Julia Ramrath

Hi, my name is Julia and I am a MA Publishing student at LCC. Currently working on my Master’s thesis after my first full year of studying, there are a few things I have learned throughout my studies that I wish I had known when starting last year.

My course has been very blessed with the opportunities we were given. Not only did that entail the layout of our teaching and the amazing opportunities it created in networking with industry professionals and peers but also the extracurricular work we were able to take on voluntarily. Being able to join the mentoring program, helping on a podcast, or running the course’s social media accounts are not only great ways of getting to know your course mates and lecturers better but are also welcomed experiences by future employers. Showing that you are willing to go above and beyond to work on sometimes unpaid, but relevant projects is an amazing way of not only showing your dedication but also your time management and professional skills. Plus, it is a good way of proving that you can take your knowledge outside of the classroom and into the real world.

Secondly, I think learning how to engage and collaborate with others is key. Meeting new people, whether they were peers or professionals, was a key aspect of our course. A majority of our projects were reliant on our ability to communicate and collaborate. So, if there is any advice I have, it is to be open, kind, and understanding. Collaborating with new people is not always easy, especially since everyone is bringing their own values, ideas, and experience to the table. Being able to compromise and communicate through that is crucial to not only create a great product but to also prepare you for life after university. That being said, everyone is facing their own struggles and journey, so not everyone is always able to give 100%. Being understanding but also supportive through those phases is important. After all, make sure to build good relationships with those around you. You never know who you are going to be working with in the future.

Lastly, set your own goals. One of the first things you learn coming into our course is that you are going to get out of it what you are putting in. During my BA, I had lectures almost every day of the week, was practically guided through most of my assignments, and had three years to learn the content, finish my assignments and write my dissertation. Our MA had an amazing support system of staff guiding us and students supporting us, however, a MA is in a way a Bachelor’s degree squished into a year and a half. You may not have the time to take things slow the way you did in the first year of your BA and you may also find the experience of coming into university for two, rather than five days of the week to be rather strange. I think the key thing to remember is to dedicate time to your studies, in and outside of class. Make use of the creative environment around you, the very exciting students from other courses, the professionals coming into class to talk to you, and the materials in the library and workshops. LCC is genuinely a great place to learn, not only things about your future profession but also different industries. LCC is a world full of ideas and opportunities and I think it would be a shame to not gain any knowledge outside the classroom.