Why I chose to do postgraduate study at Huddersfield

Why I chose Huddersfield

I was in full-time work when I decided that I would like to return to university to study at postgraduate level. The choice of institution was an easy one; Huddersfield is home. 

I had completed my undergraduate degree there, and so, despite having moved away for work, knew instantly that this was the place I wanted to dedicate another four years of my life to.

"It was the homeliness of the place that made me feel comfortable..."

Of course, not everybody who goes on to study at postgraduate level at the University of Huddersfield is from the area or is an undergraduate alumna. I am not from Huddersfield originally; it was the homeliness of the place that made me feel comfortable here, and ultimately want to come back. 

Many universities across the country – Huddersfield included – can lay claim to being the best at a particular kind of research or show off star staff members but what makes our university unique is its ability to wrap up the researcher in a cosy environment from which they can tackle what will likely be the most testing task of their life. 

The University has been developing its research culture over the last few years, bringing all departments into line with one another in terms of the effort and attention they pay to their research outputs – a result of our country’s switch to a Research Excellence Framework obsession (which is another story). 

The good thing about this is that postgraduate researchers are seeing the benefits. In my own department, we have seen a shift in the standard of workspaces afforded Master’s and PhD students. 

Whereas in years gone by I would have had to find a work desk in a dark, cramped room in a dingy corner of campus, now we have a dedicated postgraduate research suite in the ultra-modern Oastler Building, opened just a couple of years ago and featuring huge desks, big, bright windows, new IT facilities and our own kitchen.

Space for postgraduate researchers

It might seem like a small detail, but one of the most commonly-cited negatives of going into postgraduate research is the isolation one can be open to; having a special space, which is only accessible to certain postgraduate researchers (our Oastler Building suite is only accessible through the swipe of your student card, so the desks are never occupied by undergrads), gives a sense of place and purpose to your study. 

There are other homely amenities scattered across campus; corporate coffee facilities which cater for your tastes no matter where you fall on the Costa-Starbucks spectrum, the University shop and various canteen facilities.