Post-Grad Students

Higher degree study gives you the opportunity to further develop your research, writing, and critical thinking skills. Some of you may be extending the knowledge gained within your undergraduate programme, but others may be embarking on a completely new journey.

Being a postgraduate student is exciting, but it also poses challenges:

• Working independently may mean you feel isolated at times.
• You require good time management and organisational skills from the beginning.
• You need to establish a manageable topic.
• You need to negotiate a working relationship with your supervisor(s).
• Researching and writing always take longer than you think.

Student Learning Support (SLSS) can help. We offer Post Graduate seminars at both Kelburn and Pipitea campuses in the first weeks of each trimester. These sessions, run by experienced academics, offer valuable guidelines to help you make the most of your study programme. They also provide an ideal forum for meeting other post graduate students.

Post graduate writing is an organic process of planning, researching, drafting, revising, and editing. The Post Graduate Writing Workshops can help you at each stage of this process. An intensive 3-hour 'Writing to Think' workshop at the beginning of the year (and at other times, if there is sufficient demand) introduces you to a variety of techniques for generating and organising ideas. Regular weekly 'drop-in' writing workshops enable you to discuss ongoing aspects of your writing with fellow students and/or the Post Graduate Learning Adviser in an informal setting.

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You can also make a one-to-one appointment with a Learning Adviser, to discuss any of the workshop topics in more depth, to set up a timetable for your studies, and/or to obtain specific advice on formatting, polishing and proofreading.

SLSS have a range of resource materials, including handouts on:

Writing a Research Proposal (pdf - 300KB)
Writing a Literature Review (pdf - 286KB)
Writing an Abstract (pdf - 297KB)

We also have a selection of reference books that you can borrow.

VUW Resources

Use all the VUW resources available to you:

• Grad Chat:
  Enables you to 'talk' to other post grad students (TBA).
• Within your School:
  Talk to lecturers, supervisor, PG Coordinator, fellow students; check out study & printing facilities available.
• Within your Faculty:
  Attend social functions & research seminars; enquire about scholarships and study grants.
• Campus-wide:
  Subscribe to the PGSA mailing list, contact your School's liaison librarian, visit the PGSA computer suite at 20 Kelburn Parade; check out our other Student Services.