Settling in to postgraduate life

Posted on March 5, 2020June 18, 2020 by Emily

We’ve been asking current postgraduate, Lixuan, some questions about settling in to postgraduate life at Bristol.

At our upcoming undergraduate to postgraduate live chat, you can talk to postgraduate ambassadors like Lixuan so that you make an informed decision about undertaking postgraduate study. If you already know you’re coming to Bristol, chatting to our ambassadors can help you be prepared to start your postgraduate journey when you arrive.

What has the difference from undergraduate study to postgraduate study been like for you?

Coming from a chemistry background in undergraduate study, the course content in MSc Biomedical Sciences Research is a completely different discipline. I find it challenging but interesting as this is where my interests lie. The main thing that sparked my interest are the depth and breadth of my lecturers’ knowledge. They always speak about the topic with so much enthusiasm that us students cannot help but get involved in as well. I was also unprepared with how much self-directed studying we have, although help is always available from our personal tutor and programme director.

I find that you have to take a lot of initiative to be able to make the best out of your master’s programme. You can apply for internships or attachments, get career advice, and join workshops to prepare yourself for the future; but if and only if you take the initiative to follow through. I have the chance to have an attachment in the field I’m interested in, thanks to a lot of hustling! From my point of view, the opportunities for personal and career growth are never lacking in UoB.

“You can apply for internships or attachments, get career advice, and join workshops to prepare yourself for the future; but if and only if you take the initiative to follow through.”

How did you find settling in to the city of Bristol?

I find the experience of being in Bristol novel and thrilling, as this is my first time being away from my home country for longer than 6 months. Bristol is a truly amazing place to explore your passions, especially if you appreciate art and music. Travel-wise, it is the best base to go to London, Bath, Salisbury and other nearby places of interest. Bristol airport also has cheap flights to many other countries which makes it easy to catch the travel bug. For me personally, Bristol is busy enough to be fascinating but not too hectic that I feel drained living here. The accommodation I’m currently living in is tip-top as well and a stone’s throw away from the city centre.

“Bristol is a truly amazing place to explore your passions, especially if you appreciate art and music. Travel-wise, it is the best base to go to London, Bath, Salisbury and other nearby places of interest.”

How did you find the first few months of postgraduate life?

The first few months in postgraduate study flew by so fast. We had classes, assignments and exams to study for. Socially, there are University activities every week and hang-outs with friends, so there’s never a quiet weekend. I wish I knew how much work we had to do and how to schedule my time effectively before starting the course. However, this is a skill I’m learning on my own as the course continues. I would have warned myself to layer up more in winter, as the cold chill is not fun most of the time!

What is the role of a PG ambassador? Why is it helpful to talk to an ambassador before you arrive?

A PG ambassador aims to use his/her own personal experience to provide a reference for prospective students. It would have been great to have a graduate from my current programme to talk to prior to coming to the University. An ambassador could provide unique insights in not only the academic aspect but the after hours student life: where is the cheapest place for lunch, the hidden nook in libraries, best pub for live jazz etc., which for me makes the student experience worthwhile.

All in all, studying in UoB is a challenge, which is expected from a top 50 university. Academically, this is one of the best universities to be in. Socially, you will most definitely find your crowd in and out of the University.

Choosing Bristol for postgraduate study

Posted on January 10, 2020June 18, 2020 by Emily

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!

My New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 6, 2020February 12, 2020 by Emily

As we head into the New Year, many of us will be setting resolutions to make 2020 count. We’ve been talking to current student Harry, studying an MSc in Climate Change Science and Policy, about his resolutions and plans to make the most of his time left studying in Bristol.

Harry will be a guest at our postgraduate taught virtual event on 10 February. Register your place now for the chance to ask Harry your questions about postgraduate study.

I’m Harry, I’m studying an MSc in Climate Change Science and Policy and I’m having a great time at Bristol so far! Here are my five New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Learn some new skills in the Magic Society

Having been doing magic on and off for about five years now, this is the first time I’ve been around other magicians and I’ve loved it. So far, I’ve really enjoyed teaching some sleight of hand and card magic to newbie magicians and saw them doing the tricks I taught at our first show. But I want to try my hand at something different. A couple of the society members are really good at stage magic – bigger tricks with vanishes and changes – so I would love to learn from them how to do some routines that I could put towards a society stage show later in the year.

“…next year I want to branch out more and use the libraries so I can work with friends and experience the aesthetic of the beautiful Wills Memorial Building”

2. Use the libraries more

My lecturers are great at giving our reading material online, so lots of my work has been done at home, where I have my perfect desk set-up. But next year I want to branch out more and use the libraries so I can work with friends and experience the aesthetic of the beautiful Wills Memorial Building. The Wills also has all the dissertations from my course for the last few years so being able to go through them will be very useful for thinking about what to do for my own.

3. Use the Careers Service

Now I’ve got my teeth into my degree and am comfortable with my workload I need to start thinking about the future. I’ve spoken to a few friends who have said the Careers Service have been a great help for them; thinking about what to apply for, how to write great applications, and even with just helping to get a good LinkedIn profile. I’ll also start checking the Careers Fair Plus app that the University uses to see if there are any events that I would like to go to.

