Julia Nikolaus

Question and Answer with Julia

What was your motivation for undertaking postgraduate study?

I decided to take up Postgraduate studies to expand my skill set and to enhance my employability for the future.

The skills learned during my Postgraduate studies (GIS and Remote Sensing) also hugely benefit my current position.

How can postgraduate study fit around your busy life?

I tried to set an hour or two aside each day to work on the tutorials continuously instead of doing it all in a day or two at the weekend.

As my Masters is beneficial to my current work, I have an agreement with my employer that I can dedicate some of my work time to my studies (within reason).

As soon as I realised I was running out of time due to other important work commitments, I would contact my tutor to ask for an extension (I only had to do this once).

The earlier you ask, the better this can be managed. The support, encouragement and understanding from the tutors was fantastic.

How can postgraduate study help build your career?

I am still in the same workplace, but I am now able to contribute more confidently to the GIS/Remote Sensing side of the project.

I have only done one year so far and the pandemic has inhibited travel to conferences etc.

But what was inspiring was to see what other students do with the same skill set but in other fields.

In an academic world where collaborations and multi-disciplinary projects are becoming more and more important, this is a great opportunity to get to know other people within the wider field.

What would you tell a prospective student who is considering studying a Postgraduate programme?

Studying on a Postgraduate programme can be a hugely satisfying, beneficial and enjoyable experience.

It is, however, important to manage your time well, start assignments early and don’t be afraid to speak to your tutors as soon as you get stuck, you don’t understand something or if you feel like you may need an extension.

Especially when studying part time, it is a challenge to get the work/life balance right so being organized is key.

Perhaps the most important thing is to really enjoy learning new skills even if they seem a bit daunting to start with, it will all fall into place eventually.