Masters or Travel?

megsykins

OK, so I'm about to finish my degree (note: not necessaryily graduate due to AUT strike). I'm probably going to get a 2:2, a 2:1 is theoretically possible, although with less than two weeks to go, I've pretty much given up on getting it. I am involved with lots of extra-curricular activities and society committees though, which does boost my CV somewhat.

I don't know what to do next. I have a fairly well paid summer job to return to, but after September, there's a big blank. The two options are go travelling or do post-grad study. I have money that I've saved from my loan, plus inheritance, and my loan is my only debt, so funding isn't a big problem, although I can't really afford to do both.

If I go travelling, I'm not just gonna 'bum round the world with a backpack' - I'd like to do at least one, if not more, voluntary placements - TEFL, community work, etc, through a company like i-to-i. I didn't take a gap year after A-Levels and really feel that I missed out.
If I do Post-Grad, it'll probably be an MA in European Politics and Culture, at the Uni where I'm already studying (m current degree is Law with Politics).

From people who have been travelling and/or done post-grad - which was most beneficial?
Do employers prefer additional academic qualifications, or some world experience and the 'soft skills' (team work, initiative, etc) that they're always complaining graduates don't have?

I'm really stuck and so would appreciate any advice anyone has!
Thanks!
Megs x

jamminjamaica

sometime a break is a good way to assess what you want out of life. i took a year out and travelled and benefited greatly from it. i grew up in the year and was more focussed on what i wanted when i returned to education. however this is a choice you are going to have to make yourself. as i do know people who have taken year out and not gone back to study.

good luck and I hope everything works out for you

Princess_Cinderella_2

i am currently having the same dilemma i really want to travel but i feel for me if i left education now i would not go back and so therefore i have decided to get all the education out of the way first and then to travel. just have to get on the course now !!

[Deleted User]

I have a masters and it was quite essential for me getting my job. I'm glad I did it - you'll travel for 1 year, you'll have an MA for the rest of your life. My brother is mid-way through an MRes; he's enjoying it and it's already proven important for his future.

The skills I learnt on my MSc course were fantastic, we had a communication in science module that significantly boosted my presentation skills - quite an essential to my current and previous jobs. I also enjoyed it a lot more than my degree. I wouldn't have got my first job without the MSc.

My 2p

studentkathryn

Hi there, I went straight through to do a masters and to be honest, I could've done with the break. I personally feel I would've got a lot more out of my degree if i'd had time away from studies - I got very sick of essays towards the end of my undergraduate. And there's also things that I would still love to do but being a student, never really have time for - books to read, evening classes to take, spending a sunny bank holiday monday in a beer garden.

People keep telling me that at the end of the year, i'll have a masters so what's the problem. I'm 22 and have been in university for almost four years now. You have the rest of your life to both travel and do another degree, but i would hugely recommend taking the time off to have a break and do a couple of things you clearly want to do and go back to university next year. I'm not sure with an MA i would feel I could go off travelling, but that I should get a 'proper' job.

You're still young, you've all the time in the world. My advice... do both.

1982

yeah i agree with studentkathryn the best thing would be to try and find a way to do both. i think you will feel cheated either way if you only do one and always look back and say i shoulda done it that way or the other. You could always only do the travelling for like 6 months camo back and start work again to save for the MA. If you are going to be paying for it yourself anyway why not look at doing an equivilent postgrad course in another english speaking country like USA or Australia? Maybe not much use if you want to do European Politics and Culture but there will always be something equivilent and it would kinda kill 2 birds wi one stone.

I Didnt take any time out after uni, Just went straight into the big bad world of work because i couldnt afford to travel but i do kinda regret it as now i work full time i doubt i will ever get to take any more than a 3 week holiday. If things really are tight moneywise have a look at companies that might pay for you to do an MA part time at nights. It might take a little longer but you will be getting it paid for you, you will be gaining work experience and getting a regular wage. These are few and far between but they do exist so its worth checking them out.

jetsetwilly_2

For me, a break is vital. Do your travel, get your head clear, then back to studies. Its down to you. Whichever route you go, DO travel before working, its all too easy to get into the work, marriage etc routine. TRAVEL

liz24

First of all, I would sound a note of caution about doing a master's course. You really don't sound like you want to do it (although obviously I may be completely wrong - I'm just going by the tone of your post) and it's a lot of money, a lot of work and you need commitment, even if it turns out that you don't want to do anything with it. I would also say that you may find it difficult to get a place (unless you've already got one - in which case well done!) or funding with a 2:2. However, if I've completely misjudged your post, and if I have I'm really sorry, then I'be found that having a year out meant I found it a lot harder to get back into the academic mindset then I would have been if I'd started straight after graduating.

