Preparing for Postgraduate study at the School of Medicine
Last updated: 23/08/2024 09:28
Congratulations on your offer to study on a postgraduate course here at the School of Medicine. We’re looking forward to meeting you, welcoming you into our student community, and supporting you as you start your learning journey with us.
Here you can find tips and resources to prepare you for starting your chosen programme or standalone module, to help you in the first few weeks of being a postgraduate student. The links will be available throughout your programme so you can go back to them if you need to.
How the Student Charter can help you
Whether you are attending Cardiff in person or joining us on one of our distance learning programmes, the Student Charter outlines what you can expect from Cardiff University and our Student's Union, as well as what is expected of you as a student. We strongly recommend reading it before you arrive or start your programme. Read our Student Charter in full.
Preparing for your postgraduate studies
We are conscious that for some of you, it may be a while since you have studied formally, and that many of you will be studying in addition to working in your chosen field.
We have prepared a short video that will introduce you to some useful tips to prepare you for academic study at postgraduate level. Watch for more information on what you can do now to get ready for your programme.
Learning to write at an academic level is a key skill for any postgraduate student. We’ve put together a video with lots of handy tips for developing your academic writing skills below.
Preparing for postgraduate academic writing at the School of Medicine
Using Cardiff University Library Resources
You have access to a wide range of resources and services from Cardiff University library services to help you as a postgraduate student. Our specialist subject librarian, Mari Ann has put together a video to help familiarise you with what will be available when you start studying. Don’t worry if you don’t have much previous experience with library resources - you'll be provided with time with the librarian for training when you start your studies.
Assessing your study skills
We know that many of our postgraduate students will be joining us sometime after their last experience of academic life.
To study effectively, you need to develop some essential academic and digital skills, and understanding and reflecting on your current skill level will allow you to prioritise your learning and focus your efforts where they're needed most.
Our assess your academic skills tool will help you do just that. We really recommend that you use it before you start to identify which of the many resources may suit any additional needs that you identify.
Developing the right study skills
Previous students have told us that having support to develop the right study skills makes a real difference to their postgraduate experience. Find resources to help you develop skills in the following in our study skills guide:
- reading and researching
- thinking analytically
- critically evaluating evidence
- citing references correctly
- writing to an academic standard
- artificial intelligence and academic integrity
Equipment and software guide
To make sure you are ready to go on day one of your course, we recommend making sure you have the right equipment and software now and testing it out to make sure it’s ready to go. Our getting started guide is a handy checklist to do just that.
The role of your Personal Tutor
Personal Tutoring: Your responsibility
When you start your studies with us, you’ll be allocated a Personal Tutor who will give you academic and pastoral support throughout your course. Watch our video to find out more about how they can help you.
Contact us
We look forward to seeing you at the start of your chosen programme. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to your course team who will be happy to help. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us via the email below.