As far as meeting my expectations, my postgraduate study has exceeded them. Never did I expect to develop my skills so greatly in such a short amount of time or have the opportunity to be published and work with nutrition game-changers, such as LiveLighter. I am truly grateful for continuing my study and would recommend the postgraduate study to anyone considering it.
My critical analysis skills were first developed in my bachelor of science undergraduate, but since entering postgraduate study they have been greatly enhanced. My postgraduate course provides the opportunity to undertake clinical research, which requires multiple literature reviews and analysis of current evidence. As not all published journal articles are of high quality and free from bias, it is vital to determine whether the evidence stacks up and can be translated into practice.
The coursework demands strong written communication through many written assignments. However, the development of scientific writing is equally as important as developing skills to appropriately educate the general population. Currently, my postgraduate research paper is being reviewed by my supervisors with plans for publishing, and in one unit last year we were given an opportunity to submit a blog piece to LiveLighter. My blog discussing how to navigate milk alternatives was selected and published late last year (https://livelighter.com.au/news/Going-mad-over-milk). Both of these opportunities have only arisen due to my enrollment in this postgraduate course. Without these opportunities, I would have never realised my passion for nutrition education and writing.
In my undergraduate degree, I would never refer to myself as a confident public speaker. However, through many formative and marked oral assessments in the past year, my feedback went from "noticeably nervous" to "confident and passionate". How can something I considered to be a weakness of mine develop so drastically in a year? It is quite simply done when you are receiving ongoing support and feedback from your postgraduate course coordinators.
Prior to studying nutrition and dietetics, I was studying to be an architect. It is quite ironic that my creativity and visions have been more supported studying science than they ever were in my undergraduate design degree. Although design skills may have been developed in that undergraduate degree, they have finally been acknowledged in the production of infographics and a media communication portfolio. Unlike many submissions from undergraduate submissions, on many occasions, the submission guidelines (including font-size, headings, structure etc.) are removed to allow us as students to produce the work in a visually appealing way.
Postgraduate degrees allow the application of skills and knowledge and give students more freedom to develop and grow as they need. Choosing to study a postgraduate course was the best decision I have made. I cannot wait to see where my final year takes me and my future as a dietitian.