I am now three months into my MPhil and I can’t believe how fast this first term has flown by! This is undoubtably due to my busy timetable. Unlike my undergraduate degree, where most weeks averaged roughly 8 hours contact time with lecturers, I am in everyday from 9am-6pm, spending the majority of my mornings writing project and grant proposals whilst the afternoons are heavily based on laboratory work. However, despite my hectic timetable I have to say I am really enjoying my new fast paced and busy life style! Each day has a new purpose and while some days are challenging, I feel I am continually being productive and progressing. This is a vast comparison to my undergraduate days of waiting around my student rented accommodation, keeping myself busy until my housemates would get home and entertain me!

Furthermore, the longer hours spent in Uni has enabled my relationships with members of staff and other postgraduate students to blossom. Often after a long day in Uni drinks at the Trent House, dinner at the Bangkok Cafe or just a cup of tea at the Quilliam Brothers Tea House are all a common occurrence and I feel I have made just as many new friends as I did in my first year of my undergraduate. Additionally, this is a better way to relax and unwind on an evening rather than going home, getting straight into bed and watching countless episodes of rubbish on 4od, as I often would after a long day at the Robinson Library in my final year!

Thus far, I have to say I am really enjoying life as a Postgraduate Student and am looking forward to my studies progressing after the Christmas break!

Merry Christmas 🙂