Tag Archives: graduation

How to get the most out of your time at Birkbeck: advice from BEI prize-winners

How to get ahead in your studies: can-do attitudes and consistency

“Have a positive ‘I can do this’ attitude and work hard towards your goals. Remember to focus on what is best for you in the long run, instead of what feels easy or right in the moment.” – Jaunius, Best Overall Final Year Student (BSc Economics and Business)

When it comes to getting the most out of your studies, getting in the right mindset is a great place to start. Why not try building focus with meditation, or writing down your goals somewhere that you’ll see every day, to remind you what you’re working towards?

“Be consistent with your studies! Stay on top of the module content as much as you can, it really is an advantage for your assignment and exam preparation.” – Steffi, Fiona Atkins Prize: Best Continuing BSc student (Department of Economics, Mathematics and Statistics)

“Try to go beyond memorising the key points illustrated in lecture notes and reading material by testing your understanding of theories and concepts regularly. Taking just a little extra time each week to revisit a key point is an excellent way to get to grips with a topic, pinpoint focus areas to discuss with your lecturers and ultimately ease the pressure when it comes to exam preparation later on.”– Simon, Best Project (Department of Economics, Mathematics and Statistics)

Carving out some focus time to check understanding is a great way to stay on top of your studies and identify any areas for support. Are there any quiet periods in your week where you could set some time aside to consolidate?

“My advice would be to make sure you reach out to your personal tutor if you start falling behind, they are there to help! I would also recommend electing the dissertation/project module as it is a useful way to build independent research skills.”– Sean, Best Final Year Student (Financial Economics)

Your personal tutor is your first port of call if you need help in managing your studies or other support. You can find their contact details in My Birkbeck under ‘Academic Support’. If you do not have an assigned personal tutor, get in touch and we can help.

Taking care of yourself during your studies

“Make a point to incorporate holistic habits into your daily life, so that you not only work and study but also exercise, eat fruit and vegetables, walk, meditate, tidy your space etc. All things become easier and more achievable when you are mentally and physically healthy. Listen to your body and make your health a priority.” – Joana, Benedetta Ciaccia Memorial Prize: Best final year student on the Foundation Programme (Department of Computer Science and Information Systems)

“Relax and focus on enjoying your subject. Don’t try too hard to understand any tricky new material. Just give yourself time and if you let thoughts and ideas tick over in the background then anything you don’t understand will gradually become clearer and more simple.” – Alice, Mehdi Prize: Best Performance in Mathematics

Taking some time out from studying gives your brain a chance to process what you’ve learned. If you’re looking for some accountability to stay active, or for a fun way to take a break from the library, check out the sports clubs and societies on offer through Birkbeck Students’ Union.

Know what support is available

“Take the time to map out where to find academic support. It’s about detailing the resources that would keep you optimal. For example, know the name of your personal tutor, you’ll need them for the occasional academic and emotional support. Sign up to studiosity for study help and LinkedIn learning for self-directed learning.” – Sabina, Best Overall Student (Department of Organizational Psychology)

“Ensure that you make the most of the resources available to you, whether that be the additional reading material provided for lectures or the Birkbeck library. Additionally, don’t be afraid to seek clarification/ask questions – this will allow you to develop your understanding!” – Charlotte, Best Overall Student (Business)

Our support services are there to be used, so if you need any help or advice on anything from academic work, to finance, to managing stress, don’t hesitate to reach out. Find out more about the support available in the School of Business, Economics and Informatics on our website.

Build your professional network and your support network

“Birkbeck provides endless opportunities for students to explore their interests and build a strong network of people with similar passions. Use your time at Birkbeck to connect with other students, exchange ideas, views and knowledge. Don’t be afraid to try a new activity, join a club or society. Explore your interests and enjoy your time at the university along the way!” – Venita, Derek Scott Memorial Prize: Best performance by Non-finalists (Department of Economics, Mathematics and Statistics)

Your university experience is about so much more than your degree. Take the time to get involved in the Students’ Union, join us for an event and soak up all that your time at Birkbeck has to offer.

