Psychological challenges facing
MSc students
This powerpoint has been designed to
offer advice and guidance to MSc
students. The format of the Workshop
may be slightly different to this
powerpoint.
Adam Sandelson
LSE Student Counselling Service
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Aims
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To look at common challenges involved
in starting at a university
To examine practical activities for
dealing with the stress of transition
To review stress management skills
To be aware of sources of advice
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Part 1
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Common challenges
involved in starting
at a university
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Academic
Social
Settling in tips
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Settling in: The Academic side
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Adjusting to a new level of study
Adjusting to self-directed learning
Trying to keep previous standards
Adjusting reading strategies
Presentations, essays and exams
The tutor relationship
Sustained pressure during a 1 year
course
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Academic challenges
Feeling overwhelmed with material
Adapting to a new style of learning
Needing time to develop an
independent critical voice
Anxiety can lead to procrastination
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We may disguise avoidance by being very busy
We may find things to do that are interesting or
even useful, but don't contribute towards the
main goal
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Settling in - the Social Side
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Talking to strangers
Making contacts through shared activities
Keeping contact with people from home
Meeting people from similar and different
backgrounds
Getting a balance from work and leisure.
Being realistic about what to expect
Giving yourself time to adjust
Looking after yourself - food and sleep
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The challenge of transition
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Loss of the familiar –
home, friends, family,
places, routine
What about feeling
homesick? Coping with
loss, after initial
excitement subsides
Encountering
disappointment,
depression and anxiety
Meeting new people,
relationships
Academic challenges
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Feeling Homesick
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Can be part of the
natural grieving reaction
associated with change
Is extremely common
Most common in first
few days or weeks after
arriving
Can occur at the time of
leaving home, but also
later, such as after
Christmas break.
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Homesickness may be associated
with
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distance from home
sense of anticlimax
high initial expectations
work overload and low control over it
contrast in lifestyle
time needed to adapt to changed
culture, language and lifestyle
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Initial impressions
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Why did you choose to study
at LSE
What are your initial
impressions
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Academic
Social
Cultural
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Settling in Tips - I
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Talk to someone.
Make contacts and friends through
shared activities such as societies
and clubs.
Keep contact with people from
home, but also give yourself time
to begin to get involved here
Remember that many others will
be feeling the same
Remember that you are also
allowed to enjoy yourself - it isn't
being disloyal to those you miss!
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Settling in Tips - II
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Be realistic about what to expect from student
life and from yourself. Try to balance work and
leisure.
Give yourself time to adjust: you don't have to
get everything right straight away.
Remember to get enough food and sleep
Most people come through times of
homesickness and go on to do well and enjoy
their time at university.
If work is difficult, look at your study skills and
time management (see Teaching and Learning
Centre)
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Settling in Tips - III
Speak to your tutor
Look for advice and help:
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Student Services Centre
Study Skills Advisors in TLC
Student Union
Medical Centre
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Advisor.
Don't wait until problems
have grown impossibly large!
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Part 2
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The context for studying
What are you really
doing here?
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Common student
difficulties
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Ambivalence about leaving home and
family
Cultural isolation
Settling down in a new peer group
Dilemmas about relationships and
identity
Financial difficulties
Ambivalent relationship to study
Feeling under pressure to do
everything right
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Underlying dynamics
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Trying to please others
Wanting to be the best
Being a perfectionist
The family / historic
context for your success,
eg keeping the family
together
Setting yourself impossible
targets
Re-enacting anxiety,
trauma, failure …
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Dynamics of study, work, life ...
Past
relationships
Current
relationships
Relationship
with LSE or
course of study
or work or …
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Under Pressure?
What pressures are you under as an
MSc student coming to LSE
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From others
From yourself
Are these pressures realistic or
excessive?
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Part 3
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What are the
practical ways of
dealing with future
challenges?
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Future challenges
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Classes, essays
and exams
Work and Money
Planning your
future life
Sustaining
momentum
Getting support
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Practical approaches
Revise study skills
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see LSE Learning World Website
Assess time management skills
Set realistic and achievable goals
Plan short term targets and longer term
strategies
Recognise short term achievements
Talk to others, ask for help and support
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Getting things done
Concentrate
on the task,
not the
outcome
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Getting things done
Concentrate
on the task,
not the
outcome
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Focussing on the task
Break down huge activities into small
manageable tasks
Remember your past successes
Recognise you are likely to pass
Be methodical, and allow time for
breaks and space to breathe and think
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Use mind maps, scribble ideas
Go for a walk, talk out loud
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Part 4
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Review your Stress
Management Skills
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Stress Management Skills
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Physical, behavioural, cognitive
Regularly switch off with some kind of
physical activity
Good self care – sleep, diet, caffeine, alcohol
and nicotine
Allow yourself time out without guilt
Acknowledge anxiety, rather than denying it.
Ask if your negative thoughts are realistic
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Challenging negative thoughts
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Apply ‘Socratic reasoning’ or imagine
this being tested in a Court of Law
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Identify the negative thought
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Eg, I can’t do this Course
Ascertain the evidence For and Against
Ask if you are making a ‘thinking error’
Propose a more reasonable alternative
thought
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Thinking errors
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Discounting the positive
Tunnel Vision
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Overgeneralizing
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only seeing the negative side of
things
because it happened in the past it
will happen again in the future
All or nothing thinking
Believing a catastrophe will happen
Emotional Reasoning
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If I feel it then it must be true
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Part 5
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What sources of
advice and help
are available?
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Sources of advice and help
Academic Adviser
Departmental Staff
TLC study skills advisors
Student Union and Advice Centre
Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor
Disability Office
Student Services Centre
Learning World
Medical Centre
Deans
Don't wait until problems have grown
impossibly large
It’s OK to ask for help earlier
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LSE Student Counselling
Service – KSW.507
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Free and confidential
Mainly short term counselling
Book appointments in advance
Urgent appointments (phone early in the day)
See Website for
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Stress management handouts
Self help resources on a wide range of student issues
(study – related and personal difficulties)
Relaxation MP3’s
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Forthcoming Groups
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Stress Management Group (3 weeks), Thursday 11 – 1, 17 November
Self Esteem Group (3 weeks) Monday 11 – 1, 14 November
MSc therapy group
PhD therapy group
Places on all groups need to be booked in advance.
Please see the website, Call Ext 3627, visit KSW.507 or email
student.counselling@lse.ac.uk.
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Final thoughts
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Transition can be stressful, but also
allows us to grow as a person
Imagine looking back in 5 years
Talk
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