{"id":491,"date":"2020-08-11T11:57:09","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T10:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-skills\/?p=491"},"modified":"2024-04-23T09:05:54","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T08:05:54","slug":"from-undergraduate-to-postgraduate-small-steps-not-a-giant-leap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/08\/11\/from-undergraduate-to-postgraduate-small-steps-not-a-giant-leap\/","title":{"rendered":"From undergraduate to postgraduate - small steps, not a giant leap"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>If you're graduating this summer and are looking to continue your academic studies this autumn, you may have lots of questions about what postgraduate study is like. Head of Digital and Academic Skills Dave Busby sets out what to expect if you're making the move from undergraduate to postgraduate study.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve just finished your undergraduate studies, there could be a variety of reasons why continuing your studies at postgraduate level is a good next step. But how does postgraduate study differ from undergraduate study? Is it much of a leap to study for a master\u2019s degree after three or four years of undergraduate study?<\/p>\n<h2>Manage your time<\/h2>\n<p>Postgraduate courses are typically only for a year but it\u2019s a busy year! You can expect to read and study a lot in a short time so it can seem quite intense. While this can feel like a big leap, it probably isn\u2019t too demanding if you bring all of your good study habits with you.<\/p>\n<p>Time management is the key to success at postgraduate level. Remember to organise your time carefully and plan your schedule for reading and writing. Revise all the techniques for reading and note-taking you used at undergraduate level. The more prepared you are to work hard and manage your time, the less intense the year will feel.<\/p>\n<p>If you need some tips on managing your time, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/unihub.bath.ac.uk\/s\/myskills\/links\/detail\/454\">access this short online course<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Ask for help<\/h2>\n<p>The University offers a wide range of services to help you in the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies. We\u2019ve developed the '<a href=\"https:\/\/xerte.bath.ac.uk\/play.php?template_id=1143#menu\">Make your move to PGT study' short course<\/a> to help make sure the move up is as smooth as possible.<\/p>\n<p>If you find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of study involved, just remember that help is around the corner and many of your peers will be feeling exactly the same. It would be good to arrange some study groups where you can work with your classmates and share good practice.<\/p>\n<h2>Learn from your peers<\/h2>\n<p>You may well be sharing a class with people returning to study, students from many different countries and those who have studied a range of subjects. Don\u2019t shy away from students who may be older or seem to have more experience than you \u2013 think about what you can learn from them and what they can learn from you!<\/p>\n<p>You may also find greater variety in the way you\u2019re taught as your tutors will probably have different styles of teaching and expectations of learners.<\/p>\n<h2>Communicate clearly<\/h2>\n<p>You may be expected to make group presentations or discuss reading you\u2019ve done in a seminar group. Clear communication is very important for developing good working relationships with your classmates and for getting the best out of the experience (have a look at the tips in our \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2019\/11\/27\/th-five-steps-to-effective-group-working\/\">5 steps to effective group working<\/a>\u2019 blog and in this <a href=\"https:\/\/unihub.bath.ac.uk\/s\/myskills\/links\/detail\/464\">Effective Online Group Work short course<\/a>). Join in and be positive - this will help make your classes interesting.<\/p>\n<h2>Plan your extended assignment<\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest differences between undergraduate and postgraduate study is the extended assignment you may have to complete in the final third of the year.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll need to be a lot more independent in choosing your topic, conducting research and writing up results. When you start your course think about the topics you\u2019re most interested in and the kind of work you\u2019d like to do in the future. It\u2019ll be a lot easier to manage an extended project over a long period of time if you feel positive and motivated by the topic.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s lots more help available on writing dissertations in our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2021\/06\/29\/writing-your-dissertation\/\">Academic &amp; Employability Skills blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>The voice of experience<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s what a student who recently moved from undergraduate to postgraduate studies said about her experience:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cI guess the biggest differences were working with older people\u2026 the increased number of assignments due at one time (at undergrad they space it out for you much more!)\u2026 the jump between classes and assignments \u2013 we covered the very basics in class but we\u2019re expected to deep dive in our essays so there was a big knowledge gap\u2026 and the wildly varied styles of teaching. I suppose because an MA is more specialised, the people who taught us had really different teaching styles whereas undergrad stuck to a formula.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If you\u2019re joining us to do a postgraduate course this autumn, good luck, and remember the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/campaigns\/get-ahead-with-skills-at-bath\/\">Skills Centre<\/a> is here to help if you need extra support with your academic, English, maths and statistics or digital skills.<\/p>\n<p>What's your experience of moving from undergraduate to postgraduate level? Please share your transition tips in the comments!<\/p>\n<p><em>Blog updated June 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you're graduating this summer and are looking to continue your academic studies this autumn, you may have lots of questions about what postgraduate study is like. Head of Digital and Academic Skills Dave Busby sets out what to expect...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1438,"featured_media":492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[91,74,76,95],"tags":[77],"class_list":["post-491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-skills","category-communication","category-postgraduate-study","category-time-management","tag-ug-to-pgt"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/08\/steps.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1298,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2024\/07\/10\/a-successful-launch-the-postgraduate-project-management-course\/","url_meta":{"origin":491,"position":0},"title":"A Successful Launch: The Postgraduate Project Management Course","author":"Leah McCue","date":"July 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Digital and Academic Skills Team (DAS), Skills Centre, is pleased to share the success of the new Postgraduate Project Management Course. At the Skills Centre, we are proud to embed employability in our provision, and this year we trialled an exciting, new Project Management course with great success. DAS\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Employability&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Employability","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/employability\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Students sitting down and working in a group.