Sponsored by the University of Johannesburg

With so many options to choose from, deciding what to specialize in when you’re fresh out of law school can be a daunting process. Nonetheless, it may be one of the most important decisions of your career, especially since swapping specialties, even after only a few years of practice, is surprisingly challenging. To help you make up your mind, we teamed up with the University of Johannesburg who run a prestigious law department to give you an insider’s guide to careers in commercial law - a popular, lucrative and fast-paced area of law with amazing job prospects for graduates. 

What you’ll be working on 

Working in commercial law, you would be spending your time advising clients on various day-to-day legal issues that may arise as they manage a business. Depending on the law firm, you might specialize even further in a particular practice area like dispute resolution, capital markets or banking. 

What do commercial law firms look for? 

A sound knowledge of law and high-level writing and reading skills aside, many law firms will ask that you demonstrate “commercial awareness”. If you’ve not encountered the phrase already, it’s not just a hollow buzzword, but one of the biggest differentiators between applicants.   So, what does it mean exactly? Well, candidates with commercial awareness are able to demonstrate a general sense of the world’s political and economic landscape and the different factors moving markets and informing business leaders’ decisions.   A graduate recruiter would expect you to know the answers to the following questions: who are our clients? How are they doing financially? Where are our offices based? While you wouldn’t be expected to turn up to an interview with the in-depth expertise of an economist, you should be able to discuss business trends and the marketplace like someone who actually reads the business press and keeps up with the news.     

So, what would you earn as a commercial lawyer? 

If you can stand the long hours, a career in commercial law will see you handsomely rewarded. In fact, salaries tend to be high from the get-go, with graduate corporate lawyers in the US earning as much as US$57,600 in their first year and salaries may rise to up to US$252,100 later with seniority, according to PayScale. Salary packages tend to include bonuses ranging between US$1,300 and US$51,200 as well as profit-sharing proceeds of up to US$157,600 depending on the company. Obviously, salary will vary by country, but corporate lawyers tend to earn a lot of money around the world; including between US$31,600-157,400 in the UK, US$46,300-117,200 in Canada, and up to US$143,700 in Singapore.   

How to kickstart a career in commercial law

While there are many routes into commercial law, a number of students turn to LLMs (which is short for master of law) as a way to specialize. If you’re interested in finding out more about this course, we did a great piece on the perks of doing an LLM last year.   In terms of LLMs actually valued by commercial law firms, you might want to take a look at courses with an international edge that ground theory in practical applications, like the University in Johannesburg’s LLM in international commercial law. It’s ideal for anyone interested in working in commercial law at home or in South Africa and promises to train you in civil and commercial jurisdiction in a number of countries around the world, including India, the US, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Switzerland. 

Sounds great but can’t afford to pay for graduate school? 

Don’t give up! The University of Johannesburg offers a number of bursaries to students interested in their LLM in commercial law. Find out here how to apply and get the chance to be reimbursed in full for all of your tuition fees. To be eligible, you just have to register by 2018 and complete your master’s degree within two years.   

By Alexandra Jane

If you’re determined to be the best student you can possibly be, gaining a place at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge represents the pinnacle of achievement. Entry to these renowned UK institutions is viewed by many as the highest of accolades and is proven to have a life-changing impact on its students, from the incredible minds who have gone on to change the world, to the comics and entertainers who honed their talents in the drama and theater societies.

Unfortunately, there’s no special formula which you can crack that will definitely see you offered a place to study at either of these extremely competitive universities, but that doesn’t mean you need to leave it entirely to chance. Here are six simple things you can do to ensure your application impresses and you give yourself the best possible chance of being accepted into Oxbridge.

Read around and above the subject

Regardless of what course you want to study at university, it’s never enough simply to read your course books. This will, of course, give you a core understanding of certain topics, but will give you nothing exciting, unusual or new to talk about. Read around your subject, and explore in depth any areas that interest you.

It’s better to read in depth and become a real expert in certain areas than have a vague understanding of a range of topics. Pursue specific lines of enquiry within your subject and outside of your curriculum in order to impress. This will then give you something to discuss in detail on your personal statement and in interviews.

