Isolation at Postgraduate Level

I’ve always known that isolation is part and parcel of what it means to be a postgraduate student at times, particularly at PhD level. It’s always been something that I have feared, especially due to the fact that I haven’t yet developed a large social network with other postgraduate students yet. I thought that once I would start my MA things would become a lot more social, but in all honesty it’s been quite the opposite.

As a postgraduate student, contact time is really limited (especially in my experience). This is not a complaint; it at least gives me more time to focus on my essays! However, in terms of the sociability of having little contact time, it’s certainly lacking. Because there is a dearth of structure due to irregular contact time, it means that inevitably there is a lack of structure in terms of meeting people on your course- making it extra hard to make friends. So far, I have definitely had an insight into the isolating part of postgrad studies that a lot of people often mention. Quite a lot of the time I am naturally on my own because of how little contact time there is. Four weeks into life as an MA student, I still haven’t met loads of people that I had anticipated to meet prior to moving to university.

I attended an AHRC conference two weeks ago, which was great because it gave me the opportunity to meet new people. NWCDTP was very good at making sure that everyone at the conference met and spoke to each other by doing loads of different group activities. But in conversation with some of the people that I did meet, the topic of isolation and loneliness soon cropped up! Some people noted that the nature of doing academic work is isolating in itself, especially at PhD level, because you effectively don’t have any colleagues- you’re a one-man band! At the conference I was surrounded by predominantly PhD students and all of them had touched upon that. One of them even advised me not to go down the same route that he had gone down during his first year of PhD; he said that he worked from home a lot and didn’t go to many academic events to network, leading him to isolate himself even more. He informed me that even going to a coffee shop to work where there are other people around can seriously help you to avoid the slippery road of becoming isolated, which seems to be easily done at postgraduate level. 

So, I thought I'd share a few things that I’m personally going to make sure I do to feel less isolated:

       Shake up work environments

Even just staying in my university room to work for too long can make me feel slightly isolated, because it’s just me, myself and I. Five hours later and I’m forgetting what it feels like to be around other humans! I think it’s important to go to environments such as the library or a coffee shop to work every now and again, just to feel like you’re around other people and not on your own all of the time.

       Walks

Even if I go for a walk on my own, it still helps to get out and surround myself in busy environments. I always feel invigorated when I’ve been for a walk on a busy campus or in a city because I’m indirectly around other people! When I go back to my desk, I feel a lot better about being alone when working.

Get involved
I make sure I get involved in academic events. For instance, the other day I attended a focus group to pilot a research survey. Putting in the effort to attend things like that and meet other people make all of the difference in your day. You can also get involved in society events too!  

       Lean on the people that you do have in your life

Rather than dwelling on the people that you haven’t met at university, focus on the friends and support system that you do have. Even if most or all of your support system lives away from you at university (as in my case), they will always still be there for you. I make sure that I’m in regular contact with my friends and family! And the friends I do have on campus, I will see quite frequently.

Keep busy
If I’m feeling extra isolated on campus, I will just keep myself busy and occupied. If you’re really struggling with the feelings of isolation, throw yourself into work or do something that will keep your mind busy. It will make the situation so much worse if you don't keep occupied, as it gives you more time to think about how bad the situation can be. 

Postgraduate studies doesn't have to be unenjoyable because of how isolating it can be on occasions. I truly believe it is as isolating as you make it and that we should just try and make the best of sometimes quite lonely situations. By all means, this is not to underestimate how horrible feelings of isolation can be. It may always be worth checking out what services your university provide if such feelings are affecting your general wellbeing. However, what I have tried to portray is that there can always be ways around the negative parts and there are definite solutions to feeling less isolated. Sometimes it's just about putting yourself out there and forcing social situations to come your way, and hopefully things will get better!