As a Masters student you can feel a bit like a twenty-first century Frankenstein’s monster. Still suffering from the sheer knowledge of how much debt you’re in and how much debt you’re going further into, in the limbo land of old and young, questioning “can I go to the Undergrad events even when I’m 21?”…by Tom Stewart
And then they’re gargoyles, simply having too much work to do thus always being stationery. So how can Masters students make the most of this experience?
I suppose you’re asking: why would anyone want to do a Masters? Well, putting the money issues aside – Masters students want to continue learning and want to excel. The likelihood is that said Masters student wants to go on to do a PhD where they get upgraded to Dracula – ‘PhD’ is a terrifying yet glorious title. So now that we’ve gotten the issues of want out of the way, now we can talk about the issues of how. How can Masters students do what they came to Warwick to do? How can they excel? Didn’t Frankenstein’s monster learn a lot from books? He most certainly did. And where can our 21st century monsters go? The Library!
Resources
If Frankenstein’s monster had staggered into the Warwick Library, I’m sure he would have been happy. Each floor is dedicated to different subject areas and each of these subjects has a load of books available. Not just books, e-books, journals, you name it. Going to the Library is, therefore, going to help you get the most out of your Masters. You’ve spent all of this money, you might as well use every resource available to you. It’s like going to the zoo and not petting the animals. Would be a waste, wouldn’t it?
Atmosphere
As a Writing Masters student I don’t necessarily need to go to the Library. I don’t write essays, so I don’t need to source books, but I know when I go to the Library I get more work done. The temptation to watch an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or chow down on some noodles because I’m bored is gone. I’m in the Library, surrounded by other people working and it’s the atmosphere of people working that makes me want to work therefore getting more work done. Making the most of your Masters doesn’t have to mean just using the resources physically but using them emotionally. The emotional – mental almost – response to being in a working environment helps you work to. You sit back, you look up and realise everyone’s in the same boat as you and that’s comforting in itself.
Social life
Floors 1 and 2 in the Library are known for being much more social. People sit, work together, eat their lunch and get work done. Masters students – as we’ve established – are stressed creatures and may not always be socialising. Why not, therefore, incorporate the two? To socialise and get work done? Sitting on floors 1 and 2 with your fellow students will help you break out of the gargoyle/Frankenstein’s monster tomb and hear that fluttery sound of company.
There you have it, simple ways you can get the most out of your Masters. Seems almost obvious, no? Well off you go my fellow monsters/gargoyles. Trudge away and see the results.
Image: DSCF0059_edited/Lucky Lynda/ CC BY 2.0
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