Text A Help!I'm a Postgrad:How to Comba...
Helen Lock
Deadlines are looming;you're broke and student parties are a distant memory.Being a postgrad is tough at times,but you don't have to suffer in silence.
Try short bursts of intensive concentration rather than long slogs in front of the computer during your postgraduate studies.Photograph:Alamy
Doing a postgrad means signing up to having a bit more on your plate.You'll be balancing finances,managing a high workload,figuring out your career and perhaps living in a new town,away from friends and family—all at the same time.But it's an opportunity that's likely to be rewarding,intellectually challenging and transformative.So how do you make the most of it while keeping stress at bay?
Student groups and universities are concerned about rising stress levels.Last year Universities UK's mental wellbeing working group discovered that campus counselling services are seeing an annual increase in demand of about 10%,with mental health professionals identifying anxiety and stress as the cause.
A 2014 survey by the charity Student Minds found that stress was the second most commonly cited challenge to mental health among students.
The upside of all this research is that there is a more open conversation on campuses about mental health,and postgraduates are being encouraged to seek support if it's needed.
Here's some advice from experts and postgraduate students on what to look out for and what helps.
You don't have to be perfect
“Students on postgraduate courses are generally there because they did well in their undergraduate degree,and they have high expectations of success at postgraduate level,”says Mel Withers,head of counselling at the University of Sussex.“They can then put a lot of pressure on themselves and become perfectionists,which is hugely stressful and demanding.”
Coupled with this,Withers suggests that being older,postgraduate students might find it harder to admit that they are struggling.“Speak out.Speak to a colleague,to a fellow student,to a professional.Don't think you've just got to struggle on because you're an adult.”
“Academics can help by managing students’expectations about what they should have achieved at different stages of the course,”Withers adds.
Nicky Lidbetter,the chief executive of Anxiety UK,a charity that has issued guidance about stress for students,agrees that postgraduates tend to feel the pressure to perform.“There's more of a financial consequence to doing well,due to being older and,in some cases,taking time out of the workplace.At undergraduate there's a bit more leniency about having downtime.”
But while coping with this pressure isn't easy,spending punishing hours in the library isn't the solution.Lidbetter and Withers agree that allowing yourself to take breaks and plan fun things to do is the key to improving both your wellbeing and your performance.
Plan your year carefully,including holidays
“A master's year is all about scheduling,really preparing yourself for what you're signing up for before diving in,”says Lidbetter.“That means looking at when those deadlines are going to hit and planning for them.But when I say scheduling,it's not all work,work,work.It's about short bursts of intensive concentration rather than long slogs in front of the computer.”
Postgraduate students agree.“I found it hard at first to have the confidence to take time out from studying,”says Rosie Edmundson,who completed an MA in education with the Open University while also working in student support at a school.“But the more anxious I got,the less motivated I was to work,so it was counterproductive not to have breaks.”
Olivia Havercroft,27,who is doing a part-time MA in history at the University of Manchester alongside her job,says,“I've helped manage stress by taking a weekend when I can,and a week off each term,to relax.
“Getting that space away from academia is crucial.It helps you think more clearly,which will help you do better.Part of this is understanding that an MA is just an MA,it's not my life.”
Seek peer support
“Having a good support network is very important and can help when things get tough,”says Nahid Saiyed,who works in student services at the University of Birmingham.“Luckily one of most enjoyable aspects about postgraduate degrees is the opportunity for building networks with other people.”
But the social side of a master's can be something students find tough at first,Withers warns.They may have lost the busy social life they had as undergrads,and often find themselves doing paid work alongside their studies which cuts down on free time.Her advice is to“find a study buddy,or get other students in your cohort together once a week or a month to chat about the course”.While this has undoubted academic benefits,it also provides the social pleasures of conversation among people with shared interests.
“Once I got to know other students,we formed an academic support network,and going to the pub once a week helped,”says Havercroft.“I would recommend joining reading groups,talking to PhD students,going to work-in-progress seminars:these can all help if you're serious about an academic career.”
Take care of yourself and make use of what the university offers
Find out at the start of the year what services your university provides for postgraduates;there are likely to be counselling,mindfulness or meditation sessions.
“At Sussex we have workshops specifically tailored for postgraduates.These services give advice around things like managing finances or navigating the assessment system.I'm sure most universities would do the same,”says Withers.
Saiyed adds,“At Birmingham we provide counselling,psycho-educational workshops,therapy groups,self-help resources and guidance on the disabled students allowance,all of which are useful for people experiencing mental health difficulties.”