Know what you want to do, not what you ought to do

Tutors and academics will always know if you’re expressing a genuine interest in a subject, or whether you have been pushed towards the subject by those who feel it would be pertinent for you to study.

There are many places where you can facilitate the feeling you have that you ought to become a businessperson – but Oxbridge is not one of them. Genuine excitement and enthusiasm for what you’re about to study will be needed if you are to thrive in such a high-pressure environment.

Practice speaking passionately about your chosen subject

While you need to genuinely love your subject, you do also need to be aware that you’ll need to practice speaking passionately and competently about it in order to demonstrate a coherent grasp of your own sentiments.

Write yourself a list of why you love the subject, why you want to study it, what you want to pursue in your studies and where you think it might take you in the long-term. While you don’t want to sound like a robot with over-prepared answers, it’s foolish not to prepare and interrogate your own ideas before someone else picks them apart.

Be prepared to change your mind

Many people think that in order to impress you must argue your case to the death, winning every debate when your opponent doesn’t have a leg left to stand on. This is not what professors are looking for.  What will impress your interviewers is the ability to assimilate and process new information, showing a willingness to adapt and change your argument to accommodate this new information.

This will demonstrate a flexibility and openness to new ideas that’s crucial to being successful in every degree subject.

Don’t pin all your hopes on Oxbridge

This might seem like odd advice to offer in an article about boosting your chances of getting into Oxbridge, but pinning all your hopes on a single dream is likely to only be counter-productive.

If entry to Oxford and Cambridge is all you’ve dreamed about since you could first walk and talk, you need to take a step back and consider the situation realistically. Putting yourself under such immense pressure is likely to make you tense, nervous and unlikely to perform at your best. So take a deep breath, view this as one of several options and try to relax a little about the future.

Be prepared to work hard and make sacrifices

Perhaps the most important point of all is to remember that entry to a top university does require a huge amount of dedication and hard work. Be prepared to slog away for months on end in order to achieve top grades. This may well come at the expense of another hobby or interest, and you need to be prepared to prioritize your academic work.

Alexandra Jane writes for Inspiring Interns, which help career starters and interns succeed in the workplace. To browse their graduate jobs, including mobile jobs, visit their website.

Sponsored by Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University

Moving halfway across the world for university can feel quite daunting, especially when it’s your first ever experience of living on your own without your family. Figuring out how to actually cook a meal for yourself is hard enough without also having the navigate the minefield of a totally new set of values and practices. Take the Russian poker face, for example.  Depending on where you’re from, you might be used to the sight of strangers smiling or laughing in public. Well, not in Russia, where it’s actually considered a hostile act to smile at a stranger. Before moving here, you might want to bear in mind the very Russian saying: “a smile without a reason is the signature of a fool”.

But, of course, like most things, culture shock is a tad overplayed, and misconceptions about living in Russia are rife. To give you a more accurate picture of what studying in Russia is really like, we thought we’d clear up some of the confusion for you…   

Myth #1:  You’ll have to jump through many admissions hoops

Applying to university in Russia is a lot easier than you might think, and you’ll find that lots of universities in big Russian cities are actually pretty internationalized. Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), for example, was home to about 6,000 international students in the 2016-17 academic year. In fact, from the moment you hit send on your application to your first day of campus, an admission manager at SPbPU will liaise with you at regular intervals to make sure you have all the necessary information you need.

Myth #2: Russian education leaves something to be desired

Obviously with the price of education being so affordable, it’s not hard to see why one might be led to think this, but - believe it or not - Russia features quite prominently in the QS university rankings, with 95 Russian universities in the QS EECA University Rankings 2018 and 24 in the QS World University Rankings 2018, an impressive feat. Of course, you’ll want to make sure the Russian university you’re applying to is internationally accredited.  SPbPU, for example, was one of the first technical universities in the country to hold mutual international accreditation for its international educational programs.

