A day in the life of a postgraduate student

Author: Christina Sexton

From tech talk to Toastmasters, Rajita Baniya Khattri has a lot to fit into her day. Here’s how she is completing her Master of Information Technology at our North Sydney Campus.

10 – 11am

"I take the train to campus, which is usually about a 45-minute journey. Admittedly, I rarely open my laptop on the train, but I will do some reading on my phone."

11am – 1pm

"Once I arrive on campus, I like to spend time in the library before my lecture as it’s always a good, quiet place to study. I’ll also return textbooks and take some new ones out. I might head to the canteen to grab lunch or sometimes I just bring food with me from home that I’ll eat in the courtyard before class."

1 – 3pm

"My lecture and tutorial are combined, so it’s more of a workshop. Usually it’s held in the computer lab so we can all do individual work as we go along. There’s about 20 to 25 people in the class with me. The lecturer normally starts by introducing a topic, and then they assign a task and we all start working – it’s really interactive. It’s good being able to ask for help on the spot."

3 – 4pm

"Straight after class, many of us head to a study room in the library so we can do group work together. It’s much easier if we do this right after our lecture as everyone is already on campus, though managing everyone’s time is always a challenge. Truthfully, I actually like group work! Working together can be a lot of fun."

4 – 5pm

"I’m a member of Toastmasters, which is a club for people looking to improve their public speaking and communication skills. We have a weekly on-campus meeting. It usually begins with everyone talking for about a minute on a particular topic and sometimes a member will deliver a prepared speech. I’m not a great public speaker and it can be a bit scary, but I knew it would be good for me and I can see how I’ve already improved."

5 – 6pm

"I leave campus in the late afternoon and head home on the train. I’m usually too tired to do any real study, but I will check my emails and respond to anything urgent. Mostly I just use this time to relax."

6 – 10pm

"I work about 20 hours a week in customer service. I make sure it fits around my uni schedule, which isn’t always easy. If I’m not working I might cook dinner, watch a movie or work on my assignments."

Interested in pursuing a postgraduate degree like Rajita? Explore our courses.

Category Future student

Tags Current student Postgraduate Student