Postgraduate Study Fair: What is it and why should you go to one?

PG Study Fair – something you may have heard about in passing, read about, perhaps you’ve even got friends who’ve been to one. You may have wondered, ‘Ok, but what is it really? Is there any point going?’ Let me tell you from the get go – yes, dear reader, it is very much worth it.

In the final year of my undergraduate degree (English Language and Linguistics, for those who may be curious) I already felt a strong determination to do a Master’s degree. There was, however, quite a number of concerns and questions I wanted answering. So, how did visiting a fair (two even!) help me get to where I am right now? Read on, young padawan, and you shall find out!

 

The elusive finance beast

Let’s start with one of the main concerns an aspiring postgrad must tackle – finance. The matter of lacking the resources to support yourself through a postgraduate degree is a serious one, but it can be tackled. A PG Study Fair has, among other things, a stand where you can explore the finance options available to you. It is precisely through discussing this at a Study Fair that my fears were laid to rest. If you’ve gone through all the possible finances available to you in your undergrad (like I had) then you needn’t worry – just visit a fair and chat to the consultants on site. You’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and get all the details you may need.

The quest for finding a degree

I mean, sure, you might know which field you want to go into, but are you really sure what you want to do in terms of a specific degree? At a PG Study Fair, you’ll find representatives from all Schools that will be more than happy to talk to you about the degrees they have on offer and answer any and all of the questions you may have. Science, journalism, drama, literature and more – whatever your passion, chances are there is a PG degree for it! Tutors and students alike cover the different stalls, and are friendly and welcoming, passionate about their fields and are there to pass that passion on to you. That, for me at least, is a very important factor in education – no matter how much you love something, if the people who teach you don’t share that love, it tarnishes and loses its shine. The PG Study Fair is an opportunity to see what the people knowledgeable in their field are like and leave with the absolute certainty that the degree you wish to pursue is taught by people who love that subject with a passion.

Getting acquainted with the chosen one

You’ve explored all the possible paths you could take, discussed your options, and among all of this you’ve found it – the course that sounds like the perfect fit! Or maybe two or three… you’re not entirely certain.

Once you’ve narrowed down your options there is a bit more that could help tip the scales. Case in point, I was wondering between two different fields – linguistics and education. I already had an idea of what I’d like to do in the former, but the latter also offered some tempting options. I discussed them with one of the academics that ended up helping me with the application process later on and also taught one of my modules. He shared some really interesting points, discussed some of the module content and provided valuable information on the final project which I didn’t know. At that point I was already sold and knew for certain, from the middle of my final year, what I wanted to do next and how to get it.

The treasures at the end of the journey

At this point there should be no more convincing needed for you to decide, ‘Yes, I must totally go to one of these!’ But let’s throw in an extra treat… free food!

When it comes to it, as a friend of mine said once, ‘free food is best food’ and, boy, do I agree. The noms you’ll find differ from event to event, but whatever’s on offer you can nearly always expect to find amazing cakes. I mean, if you’re going to spend a decent amount of time exploring the prospects of your future you might as well do it with a treat in hand ;)

And that just about covers it, dear explorers of academic mysteries! Take my advice to heart and set off on your journey as soon as the next Postgrad Study Fair Event pops up – I assure you you’ll find it useful. As always, feel free to hit me up if you have any questions on this or any other topic previously covered or if you want an insider’s view on the MA TESOL course at the University of Huddersfield.

Interested in postgraduate study? Book a place on our next Postgraduate Study Fair and explore your options