Myth #3: You have to speak Russian to survive in Russia

Many universities like SPbPU have been catering for international students for many years now, thanks to a new generation of brilliant undergraduate and postgraduate programs taught exclusively in English. Of course, if you’re moving to Russia to pick up the language, you can always do a foundation program (but if you don’t fancy the extra year and effort, don’t sweat it).

In terms of your day to day life, whether you’re asking for directions or trying to make new friends, most Peterburgians and Muscovites should be able to speak English well enough to hold up their end of the conversation. And if, in the most extraordinary of circumstances, you find someone who doesn’t know a single word of English, the Google Translate app on your smartphone will get you pretty far…

Myth #4: You’ll be on your own without a safety net

Obviously, without your family living nearby, it can feel quite disconcerting to have to resolve problems on your own, especially if you’ve never travelled abroad and have always lived at home, but your university will have experience in supporting international students.

So, if you’re studying at SPbPU, the university will be your safety net. In fact, SPbPU actually runs a program called Tutor Forces, which is a network of Russian students who volunteer to help international students acclimate. Your tutor might take you to the cinema, see the sights of St Petersburg or help you with any issue you might have. In addition to this, there’s a wide range of student societies, including dance, design, photography,  guitar and poetry.

Myth #5: You won’t actually get to see much of Russia

If you’re hoping to see more of Russia beyond the walls of your university campus, you can always get some travelling done on the weekends and holidays. From Moscow to Vladivostok, there’ll be many opportunities to visit incredible places with groups of students.

The Republic of Karelia in the northwest of Russia, for instance, is a stunning touristic hot spot, and for the heritage geeks among you, the petroglyphs, Kizhi Island and Valaam monastery are fairly close to St Petersburg. Other popular landmarks include the magnificent Pushkin palaces and the lovely ancient village of Staraya Ladoga and its stone fortress.

Myth #6: You’ll find it hard to actually make any friends

The Russian poker face problem aside, St Petersburg’s a fairly cosmopolitan city, with students from all over the world, with their own culture, languages and points of view. In fact, even if you’re a semi-sociable introvert, there are a few things you can do to bridge the gap between you and other students, like registering for a class or joining a sport team. Also, student unions in Russia will try their best to make new international recruits feel welcome through ice breaker nights and on-campus events.

Myth #7: It’ll be more expensive than going to uni in your home country

Studying abroad can actually work out cheaper than paying for tuition fees back home and living at your parents. Tuition fees rank among the most affordable in the world, with undergraduate fees for international students ranging between US$2,100-2,400 a year and postgraduate fees of usually no more than US$3,000 a year. Other costs are quite low: a student living in Russia can get by on just US$500 a month, including food, accommodation, transportation, house bills and going out. A dormitory at SPbPU campus costs between US$130 and US$180 per month.

Following on the heels of the other QS World University Rankings by Region which were published in October, the QS BRICS University Rankings 2018 is nearly here. Featuring the top universities in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, this ranking provides greater insight into the state of higher education in some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Now featuring 300 universities, this year’s ranking is the biggest and most comprehensive yet. Developed in collaboration with Russian news agency Interfax in 2013, the BRICS ranking measures universities across eight different metrics, including academic and employer reputation, the proportion of international students and the number of academic staff qualified to PhD level.

What to expect from this year’s ranking

The previous edition of the BRICS ranking saw Chinese universities dominate. All of the top five universities were Chinese, with six more institutions from the Asian behemoth ranking inside the top 20. Will we see a similarly strong showing this year? Three of those five all climbed in the latest QS World University Rankings®, which suggests they’re likely to impress again this year, but Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tsinghua University may be looking over their shoulders after a slight decline globally. The world rankings are compiled using different metrics to the BRICS ranking though, so it’s hard to say how much of an impact this will have.

Apart from China, the next-highest country to be represented in last year’s ranking was India, but Russian universities have been making great strides so the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore’s reputation as the best BRICS university outside of China might be under threat.

With 300 universities being ranked this year, there’s also the opportunity for new institutions to break into the rankings. While it’s unlikely any new university will get close to the top 20, it will be interesting to see how many new faces make the top 150.

