News, information and events for your Manchester student life
When mid semester rolled around this year, I suddenly found myself dealing with the early signs of burnout. I was lying awake most nights, staring at the ceiling and wishing myself to just fall asleep. My thoughts were racing and all I wanted was to switch my brain off. Previously simple tasks like reading and…
Throughout my time doing a PhD, I have figured there is a lot of learning through failure and mistakes…like a lot of things. I wanted to put together a few things I thought would have been so helpful to have known as a first year PhD researcher looking back now. I believe had I known…
It can be very easy to get stuck around campus when you have some focused work to complete, or you are getting down to some focused writing. To take a break away from stuffy office spaces and the crowded libraries, here are a few recommendations of my favourite places to visit as alternatives. Chapter One…
December might be my favourite month of the year. Festive cheer is everywhere, winter break is nearing and there are countless reasons for celebration. For students, however, the turn of the month also marks something much less jolly: Essay season. Truthfully, spending my days glued to my laptop is seriously killing my Christmas spirit. If…
Now that reading week is a distant memory and the semester is resuming with its academic rigour, you’ve probably started thinking about your living situation for next year. Whether you’re now a seasoned pro, having gone through the process last year or a few times before, or in first year navigating the process for the…
Confession: In first year, I skipped a concerning number of seminars because I was too nervous about them. I found the whole experience anxiety inducing, from worrying that I hadn’t understood the readings to stressing that I was going to be called on to contribute. Though not going provided temporary relief, I ended up missing…
You’ve arrived in Manchester and are starting a whole new chapter of your life. There really is a lot that goes on in your first year and a lot to get used to in your first semester too. Because you might have a lot to get your head round this year, including the newness of…
So, you’ve survived your first year of university, and hopefully found some moments of thriving too. Second year might be a time when things change from what you experienced in first year such as moving into a shared house from halls. This blog post provides tips for moving to second year living spaces. This is based on…
Starting PhD life can be different for any new researchers. You may be fresh out of studying undergraduate or a postgraduate degree, returning to academia after a while, or maybe even brand new to the academic environment. Whatever your experience at university, I want to provide a few areas for you to start to prioritise…
I have been through plenty of trial-and-error when it comes to how to succeed in my degree. For instance, I spent the majority of my first year not really understanding the structure of university work, what I needed to do to improve my grades or how I needed to change my academic habits after leaving school. When…
If you’re anticipating the start of your university journey, it’s likely your mind is filled with expectations of what it’s going to be like. Thoughts of freshers’ week, new friends and a new city may spring to mind, but equally the academic processes at university might as well. What is a lecture? As you’d expect,…
The Student Guide to Disabled Education: DSA and DASS So, you’re a student with a disability and you’re starting university – or maybe you’re already a student and newly diagnosed – what support should you set up? There are two main support systems for disabled students: DSA and DASS. You can apply and receive support from both services.…
For many, conferences are really exciting times for research. Our ideas and knowledge can be shared and collaborations can be formed with others across organisations at conferences and events. At the PhD stage, conferences can often be discussed as both a great opportunity for a researcher as well as a crucial part of disseminating work…
Many have told me that research is not a linear process…a very understated sentence in my experience! For me, it has been very different to undergraduate and even master’s experiences. Although you will be drawing on others’ research from similar fields, you will be working to create something very unique. Many of us lead on…
For me, the biggest shock about moving back to university to study for my Master’s was moving from a life growing up in the Yorkshire countryside to a life living in the second biggest city in the UK. I didn’t expect this, and thought I’d adjust just fine. I was excited, even, to live in…