Masters and a part time job

WibblyGirly

Thank you for the new replies! I have spoken to people who have done this as a masters and they had to give up hobbies etc as its very work intensive! There is no contact hours for the dissertation section. I'm lucky that I will have some savings to take with me and my 2 options are both in cheaper areas than I currently live and I know no one there so less chance of spending on lunch out!
I plan to try get a part time job for the first 9 months then when it gets too much I'll quit. Looking at what is expected I need to do about 5 or 6 3000 word essays per semester so I just need to keep saving to give me a bigger buffer in case I can't work as I don't want to get a crap grade otherwise I don't see much point in doing it.

Thanks for all the replies

Runningfast

I have recently finished an MSc over 2 years and worked full-time. It was very hard but doable. It was not enjoyable and for me a feat of endurance.

CoffeeAndTV

Whilst I didn't, I know plenty of people that did. In some ways it can be a good thing as it forces you to get organised and not procrastinate!

skint_chick

I did my history Masters part-time whilst working full time but also another Masters full time while working 20-30 hours a week. It should easily be possible to work 14 hours a week while completing a full time Masters. It's best to get started on coursework early, and get the books from the library before everyone else does! My MA had a lot of reading, about double the amount of class time each week was needed for reading and class prep. You just need to organise your time well - if you treat your study like a full-time job and allocate it 35 hours a weeks then adding another 14 hours still leaves plenty of time for socialising, day to day life, and last minute study panic. If you have the chance then a job where you work Saturday and then a couple of evenings in the week shouldn't be too hard to maintain. Think about your dissertation topic early too - I had decided by January what I wanted to do and used holidays to do some background reading.

You'll want to start thinking about what you're going to do after your MA as well - I also volunteered twice a week while studying in the field I wanted to work in (as well as the part-time job) and was incredibly busy. It was worth the hard work as I now have my own consultancy business.

Don't choose a uni based on cheap living costs - check out the information about course content and what other MA graduates have gone on to do - some uni's only give the statistics for graduates in any employment so it's worth asking if people have gone on to their chosen fields rather than just taking a job to survive. You need to consider your investment in the course and time spent repaying the fees vs difference this will make to your career/salary/prospects. It sometimes works out better to find full-time work then do a masters part-time so you have the money for fees and can afford to live, and you can build work experience towards your dream career at the same time as getting the qualification.

zagubov

I did a part-time Masters over two years, while holding down a full-time job in a town about 20 miles away from the uni. My employers were very accommodating (I was a college lecturer) but didn't reduce my teaching hours
It's doable but very taxing, though if it interests you, you'll find the energy. Definitely do get the books from the library early! There wasn't any internet when I did it, and I think it would be much easier now.

You'l have to plan your time really carefully and be ruthless how you ration it. I had to pre-buy individual daily train tickets by the half-term to save queuing time, as a season ticket would have been a waste of money.

Good luck!

WibblyGirly

Skint chick thank you for your post! I already treat my degree with 35 hours each week and working 14 so I know what thats like, I was unsure of how much more I'd be expected to do outside of those 35. I have researched the universities carefully, I'm only applying to 2 as the others weren't for me (course structure wasn't as good). I don't really have the option to get a relevant job and do my masters alongside it as I need the masters to get the job! The jobs for that are quite scare so doing the masters first is the quickest solution. I've also only applied for accredited courses as I know employers won't look at my CV if it isn't one.
I've also got plenty of volunteer experience in my chosen field too as I needed it for my application.
Living costs will be cheaper in both places simply because where I live now is a more expensive part of North Yorkshire.

Zagubov, I've already thought about buying all the train tickets ahead of time if I need to travel by train!

Thank everyone I've sent my applications off so now it's just waiting to see if I need to go for an interview or offered/rejected a place.

zagubov

WibblyGirly wrote: »

Skint chick thank you for your post! I already treat my degree with 35 hours each week and working 14 so I know what thats like, I was unsure of how much more I'd be expected to do outside of those 35. I have researched the universities carefully, I'm only applying to 2 as the others weren't for me (course structure wasn't as good). I don't really have the option to get a relevant job and do my masters alongside it as I need the masters to get the job! The jobs for that are quite scare so doing the masters first is the quickest solution. I've also only applied for accredited courses as I know employers won't look at my CV if it isn't one.
I've also got plenty of volunteer experience in my chosen field too as I needed it for my application.
Living costs will be cheaper in both places simply because where I live now is a more expensive part of North Yorkshire.

Zagubov, I've already thought about buying all the train tickets ahead of time if I need to travel by train!

Thank everyone I've sent my applications off so now it's just waiting to see if I need to go for an interview or offered/rejected a place.

I can't resist re-posting Simon11's good post from some years back about the benefits of doing a degree. :beer:

WibblyGirly

Just thought I'd come back and say I've been offered a place at my 1st choice! :j

agrinnall

Well done, that's good news. Maybe once you've been studying for a while you could come back and update us on how you're coping with both work and study.

beluga

Congratulations on getting your place!

I know I'm a bit late, but wanted to share my experiences.
I'm currently studying an MSc full time, and working as well. Most people on my course have a job of some description. If you can, I'd recommend a job which doesn't require too much brain power, and that doesn't need you to be on call etc. A friend of mine from the course keeps missing lectures etc as his job is demanding, not just in terms of how many hours, but with everything else.
I have a zero hours contract so if it gets too much I can say no to shifts, but this has its downsides as I end up working more when they offer me work as I don't know if there will be more. On the plus side, I just turn up, do my hours and go. It's boring work, but easy and pays the bills.
Congrats and good luck!