Check back on November 23 for the complete QS BRICS University Rankings 2018.

You’d think that as an artist or a designer, you’d able to answer basic questions about your work and personal aspirations, but it can be a lot harder than it seems. When invited to discuss their portfolio in art school admissions interviews, some students crumble under the pressure, which is why a little preparation goes a long way. Admissions officers tend to ask variations of the same questions, and nailing your interview is sometimes just a matter of practising in front of the mirror and projecting confidence on the day. To help you prepare, we spoke to Dr Adrian Lahoud, Dean of the Royal College of Art’s School of Architecture in London about common interview questions and how to go about answering them. 

Can you describe two or three important projects that you have completed?

In your answer, you should show a critical awareness of the standard of your work (aka is it any good?) and how it might sit within a wider context, i.e. its relation to the world, art theory, and other people’s work. Don’t forget to take your portfolio with you on the day because your interviewers will definitely want to see evidence of your work. If you’re not sure what to include in your portfolio, check out this Guardian piece about it. 

Can you tell us what is important about these projects to you?

Even though your portfolio should speak for itself, your interview is an opportunity to explain it fully, so make the most of this chance. Peel back the layers of your work and give a sense of a technical and creative progression. How did you experiment with different materials, styles and skills? How did your interests and technique shift from project to the next - and why? What inspired you? What were you trying to achieve with each project, and were you successful? 

Tell us about the trajectory of your career up to this point.

Show you are curious about the world and share any interesting experiences or interests that might reveal something interesting about you. Don’t worry too much if you feel your life has just been one boring thing after the next (most people feel that way actually). Tell the truth, but embellish it a little. 

Why would you like to come to this university?

Your answer to this question needs to demonstrate an understanding of the college and the various resources it has to offer art students. You might want to mention a faculty member whose work you admire or cool facilities you’d like to take advantage of, giving a reason why (e.g. 3D modelling or animation suites, free gallery spaces etc.). Don’t forget to explain why you want to do the course: what about it appeals to you and how might it help you achieve your objectives. Your answer needs to be more involved than simply saying you want to study there because it’s the best art school in the world according to a recent QS ranking.

What do you think you could contribute to the culture of the school?

This is admittedly a tricky one. Dr Lahoud said new recruits tend to be “someone [who] can see themselves as building a collective culture, someone that can be generous and has something to contribute to the group (it doesn’t really matter what it is)”. 

What is the most important/relevant/influential/recent book you have read on [insert subject]?

Dr Lahoud said: “This is intended to gauge the applicant’s appreciation of the discipline and to see how well people can think on their feet. It is usually answered very poorly.” Obviously, if you’re not a prolific reader, this might be tough to answer, but don’t paint yourself into a corner by naming a book you haven’t actually read. The interviewer is simply trying to figure out whether you actually care about your field enough to have read a few books about your field outside of the classroom. When talking about your book, show you understand the context in which it was written (i.e. why was it so pivotal at the time), but also don’t be afraid to express your own thoughts and emotions about it.   

Want to improve your career prospects in art and design? Don’t miss our article on how to do this.

Planning to study agriculture and need some extra funding? Check out these agriculture scholarships on offer around the world, broken down by region…

Agriculture scholarships to study in Europe

• Bayer Foundations Jeff Schell Scholarship – Open to students of agricultural sciences and related fields. Scholarships are granted to graduate students from German-speaking countries wishing to study abroad, or to international students who are interested in a study project in Germany. More information is available in a pdf file here.
• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) – A fellowship for US students to take part in an exchange program in Germany to study and intern, which is suited to participants in agricultural fields. You’ll need to be 18-24 and show clear career goals and relevant work experience in your field.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Hungarian Government Scholarship – Scholarships are available for international master’s students from listed countries, to study agricultural sciences or a similar subject at one of three participating universities in Hungary.
• Cattolica Africa Scholarships – Tuition fee reduction scholarships are available to students from Africa who are studying a master’s program in one of several subjects, including agriculture and food economics at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – Three to five scholarships are available for international fee-paying students (from outside of the EU) admitted to master’s programs at this university in Sweden, covering tuition fees. 
• Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Hungary Scholarships for Pakistani Students 2019-20 - A four-year undergraduate degree program in agricultural studies to study in Hungary, for Pakistani students with an academic background of 12 years. A monthly stipend of HUF 40,460 (EUR 450) covers all living costs throughout the entire year, until completion of studies. Application deadline for the 2019-20 academic year is December 31 2018.  

