Great Expectations: Moving Universities and Advancing Studies

Adam Forshaw

MA ENGLISH LITERATURE, SCHOOL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

My name is Adam Forshaw, and I am a fourth-year postgraduate student. I studied a joint-honours degree in English Literature and Language at the University of Manchester, before coming to Huddersfield. I am currently enrolled in a Master’s course in English Literature at the University of Huddersfield and will be writing my dissertation on Victorian Literature and Detective Fiction.

Great Expectations: Moving Universities and Advancing Studies

University provides the space for both academic progression and personal development. However, what happens once you have your degree, and where do you go from there? Some graduates might find themselves a job and end their academic life there. For me, it was merely the turning of a page and the start of a new chapter: postgraduate study.

Before Huddersfield, I studied at the University of Manchester for three years for my undergraduate English degree, which means I’m not only speaking from the position of someone who has had to adapt into a new learning style, a new course, but also a new University as well.

Suffice to say, the transition from undergraduate study to postgraduate study is challenging, but it is also, more importantly, manageable and worthwhile. Postgraduate studies are easier than they sound, and this came as a surprise to me too. Perhaps it is because postgraduate study can be tailored to your special interests. Or, perhaps what makes the transition so adjustable and adaptable is the University of Huddersfield itself, with its solid support system and excellent teaching styles?

Things to consider

I knew that I wanted to go on to do a postgraduate degree in English after completing my undergraduate degree. Some advice I have for any potential postgraduates is that the choice of course should depend on at least three factors:

· Whether your grade meets the course requirements;

· Whether you want a specific course or a more general one;

· Where you want to go in terms of career and academic progression.

However, postgraduate study is a very competitive field: making sure to stand out in the selection process is key and something that I tried to do in my application to Huddersfield.

‘Why study here?’ Is a question that inevitably appears on almost every single prospectus I have read, collected and scoured through when searching for a postgraduate degree. In reading them, I found, the answers were nearly all the same which undoubtedly makes the selection process that much harder on students. The answers won’t always be personal either, they might speak from an institutional perspective for example. This is not what Huddersfield, a university that very much adheres to the individual student, does. Nor is it what this blog is going to do. I’m writing this to tell you what Huddersfield is really like, and why I chose out of many Universities, to study here and not elsewhere.

Choosing Huddersfield

With postgraduate courses comes a lot more independent study and thorough research than what you might find in your typical undergraduate degree. This is an important question to consider when furthering your academic studies: is the tassel truly worth the hassle?

At the University of Huddersfield, I’ve found that the answer to this question is nothing but short and simple: Yes. Studying a Master’s course at the University has been not only informative and insightful but has allowed for me to flourish more independently when it came to specialist studies. This newfound freedom within postgraduate study is something that I wish I had on my undergraduate degree. Who wouldn’t want to be in control of their own life, to study their special interests in relation to their course, with help from supportive academics?

I have found the change of scenery to be refreshing, going from a city-wide campus to a cosier, compact one is certainly something I have enjoyed. Huddersfield University has such a welcoming and accepting presence, and all buildings are clearly signposted, so finding your way around is easy. Huddersfield ensures that you are never lost on campus, or in your studies: there is always help at hand, whether that’s from peer support, the lecturers, tutors and societies, or the support system. All of these at Huddersfield have been an exceptional help and have guaranteed I’ve always felt welcome and this made the move to a Master’s course that much more manageable to handle.

On my first day I remember, being nervous and anxious, probably more so than other students in my position as they demonstrated a sense of familiarity, a sense of belonging. Even before I got to the classroom, all it took was asking someone (who turned out to be in my class, so that was a bonus!) for directions – and that sense of belonging was borrowed and shared. The whole process just felt smoother and by the end of the first day, you do get to know your small group of classmates quite well and are set on a direct course that will one day lead you to a successful career path.

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