Master's degree

[Neversoft]

Has anybody here done, currently doing or wants to do a master's degree? I'm really fed up with my current employment situation and have decided to go back to study. I'll have to go part-time due to the financial burden and will also need to find a part-time job, but the revelation was kind of liberating after enduring months of strife.

I graduated from university in 2014 and took any old job because I just wanted to finally earn some money. Jump ahead three years and I feel like I'm stuck in the wrong industry, heading in the wrong direction. I'm gaining experience in positions I don't care about, while it feels my dream profession is slowly slipping away. I didn't think I would ever return to academia, but it feels necessary to me now.

I'm going to apply as soon as I've put my portfolio together. Postgraduate courses don't have strict deadlines like undergraduate courses, so I hope there are still places available. Is anybody else in a similar situation or have experience with postgraduate education? I finished university before the fee's increased, but postgraduate study will add a hefty chunk onto my debt. It doesn't worry me now, but it probably will one day.

[lawrawrrr]

I'd like to do either a Master's, on a part-time basis, or a certificate etc on something to strengthen my career (marketing/web) as my undergrad is completely unrelated and I'm relying completely on experience.

However it's the cost that really puts me off both, and I don't fancy getting in more debt!

I actually work for a postgraduate-only university so I encounter the sort of environment and stress of doing a master's as well as learning about the funding available and how much it costs (especially staying in London).

What are you wanting to study Neversoft;?

[Neversoft]

I'd like to do either a Master's, on a part-time basis, or a certificate etc on something to strengthen my career (marketing/web) as my undergrad is completely unrelated and I'm relying completely on experience.

However it's the cost that really puts me off both, and I don't fancy getting in more debt!

I actually work for a postgraduate-only university so I encounter the sort of environment and stress of doing a master's as well as learning about the funding available and how much it costs (especially staying in London).

What are you wanting to study Neversoft;?

I knew a friend of a friend who chose an MA completely unrelated to their BA — seems like a good idea, if you ask me. Twice the experience, twice the options. The cost is a real burden, but I'm glad the government have introduce postgraduate loans. I probably never would have considered it had there been no funding available to me. I'm thinking of switching to full time and maybe working weekends, rather than going the part-time route. The loan is stretched so thin in a part-time course, that I may as well just stay in work, but I guess that's the point.

I went to university in London, but am looking at doing my masters somewhere more local. The inflated expense of everything in London has long since put me off, but more power to anybody who studies there. I did enjoy my time in the capital.

I'll (hopefully) be studying creative writing. I did a mixture of creative writing, journalism and film studies at university and it's definitely my calling. I want to go with creative writing over the (probably) more sensible choice of English literature since I also have an interest in screenwriting, which is more in line with the former. I wrote a novella as part of my final year at university, but didn't get to go much further. I'd really like to hone my abilities and focus on something worthwhile, while tackling more advanced fiction writing. I'm aiming to have sent my application by Friday, but I need to put together 2,000 words of recent prose, so I'm currently revising and checking over some pieces!

[Absently]

i would love to do a masters at some point, but just not right now. i finish in june for good and i plan to just work for a few years and then do a masters. im so sick of education right and just cant wait to move on and earn from a full time job. i also want to prioritise for partner for once and let him work on his career, whilst i just work instead

[lawrawrrr]

I knew a friend of a friend who chose an MA completely unrelated to their BA — seems like a good idea, if you ask me. Twice the experience, twice the options. The cost is a real burden, but I'm glad the government have introduce postgraduate loans. I probably never would have considered it had there been no funding available to me. I'm thinking of switching to full time and maybe working weekends, rather than going the part-time route. The loan is stretched so thin in a part-time course, that I may as well just stay in work, but I guess that's the point.

I went to university in London, but am looking at doing my masters somewhere more local. The inflated expense of everything in London has long since put me off, but more power to anybody who studies there. I did enjoy my time in the capital.