United Kingdom:

• University of East Anglia Lord Walston Scholarship – One full merit-based scholarship (covering both tuition fees and living expenses) is available for an African student of one of three environment-related master’s degrees, including the MA in Agriculture and Rural Development. Eligible applicants are automatically considered.
• Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Scholarships in the UK – A list of scholarships to study agricultural and veterinary medicine in UK universities.
• University of Reading School of Agriculture, Policy and Development – Various postgraduate scholarships to study agriculture at the University of Reading, including the GIIDAE International Scholarship, for students from Indonesia, Latin America and the US.
• NFU Mutual Charitable Trust Centenary Award – Provides annual bursaries of up to 75 percent of tuition fees for domestic, EU and overseas applicants who have been accepted to study a master’s or PhD in agriculture within the UK, and who have previously gained a good degree in agriculture (or a related degree).

Agriculture scholarships to study in the US and Canada

United States:

• Agriculture Future of America Scholarships – Various scholarships available for US students who are either graduating high school seniors or current college students, enrolling/enrolled in an agriculture-related, four-year degree program in the United States.
• Hubert Humphrey Fellowships in USA for International Students – A non-degree program for experienced professionals wishing to enhance their leadership skills and knowledge in their chosen field. The fellowship provides several inclusions, including payment of tuition and fees at the assigned host university, a living allowance, and accident and sick coverage.
• USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program – The US Department of Agriculture also offers a scholarship for US high school seniors to study an undergraduate agriculture degree and take part in a paid internship. It also provides books, room and board.
• Purdue University College of Agriculture – Various scholarships open to both prospective and current students of the college of agriculture at Purdue University.
• Utah State University College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences – Annual scholarships available to study agriculture at the college.
• ExtremeTerrain’s Student Scholarships – A scholarship is awarded twice a year for students enrolled in a degree in sustainable agriculture systems or a related course, to study in the US.

Canada:

• Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture Graduate Scholarships – Various scholarships available for both international and home students to study agriculture at graduate level at Dalhousie University.
• University of Guelph Undergraduate Scholarships – Various scholarships available for undergraduate students of agriculture from both Canada and abroad. The university also offers postgraduate agriculture scholarships.

Agriculture scholarships to study in Asia

• Chinese Government Scholarships – Various scholarships for international students at all study levels to study agriculture.
• Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (OUAVM) – Scholarships are available for international postgraduate students at Japan’s Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.
• ASEAN International Student Scholarship at Kasetsart University – A full scholarship, covering tuition fees and providing a monthly stipend for 24 months, to study the Master of Science in Agricultural and Resource Economics at Kasetsart University. You must be a citizen of a country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), excluding Thailand.

Agriculture scholarships to study in Australia and New Zealand

Australia:

• Australian Sustainable Agriculture Scholarship – Annual scholarships are available for Australian students to pursue further education in an agriculture-related field at a university or technical and further education (TAFE) institution.
• University of Queensland School of Agriculture and Food Sciences – Various scholarships available for both international and domestic students to study at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the school of agriculture and food sciences at the University of Queensland.
• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) – Part of the Australian Government’s Australia Awards, the John Dillon Memorial Fellowship and John Allwright Fellowship aims to build agricultural research at ACIAR partner countries.

New Zealand:

• Beef + Lamb NZ Undergraduate Scholarship – Scholarships for New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who have a good academic record and can show evidence of activity to support the meat or livestock industry within New Zealand.
• FMG Agriculture Scholarship – Two scholarships are available from FMG, a rural insurance company, to study agriculture at either Lincoln, Waikato or Massey University. Your application will need to be nominated by an FMG client.
• Lincoln University Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences Postgraduate Scholarships – Various scholarships available for both international and home students to study agriculture at postgraduate level at Lincoln University. 

