Preparing for Postgraduate study at the School of Medicine
Last updated: 14/08/2023 14:18
Welcome to the Postgraduate Taught Programmes’ community of the Centre for Medical Education. We’re looking forward to meeting you and supporting you as you start your learning journey with us.
Here you’ll find tips and resources to prepare you for starting your chosen programme and 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.
Read our Student Charter
Whether you are attending Cardiff in person or studying on one of the 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.
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:
- reading and researching
- thinking analytically
- critically evaluating evidence
- citing references correctly
- writing to an academic standard
- avoiding plagiarism (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.
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.