I'll (hopefully) be studying creative writing. I did a mixture of creative writing, journalism and film studies at university and it's definitely my calling. I want to go with creative writing over the (probably) more sensible choice of English literature since I also have an interest in screenwriting, which is more in line with the former. I wrote a novella as part of my final year at university, but didn't get to go much further. I'd really like to hone my abilities and focus on something worthwhile, while tackling more advanced fiction writing. I'm aiming to have sent my application by Friday, but I need to put together 2,000 words of recent prose, so I'm currently revising and checking over some pieces!
I did an English Lit and Creative Writing undergrad - would definitely recommend having like a "proper" subject to be more employable (not trying to be patronising!!)

I have a few friends on CW postgrads at the moment - I think at York one of them, couple stayed on in Aberystwyth, there are some somewhere else too!

Good luck with your application and if you need any help with things then I'm happy to ask my more academically qualified acquaintances!

[Neversoft]

i would love to do a masters at some point, but just not right now. i finish in june for good and i plan to just work for a few years and then do a masters. im so sick of education right and just cant wait to move on and earn from a full time job. i also want to prioritise for partner for once and let him work on his career, whilst i just work instead

Yeah, that's what I did. After school, then college, then university, I was ready to be done with education! Now I really hope to go back, haha.


I did an English Lit and Creative Writing undergrad - would definitely recommend having like a "proper" subject to be more employable (not trying to be patronising!!)

I have a few friends on CW postgrads at the moment - I think at York one of them, couple stayed on in Aberystwyth, there are some somewhere else too!

Good luck with your application and if you need any help with things then I'm happy to ask my more academically qualified acquaintances!

Yeah, I know creative writing isn't really the most desirable and straightforward qualification at postgraduate level, but I'm pretty set on it. I did compare with English literature, but I'm more interested in the process of creating language and exploring the textuality of my own work, rather than researching historical literature and examining things like Shakespeare and the politics of writing. To my understanding, an English degree is more research based whereas creative writing will (I'm hoping) allow me to be creative. That's how it was at undergraduate level, anyway. If I can produce some exceptional work, I hope I can find appropriate employment based on that rather than the specifics of my degree (a man can dream). Thanks! If anything comes to mind I'll send a message your way! (:

[Sloths]

I finished last year and would love to go back and do my masters at some point, I miss studying already. I kind of want to teach at my old uni too which most of the masters students do at the same time so could be an option further down the track. Have to see where the working life takes me, at least I'm currently in the career my degree led from so it's not like I'm doing something totally different and I'm still always learning.

[Alysha]

I'm in the exact same position at the moment. I did a film and television studies undergrad and I'm looking at doing a history based masters. I couldn't wait to leave uni when I finished and now I'm really wanting to go back

[Neversoft]

Completely forgot I needed references. Had to email my tutors from three years ago! Hope they get back to me.

[Catchy]

I start my MSc in midwifery in september, scary! healthcare masters usually works a little differently though as we usually do them part time as we still need to work clinically for some of our modules. I'm going to be doing one module at a time as I'm still gonna be working full time alongside. I'm self funding with a postgrad loan which isn't too bad as the NHS funded my undergrad degree so all together with an undergrad and postgrad degree I'll have about 19k student debt. Not bad at all. I'd say go for your masters as everyone seems to have a bloody undergrad degree these days. Good luck!

[Neversoft]

I start my MSc in midwifery in september, scary! healthcare masters usually works a little differently though as we usually do them part time as we still need to work clinically for some of our modules. I'm going to be doing one module at a time as I'm still gonna be working full time alongside. I'm self funding with a postgrad loan which isn't too bad as the NHS funded my undergrad degree so all together with an undergrad and postgrad degree I'll have about 19k student debt. Not bad at all. I'd say go for your masters as everyone seems to have a bloody undergrad degree these days. Good luck!

Thank you! And to you, as well. Sounds like you have it all figured out. If everything goes well I'll be funding my studies the same way, but will only work part time. I'm just finishing off my personal statement and have references lined up. As soon as they've come through, I can submit my application. Hope it isn't too late!