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This article was originally published in March 2016 and was updated in December 2018.

By Jessica Kear

Exchanges are often the favorite year (or semester) of a student’s entire degree, but that enjoyment can be tainted by the stress of being able to afford your time abroad. Depending on where you go, a study abroad program can be quite expensive, but you shouldn’t have to worry about money. I mean if you’re going to worry about something, shouldn’t it be worrying about not seeing everything there is to see in your new home? Fortunately, if you plan ahead and follow this guide, you’ll find your exchange can be done on a budget.

Apply for all available sources of financial support

This is a big one. There is so much help out there, it’s just about doing your research and applying for everything you can. There’s always a small chance you’ll receive financial aid, so it’s worth a try.

It’s all about applying on time, and applying for everything possible. This includes any bursaries or reimbursements available. If you’re a British student going abroad, for example, you can get an increased student loan from Student Finance to help fund your trip. They will also pay for three (yes, you didn’t misread that – three) return flights home, depending on your financial background. So, although filling out forms for financial help can be tedious and annoying, they are 100 percent worth it.

Get a student discount card and use it

Student discount cards are wonderful things, but are a real God-send when you’re on exchange. While in New Zealand, I literally asked everywhere I went if they accepted student discount. Depending on where you’re studying, you might have to pay for your student card (mine at Victoria University was free – resultttttt!), but it’s still worthwhile. Do your research and get it ordered before you go so you can save money from the moment your plane lands.

Make friends with the locals

During my first week in New Zealand, I was a stressed little ball of mess when it came to buying things, still confused by the change of currency and the coinage (New Zealand doesn’t have one or two cent coins and that upsets me because we wait for all our bloody change in England). I would literally go into the nearest supermarket and just binge buy, because I didn’t know what anything would be like, and I wanted to try it all.

Luckily for me I was soon saved by my angel Kiwi friends, who took me to the supermarket in my second week, and educated me on what to buy and what to avoid. They also told me about the cheapest places to buy food.

Not only are locals more knowledgeable when it comes to where to buy cheap food, but they can help you to travel cheaply too. Which brings us onto…

Find the cheapest ways to travel around

Obviously, anyone in their right mind would pick a comfy train journey over an uncomfortable and long bus journey, but sometimes a bus is the cheapest way to get around. If you’re visiting the UK on exchange, for example, please look at Megabus next time you have to make a journey. You can get from one end of the country to another for just £1 if you book early enough. It may take you half a day but think of the money you’re saving.

Also, ask around to find the cheapest airlines for travelling between countries. Students in the UK will find Ryanair, Easyjet and Jet2 are great discount options. Be sure to check websites such as Skyscanner, Webjet and AirfareWatchdog for the latest deals. Travelling light and booking in advance also helps.

Take the time to sort out your bank account

This is one thing I wish I’d done properly before I went on exchange, as I wasted so much money from poor planning and budgeting.

Before you leave, sort out your bank card. Even if your exchange only lasts a semester, it’s definitely worth your time to open a bank account in the country you’re moving to. It will only take half an hour in most cases, and will reduce the amount of international fees you have to pay. Be sure to check your current bank’s international transfer policies too. All banks charge to pay internationally but these can vary extensively.

If you can’t open a new account while abroad, definitely make sure your bank allows international use. I’d recommend using a large, international bank account, because it usually reduces these charges.

Be sure to budget, and keep track of your spending while you’re abroad too. This will make life so much easier and less stressful.

Research your exchange options

If you have multiple potential study destinations available to you, don’t just pick the city or country you most want to visit. Also consider how affordable each place is. Exchanges are really dependent on how much you embrace the opportunity, rather than where you actually are.

Researching accommodation and the costs is an extremely important way to judge how much you’ll spend in each place, and also gives you an idea of where you’ll have a higher quality of life.

