Going to school online the majority of the year isn’t something any of us anticipated and we’ve all had to adapt. In this month’s blog I am going to provide some tips and tricks that I learned after finishing my first semester at UoM.
1. Start your work early!
Starting assignments early leaves time for you to edit your essay, and then edit again and again with little stress about deadlines. It also gives you ample time to research your topic and ask your professors any questions you may need clarified. If you do start your assignments early, make sure to add any relevant information you learn later in the semester in your courses so you can present your best and most comprehensive work.
2. Take good notes
Taking good notes on both the readings and class lectures not only gives you something to refer back to when working on assignments, but you can also refer back to these notes even after you graduate. Going into semester two, I’ve started taking more detailed notes of the class readings and lectures. This has been super helpful for when I begin working on my assignments as I can search my notes and find the exact information I can apply to my work. After finding the theoretical frameworks and concepts I can utilize, I then search for good literary sources on the UoM library website (this is my favourite database to use when researching!)
3. Think of how you can apply what you learn in the classroom to the workforce
One of my favourite things about my degree program is thinking of ways I can apply it to my future career. I’ve even created a document that has all of the ideas of what I want to implement when I start working. I add to the list whenever I get inspired by the discussions we are having in class that week. This is also a great way to stay motivated and remind myself that I am learning a lot by getting my graduate degree!
4. Reach out to your peers
I’ve spoken in previous blogs about how it’s more difficult to make friends when classes aren’t in person, but it’s definitely not impossible. I’ve made so many friends even though I’ve been in the US these past few months, and I can’t wait to go back to Manchester and meet all of them in person! The students at UoM come from a variety of different backgrounds and by just being friends with different people in my program, I’ve learned so much from the stories they’ve told me about their country of origin, undergraduate studies, and work lives. This knowledge is priceless and, you never know, one of your peers could be a leader in their industry and they’ll be a great contact to have.
These are a few things I’ve learned during my four months at UoM, and I hope they help you to on your educational journey!
