Starting your Masters with York\u2019s Department of English and Related Literature is all fine and dandy until someone says the word \u201cassessments.\u201d But fear not, there\u2019s a module for that! Here\u2019s a handy introduction to Postgraduate Life in Practice, or PLP: a specially convened English Masters module for assessment and study skills training..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Masters students can come from all kinds of academic and career backgrounds, so when you start together in September, it could be anywhere from a few months to many years since you last submitted a university assessment. But it\u2019s true that for everyone sometimes it\u2019s good to go back to the basics. That\u2019s why PLP exists: to make sure everyone is (literally and metaphorically) on the same page as we move through Masters study, and knows and understands what study, research and writing skills they will need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
PLP is a skills module taught in weekly two-hour lectures over the first semester of your English-department Masters. Topics range from introductions to the university\u2019s library resources, to careers panels with English MA alumni, to guidance on writing your essays and dissertation. There\u2019s a lot to cover, and PLP works to give you a broad grounding in these areas so you can feel more confident moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During PLP lectures, you are always welcome to ask questions and discuss your thoughts with others. Your peers are always fantastic people to learn from, and so being able to ask them about their experiences of studying, managing assessments, and juggling their workloads can raise really useful advice for you to take on in your own work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PLP is assessed on a pass\/fail basis. All you\u2019ve got to do is submit the PLP formative essay and (later in the semester) your dissertation proposal. These are compulsory assessments, but they\u2019re really low-stakes, and staff are always approachable for support in feedback and consultation hours. Keep reading for more details\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aside from the technical and practical uses of PLP teaching and assessment, the weekly lectures are also a regular gathering of the large English MA cohort. Undergraduate lectures can sometimes feel like a swarm, but the MA cohort here at York is generally much smaller, and because of that it\u2019s even more important to feel that you\u2019re part of a community, regardless of your MA course, your module choices, or your background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PLP is, first and foremost, meant to give you skills to support you throughout MA study, and one of the most important parts of this support is the PLP formative essay. This is a short essay in response to your core module that your personal supervisor will offer feedback on, but not a numerical mark. If you don\u2019t have a core module, you can choose between either of your Semester 1 modules. Because this is formative work, it doesn’t contribute to your Masters classification and you\u2019re allowed to reuse the material you write on in a future assessment. Equally, if you decide you want to write on a different topic entirely, that\u2019s fine too – you\u2019ve had your practice go! Ultimately, the feedback is the most important part of the essay, because that\u2019ll help you make your later assessments the best that they can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your dissertation proposal is the second assessment to submit in order to pass the PLP module, and again, this is very low-stakes and not a binding contract in any way. PLP lectures will have given you the skills base to conduct your initial research and help you understand the shape of your dissertation, so by the time you get to writing up your proposal, you\u2019ll feel more confident in your ideas and approach. As with the formative essay, staff are always available to discuss your research and offer suggestions. Remember: the proposal is just the beginning of something that will become even better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes it does! Each element of PLP teaching and assessment serves its own purpose, but the overall benefit of the module is personal confidence and improved study skills. As an MA student, regardless of your course, you\u2019re working independently on your research. This means creating your own essay titles, undertaking a long dissertation and managing your weekly workload across multiple advanced modules. PLP offers the combined support of practical skills training in research and study with the pep talk that we all need: you do deserve to be at York, and you do deserve to do well, because you have the skills and the confidence to make it happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n