May 30, 2017, by Andrew

Home or away? Pros and cons of post-grad destination.

If you’re coming to the end of your undergraduate study, there are doubtless many things rushing through your mind about what to do next. Firstly, your thoughts might levitate towards short-term post-exam goals such as trying to forget everything that just happened and sleeping for an entire weekend. Soon after, however, if you’re not one of the lucky few to secure a grad job early, you’ll start pondering what to do next. During your ponderings, you may decide you’d quite like to do a Master’s degree or PhD. After all, another year of not paying council tax is always appealing. Now I’m not going to suggest WHAT type and subject of post-grad is right for you, but I will give you some thoughts about WHERE to do it.

First up, staying at Notts.

Pro: you’re already here – no hassle of moving. Con: But you’ve always fancied living by a beach! Pro: you’ve got connections. Con: Less chance to make new connections. Pro: you’re already at a great Uni. Con: Most of your friends will probably be moving away. Pro: Ocean. Con: Ocean.

So how about moving away?

Pro: a chance to simply do different things. Con: you might realise you preferred doing the same old things. Pro: a new academic and social network to engage with. Con: Must begin networking process all over again. Pro: new facilities, new equipment, new teaching styles. Con: New doesn’t always mean better.

There’s a lot to be considered when deciding where to do a postgrad. I went to a Uni ~4 hours on the train from home for my undergrad, and then moved to Nottingham for my Masters, which is much further. I don’t mind the distance usually, but from time to time I do miss being close to the fam. If you want to go home regularly, distance is definitely worth considering. Making new friends is rarely easy, and if it’s something you struggle with, then staying at a place where you already know people is certainly easier. That being said, moving away again could be the push you need to become more outgoing and could boost your confidence in the long run. Spend some time thinking about what you want from your time as a post-grad, not just the degree and the institution. Think about where you will be happy and the kind of lifestyle you want to lead during that time. Find somewhere that you really want to be.

Bonne chance!

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