In terms of how you can manage your own stress,Lidbetter recommends trying to keep some routine,eating well,not drinking too much caffeine and making sure you get enough sleep.“These are all things we know we need to do.It's hard to remember while you're studying,but they really impact on wellbeing.”
Edmundson recommends downloading an app such as Headspace,which teaches meditation and breathing techniques that can help if you're feeling overwhelmed by essay deadlines.
Finally,remember that stress is normal from time to time.“It is almost inevitable that during the year there will be periods that will be stressful,but provided it is acknowledged and managed,it can help with personal growth,”says Saiyed.
Grace Pickles,23,who's coming the end of a postgrad at Manchester University,says she accepted stress as part of the deal.“I put myself in this position.Reminding myself that while it was going to be a tough few years,it'd be worth it in the end,is what kept me going.”
New Words＆Expressions
1.postgrad［΄pəʊstgræd］n.a postgraduate
2.loom［΄luːm］v.(of something unwanted or unpleasant)about to happen soon and cause worry
3.slog［slɒɡ］n.(informal)a piece of work that takes a lot of time and effort and is usually boring
4.transformative［ˌtræns΄fɔːmətIv］adj.causing a major change to something or someone,especially in a way that makes it or them better
5.counselling［΄kaʊnsəlIŋ］n.the job or process of listening to someone and giving that person advice about their problems
6.couple［΄kʌpl］v.to join or fasten two things together
7.leniency［΄liːnIənsi］n.being not as severe or strong in punishment or judgment as would be expected.
8.counterproductive［ˌkaʊntəprə΄dʌktIv］adj.having an effect that is opposite to the one intended or wanted
9.crucial［΄kruːʃəl］adj.extremely important or necessary
10.buddy［΄bʌdi］n.someone who provides friendly help to someone with an illness or a problem or someone who does an activity with you so that you can support and encourage each other
11.cohort［΄kəʊhɔːt］n.a group of people who share a characteristic,usually age,or a group of people who support a particular person,usually a leader
12.mediation［ˌmiːdI΄eIʃən］n.the process in which someone tries to end a disagreement by helping the two sides talk about and agree on a solution
13.session［΄seʃən］n.a formal meeting or series of meetings of an organization such as a parliament or a lawcourt
14.navigate［΄nævIgeIt］v.to find which way you need to go when you are travelling from one place to another
15.overwhelm［ˌəʊvə΄welm］v.to defeat someone or something by using a lot of force
16.inevitable［In΄evItəbl］adj.certain to happen and impossible to avoid
17.acknowledge［ək΄nɒlIdʒ］v.to admit or accept that something is true or that a situation exists
Notes
1.Helen Lock is a freelance journalist with a particular interest in education.She has an MA in journalism from Goldsmiths University.This essay was published by The Guardian on 29 July,2016.
2.Open University(OU)is a public distance learning and research university,and one of the biggest universities in the UK for undergraduate education.The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based throughout the United Kingdom and principally study off-campus;many of its courses(both undergraduate and postgraduate)can also be studied anywhere in the world.
3.University of Manchester(UoM)is a public research university in Manchester,England,formed in 2004 by the merger of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and the Victoria University of Manchester.The University of Manchester is a red brick university,a product of the civic university movement of the late-19th century.
4.University of Birmingham(informally Birmingham University)is a public research university located in Edgbaston,Birmingham,United Kingdom.It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College,Birmingham(founded in 1828 as the Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery)and Mason Science College(established in 1875 by Sir Josiah Mason),making it the first English civic or“red brick”university to receive its own royal charter.
5.University of Sussex is a public research university situated in Falmer,near Brighton in Sussex.The university received its royal charter in August 1961,and was a founding member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities promoting excellence in research and teaching.
Reading Comprehension
Ⅰ.Questions for discussion
1.How will you combat the stress of doing a master's?
2.What is meant by“doing a postgrad means signing up to having a bit more on your plate”?
3.According to the survey and other reports mentioned in the text,stress has become one of the most commonly cited challenges to mental health among postgraduates.Do you have a similar problem in your postgraduate life?If yes,give some details.
4.Is it feasible for postgrads to take holidays?If yes,how?
5.What's the role of study buddies,or other students?
Ⅱ.Judge,according to the text,whether the following statements are true(T)or false(F).
1.To suffer from stress in silence is unavoidable.
2.Keeping stress at bay means you can relieve from the stress by swimming at bay.
3.Generally postgraduates are perfectionists.
