We hear first-hand from PGRs about how they’re finding the balance of postgraduate research with working, mental health and social lives!
Our Postgraduate Consultation Group is one of our initiatives, started last year, to hear directly from our postgraduate research community (PGRs) about their experience at Queen Mary. Our second session this year was entitled ‘Enhancing Work-Life Integration as PGRs’, so that we could hear first-hand from PGRs about how they’re finding the balance of postgraduate research with working, mental health and social lives. Read on to discover what our participants flagged, and how the Students’ Union will work on these points going forward!
Postgraduate research
Due to the autonomous nature of postgraduate research, participants of the PGCG expressed the responsibility of their projects and their self-management can often make it difficult to switch off from their research. Participants shared the irregularity of workload across different programmes, and the occasional miscommunication between supervisors and PGRs regarding expectations and task assignments.
Stipend payments
Participants also shared those who have experienced irregularities in stipend payments find it difficult to focus on their research, with anxiety caused and the need to find an additional part time job. As a result, participants stressed the importance of teaching assistantship positions, to increase financial stability as well as career development.
Accommodation and community
Participants, particularly international PGRs, shared personal struggles in finding accommodation both on-campus and off-campus, including family accommodation and for those with caring responsibilities. International participants expanded that with stresses of visa issues alongside securing accommodation. In addition, participants agreed that postgraduate specific events were important in building their postgraduate community and thus identity.
Signposting support
The PGRs in attendance stressed the need for clearer documentation and signposting for students on information about accommodation, part time jobs and mental health support. Some participants had received a handbook outlining support available from their schools, while others mentioned they discovered the Advice and Counselling services through information on their ID cards. Participants stressed that mature students should be treated similarly to younger students, with the same level of attention paid to signposting opportunities, advice and support channels.
Improvements for the future
The Vice President Liberation, International and Postgraduates will advocate for increased stipends and housing support for international students. In addition to this, he will lobby for university-wide supervisor-PGR training to enhance communication and goal settings.
The Students’ Union will promote more teaching assistant vacancies and part-time job opportunities for PGRs to meet financial challenges and enhance their career development.
The Students’ Union will continue to focus on building regular and helpful communications with our postgraduate community, as well as hosting events specifically for PGRs.
For more information on our Postgraduate Consultation Groups, please click here.
And please keep an eye out for future postgraduate news, events and information on our Postgraduate Hub.