Considering doing a masters after graduating 5 years ago, how hard will it be!?

Mothermoo_2

cardiffforthefacup wrote: »

So basically Agent C what you are saying is that as a lone parent I can apply for a masters, maybe get a career development loan to pay for it and then get income support etc, where is this information from, as it is true it makes it possible for me to go on and study (if I can get a loan that is)

Not sure about the benefits side of it, but this is the MSE page on CDL http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/career-development-loans There's only the 3 banks mentioned that do the loans and when I looked on their sites there was limited information (Barclays probably gave the most detail), they all said to call for details

Good luck

Agent_C

cardiffforthefacup wrote: »

So basically Agent C what you are saying is that as a lone parent I can apply for a masters, maybe get a career development loan to pay for it and then get income support etc, where is this information from, as it is true it makes it possible for me to go on and study (if I can get a loan that is)

Yes - lone parents who are also students can claim Income Support, provided their course is classed as full-time. The usual savings limits apply. New rules are coming in that limit the ability to claim IS depending on the age of the youngest child - I am not au fait with these, but this page gives more information: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/page-896

If you get Income Support then you can also get Housing Benefit if you rent, and Council Tax Benefit, plus free prescriptions etc. Some universities also have grants specifically for lone parents, so it's worth asking about that when you apply.

MadeInTheDark

Hi Nikkikitch
I am currently doing a masters in politics and new media technologies after having one year out between undergrad and postgrad. I am finding it a challenge but I am enjoying it. A masters is a lot of work in any subject, and is a shock to the system to many students (including me) at the amount and level of work that is expected of you. But these are the factors that make a masters degree a valuable qualification to have if you plan to aim for a career in academia, teaching, high entry level jobs or to continue for a PHd. It can be seen as an investment in that way.
I don't think doing a masters just because of the recession is a wise move though - I am struggling financially as tuition fees & accomodation are very expensive and I do not have a loan. I think other people are right when they say you cannot get a loan for postgraduate study. The only options you have are scholarships from the university you attend, sponsorships from various companies or searching for available bursaries for your particular study area. Either that or fund it yourself, as I am, because I applied too late for scholarships/bursaries.
A masters degree is hard, hard work but it is worth it if you are prepared to put in that effort. I am really enjoying mine, even though it is very tough. My main piece of advice is be prepared for a huge and challenging workload, a masters is a great experience and qualification to have, but not one to be taken lightly, due to the expense and effort required. It is nothing like undergraduate study - in my opinion - I think I have done more work since starting my masters than in the whole 3 years of undergraduate...
In the end you get out what you put into it and believe me there is a lot that you have to put in!
Good luck and I hope whatever decision you make works out well for you!
Now I must get back to my mountains of work!!!

TheOtherMan

Hi Nikkikitch,

just to concentrate on the academic side - not discounting the financial, but there's some good advice on that front already - I did a masters a couple of years back after (ahem) over 10 years out of university. I slipped back into the routine fairly quickly, but it definitely helped that I didn't miss a lecture and was motivated to do the reading. I was doing it part time, which meant two evening lectures (with seminars) each week, and the reading - two lengthy articles were recommended each week, reading more was obviously good - would have stacked up if I hadn't kept on top of it. Plus there were 2 essays per term, for which you'd need to do extra reading. Your subject might not be quite so heavy on the word count but it's worth bearing in mind, and even seeing whether you could do it part time. The benefit of that is that you split it, and the second year is arguably a lighter load. In my second year I had just the one lecture and then a dissertation to do. I started with great intentions of keeping on top of the dissertation through the year and ended up leaving it until the (late!) summer, but it worked fine.

And all of that didn't get in the way of having a full-time job, so you might be able to find a part-time one to defray the costs a little (I appreciate that's easier said than done). That said, with having a job and evening lectures I had to be disciplined at the weekends - plenty of time spent on Sat/Sun and in the week on trains commuting with my head buried in journal articles.

bec54

Hello Nikkikitch,

I agree with MadeInTheDark - I don't think it should be a decision taken lightly because of the recession. I returned to uni 2 years after my undergrad degree and am now nearing the end of my 3 year part time MA programme. It has been an unbelieveable amount of hard work that you really shouldn't underestimate (I should be doing my dissertation now rather than lurking on here now lol!).

I don't think it would do a career any harm to have a masters or professional qualifications, but I would question how much influence it could have in helping you get another job. There is also the question of what you would do if you came across your dream job on a job site whilst procrastinating over an assignment half way through the course. if you were tempted to follow it up would you be motivated to finish the course?