[Brit_Miller]

I'm sure this has been asked half a hundred times but I just wanted some general advice on the best ways to obtain funding. I really want to do a masters in maths (grades providing), preferably at Bristol uni. Is there any to get ahead and really put yourself in a good position?

[Politics Student]

Check if Bristol uni offers any funding, but be warned what little funding there are is highly competitive. Chances are you will have to self fund which is common at masters which can be done with a Career development loan if you don't have the savings or family able to help. .

[Brit_Miller]

(Original post by Politics Student)
Check if Bristol uni offers any funding, but be warned what little funding there are is highly competitive. Chances are you will have to self fund which is common at masters which can be done with a Career development loan if you don't have the savings or family able to help. .

I did check the site and there were a few funding opportunities, but not too many. What sort of things would you have to do to be very competitive? I'm guessing just getting a first isn't going to do it as most people will apply with firsts.

[Politics Student]

(Original post by Brit_Miller)
I did check the site and there were a few funding opportunities, but not too many. What sort of things would you have to do to be very competitive? I'm guessing just getting a first isn't going to do it as most people will apply with firsts.

To be perfectly honest I don't know what they look for. The info on Bristol uni's website is not clear on what funding opportunities they offer as I quickly got directed to a undergraduate Q&A.

Be prepared to self fund. Just looked up the fees for a taught masters is just over 5k... I wonder if that is the 2013 fees or whether they still may go up. When I applied to Southampton the fees were £3250 and then jumped to £4500 when the 2012 year fee info was sent out.

It is tough to get by in a masters year. With the awful economic climate finding part time work can be a very stressful time sink. I managed to save 7k and had to borrow 2k from my mum at around the start of the second semester. I have just enough to cover all the bills and rent until August.

I managed to get a part time job at the start but I lost it after 6 weeks due to a full time member being bullied to take my shift. Basically the boss hated part time staff as a sale went over several days of price estimation, packaging, sending and taking payment. Meaning only being there a couple of days a week meant you could never complete a sale only start or finish them and that really annoyed the owner for some reason.

So I will warn you that doing a masters is stressful for more than just the work but with the financial stresses that at undergraduate level was never a problem with the loan and grant. Still it has been the best year of my life, I may be ending the year with no money, huge stress, and fear for the future, but I loved my subject so it was worth it.

[Brit_Miller]

(Original post by Politics Student)
To be perfectly honest I don't know what they look for. The info on Bristol uni's website is not clear on what funding opportunities they offer as I quickly got directed to a undergraduate Q&A.

Be prepared to self fund. Just looked up the fees for a taught masters is just over 5k... I wonder if that is the 2013 fees or whether they still may go up. When I applied to Southampton the fees were £3250 and then jumped to £4500 when the 2012 year fee info was sent out.

It is tough to get by in a masters year. With the awful economic climate finding part time work can be a very stressful time sink. I managed to save 7k and had to borrow 2k from my mum at around the start of the second semester. I have just enough to cover all the bills and rent until August.

I managed to get a part time job at the start but I lost it after 6 weeks due to a full time member being bullied to take my shift. Basically the boss hated part time staff as a sale went over several days of price estimation, packaging, sending and taking payment. Meaning only being there a couple of days a week meant you could never complete a sale only start or finish them and that really annoyed the owner for some reason.

So I will warn you that doing a masters is stressful for more than just the work but with the financial stresses that at undergraduate level was never a problem with the loan and grant. Still it has been the best year of my life, I may be ending the year with no money, huge stress, and fear for the future, but I loved my subject so it was worth it.

I actually had it in my head the masters was £9k, £5k is a lot more manageable. Trouble is, I haven't got parents to fall back on as they're skint. I did see the loan you can take, but I want to do a phD afterwards and I really don't want to be bogged down with loan repayments.

I was also thinking that working on top of a masters would be pretty hard as I heard they're very intensive.

I think it would be the same for me, I love my subject and want a career in it. I would be majorly disappointed if I couldn't do it.

Thank-you for your feedback.

[Ghost6]

(Original post by Brit_Miller)
I'm sure this has been asked half a hundred times but I just wanted some general advice on the best ways to obtain funding. I really want to do a masters in maths (grades providing), preferably at Bristol uni. Is there any to get ahead and really put yourself in a good position?

There are scholarships out there for math, for instance I got one for Cambridge Part III. But it is a tuition waiver only, and living expenses alone cost around £10,000. Best advice? Graduate in the top 2% of your university, at the top of your department, and obtain strong letters of recommendation (which should be easy given such credentials). Apply to many departments as the amount of funding available at any department every year can considerably vary. You will get at least partial (i.e. tuition waiver) somewhere if you apply to between 5 and 10 schools and have a flawless background. Apply to as many external grants and scholarships you are eligible to. You never know, you may end up being paid to get your master's.

[Politics Student]

(Original post by Brit_Miller)
I actually had it in my head the masters was £9k, £5k is a lot more manageable. Trouble is, I haven't got parents to fall back on as they're skint. I did see the loan you can take, but I want to do a phD afterwards and I really don't want to be bogged down with loan repayments.

