Anyone doing an MSc and working full-time?

Cottage_Economy

Is anyone out there doing this? I'm considering applying to do a two-year part-time masters while working full-time and I'm wondering whether I'll be able to cope.

My job is not taxing or stressful, although uncertain at the moment due to financial trouble in my company. The university is about a 90 minute journey by train (University of Westminster) and lectures are two evenings a week with 5-8 hours of home study. The home study doesn't bother me, as I have no kids and can make the time, but the commitment to traveling two evenings a week into a busy city from my semi-rural-ish location does.

It's a hell of a commitment, as I'm paying for it all (around £6.5K with no contribution from my employer) and I'm really nervous to be honest.

BUT if I don't get on and start some additional training to improve my skills in a marketable area I risk being unemployable, as many of my contemporaries in similar organisations around the country have found out. Even with a PhD in my subject, IT has moved on a such a pace since I originally trained I've almost been left behind already.

Can anyone put my mind at rest?

How do you juggle everything?
Are your employers sympathetic?
Is you other half sympathetic?
If you lost heart and enthusiasm part way through how did you get it back?

_pale_

chanie

I did my Masters whilst working full time in a stressful and busy job. In answer to your questions:

How do you juggle everything?
I did my Masters before having children, so my other commitments were minimal. I used my lunchtime/commute time reading and researching. I still made sure I had some social time, as you do need it. Plus I used some annual leave to study and also to rest.

Are your employers sympathetic?
Yes, they sponsored me to do my course, but it was related to my role so I would learn some theory and put it into practice at work. My course was an afternoon and evening (on the same day), and although work gave me afternoon release, I still had to complete all of my work in the time I was there. Could you not ask to work flexibly, to make things a bit easier for you?

Is you other half sympathetic?
Yes. I started my relationship a few weeks before my course, but I did say to my partner that I was studying. 10 years, a mortgage and two children later,we are still going strong.


If you lost heart and enthusiasm part way through how did you get it back?
I hated every minute of it. I didn't enjoy my course as I don't like studying. However, I did see it as a means to an end, as if I wanted to progress in my career, this qualification was valuable. I'm glad I got it out of the way before I had my children. The two years did go quite quickly.

skint_chick

I've just finished the first year of my 2nd Masters which I'm doing for the love of the subject. First MA I was working full time and had one 3hr evening class a week, I used the travel time to get some reading/note taking done as it was an hour each way. I was lucky that my partner at the time worked shifts and I just did my work while he was working. As long as you're organised the workload should be ok especially if you're going to have commute time to get reading and work done.

This time around I'm working 30hours a week in my paid job as well as 2 volunteer positions and visits in my own time. I've managed to squeeze my job into 3 long days to give me 2 extra days a week - one to attend uni as it takes up most of that day and the other for volunteering to improve my cv. I've already picked my dissertation topic as it's possible with the course I'm doing so I have time to get my research done.

It's totally manageable, my employers both times have been less than understanding but I've managed regardless, when you think about it you'll probably only be attending class for half the year given the uni holidays. Use your commuting time and work lunch breaks for uni and you've already got a lot of your studying out of the way without needing to find time out of the rest of your week!

Cottage_Economy

Thanks chanie and skint-chick...I'm feeling more positive about it this afternoon, although it's still a huge commitment and I'm having little wibbles. I worry that I might change my mind or end up hating the subject or get a brain block on the subject and the content just won't go in during the lectures

I've had a chat to some colleagues and they think that the area I'm looking to move into is a massive up and coming sector with a shortage of suitably qualified people. If I can get the qualification in two years I'll have a good 10-15 years in the industry with additional CPD along the way, which should take me up to retirement.

Skint-chick - like the idea of doing longer days at work and perhaps taking a day for the course. I did spot something in the prospectus that mentioned day/evening lectures, so perhaps that might be something worth pursuing. I'm already in work two hours earlier than I need to be due to transportation issues (we only run one car to save extra money for retirement so I have to leave in the morning when hubby does) so the time is there.

The cost of the train fares is a large consideration, as the last time I went to London I had to travel during the rush hour. As these courses are in the evening I'll be doing that. A full day at uni instead of two evenings would halve the travel costs as well as leaving me feeling a lot less tired.

agrinnall

Is the MSc offered by distance learning? If so that would save you the travelling time and cost.

And are you sure that an extra qualification will really help your career prospects? Although there does seem to be more of a focus on qualifications in IT now than when I started 30 years ago I would still suggest that experience beats qualifications every time.

purple_runner

I am doing exactly this. Currently half way though. It was a big commitment and I put it off for a year because I didn't know how it would fit in with work and my boyfriend's job contract was ending but he's in a permanent job now and I started last year. Here's some answers to your qus:

How do you juggle everything?
When you get going you wonder what you actually did with your spare time! I've also got no kids so it wasn't too difficult to fit everything in. I make sure I work hard a few evenings a week and at least 1 day of the weekend and rest the other times or I'd just burn out. No lectures over the summer but I'm now working on my dissertation using the same process.

Are your employers sympathetic?
I have been so lucky with my work and my boss. She was so encouraging and I was so nervous when I was telling her what I wanted to do. I'm paying for it off my own back, it won't benefit them in any way. In fact once I've finished I'll be looking to move into this area and they know that. My lectures are in the morning (kindly arranged by the uni to help people like us) and I make up the hours at work (can work flexibly no problem, lots of work with the US so has been a bonus).