And to those students who are graduating today and tomorrow – congratulations! We hope you will stay in touch with Birkbeck and we will be cheering you on with whatever you decide to do next.

“By the end of the course, Birkbeck felt like a second home to me”

1 Reply

Former ballet dancer Katie Willis completed an MA in Creative Writing and was due to graduate with her peers this week. In this blog, she shares her experience of studying at Birkbeck while dealing with illness and her plans for the future.

I am very excited to graduate from my MA in Creative Writing as this is my first degree.

I am a mature student and I’ve had no previous experience of university-level study as I followed a vocational path – I was a ballet dancer before my illness took hold. It is a huge achievement for me to be graduating.

If you want to write about a sick body you have to be comfortable with living inside of it. I have chronic fatigue syndrome and a rare form of cancer. I had to balance university with regular hospital appointments and the side effects of taking chemotherapy and other drugs. On occasions that felt overwhelming.

I faced quite a few physical challenges. I had to be very disciplined on a daily basis, managing the limited energy that I had. The travelling to and from university was physically demanding on a sick body. I had to rest up on the days preceding and the days following my lectures in order to be well enough to attend. I was sad that I was not always able to participate in social events with other students, but I always held on to the important part that it was such a joy and privilege to be able to attend university in the first place.

Throughout my studies I had the support of a close group of fellow students who were aware of my physical challenges. I had two friends who always offered to carry my bags and books to and from and class.

Creative Writing at Birkbeck

I began the MA writing stories which were mostly about magical realism but then in the second semester I took Julia Bell’s Creative Non-Fiction module and I realised that I was interested in writing about the self, using my experience as a dancer. I slowly learned to embrace my quirkiness which allowed me to write to my strengths.

I realised that my writing is poetic and kinetic, and I wanted to write about the body: the sick body and the dancing body, and the place where those two bodies meet. Similarly, I am interested in the place where fiction meets non-fiction meets poetry. I want to meld the genres in my own way but also reflect the shape of the body on the page.

I no longer try to write outside of myself or to become the writer that I’m not. I found my own voice on the course and also found the courage to write in it.

By the end of the course, Birkbeck felt like a second home to me, on a level with being in a hospital, which has felt like a second home for many years.

As awful as the current situation is, there is some sense of community in nationwide lockdown. If you have lived with a physical disability that has left you housebound for a huge chunk of your life that is a very personal and isolating form of lockdown.

It is quite extraordinary to look at the world now and see everyone else under a similar lockdown and huge organisations and bodies rapidly making adaptations in the way they function and impart knowledge. Such adaptations would have made a huge difference to me in the many years when I was housebound.

It is sad that our graduation ceremony is having to be postponed probably until November, but I plan to relish the anticipation of it, so it will be all the more exciting when it occurs.

Looking ahead

I was invited to continue my studies at Birkbeck and am currently doing the MFA in Creative Writing under the guidance of Toby Litt.

Ultimately, I want to publish a collection of short stories. I am currently writing a collection of short stories about bones. I’m taking specific bones from the body and using the power of incantation I’m writing the stories that these bones hold and, in the process, shaping a new body that is neither a sick body nor a dancing body, but something else. Something strong and mobile.

I’d also like to share what I have learned on the course. It would be great if I could take creative writing into hospitals and offer it to patients who have had surgery, or are undergoing chemotherapy treatments, to help them as I think it is an outlet when you are going through life changing moments.

If you are mature student, if you have a disability, if you have cancer, if you have been housebound for many years, if you have something which makes you feel like an outsider just go for it. It may just change your life!

Starting university: tips to manage the transition and be a successful student

4 Replies

Hanneke Kosterink, Counsellor and Supervisor at the Birkbeck Counselling Service offers advice for students managing the transition to university, and explains how visualising success can help you achieve it.