Travelling - well, travelling is great! Plus, you also sound much more enthusiastic about it as well as obviously having done some research into the various options. It will give you some time to think about what you really want to do, discover new things about yourself, the world and all the different options that are out there - it may even lead you onto a completely different tack. Certainly taking a year (or even more) out will not hinder you if you do decide you really want to do a masters, and it may indeed make all the difference.

It sounds like I'm heavily biased in favour of travelling, although I'm not. I think taking some time out is important (all the people I know who have come straight through school and university on to a graduate course all seem to want to take some time out unless they are completely sure about what it is they want to do), but in all honesty it doesn't matter what you do with that time, and travelling is as good a way to spend it as any.

I think what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't jump into something just because you don't know what else to do. Do a master's course by all means - but do it because you want to do it not because you don't know what else you could be doing.

Hope this helps!

megsykins

Thanks :T for everyone's replies It's good to read through views of people who've chosen one route or the other and whether they regret their choice.

liz24 is partly right - while I do want to do a Masters, I really want to go travelling, and even if I do masters, I'll still go travelling (although maybe not for as long). As my tutor said to me "no-one ever regrets going travelling". However, the sensible side of me know that I need something to pull up my academic side, one of the problems this year has been that I haven't enjoyed most of my modules, I'm hoping that a Masters will give me a chance to study a subject I really enjoyed.

The 'take a break' comments also resonate - originally I was going to do LPC and go down that route, but realised last year that the law is not for me! Travelling is a fairly recent 'want' - I'm v jealous of my (currently GAPping) little sister, and without going into too much, until 6 months ago my life was all mapped out, LPC, house, marriage, babies, etc, how easily things can change! (In fact, similar to 1982's suggestion - I was planning on doing a Masters in Denmark as my ex-fiance wanted to work out there) Maybe after such big changes some time out to 'find me' (without sounding too cheesy!) will do me good.

Looks like some soul-searching is in order before I make the final decision!

MsDelightful

hey, one last 2p's worth. considering the degree you want to do, i.e. quite broad not very specialised and arts based, i'd say it's not going to help your job prospects in any concrete way. You can always dress it up and work on how stressful it was to do a masters, how much commitment and time management you need etc, but to be honest other experiences is going gain a lot more credit with employers.

In my case I did some volunteering projects abroad after my degree and this was absolutely essential in getting a grad job after I came back. It was a goldmine for digging out examples of 'teamwork' and 'communication' and 'problem solving' hehe. However that was big blue chip graduate schemes I was going for, not sure if you want the same thing but with a 2.2 that's going to be hard anyway.

Depends what kind of person you are. If you're focused on a career I say don't do either, get some work experience. If you look at life like a series of interesting experiences to have then both is good. If you want a bit of both - go travelling. If you want to learn for it's own sake then do the masters.

hmm this could be a flowchart...

jr666

Hi, have just come accross this thread. I guess i'm sort of in a similar situation, had life completely mapped out; knew exactly where i was going; planning for the next 5 years, doing a masters etc, but an awful run of luck ended all that (cue weeping violins i know ) but now life is different. 12 more months of uni then i'm doing the whole travelling thing, preferably for ever . I've realised that, although i couldn't see it, all i was working towards was a 9-5 job but i'm so much happier now, knowing where i'm really heading.

If you want my advice i'd say go for the travelling, speaking to people they have all said the same thing: GO FOR IT. Life is just way to short to spend it working towards a future that who knows what will bring. On graduation we've already spent 16/17 (or more) years studying(!) surely you've got enough inside that head of yours to know whats right for you by now. Like you i have not enjoyed most of my units but i think if you ask around you'll find that most ppl feel the same way, after all we spent 13 years complaining about how we hate double english at school, why should 3 years of uni be any different?!

Forget about what employers what, its your life not theirs. Personally i'm tired of being told what i've got to do to please people. The experience you'll have travelling, doing voluntary work, teaching, whatever will shine through in any interview in a way that the words "MA in European Politics and Culture" on a CV could never do, those with the MA may be able to dicuss the finer points of the German economy, but they will never be able to talk about how they've helped develop the culture of a community in rural Africa or how they've taught chinese students about the politics of britain.

While i appreciate each situation is different it does sound if we are in a similar boat, so i hope i've been able to give you something to think about.

Good luck