I was also thinking that working on top of a masters would be pretty hard as I heard they're very intensive.

I think it would be the same for me, I love my subject and want a career in it. I would be majorly disappointed if I couldn't do it.

Thank-you for your feedback.

Well the issue is the masters fees seem to be increasing over a few years to match undergraduate fees. So in that respect your better doing a masters sooner rather than later.

I would recommend against a job as the work load was just insane at times.

Semester 2 for example week 12 and 13 had this due:

Global finance essay 2 (2000 words)
Global finance reading log (3400 words - 200 words per reading log based upon a seminar reading for each week + 1000 word essay on key themes in the reading)
Global finance presentation
Climate change essay 2 (4000 words)
Qualitative research project (4800 words)
Qualitative presentation.

This was on top of 3 essays due before Easter. So yes the work load was intense.

CDL is one option which has its issues with it being a proper loan.

The PhD is a can of worms on its own. Funding for PhD is hyper competitive at the moment. For example the university of southampton social sciences has 18 funding places with the department having 21 disciplines.... They had hundreds of applications for each funding place and I was unsucessfull in my funding application coming second for one of the funding places which means with a few improvements to my overall application with volunteering on research projects etc... I stand a good chance of getting funding for the 2013 application.

That said as you love the subject then go for it and if you don't get funding first application for a PhD just alter the proposal and try again with a lot of advice from your would be PhD supervisor.

[Brit_Miller]

(Original post by Ghost6)
There are scholarships out there for math, for instance I got one for Cambridge Part III. But it is a tuition waiver only, and living expenses alone cost around £10,000. Best advice? Graduate in the top 2% of your university, at the top of your department, and obtain strong letters of recommendation (which should be easy given such credentials). Apply to many departments as the amount of funding available at any department every year can considerably vary. You will get at least partial (i.e. tuition waiver) somewhere if you apply to between 5 and 10 schools and have a flawless background.

Sounds easy.

I've got a pretty bad academic background - I've got normal GCSEs (B in maths, they didn't let me take the higher tier), I didn't do A-Levels (I did an access course) but I have done okay at uni. Only just finished the first year and I got an 82% average which I guess is somewhere in the top few percent. I was kind of hoping they would mainly focus on your achievements at uni and letters of recommendations. It sounds less and less likely the more I read!

[Ghost6]

(Original post by Brit_Miller)
Sounds easy.

I've got a pretty bad academic background - I've got normal GCSEs (B in maths, they didn't let me take the higher tier), I didn't do A-Levels (I did an access course) but I have done okay at uni. Only just finished the first year and I got an 82% average which I guess is somewhere in the top few percent. I was kind of hoping they would mainly focus on your achievements at uni and letters of recommendations. It sounds less and less likely the more I read!

What you did before university is irrelevant. You will only be submitting academic results, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose (which is largely irrelevant too for this kind of degree). Letters of recommendations are crucially important for scholarships. Being among the very best of your university in terms of rank will give something concrete to say to your letter writers outside the standard template. Other achievements such as departmental prizes and the like obviously help too, but since you will most likely be applying during your senior year, you may have not received many of these yet at the time.

[Overmars]

(Original post by Ghost6)
What you did before university is irrelevant. You will only be submitting academic results, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose (which is largely irrelevant too for this kind of degree). Letters of recommendations are crucially important for scholarships. Being among the very best of your university in terms of rank will give something concrete to say to your letter writers outside the standard template. Other achievements such as departmental prizes and the like obviously help too, but since you will most likely be applying during your senior year, you may have not received many of these yet at the time.

Seconded. And your first post in the thread too.

Getting funding has always been quite competitive but more so right now. You need to do very, very well in your undergrad degree - end up with some award/prize or, at least, rank in the top 2-5%.

OP: Your first year % seems very good indeed (if the course marking is similar to other universities). The aim now should be to blitz your second year -- really, really work your arse off and get a top mark. And also get to know your lecturers and, in particular, create a good relationship with any potential references.

[Brit_Miller]

(Original post by Overmars)
Seconded. And your first post in the thread too.

Getting funding has always been quite competitive but more so right now. You need to do very, very well in your undergrad degree - end up with some award/prize or, at least, rank in the top 2-5%.

OP: Your first year % seems very good indeed (if the course marking is similar to other universities). The aim now should be to blitz your second year -- really, really work your arse off and get a top mark. And also get to know your lecturers and, in particular, create a good relationship with any potential references.

I think I might be able to get into the top 5%, it would be nice to see the other results from other students so I know how I'm fairing, but they haven't published everyone's results where I can see. As far as I know the marking is the same as any other uni, > 69.5 is a first, etcetera.

I did get to know a couple of my lecturers and I've already asked for material for next year so I can know next year's material inside out before I start to give myself the best possible chance. Was also hoping the lecturers would note my enthusiasm so I could ask them in the future for a reference.