6 Survival Tips for Starting a New Masters

Starting a Masters is a brand-new experience but imagine adding an entirely new course to the mix.

For my MA Journalism, the course was new to the university (we called it a guinea pig Masters), so it came with some unexpected challenges and opportunities.

If, like me, you're looking at a Masters which is new and you’re concerned about your experience, don’t fret, you have your very own guinea pig course survival guide here to help!

1. Say goodbye to perfection

One thing you can expect from a guinea pig course is that it is far from perfect, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

My Masters degree taught me so much about myself; how to handle unexpected situations, and how to pull through and work hard even when you don’t have all the resources you may need. I had to finish writing my 15,000-word dissertation without a supervisor and seek guidance from the course lead and any external help I could get from people with previous postgraduate experience.

Although this scenario may not be something you have to experience, no guinea pig course is the same. You must mentally prepare for the things that could go wrong and know that there will be a solution. There will be lots of trial and error, so be open-minded and ready to give grace to your lecturers and yourself.

2. Mentally prepare to work

Even though you are entering new waters, with a guinea pig course, you’ll have to do even more independent learning than usual.

One situation I encountered was not having a lecturer for the first few weeks of a work-experience module. Using the resources we had, which was a module specification sheet, assignment list and another lecturer, we did the initial tasks. By the time the lecturer for the module arrived, they were able to provide feedback on the work we had started and help us stay on track with our grades.

If a similar situation happens to you, look at the information you have and make a first attempt at the tasks. If you have questions and require help, ask other lecturers and support systems within the university, it’s what they’re there for!

3. Be ahead of the course schedule

This next survival tip comes from one of the mistakes I made during my Masters in the second term where I fell behind the schedule.

As soon as you receive your course timetable and module specifications, I recommend making your own study timetable with deadlines two to three weeks before the ones set by your lecturers. Add independent learning time outside of lectures to improve your subject knowledge and point out areas you need more help in. Doing all of this will prevent you from falling behind like I did and then having to pick up more work within a smaller time frame.

If you like having a study partner, you can also share your schedule with a classmate and hold each other accountable.

These are all recommended regardless of a new or established course, but it’s especially important for guinea pig Masters. If you’re organised, a disorganised module won’t phase you.

4. Have a support system

Knowing that I wasn’t alone on this wild rollercoaster of a new Masters, helped me to keep pushing through.

Firstly, find someone at the university that you can ask for help, support and advice from. This can be the subject lead, one of your lecturers or a supervisor you feel comfortable with. It may even be the Student Services department or your classmates. Whatever the case, you need people who understand what you’re going through and can support you. Become a fan of open and regular communication with these people.

Secondly, stay in touch with family and friends outside of university. This helped me to stay sane and feel encouraged as I got to rant, complain, debrief and be honest with them, and they could be honest with me when I needed to step up.

5. Be optimistic

To be a guinea pig for a Masters course is a courageous move!

Although there were twists and turns, there were also amazing opportunities that came out of it, like designing a journalism masterclass and being asked back as a guest speaker. I got to share my experience, speak with students, and help them decide if a Masters is for them. Now this is something I get to do in my job today. What are the odds?

I grew so much during my course, and I feel the independent work I had to do became my very own PhD boot camp, preparing me for that future return to postgraduate study.

6. You can help shape the future

Part of the role that comes with being a guinea pig or rather a first timer, is that you get to give feedback. Don't be shy in doing this, everyone will be interested in hearing your opinions of the course. We were asked to do this through a survey, but don’t just wait for that, be vocal throughout and your lecturers and course lead will be thankful.

Remember you are not alone in this process. Be gentle with yourself, honest with the process and share these things with those who are with you on this journey. And most of all, enjoy it!

We hope you found these tips useful. If you have not started a Masters and want to know what courses are out there? Check out our list of over 23,000 Master courses in the UK and worldwide.

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