strike action, so contact UCU find out whether and when you qualify as a full member.