“I’ve spoken to a few friends who have said the Careers Service have been a great help for them”

4. Explore the city

Living quite close to campus in my accommodation has been great for getting into classes quickly, but I’m yet to have a wander around much, and judging from the view from Cabot Tower there’s plenty to see. The picturesque Clifton Village will definitely be on my to-do list. I would really like to go to the Bristol Zoo as well, the glass-floored gorilla house seems like a very strange yet fantastic experience.

“I’m yet to have a wander around much and judging from the view from Cabot Tower, there’s plenty to see”

5. Get involved more with the University

I’ve had a great experience at the University so far, so I’m keen to help others experience it, too. That’s why I’m going to be doing this virtual event next term to talk about these great things and hope that others come to Bristol and experience them.

Register your place on our postgraduate taught virtual event on 10 February to hear more from Harry and ask him your questions.

Why attend a postgraduate open day?

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Emma

We asked Alice Brereton, Postgraduate Recruitment Manager, to tell us all about Bristol’s postgraduate open day in 60 seconds.

“You have the opportunity to meet our internationally renowned academic staff and current postgraduate students, whilst getting a feel for the university and city”

Why should students come to a postgraduate open day?

There is only so much you can gather from looking online – the fantastic thing about coming to our open day, is that you have the opportunity to meet our internationally renowned academic staff and current postgraduate students, whilst getting a feel for the university and city.

We recognise that continuing to postgraduate level, or coming back to academic study, is an important decision for individuals. Our postgraduate open day on 20 November allows you to get the answers to your specific questions and experience the atmosphere here – Bristol is a friendly campus in the heart of a vibrant city.

“There’ll be talks on offer, such as personal statement top tips, postgraduate funding, getting back into study, research at Bristol, student panels.”

What can attendees expect from the day?

The day begins at 1.00pm when you can register and collect your welcome pack. The main exhibition will be taking place between 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. You’ll have the opportunity to talk to our students and academics and find out more about course units, types of assessment and anything else you’d like to know. Our support services will also be on hand to explain what support is available to help you feel safe, supported and able to reach your full potential.

From 1:20 pm to 3:50 pm there’ll be a suite of informative talks on offer, such as personal statement top tips, postgraduate funding, getting back into study, research at Bristol, student panels and many more. You can take a look at our open day programme to find out more and plan your day.

From 4:00 pm until 5:30 pm there will be a selection of Faculty specific and subject specific tours and presentations, where you will get to explore the different classrooms, libraries, labs and study spaces.

What else is on offer?

We are running city tours and campus tours in the morning, before the event begins. This provides you with more time to attend talks and chat to academics during the afternoon. Morning tours can be booked in advance and whilst the event is running, from 1pm to 4pm, we are holding student led tours of the campus, which you can book on to at registration.

“I’d recommend making a plan before coming to the event to get as much as possible out of the day.”

How can students get the most out of the day?

I’d recommend making a plan before coming to the event to get as much as possible out of the day, talk to student ambassadors in the red t-shirts, interact with the academics who are on hand to answer questions – along with experts from support services; everyone is keen to help and ensure you get all the information required.

Use the timings in our program so you can attend the talks, go on a tour and also have enough time to talk to academics and students. You can attend as many talks as you like – but please make sure you get to the talks 5 minutes early, as they can fill up quickly.

Most importantly, enjoy the day!

How do I keep in touch with all the latest postgraduate information at University of Bristol?

Remember to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and keep an eye on this blog channel. You can also visit www.bristol.ac.uk/vip where you can sign up to receive further information and updates.

Written by Alice Brereton, Postgraduate Recruitment Manager

To find out more about postgraduate study attend our Open Day on 20 November.

Postgraduate open day

Posted on September 13, 2019September 16, 2019 by Sarah

Choosing a university for postgraduate study is an important decision and we’re here to help you. On this blog we’ll be sharing information on postgraduate study at the University of Bristol as well as advice and insight from some of our current students.

Visit us in Bristol

If you’re thinking about postgraduate study, our Postgraduate open day is a great way to explore our programmes, talk to the experts and get the student view from our current postgraduates.

Our open day will take place on Wednesday 20 November and we’d love to see you there. We’ve designed the day to inform and inspire you, show you the benefits of further study and find all the information you need to make this important decision.

Book your place

This is your opportunity to meet some of our current postgraduate students and the academics you could be working with. You’ll also be able to attend central talks about all aspects of postgraduate study as well as some subject specific talks, exhibitions and tours.

Want to explore the city? Book your place on our guided city tour to take in the sights and sounds of Bristol and find out why our city has twice been named the best place to live in Britain (Sunday Times, 2014 and 2017).

By visiting our campus, meeting our staff and students, and experiencing the atmosphere for yourself, you can make an informed decision on whether Bristol is the right place for you.

Join us for our open day

Keep in touch

Email us – postgraduate-recruitment@bristol.ac.uk