Current postgraduate student, Dionysia, talks about the steps she took when choosing Bristol for postgraduate study.
Learn more about postgraduate study at Bristol by registering for our virtual events. Talk to current students like Dionysia, as well as experts in admissions and funding for tips and advice on the application process and financing your postgraduate degree.
How did you go about choosing Bristol as your postgraduate study option?
When I was applying for my postgraduate studies, there were a number of things I had in mind. Once I had all the questions I wanted to ask about each particular university, I searched online for course structure, student satisfaction, academic staff and university rankings. I found the answers to most of my academic enquiries online, but I still wanted to find out more about the student experience in Bristol as I felt that this would offer me a more complete representation of the University and perhaps my course. Academic curricula are important to me, but I personally look for a more rounded and inclusive student experience.
“Rankings certainly contributed to making this decision; Bristol has consistently been in the top 10 UK universities for an impressive period of time.”
What did you want to know before choosing Bristol?
Having completed my undergraduate degree, I had a rough idea of what study methods are more conducive to my learning. I wanted to get some more information on the course structure, materials, contact hours per week, seminars, tutorials etc. Importantly, I wanted to know if the department I was applying to offered students the opportunity to choose their modules and dissertation topics.
What avenues did you use to learn about Bristol?
To get some extra information on the student facilities and my department, I browsed the University’s official website; it is by far the fastest and most accurate source of information. Bristol’s website is very detailed and user friendly, which made this process significantly easier. There are multiple links directing you to sections which address your questions and answer relevant queries that other students have had in the past.
What helped you to make your decision?
Rankings certainly contributed to making this decision; Bristol has consistently been in the top 10 UK universities for an impressive period of time. Apart from that, I found the discussions that I had during the open day to be extremely insightful. They gave me a real summary of what it is like to be a postgraduate student in Bristol, touching on a number of non-academic issues such as student societies, accessibility, nightlife, and the facilities available to students. The open day was paramount to my decision; I would highly encourage prospective students to pay a visit and speak to postgraduate ambassadors about their experience in Bristol.
“The open day was paramount to my decision; I would highly encourage prospective students to pay a visit and speak to postgraduate ambassadors about their experience in Bristol.”
Why are you getting involved with the virtual visit?
I’m excited about the virtual visit; it’s a great opportunity to share my experience as a postgraduate student in Bristol to prospective students that cannot visit our campus. Through the virtual visit, I hope I can help prospective students to make their choice, answering questions about the city, student facilities and services, finances and much more. This will also be an ideal opportunity to get the best tips about libraries, affordable food and drink, employability and numerous other aspects of postgraduate life that many wished they knew before they started their programme.
“I’m excited about the virtual visit; it’s a great opportunity to share my experience as a postgraduate student in Bristol to prospective students that cannot visit our campus.”
What do you hope people will get out of the virtual visit?
I hope people see how much we value student satisfaction in Bristol. There are several teams in the University that are specifically addressing issues around the quality of studies and constantly ask students to give feedback. Through the virtual visit, I hope our participants get an idea of what postgraduate student life is like in Bristol and that it helps them to make their decision to come here!