A Checklist for the First Semester of Your Masters

A semester into a Masters, you can almost see the finish line. Not only do you have to be prepared to ace the second half of your degree, but this is also the time to start thinking about what you’re going to do after.

We’ve made an easy checklist of things to get ticked off so you can keep the momentum going for the last few months of your Masters.

#1 Start planning for the next (shorter) semester

We’ve covered planning before when we talked about what to do in your first week but going into the second semester will need a shift of gear. Even though it is considered a full semester, it’s shorter and more intensive. Teaching will slowly end, and you’ll solely be concentrating on your Masters dissertation over the summer months. You’ll be spending more time on self-study, researching and writing your dissertation. So, it’s worth looking at the study plan you made at the start of your Masters and tweaking it a bit to suit your new timetable.

#2 Meet with your dissertation supervisor

You may have already started thinking about your dissertation topic and even submitted an initial proposal. This is also the time you’ll be matched with your dissertation supervisor, usually an academic from your department, whose role is to offer advice on your work. You’ll have an initial meeting with your supervisor where you’ll get the chance to talk through your project and agree to a timetable of meetings and submitting drafts. Don’t forget to take any ideas, questions and areas where you might need help with you to make the most of your meeting.

#3 Start writing your dissertation

In your initial meeting with your dissertation supervisor, you’ll probably have agreed to a timetable for submitting draft chapters and sections. It is likely that you’ll start with the literature review which is a survey of existing work in your field. Not only will it form a major part of your final dissertation, it’ll also get you thinking about your own research. Even though the dissertation writing process will take you a few months and a few rounds of edits, starting to put things together now will definitely give you a head start.

#4 Decide if you want to renegotiate working hours

If you’re in a part-time job while studying, you might want to think about how much time you’re spending at your job. The dissertation period of your Masters is the most time-intensive and you’ll be expected to put in time outside classes towards it. If you think you can’t keep up with the same work-study schedule, you should speak with your employer. We understand there are still costs you need to cover but you could look at tweaking the hours you work or taking up an online job.

#5 Started thinking about opportunities after graduation

Even though the end is still a few months away, you might want to start thinking about what you want to do after your course finishes. Employability is a major consideration for students and data does tell us having a Masters degree boosts your chances of getting a high-paying job. However, you have to be prepared for it too. This is your time to start looking at your CV, shortlisting the kinds of jobs you want to do and even looking at applying to graduate schemes. There’s help available at your university’s Career Service if you need it.

If you want to remain a student for a little longer, you can also look at doing a PhD. Even then, you’ll need to start getting your head around what you need for a PhD application.

#6 Plan on how you’re going to celebrate

It definitely doesn’t need to be all work and no play! You’ll be completing a whole degree at the end of this next semester and all your hard work needs celebrating. So, plan that trip of a lifetime or just take some time to enjoy with family and friends. You’ll soon be jumping into either job or PhD applications but don’t forget to take a well-earned break.