[Catchy]

Thank you! And to you, as well. Sounds like you have it all figured out. If everything goes well I'll be funding my studies the same way, but will only work part time. I'm just finishing off my personal statement and have references lined up. As soon as they've come through, I can submit my application. Hope it isn't too late!

Ha, I wish I had it all figured out :$ so many decisions recently. Good luck! Are you doing it at the same uni you studied? Sometimes you get a discount in your fees, I think I get a £1500 discount or something like that, all together it's £50 per credit so works out about £7500 with the discount, not too bad I don't think!

[Neversoft]

Ha, I wish I had it all figured out :$ so many decisions recently. Good luck! Are you doing it at the same uni you studied? Sometimes you get a discount in your fees, I think I get a £1500 discount or something like that, all together it's £50 per credit so works out about £7500 with the discount, not too bad I don't think!

Nope! I studied in London but don't live there anymore and don't fancy commuting, so it'll be a different university. The tuition fees are £5,450 for the year, so it isn't terribly expensive. I understand the new postgraduate loan isn't means-tested, so if I get the full amount it should more than cover it. I'm working full-time at the moment, but will swap to part-time when the course begins, so I shouldn't have to worry too much about money. It's great you can get a discount, though. I wasn't even aware such a scheme existed.

[Neversoft]

So I finally applied at the end of May and had my interview a couple of weeks later, which went so well I gained the energy of a thousand lemurs, but then there was silence. My interviewer said he would be very happy to recommend my application and that I would hear back shortly — but nothing. Every day I expected to hear back, until my hopes dried up. It's been a little over three weeks since my interview, so I rang them for an update today. The woman I spoke to was so coy at first, saying how I should have received the decision by now. She kept referring to this 'decision' within explicitly stating what the decision was, so I braced myself for bad news, but eventually she came out and said I had an unconditional offer. I'm so pleased — I was getting incredibly depressed thinking how I'd just be floating around in limbo some more. I'm also hoping to do a short course in Korean language so long as it doesn't clash with my university timetable. This is like the first thing that has worked out for me this year. Now I gotta sort out that loan money!

[Catchy]

So I finally applied at the end of May and had my interview a couple of weeks later, which went so well I gained the energy of a thousand lemurs, but then there was silence. My interviewer said he would be very happy to recommend my application and that I would hear back shortly — but nothing. Every day I expected to hear back, until my hopes dried up. It's been a little over three weeks since my interview, so I rang them for an update today. The woman I spoke to was so coy at first, saying how I should have received the decision by now. She kept referring to this 'decision' within explicitly stating what the decision was, so I braced myself for bad news, but eventually she came out and said I had an unconditional offer. I'm so pleased — I was getting incredibly depressed thinking how I'd just be floating around in limbo some more. I'm also hoping to do a short course in Korean language so long as it doesn't clash with my university timetable. This is like the first thing that has worked out for me this year. Now I gotta sort out that loan money!

Well done! I start mine in September too, as well as working full time... Don't feel ready at all!!

[Neversoft]

Well done! I start mine in September too, as well as working full time... Don't feel ready at all!!

Awesome! I'm doing mine full-time, so I've already swapped to a part-time job. I work early mornings, so the timing should work out well as I think all my classes will be in the afternoon. Can't wait! How long does your MSc go on for?

[Catchy]

Awesome! I'm doing mine full-time, so I've already swapped to a part-time job. I work early mornings, so the timing should work out well as I think all my classes will be in the afternoon. Can't wait! How long does your MSc go on for?

That'll be good! I'd love to do it full time but wouldn't be able financially afford to. I think it varies because I choose how many modules I want to do etc, but only doing one module at a time so it's not too much as I potentially may have another job which means I will drop down to two days a week in my main job, pick up the hours with my new job and then doing my msc part time... it's gonna be full on.

[AbbyMcKenna]

not atm