Written by Lydia Soon, UTS Master of Public Health graduate
Hello and welcome to another blog on what happens during a postgraduate class and some helpful learning tips from my experience with the Master of Public Health.
MY CLASS EXPERIENCE
Postgraduate classes are structured differently to undergraduate classes as they often run in block sessions. For example, you could have a lecture, tutorial and/or practical material in one day spread over several days throughout each semester. This type of structure was designed and mainly directed at full time workers so they could plan ahead and schedule days off a working week to attend classes.
From my experience, in a postgraduate class you are taught material in an interactive environment.
Often after lectures, you are given in-class activities to complete in small groups to help deepen your understanding. After this activity, everyone regroups and collaborates to discuss their ideas and findings. In another subject tutorials taught in a journal club style and another taught how to use specific software.
MY LEARNING STYLE
Everyone has a different learning style when it comes to postgraduate studies but here are some tips which were useful throughout my degree:
- Complete the allocated activities before each class will allow you to ask lecturers for clarification or to check your understanding of a particular topic or concept (especially when it comes to assignments). Each subject also has a student forum to post questions and gain clarifications on assignments or lecture material if you are unsure.
- Seek learning resources outside of the recommended text list to help better understand concepts and material. From YouTube to library textbooks, there is a lot to check out!
- Stay on top of your writing skills as writing for postgraduate study requires you to reference everything from journal articles to theories. Some subjects even require a particular style of referencing so make sure to check out the endless resources available for referencing.
I hope that gives you an insight to the structure of a postgraduate class and learning tips during my studies!
Find out more about studying Public Health at UTS
Inside | Out 