Are you thinking about postgraduate study in 2020? Why not start this month –  Bournemouth University has a wide range of  Master’s degrees available.

Bournemouth is my hometown – I was born and raised here – so for me, it was a no-brainer to do my masters at BU as I have lived here my whole life but have never really explored the university properly.  I’ve realised there are so many positives to starting a course in January. For those students starting at the end of this month, or for those still considering applying, here are my insights:

A January start means getting those New Year resolutions put into place! New challenges, coping with the demands of your new course, a new system, a new environment, in addition to organising yourself and managing your time – which can all be fun and it’s exciting to throw yourself into the new year with a big bang!

January is when everyone is hibernating after the Christmas period – the rush of the festive season has calmed down, so you will have more time to settle down into the new routine before your timetable comes in – maybe arranging your international student visa, saving money or taking an English language course to prepare you for uni.

Building connections as a January intake student means you get the best of both worlds in terms of meeting people – you can get to know students who started in your subject area in September 2019, the postgrad students starting with you in January and possibly those starting in September 2020. Not to mention getting to know people through BU Facebook groups, other social media platforms, and during the events  to welcome you into the BU student community.

Our student union (SUBU) https://www.subu.org.uk/ is a huge part of the BU student family and will ensure you feel at home in the early days of your studies and will help you discover all what’s on offer at BU – including gym memberships, clubs and societies and a range of arts events – all year round. So basically you will never get bored in BU!

Self-development plays a big role when making the transition from undergrad to postgrad, tackling academic challenges.

Student union/ student centre building at the Talbot Campus

For my part, coming from a scientific undergrad to dive into the business management faculty was quite a change. Being confident, committed to working independently and organising time that hasn’t necessarily been timetabled have all been key.

If you are a January starter arriving now, it’s a great time to make yourself feel at home relaxing in your accommodation, explore the city (we love the beach!!) and university before your studies commence. If you’re looking for part-time job, there is often less competition with the September intakes so there is more chance to shine! Fin out more about part-time jobs here. Good luck!