year out or straight in?!

wha

Just looking for other people's experiences here..

I'm in my final year of a 3 year degree. There's one Masters I'm interested in doing, which would mean quitting my part time job (its a fairly practical course and advises a clear working week) and moving back home. The course looks great, although maybe a little hard to get into because it's a bit creative.

So half of me is thinking apply, do the course and have a masters at age 22 and then be free to live the rest of my life. But the other half of me wants to take a year out, work on some other side projects I have going on while working part time and hopefully gain some experience in the areas I'm interested in which might help my chances of getting into my course... After 3 years of study (well, 17 really!) I am a bit tired of it, however I don't want to lose the motivation and end up never getting the masters.

So just wondering did many people take years out or from your own experiences is it something you'd advise?

Roro4Brit

Hi op,

I wrote out a bit long reply earlier and then like a tool I closed the page....I was like noooooooooooooo :eek:

So I'll keep this short.

I'm so glad I took time out. While I admit it was a 2 years longer then I expected I feel the experience gave me more of an advantage when I returned to do the MSc. This was true of all the others in my class who had worked before returning.

Not that this will apply to you, but every single person in my course, about 8 or so, who had come straight from undergrads all had minimal deidcation to their studies in comparison to those who had worked. They just seemed jaded or something.

Conversely, those who had worked, and had sacraficed jobs paying 27k + a year to return to education a) really knew this course is what they really wanted b) had extra experience and real work knowledge (it was a business course os it helps) c) had sacraficed so much that they ended up giving it their all compared to those who continued from undergrad.

I know this is a sweeping generalisation but in my experience (20+ people in my class) it was 100% true!

I know your concerns however, it can be hard to return to college once you've left. With a full time job (if you can find one ) comes cars, bills, credit cards etc which all make it harder to go back to being a pauper!

Either way there are pros and cons, and from my experience working and finding what I really wanted to study made a hell of a difference. Just never lose sight of your goals and either decision should work for you!

Good luck!:p

brianthebard

I think perhaps you should see if its possible to defer the course if you get a place. I'd apply first and see what happens, don't want to be negative but you don't know for sure if you'd be accepted this year if you apply, so personally I'd wait and see if I got the place before deciding if I wanted a year out or not.

As for personal experience, I took a year out after the leaving and after my BA. The first one was intentional, saved a lot of money but disliked pretty much everything else about it. Second was forced, I didn't get the course I applied for. Ended up on the dole which was not a good year out tbh. since you already have a job you should be ok though.

I think taking time out was a good thing for me. As I was finishing up my final year of undergrad, I just felt sick of studying. I went to school in NI, where they have 3 sets of serious exams in 3 years (GCSE's, AS and A Levels), so basically I'd done at least one set of exams (usually two) every year since I was 15 and I'd just had enough. I knew I wasn't appreciating my education and I found it hard to stay focused. I felt that a year off would really help. It ended up being 2 years as I didn't get a scholarship the first time, but I think it was a really good idea. I'm actually interested and enjoy studying and reading now, whereas in 4th year it was a pure drag. But in my case I'd done a lot more exams than most people - perhaps if your degree is only 3 years long, you don't feel as burned out as I did.

pow wow

I went 'straight in' and have no regrets about it, but I am a bit older and knew that if I took a year off I'd probably never go back. I'd agree though that many of the younger students I was friends with who had come straight in seemed 'jaded' and most I knew had done it because they had to - they couldn't get a job out of undergrad.

If you have a realistic chance of getting experience or using the year constructively than it can't be a bad thing. If you go away from it now you can always go back. However, if you rush into it when you kinda don't want to you might not enjoy it.

El Siglo

I just noticed this thread, I posted something sort of off topic in another thread. I started my degree when I was 17 (BA for 3 years), and I started my postgrad (MSc) last September. Right now, I hate the course. I'm the youngest person on it and I'm absolutely wrecked. I had to start the course because I wouldn't get the grant next year. I'm just tired all the time now, I don't put in as much effort into the work, I'm able for it and do the work but I don't feel like I'm 'putting my heart in'. If you're tired of college now, then don't start a postgrad because you feel you have to. Personally, if I was to do it again, I'd probably do a 120 hrs+ CELTA course and go off teaching for the year. Just to travel and earn a bit of money it's pretty good. Also, as one of the other posters mentioned regarding people going back after working, this looks great on an application, it shows how a committed a person is to want to go back to education plus having work experience is extremely beneficial. OP, apply anyway, talk to a career guidance in your college and then see what happens you could feel differently in a few months.