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/07\/Students-working-in-a-group.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/07\/Students-working-in-a-group.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/07\/Students-working-in-a-group.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2024\/07\/Students-working-in-a-group.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":427,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/06\/02\/academic-integrity-how-to-be-an-ethical-scholar\/","url_meta":{"origin":491,"position":1},"title":"Academic integrity: how to be an ethical scholar","author":"Kevin Renfrew","date":"June 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr Briony Frost, Curriculum Development Officer in the Centre for Learning & Teaching, manages the University's Academic Integrity Project. Briony explains the importance of academic honesty and the resources available to help all students become ethical scholars. At the University of Bath, we pride ourselves on our vibrant and innovative\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic integrity&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic integrity","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-integrity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image shows sign with 'right' pointing right and 'wrong' pointing left","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/06\/ethical-e1591106702622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/06\/ethical-e1591106702622.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/06\/ethical-e1591106702622.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1605,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/06\/05\/how-to-tackle-difficult-readings-and-overcome-imposter-syndrome\/","url_meta":{"origin":491,"position":2},"title":"How to tackle difficult readings and overcome Imposter Syndrome","author":"Jeremy Sanders","date":"June 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"University isn\u2019t always a smooth ride, and whether you're deep in undergraduate lectures or immersed in postgraduate research, there are times when academic reading feels like decoding an alien language. And as if that isn\u2019t enough, many of us quietly carry around a sneaky voice whispering, \u201cYou don\u2019t belong here.\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic reading&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic reading","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/academic-reading\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Woman sits at desk with laptop, looking tired","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/05\/Blog-post-images-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/05\/Blog-post-images-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/05\/Blog-post-images-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2025\/05\/Blog-post-images-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":472,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2020\/07\/07\/sharpen-up-your-skills-this-summer\/","url_meta":{"origin":491,"position":3},"title":"Sharpen up your skills this summer","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"July 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"If you have some spare time on your hands this summer, why not use it to develop some of your skills? Here are the Skills Centre's top 10 ideas for sharpening up your skills this summer. 1. Develop your writing skills 1:1 writing tutorials are available over the summer for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic integrity&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic integrity","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-integrity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Large yellow capital letters spelling the word 'summer' located on campus by the lake as part of the Summer at Bath programme.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/summeratbath_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/summeratbath_small.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/summeratbath_small.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2020\/07\/summeratbath_small.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1012,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2025\/08\/23\/zero-to-hero-returning-to-mathematics\/","url_meta":{"origin":491,"position":4},"title":"Zero to Hero \u2013 returning to mathematics","author":"Ed Southwood","date":"August 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Returning to study mathematics after a break can be intimidating. Ed Southwood from the Mathematics Resources Centre (MASH) offers some tips to help you get back up to speed again.\u00a0 There are many reasons why your maths skills may feel rusty: perhaps you're starting a degree that requires mathematics after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Maths and statistics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Maths and statistics","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/maths-and-statistics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lego superman stood on a log","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/esteban-lopez-6yjAC0-OwkA-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/esteban-lopez-6yjAC0-OwkA-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/esteban-lopez-6yjAC0-OwkA-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/esteban-lopez-6yjAC0-OwkA-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/esteban-lopez-6yjAC0-OwkA-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/04\/esteban-lopez-6yjAC0-OwkA-unsplash.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1021,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/2023\/07\/05\/from-pre-sessional-to-msc-my-year-at-the-university-of-bath\/","url_meta":{"origin":491,"position":5},"title":"From Pre-sessional to MSc - my year at the University of Bath","author":"Kerry Vevers","date":"July 5, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Skills Centre runs summer Pre-sessional courses for offer-holders who need to improve their English language before their master's course starts. We checked in with MSc Finance with Risk Management student Ibrahim Abu Arja from Jordan throughout his year in Bath to hear how the 10-week Pre-sessional course prepared him\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Academic skills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Academic skills","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/category\/academic-skills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"MSc student Ibrahim Abu Arja from Jordan in the School of Management building, University of Bath.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/07\/Ibrahim_800x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/07\/Ibrahim_800x450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/07\/Ibrahim_800x450.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/2023\/07\/Ibrahim_800x450.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1438"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/academic-and-employability-skills\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}