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How to stay motivated as a research student
5 Minute Read - Research can be lonely, especially if you are doing a coursework degree and you are a social sciences student, where group and lab work is typically not the norm. You may have been forced into group work and frustrated by having to work with people who do not seem like they are as committed as you…
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How to read when time is limited
3 Minute Read - So we’ve all been there. The lecturer asks specific questions related to the prescribed reading and everyone in the class looks down. The bow of shame. The bow of a student who hasn’t done their readings in advance. Let’s be honest, we’re all busy! There’s work, family, friends, side hustles, and on top of that trying…
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How to write an impactful (not too abstract) abstract
4 Minute Read - An abstract is one of the most important components of an academic manuscript. You will often find them at the beginning of theses and dissertations, as well as journal articles and working papers. Sometimes they go by a different name, like an executive summary for a policy paper or technical report. The information contained in the…
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An entrepreneurial outlook on financing your postgraduate studies
4 Minute Read - Every student should get on with their postgraduate studies with an entrepreneurial mindset. I won’t delve much into defining the concept but will proffer the understanding that an entrepreneur is a goal getter, and someone who embodies the qualities and spirit of being foresighted, innovative, risk-taking and reward oriented. These characteristics are crucial in postgraduate studies…
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What I wish I knew about SUBMISSION DATES
3 Minute Read - As undergraduate students, we are conditioned to think that submission deadlines are cast in stone. That’s the case for most of us anyway. A handful of confident students actually attempt to negotiate assignment dates with their lecturers, but this is often not a good way to go about things either. As you move further up the…
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Getting it right with sustainable planning in 2022
5 Minute Read - It’s that time of the year. People are jotting down new year’s resolutions, setting out the professional and personal achievements they want to have reached by the end of the year, and overall everything just feels new, fertile, and ripe to be undertaking this exercise. But how many are setting the same goal they set for…
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How to get the most out of your time as a graduate student
4 Minute Read - Think about it. Your entire childhood consisted of you getting used to some form of structure. From bedtime routines instilled by your caregivers and waking up at a set time every morning for primary school, to the timetable you were handed in secondary school and your seemingly flexible, but jam-packed university timetable. After having completed a…
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How to craft a bold but practical methodology
5 Minute Read - Research proposals generally consist of three main sections: (1) the introduction, where you spell out your purpose and research questions; (2) the literature review, where you provide a synopsis of the most relevant literature related to your topic; and (3) the methodology section in which you explain how you will go about answering your research question.…
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How to make the most of your ‘proposal stage’
6 Minute Read - The proposal stage is arguably the most difficult part of a research journey. It takes many people outside their comfort zones and can be an incredibly stressful time, especially if you are not sure what topic you want to pursue. But the purpose of the proposal stage is designed to help you gain clarity as you…
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COVID-19 and the Decent Work Agenda
6 Minute Read - The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how valuable time is. We were and still are in a constant race against time. We raced to produce a vaccine to save as many lives as possible, we raced to implement interventions before each new wave hit and the same is happening right now. All of this is in…