Also, if you can’t stay for an entire year, there are so many other lengths you can stay for. Don’t be disheartened, your financial background won’t hold you back from having an amazing time, no matter how long it is for.

My exchange was really the greatest year of my life. Everyone who knows me is continuously reminded of this every day, because it is legit all I ever go on about (sorry guys). As someone who comes from a very low-income family, I am so grateful I was able to budget my exchange, taking advantage of every help available. As a result, I had a life-changing experience, so take the time to plan properly, and I’m sure you’ll also have the best time abroad.

By the time it’s graduation day and you’re posing for photos in your gown and mortarboard, you’ll probably do anything to be allowed to stay at university for just a little bit longer. While delaying the inevitable entry into the adult world is hardly the best reason to decide to study a postgraduate degree, the impulse is more than understandable.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other, more valid reasons for studying an additional degree from the boost it will give your career prospects to the opportunity it will provide to specialize in a particular area. But should the strong affection you feel for your current university dictate where you study at postgraduate level? There’s no reason why you can’t apply to other universities as well, and you might be left with a difficult choice between a university you know well and one you don’t but which has a better reputation.

If this happens, what do you pick? Is it a cop-out to just stay put? In short: absolutely not. Here are some of the main reasons why it’s a great idea to stay at the same university for your postgraduate degree.

First things first, you’ve got a better chance of being offered a place

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While this shouldn’t stop you from applying to other universities as well, you’ll find the application process is much more straight-forward at your current university. Not only do they already have easy access to your academic record, it’s less likely you’ll be required to interview for a place as you’ll already be well-known to tutors and lecturers. Universities are often keen to encourage students to stay on at postgraduate level, so you might also find that entry requirements are lower than they would be at another university. That’s not the only thing universities do to make staying put more attractive…

It’s cheaper too

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Yes, that’s right. Universities might seem like money-grabbing institutions at the best of times, but many offer alumni discounts on postgraduate tuition, so your level of student debt won’t become even more obscene than it already is. One other financial advantage of staying at the same university is you’ll already be well-acquainted with the town or city, and therefore have a good idea of the best cheap shops, bars and restaurants. This level of local knowledge can take months, if not years, to build up in a new location.

You probably won’t be living with strangers

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New town, new university, new people. Moving to study a postgraduate degree somewhere else means you’re just reliving all the social anxiety of the start of university all over again. Why run the risk of moving in with a bunch of strangers only to find they’re horrible, insufferable bores? Staying where you currently are means you can either carry on living in your current flat/house, or team up with other friends who are staying after graduation to live together. Much better than going back to arguing with strangers over whose turn it was to buy milk.

You’ll already be comfortable in the academic environment

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As well as not having to adjust to a new town or city, you also won’t need to worry about settling into a new academic routine. As you’ve probably already realized from your undergraduate degree, every lecturer and tutor has their own method of teaching and their own quirks when it comes to marking work and giving feedback. If you’re staying at the same university, you’ll probably already know the academic staff who’ll be teaching you and so you won’t have to adjust your own working style. The level of familiarity will also mean you feel more confident asking for help or advice, should you need it.

Reasons why you should move to another university

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Of course, there are some reasons why you might want to move to another university that might over-rule the cheaper course costs and existing relationships with tutors. If your current university doesn’t have a particularly strong academic reputation for your chosen subject area, you’ll probably want to apply to somewhere which can give you a better quality education. Similarly, if you weren’t able to get into a top university for your undergraduate (maybe because of poor grades at school) but you’re now graduating with a first-class degree, you might find it’s possible to upgrade to a more reputable university.

Reputation obviously isn’t everything, and you might feel a more rigorous degree isn’t what you’re after, but it’s worth pointing out that one additional benefit of moving to a more established and renowned university is it will widen your network of contacts within the industry you wish to work in, and also open you up to new experiences. This isn’t always the kind of thing to catch an employer’s eye, but it can only reflect positively on you when it’s time to start applying for jobs.

Lead image: Tulane Public Relations (Wikimedia Commons)