4.To be a postgrad is likely to have peer support.
5.You can only take care of yourself as a postgrad.
Vocabulary
Ⅰ.Fill in the blanks with words that best complete the sentences.
( )1.The rising housing price is obviously the________crisis the new government faces.
A.upset B.looming C.tiresome D.instructive
( )2.Everyone on the spot witnessed the________power of art.
A.transactional B.transparent C.transformative D.transitive
( )3.The police took fingerprints and________the body found in the forest.
A.inspected B.isolated C.inquired D.identified
( )4.Lack of rain________with high temperatures caused the crops to fail.
A.coupled B.conducted C.composed D.concerned
( )5.Last year alone,computer________cost the company $4,000 in lost productivity.
A.uptime B.downtime C.stoptime D.resttime
( )6.Adele's next album is________for release in September.
A.scheduled B.scaled C.scored D.snatched
( )7.Brian and his________eventually emerged from the seaside.
A.companies B.corporates C.cohorts D.components
( )8.The Food Safety Act has progressively________on the way food businesses operate.
A.implemented B.impacted C.initiated D.interested
( )9.To recite the long text will be a________,but I am sure you can do it.
A.slide B.slog C.slip D.slash
( )10.The film festival is________as an event of international importance.
A.acknowledged B.afflicted C.affirmed D.affiliated
Ⅱ.Fill in each blank with a word chosen from the box in its appropriate form.
rewarding intellectually academic counterproductive expectation
stressful mindfulness perfectionist annual guidance
1.The boy looked____________at Sarah,but she didn't speak.
2.____________of the poor road conditions,she reduced her speed to 30 mph.
3.Our school has a system of___________and punishments to encourage good behaviour.
4.This website is an extremely useful____________to starting your application to a British master programme.
5.Many parents expected____________from their children.
6.The national conference is held____________in October.
7.Our physical strength declines with age,but not necessarily our____________.
8.The workshop tonight was attended by 25 parti cipants from____________and industry.
9.Girls always eat and go shopping when they are feeling____________.
10.Indeed,the reason you need talented and well-trained people is that they can be____________,not just processors.
Cloze
Of the four choices given below for each blank,choose the one that best fits into the passage.
Post-PhD pressure
My own PhD supervisor has tried a number of methods 1 the past two years to convince me to revisit my 2 and write papers for publication.At first I was 3 ,due to their assurances that writing papers could be 4 quickly,based on the weighty document I had already produced.I began 5 two papers for publication in my spare time,and 6 them for a few months.Early on,I received input from my supervisor 7 I used the feedback to revise the work and send a new version to them.
8 ,my emails about it began to receive no response—term time 9 .I wasn't particularly interested in pursuing the papers perso nally or 10 ,so I was happy to let the communication slide.I had 11 spent many months using all my lunch breaks,evenings and weekends to complete 12 thesis and I didn't relish a return to 13 lifestyle.
Six months later,I received a long email 14 the unsalvageable damage I would do to my career 15 I produced publications from my PhD.The email was pure manipulation and easily grounds for a formal complaint 16 the institution.My supervisor instructed me to complete a 17 of a paper within two weeks.
I explained that I didn't want to 18 into further work,but there was no 19 .Then,a year later,my supervisor contacted me asking for an updat e on the papers.Having nothing 20 to say,I've now stopped replying to these requests.All I really want is for the doctorate to be over.
( )1.A.over B.in C.within D.for
( )2.A.doctoring B.doctor candidate C.doctorate D.doctor
( )3.A.negative B.optional C.pessimistic D.optimistic
( )4.A.comprehended B.completed C.compiled D.compromised
( )5.A.draft B.to have drafted C.to draft D.drafting
( )6.A.woked at B.worked on C.worked for D.worked in
( )7.A.although B.since C.after D.and
( )8.A.Consequently B.However C.Therefore D.Hence
( )9.A.begin B.have begun C.had begun D.began
( )10.A.professionally B.productively C.properly D.promptly
( )11.A.appropriately B.approximately C.always D.already
( )12.A.PhD thesis B.my C.the D.a
( )13.A./ B.that C.this D.the
( )14.A.emphasizing B.focusing C.detailing D.illustrating
( )15.A.unless B.providing that C.now that D.if
( )16.A.concerning B.to C.for D.at
( )17.A.full draft B.new version C.the contents D.the outline
( )18.A.be pushed B.be manipulated C.be criticized D.be dismissed
( )19.A.response B.reference C.reaction D.result
( )20.A.available B.eloquent C.else D.further