Cannibal Ox

I took a year out between my BA and MA. I think it was the right decision, but it made things a little more complicated then they needed to be. I spent the year volunteering and doing an intern for NGOs in Ireland and abroad. At the start I was only volunteering part time, had no job, wanted to leave the country, and was bored out of my brains. That was hard, and there were a lot of times when I wished that I'd just done the masters straight out.

On the other hand, at the end when I'd finished doing an internship in far away lands, I was offered a job/extension to the internship which was paid, and I turned it down because I wanted to do the MA that I'm doing now. In a lot of ways I regret that, but at the same time I hope that I'll get the same opportunity when I finish my MA.

What am I trying to say? Okay, if you took me at this stage last year, when I was only volunteering part time, living in Ireland, I wished that I was doing an MA then. Now, doing an MA full time, living abroad, I wish I'd taken the job I was offered at the end of the internship. Maybe I'm just indecisive, but I think what I might be saying is that, it doesn't really matter. You're young, you've got lots of time, you might have an inkling of an idea of what you want to do, and as long as you're working towards that in one way or another (be it a masters, or getting experiene) you're doing the right thing for yourself.

Anyway, was the year out worth it? For me yeah. I got a lot of good work experience, met some great people, got to see different places, and have a decent-ish CV now. I wish I was working in my area now (and getting paid!) partly because I find it frustrating writing about things that nobody but my assesment board care about, but at the same time I know that I'll probably be working next year, and when I'm doing that, I could well be wishing I was still doing an MA. What ever you choose, try and keep the bigger picture in mind, remember that what you're doing is getting you there, and enjoy it!

howaya

I took a year out, and it was good for me. I think it's good to lie fallow for a while, as you do become smarter and more resourceful over time. I doubt someone with creative interests, a few side projects, and the thoughtful nature that your post suggests would lose their motivation to do something big like a year's study or go to mush over the course of a year or two.
The fact that you have the side projects in mind, that they contribute to your ambitions and are steps towards where you would like to go, and the happy circumstance that you can work part-time meantime would seem to support the suggestion that you take your time, have a breather, and come back stronger and smarter - good luck

jokettle

I took a year out after my postgrad, but only because I was so caught up in passing my finals that it never occured to me to apply to a postgrad before the deadlines had passed! I volunteered for the year in the field of my degree (psychology; I worked in a hospital clinic). A lot of time time there was little for me to do, which wrecked my head at the time but it had it's advantages. It looks great on my CV, it gave me the drive to apply for my PhD course because I never wanted to experience those boredom levels again! Plus it also showed me that I really did want a career in this field, since working for free isn't nice yet I still went back to it every day.

Take the year out if you can, but perhaps don't stray too far from your area of expertise or you may find it difficult to get back into the right mindset.

Nice avatar, OP

Focalbhach

I loved the research side of things from my degree but didn't want to apply for a PhD straightaway, so after I finished I applied for a couple of jobs in research as a way to gain experience. I've spent the last couple of years working as a research assistant in a not-exactly-the-same-but-related field, and have definitely learned a huge amount from it.

I think what I'm trying to say is that whether or not you decide to go straight to postgrad, as long as it's something you're genuinely interested in (can you see yourself reading about it in your own time?) it will stand to you. I'm set up in a PhD now and feel very prepared, but if I'd gone straight to postgrad I think it would have been ok too - although I wouldn't have been nearly as clear about what I wanted to study.

wha

Thanks for all the replies! It was really helpful hearing other peoples' experiences. I think I've pretty much made the decision now to take the year out and now I'm getting really excited with the idea! The "side projects" I mentioned are looking to be getting quite successful, and they're my 100% ideal career choice, so I think if I don't take the chance now to work on them then I'll regret it forever! Education can wait.

Lets just hope my parents will still offer to pay for a masters in ten years if I need it.. :P