Is you other half sympathetic?
He's been amazing. Cooking dinner when I'm late home etc. He gets the TV now pretty much all the time (say goodbye to the TV) which he loves! He's never watched so much football this year. So he's got a good deal. :rotfl:

If you lost heart and enthusiasm part way through how did you get it back?
The exams were horrendous. But I just said it's done now, move on to the next part. I did pass everything somehow so that helped but you do ahve to concentrate on the end goal. I had no social life during term time and towards the end I was getting tired and down but it's so worth it. I can't wait for next year to start! Talk to your course mates. I was usually rushing off to work but made some time to have a quick chat with them, get to know them. Then asking for help over email wasn't quite so awkward.

You could use your commuting time for reading/assignments. If there's no changes then imagine the train as your office. I live, work and go to uni in the same town and cycle so that's not possible but if the weather if awful then I always have a read of something on the bus.

And check how the uni accommodates part-timers. I made it clear that work was an equal priority so when I couldn't go to a lecture because it was moved to an afternoon last minute they understood.

ali-t

I have done it with a pretty stressful job and you just have to get on with it. Keep your head on the bit of paper at the end! I found this was the key rather than thinking about or enjoying the journey - it was a difficult thing to do but worth it in the end.

The other thing that kept me going was having a study buddy. This was just to bounce ideas off and share frustrations so I had someone who was going through the same thing.

My advice to you would be to work like crazy when you are in the mood and if you are not in the mood don't beat yourself up about not doing any work. I found that I ended up wasting my time if I tried to work when not in the mood as it wasn't productive.

Go for it - it is only 2 years out of your life. wasting that amount of money is going to be a significant motivator for you if nothing else!

Good luck

flutterbyuk25

I did my PGCE part time over 2 years whilst working full time. Not quite as intense as a Masters though!

I was lucky that my work allowed me a half day off to attend lectures each week (2-7pm), but the PGCE was relevant to my work and they encouraged me to do it. My placement was my work so I didn't have to do any extras hours ontop. Study wise, I would spend one day on the weekend and an evening or 2 a week studying.

I was single (well, dating) at the time so not an issue for me. But I'm in a relationship now, and think I would be able to work it round him!

I did lose heart/enthusiasm for mine TBH, the lecturers weren't that great, and the 1st half of the 2nd year just dragged! But I re-found my love for it after the Xmas and enjoyed the last 6mths.

It was tough to commit to something for 2 whole years, gets very annoying knowing that every X day you can't have a social life/relax/go away etc. But I gained a lot from it, academically and personally.

I think the travel would get to me in your case, do they not offer it closer?

Best of luck whatever you decide to do. I love to study, in fact as of today it is the first time in about 5 years that I am not studying anything! I completed my NVQ L5 in Management this morning! I'm taking a little break for awhile but want to study something fun and for me next.

x

GwylimT

How do you juggle everything?
You have to be honest about your commitments and be strict with yourself if you struggle with self motivation, I did a masters four years ago with a new born baby and while working part time (thurs, fri and sat). I did a distance course and so I only actually attended once a month for a day, this meant I could listen to my lectures when I wished.
I stuck to a fairly strict schedule, I ask spoke to the people who led the individual modules about coursework and when it was due in so I could also fact those in throughout the year along with my dissertation.

Are your employers sympathetic?
Yes, this course was very relevant to my role and my employers funded this, there were conditions that after completion I worked for the company for another 24 months otherwise I would be liable for some of the costs, but I really do think this was a fair arrangement.

Is you other half sympathetic?
She didn't care either way as long as I was doing what I enjoyed.

If you lost heart and enthusiasm part way through how did you get it back?
I personally didn't, however I did my course full time so it was finished within the year, I might have become bored if the course was spread over two years, but I am a person who can fairly easily lose focus.

Hope it all goes well!

Cottage_Economy

agrinnall wrote: »

Is the MSc offered by distance learning? If so that would save you the travelling time and cost.

And are you sure that an extra qualification will really help your career prospects? Although there does seem to be more of a focus on qualifications in IT now than when I started 30 years ago I would still suggest that experience beats qualifications every time.

Absolutely. I've spent the last year looking for a job at my level and I cannot find anything that doesn't require knowledge of and practical application of software to analyse large datasets at the level I want to move on to. When I joined my current firm three years ago there were many jobs out there i could do that didn't require it, but I'm shocked at the speed this has changed.

I trained as a quantitative researcher in the days before big datasets were collected by companies, before social media, loyalty cards and customer insight collation took off, and I don't have that software knowledge. Now analysing big datasets is big business and qualified people are in demand, especially people who can use multiple packages to do the analysis depending on what is required at the time, switching between them as necessary then applying the insights found to set business strategy. I do not have the software skills and no opportunity in my current job to do so. The company is very small and to be frank going backwards with its analytical techniques.

The MSc I've found has exactly the right mix of training in all the software packages plus practical application. It even has the option for the university to help me find a placement year afterwards if required.

There's no distance learning - just full time or part time, but there is the option I have found out of doing a day/evening release once a week of 2:30pm-9pm.

Cottage_Economy

Well, after too-ing and fro-ing and fretting I've decided to go ahead and apply for the MSc. I spoke to the admissions tutor and apparently there is no guarantee I will get it as that is down to the course tutor after he reads my application. If I do get an offer I can look make my final decision. I spoke to a Director about flexi-time while doing it and he was agreeable, although that was about me doing 7am-3pm to get away for evening lectures. I haven't yet said anything about the possibility of day/evening lectures once a week, which would mean me doing 7am-12pm that day and then spreading the remaining two hours across the other four days of the week, but I can't see him making a huge objection to it. The objections if any will come from my immediate line manager, who doesn't believe his 'underlings' require training because then they could one day do his job. And yes, he has said this!!