I have been in your shoes completely! I started my masters in library science in 2021 after graduating undergrad in 2019. Let me tell you, it was sooo hard to get back into the writing swing, especially at a graduate level! I worked through my degree too, like you are now, and I know the panic that sets in when you have too much to do with a finite amount of time. My encouragement to you is to keep going forward, and to read scholarly work of others before you. The brain is a muscle, you’ll stretch and grow with the help of your peers and professors. You’re at the beginning, after all! By the end of your degree, you’ll be so amazed by how much you’ve changed, how much you’ve overcome. You can do this!!
I wish I could be in school forever. Sigh. I used to say, "maybe someday." But now that I'm in my 50s... I have to accept it's not going to happen. (Also, I love your screen name!)
Thanks for this encouraging message! I will definitely keep stretching this brain muscle of mine, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much I can grow in two years of this Masters degree!
Definitely arrange a sit down with one of the professors! Try to pick one that provides constructive feedback, and you like their writing style (check out their journal articles and book chapters, etc). I felt exactly the same as you when I entered my Masters, having come from an undergraduate in a completely different subject area. I was high achieving in my undergraduate but got a rude shock at the beginning of my Masters. I arranged a sit down and it was so helpful. I was able to take my research and writing to the next level, and my grades shot up straight away. If you are open and honest about wanting to improve (and you definitely seem so), they will give you a lot of advice. Hope this helps, and keep at it! 👍
I attended the University of Edinburgh, they mark very different from the USA and Canada. I think you will be fine anything 65 and above is really good! So, don't let the marking system get you down. Umm I got my MSc in History of Art I think what helped me was reading my work out loud while editing. I got with Merit classification which is good not distinction that is pretty rare to get so don't beat yourself up about that. I found also doing a daily writing even if it was just ten mins helped me get back into it. If you can do peer review with your cohort that also is great to have a support system. Personally, I think you will do great -overthinking is just so hard to not do but turning in something is better than turning in nothing. Feel free to reach out if you have questions I can share some anecdotal experience and advise.
This is so encouraging and helpful, thank you! I appreciate your suggestions. Definitely am interested in joining a peer review group of some kind, I'll have to look into that!
I have been in your shoes completely! I started my masters in library science in 2021 after graduating undergrad in 2019. Let me tell you, it was sooo hard to get back into the writing swing, especially at a graduate level! I worked through my degree too, like you are now, and I know the panic that sets in when you have too much to do with a finite amount of time. My encouragement to you is to keep going forward, and to read scholarly work of others before you. The brain is a muscle, you’ll stretch and grow with the help of your peers and professors. You’re at the beginning, after all! By the end of your degree, you’ll be so amazed by how much you’ve changed, how much you’ve overcome. You can do this!!
I wish I could be in school forever. Sigh. I used to say, "maybe someday." But now that I'm in my 50s... I have to accept it's not going to happen.
(Also, I love your screen name!)
Thanks for this encouraging message! I will definitely keep stretching this brain muscle of mine, and I'm looking forward to seeing how much I can grow in two years of this Masters degree!
Definitely arrange a sit down with one of the professors! Try to pick one that provides constructive feedback, and you like their writing style (check out their journal articles and book chapters, etc). I felt exactly the same as you when I entered my Masters, having come from an undergraduate in a completely different subject area. I was high achieving in my undergraduate but got a rude shock at the beginning of my Masters. I arranged a sit down and it was so helpful. I was able to take my research and writing to the next level, and my grades shot up straight away. If you are open and honest about wanting to improve (and you definitely seem so), they will give you a lot of advice. Hope this helps, and keep at it! 👍
Thank you kindly for this advice, it's very encouraging and I hope to follow through with it :)
I attended the University of Edinburgh, they mark very different from the USA and Canada. I think you will be fine anything 65 and above is really good! So, don't let the marking system get you down. Umm I got my MSc in History of Art I think what helped me was reading my work out loud while editing. I got with Merit classification which is good not distinction that is pretty rare to get so don't beat yourself up about that. I found also doing a daily writing even if it was just ten mins helped me get back into it. If you can do peer review with your cohort that also is great to have a support system. Personally, I think you will do great -overthinking is just so hard to not do but turning in something is better than turning in nothing. Feel free to reach out if you have questions I can share some anecdotal experience and advise.
This is so encouraging and helpful, thank you! I appreciate your suggestions. Definitely am interested in joining a peer review group of some kind, I'll have to look into that!