24 | FOREVER Keele
Studying a postgraduate course can be tough at times but there ’ s also lots of support for mental and physical health , ranging from counselling and wellbeing services to mindfulness activities , free or reduced cost sports sessions , and wellbeing walks around our beautiful campus !
EP : Can you tell us about the information and advice available to you with regards to postgraduate student finance , bursaries and scholarships ?
AB : I used a UK Government Masters Loan to partially fund my MA studies , and then worked part-time to fund the remainder of that MA year . However , when I applied to Keele , I was told by the Admissions team that I had automatically qualified for – and been granted - two bursaries that helped to reduce the cost of my fees .
When I arrived at Keele , I was also made aware of other internal support that is available to our students , including the KPA Bursary and the Student Hardship Fund that is administered by Student Services .
During my MA , I had the opportunity to attend an information session about applying for a PhD . During this , we were guided through the various finance options available and through the process for applying for funded studentships within my academic school .
My PhD is funded but , to secure that , I had to apply for funding via a competition . My supervisor worked with me to help me turn my initial research proposal into a funding proposal . This was invaluable as I ’ d never written a funding proposal before so had no idea what information to include , or how to write such a document !
EP : Are there any on-campus facilities that you ’ ve used and found useful as a postgraduate student ?
AB : Having a library that is open 24 / 7 in termtime is wonderful ! I ’ m not a night owl but I ’ m often on campus quite early , so it ’ s great that I don ’ t have to wait around for the library to open and can just head straight there and get started with my work .
The KPA Clubhouse is another great space for postgraduates on campus . It ’ s where I go if I want to take a bit of a break during a busy day as I ’ m always guaranteed to see a friendly face in there . Plus , it does excellent food !
EP : How have your postgraduate degrees enhanced your career prospects ?
AB : I decided to return to postgraduate study because I wanted to change career paths into academia . My MA and PhD have , I hope , equipped me with the skills that I need to pursue that career . In addition to undertaking an extensive research project in the form of my PhD thesis , I ’ ve been encouraged and supported to present at ( and organise !) conferences , to publish my work in appropriate peer-reviewed journals , and to get involved in teaching and demonstrating . I ’ ve also been supported in completing my Associate Fellowship for Advance HE , and have benefitted from additional training opportunities such as the sessions offered by the Keele Doctoral Academy and attendance at Keele ’ s Latin and Paleography Summer School .
Since returning to postgraduate study , I ’ ve also become much more aware of how the skills and experience that I have gained can equip me for life beyond or outside of academia . Whilst I still want to pursue an academic career , my tutors have always encouraged me to think in terms of skills rather than just knowledge , and this has helped me to broaden my scope when searching for and considering future job roles .