#21

Going back to do my Masters, I was extraordinarily anxious about returning to uni after four years away from academia and embedded within general uncertainty. I didn’t think I’d be able to focus again on a large project, as I had at undergrad level - especially with work considerations. As it happened, my confidence came back fairly easily - universities are really good environments for being able to organise and focus (my decision to go back has really helped my confidence in the long term, re my ability to literally do almost anything).

Sorry this is a bit of an overgeneral answer, but I had similar uncertainty about taking the plunge but I’m really really glad I did. And being older and more mature made me appreciate the environment so much more.

AND IVE POSTED FAR TOO MANY TIMES ON HERE ABOUT HOW I GAMED THE UNIVERSITY JOB SHOP AND FOUND TWO PART TIME JOBS THAT I COULD DO AT THE SAME TIME AS ONE ANOTHER THUS GIVING ME FULL TIME CASH MONEY FOR PART TIME COMMITMENT OH YEAH BABY

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#22

Hold on, I’ll DM you.

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#23

Wasn’t meaning to put the fear in you with that caveat! But what helped me know I was ready was I had learned I could commit to a 40 hour week at work in a dead end job, committing to 12 hours a week of lectures and some assignments was then totally achievable for me in a way it wasn’t when I had only ever coasted with sporadic attendance at school and skived as second nature.

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#24

What is your concern with this exactly? Because if it’s not having the right knowledge, lots of masters courses are designed to take students with a range of backgrounds (hence how i was able to do eng lang with a physics background), so you aren’t necessarily at a huge disadvantage not having done a bachelors in the same subject. One advantage of a masters is that they’re only a year so it may be easier to keep your focus. Mine had lots of mature students as well.

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#25

Read this in a weirdly confrontational tone at first! Why don’t you wanna do a masters, you idiot dickhead?! :slightly_smiling_face:

Idk really, partly what I replied to shes_so_sigh about my experience at uni first time around. It’s not necessarily knowledge but more my lack of experience with regard to the whole university “experience” that I feel I wouldn’t be prepared for jumping straight into a masters. I could be wrong though. I need to do some more research really

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#26

Not intended confrontationally - only an idiot dickhead would think it was! Safety wink :wink:

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#28

I forgot to mention in my DM that a lot of master’s degrees begin with an orientation to university module and even if they don’t you’ll still have welcome activities that will explain the essentials.

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#29

Just read that the UCAS deadline is going to be pushed back two weeks to the end of January so you’ll hopefully have more time to decide.

FWIW when I did my MA only about 50-75% of people on the course were in their 20s and around half of the students had worked for a bit after uni before resuming study. Two were over 60 and changing career and I know at least one didn’t have a undergrad degree in languages (the MA was in translation) but had lived in another country for years and learned the language. I think those of us who had gone straight from uni had a minor advantage at first as we were still in study mode but everyone who had already been in the real world before the MA surpassed us pretty quickly. Good luck with whatever you decide!

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#30

I’ve started a Wildlife & Conservation Management HND which can lead on to a number of degree-level courses (if I can be arsed). Fortunately, the full time course is front-loaded into the week, so I’m able to attend classes Monday/Tuesday, then catch-up on the Wednesday class in my own time while I work Wednesday-Friday.

Not having to pay for transport to work is saving me a small fortune, so I’m managing to end each month with some money saved - I’ll be really struggling when I have to get back to using the train though. The only savings I’ve had to spend so far are on tuition fees, although I should hopefully manage to build most of that back up depending on how long I have to work from home.

It might just be the institution, but mature students could apply direct to the college for part-time courses. After I was accepted, I managed to sweet-talk the course leader and the Admissions team into having me full-time, although I guess that depended on the class not being entirely full. Delighted I didn’t have to do UCAS bollocks!

The only downside is I could have received a grant from the Scottish funding body as a part-time student, but because I’m full-time I only qualify for a loan (having used up my full-time funding previously). :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

#31

Did your SAAS funding not cover a change of career?

#32

Nope. I don’t think I even got the option to say I was aiming to change career.

#33

I can’t remember your exact circumstances so I might be misunderstanding but we (I work in Scottish FE) would (I think) normally find a way of SAAS funding you unless you already had a full degree.

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#34

I might drop them an email and check, although I did waste an awful lot of SAAS money without anything to show for it in the early 00s. Cheers for the prompt. :+1:

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#35

The general rule of thumb is that you’ll be funded by someone (government or SAAS) as long as you’re showing progression over a period of time.

#37

Where are you studying? Are you doing it at MMU?

#38

Yeah, the IPM at mmu

#39

I’ve enjoyed the hell out of it this time around, practically the only thing that’s kept me going during the pandemic. Would agree with other comments here that I get along much better with lecturers than I ever used to, and idk treating it a little more like a job just because that’s how capitalism’s ground me down now seems to have reaped a lot of rewards. I guess just having read more at 30 than I had at 20 and knowing a bit more of the world and human experience helps? Literally no down sides to studying late other than money problems but let’s be honest those are inevitable at the moment.

#40

Ta.

This is one of the things I’ve toyed with doing over the last few years, to get a qualification to go with my work experience.

#41

I mostly did it because of knowing the course leader and always being a fan of his stuff. So gutted its online though, the one residential we did was great but online its just sort of learn for yourself amd obviously this is an issue for all courses but I’d say the main point of this course is the residential and going to site visits etc. He told me next year is online too so I’d hold off if you can

#42

would love to do it but think i’d have to move countries again cos a 2nd degree here costs loads (still not as much as the UK though)

think having worked for a bit would definitely help me, just knowing how to use an outlook calendar and basic stuff like that. also i’m dealing with MH stuff better than I was, and would study something I find more interesting