The transition from school to university brings a range of new experiences and challenges. During this transition period, it is essential to find the right balance between studying and everything else including:

getting to know the university
settling into your course
learning what is expected of you as a student
discovering activities and social opportunities
making new friends

Academic Challenges
Many students enjoy the intellectual challenge of university study, opting for courses and subjects that match their interests. However, adapting to academic study and understanding what is expected of you as a university student can be an intimidating experience and will require taking responsibility for your own learning, managing your workload and completing assignments to strict deadlines. This requires self-motivation and dedication.

In addition to making good use of the support services and study resources your university provides it may be helpful to learn the technique of visualisation to reach your academic goals.

Writing over 2000 years ago Aristotle described the visualisation process this way: “First, have a definite, clear, practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends: wisdom, money, materials and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.”

Unfortunately, many of us remain stuck at the goal stage. We start out with good intentions and perhaps a plan, but then we can’t seem to make it happen. A hectic social life, job, hobbies, anxiety leading to procrastination can get in the way of achieving your academic goals.

Seeing is believing
Before we can believe in a goal, we first must have an idea of what it looks like. To paraphrase the old adage: we must see it before we can believe it. This is where visualisation comes in, which is simply a technique for creating a mental image of a future event. When we visualise our desired outcome, we begin to ‘see’ the possibility of achieving it. Through visualisation, we catch a glimpse of what is our preferred future. When this happens we are motivated and prepared to pursue our goal.

In the world of sports, this has been developed into a well-researched method of performance improvement.

How do well known British sportsmen and women use visualisation?

Wayne Rooney
Footballer Wayne Rooney is a firm advocate of mental preparation and the visualisation technique. “I lie in bed the night before the game and visualise myself scoring goals or doing well. You’re trying to put yourself in that moment and trying to prepare yourself, to have a ‘memory’ before the game.” Rooney sees his approach as fundamental to his sporting success. “I don’t know if you’d call it visualising or dreaming, but I’ve always done it, my whole life.”

Jessica Ennis-Hill
Ennis-Hill revealed her mental training tactic prior to the 2012 London Olympic Games: “I use visualisation to think about the perfect technique. If I can get that perfect image in my head, then hopefully it’ll affect my physical performance.”

Andy Murray
In order to mentally acclimatise before a major event, Andy Murray visits the centre court when the area is deserted and imagines his future success. “I want to make sure I feel as good as possible so I have a good tournament.”

Applying it to your study
There are two types of visualisation which ideally should be used together. The first method is outcome visualisation and involves envisioning yourself achieving your goal. To do this, create a detailed mental image of the desired outcome using all of your senses.

Let’s start with the big goal: getting your degree and attending your graduation ceremony. Visualise yourself on graduation day receiving your qualification with a good pass. Hold that mental image as long as possible. What does it feel like walking across the stage in your robe to collect your certificate from the Master? Who will be there accompanying you in the audience to cheer you on when it is your turn? Imagine the pride, relief, satisfaction and thrill as you hug your loved ones before heading for the marquee where the photographer is waiting to capture that special moment in your life.

Visualising how it might feel to graduate might help you to plan your studies and your time at university.

The second type of visualisation is process visualisation. It involves envisioning each of the actions necessary to achieve the outcome you want. Focus on each of the steps you need to achieve your goal, but not the overall goal itself. What are the demands and deadlines you will need to meet? Create a vivid mental picture of yourself succeeding, envision what you must do during each step of the process and like Rooney, Ennis-Hill and Murray use positive mental imagery to stay focused and motivated when you experience obstacles or setbacks.

Visualisation does not guarantee success. It also does not replace hard work and practice. But when combined with diligent effort and a strong support network, it is a powerful way to achieve positive behavioural change and create the life you desire.

Birkbeck Perspectives

Birkbeck experts and students share their opinions on a diverse range of thought-provoking topics.