The Reality of Studying a Masters – Student’s Perspective

The Application Process – Wait, let me read that again.

When I started my PG search, I initially planned to jump straight into an English PhD. I had chosen my course, written up a research proposal and was in the process of finalising my application when I got some devastating news: The entry requirements had changed for the next academic year. I now needed an MA degree to qualify for the course.

As you can imagine, I was pretty upset with this development. But, if I wanted to get to my PhD endgame I needed that MA. So I decided that if I had to do this, I was going to stick with something that I was familiar with and something I knew I would enjoy; a degree in Creative Writing. I briefly considered whether I wanted to study full or part-time, but quickly settled on the former as I tend to absorb information better through short and intense periods of study.

For my application itself, I needed to provide a portfolio and a cover letter explaining why I wanted to apply. The specifications for both were vague. Although that much freedom was initially exciting, that feeling quickly became a sense of worry as I realised I had no idea what my application reviewer would be looking for.

I kept going back and editing the same submission over and over again, absolutely convinced I’d written something wrong or I’d missed out a critical section that was going to make-or-break my application. (Spoilers: I hadn’t, and everything was absolutely fine. My Imposter Syndrome was just having a field day.)

I think I only allowed myself to relax when I received my admission email!

First Day of the Semester – Am I supposed to be here?

I felt a real mix of emotions initially. Especially in my first lecture.

It was an Icebreaker session and we’d been asked to talk about why we chose the Creative Writing course. One by one, I watched as each person spoke about their journey and everyone seemed so… accomplished! Authors, teachers, poets, life coaches, they all seemed to know why they were there and what their path was supposed to be.

I, in contrast, had no idea. (And still don’t, in all honestly!) I didn’t have a rich backstory or any profound reasoning for being there.

I felt a real sense of panic set in, along with a very strong urge to bolt for the classroom door. But my turn eventually arrived. With my fight-or-flight response in full-swing, I blurted out the truth: I picked the course because I just really liked writing.

I braced myself for the reaction, expecting raised eyebrows and snorts, but I was genuinely shocked to see affirming nods and enthusiastic smiles.

Surprisingly enough, they all liked writing too!

First Semester – Getting the hang of it!

Since then, my confidence has been building and I’ve been enjoying every moment of the course. I find that you’re given a lot more trust and agency as a postgraduate. Having the opportunity to really focus into the fine details of a subject that you’re interested in makes your work fun to do!

I’ve also had the opportunity to do things that I would’ve totally missed out if I’d just jumped straight to doctoral study, like I initially planned. For example, one of our modules involved building a query package to showcase our writing to agents and publishers. One of my dream jobs is to be a full-time author so learning those key skills is kind of a no-brainer.

As for the workload?

In my experience, it’s nowhere near as hefty as I expected! I’ve found that my assessment word counts are similar to the ones I had in my final undergraduate year.

But that doesn’t necessary mean it’s easier! It’s an intensive journey and it will test your knowledge and ability in a subject to its limit, so trying to coast through is NOT an option. As long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you’ll give yourself the best chance for success on your course.

Will it be like this for everyone?

Truthfully, not everyone is going to have the same Masters experience. It’ll depend on a wide range of factors, like your subject, the level of academic support on offer and your institution. Some of these, like we saw with the pandemic, might not even be within your control.

That being said, I don’t think you should let the uncertainty deter you from studying a Masters. I’ve found it to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience so far and would encourage people interested in studying at a postgraduate level to look further into their options.

For those of you getting ready to start your Masters in the coming months, good luck! Get ready to get your study on!