Master Degree Applicants 2014/2015

Anyone applied / applying to Edinburgh?

I applied for MA in Ethnomusicology after 7 years away from the academic world and I've been offered an unconditial from Goldsmiths so far I'm so happy! I cannot wait for September to come!

How did everyone find their degree this academic year? Absolutely loved mine. It has given me more confidence in my academic ability. Currently working on my dissertation. So so glad I chose the degree I did in 14/15 how's it been for you guys?

Good to hear that you are enjoying your masters

At times I really couldn't be bothered with mine, and found it quite frustrating (although this was in part due to the crappy organisation of my department!) but on the whole I have enjoyed it and found it interesting to learn about a whole new area.

I also feel like my academic ability has increased a lot as a result, although my undergrad results were really good, my masters ones have smashed those. Currently slogging through my dissertation, which has also been interesting to write and research so far, but i'll be very glad when it's over :P

Do you plan to go on to a PhD?

I'm hoping to do a PhD but I think I'll need it to be funded. I'm willing to fund more masters (albeit on a very part time basis) but PhD I'd want funding for. Only applied to one and got rejected within the last two months so I think if I'm going to go full on with my PhD ambitions I'll need to apply to things earlier in the cycle. Do you want to do a PhD?

I'm finding my dissertation very interesting but I'll be glad when it's done. The project itself is mostly enjoyable. I think the most stressful thing is knowing that, even though I could really do with the money, taking on a part time job ia likely to affect the quality of my work (it certainly did last time) so I'm hoping to finish the dissertation as soon as I can so I can work even a bit of a summer job.

Yeah the whole PhD funding thing sounds like a bit of a nightmare. I would also need to be funded if I were to do one. I'm not sure I want to do it for the right reasons, though - I'm not interested in an academic career, it would just be for the intellectual stimulation and sense of achievement, and whether or not that would keep me motivated for 3-4 years, I don't know! What would you like to do your PhD in?

I don't see why a part-time job ought to negatively impact upon your work, I am currently working part-time whilst doing mine, and it definitely makes it harder, but there are much harder things in life. I've worked ever since my second year of undergrad, and it's mostly just an organisation and motivation balancing act, I reckon. Horses for courses, though, of course.

I couldn't just work on my dissertation and have nothing else going on, i'd go mad, but I think some people do need that single-minded focus to do their best. My job and the gym keep me sane! :P

I am interested in the area of why people eat what they eat. My dissertation is in this area and I would love to do a PhD in this area. I don't know if I'd want a career in academia. I certainly wouldn't say no to it but I wouldn't be aggrieved if it didn't happen either as I believe it can be hard to get into. I would see a PhD as getting paid to do something I enjoy for three years. With the funding of around 14k per year being tax free I would consider that good money as someone who has done a fair bit of min wage jobs anyway. Wouldn't say no at all to getting paid to do three years of study

That does sound very interesting! Yeah, getting paid to do something you actually want to do has got to feel pretty good, and anything is better than minimum wage! That's one thing I won't miss about not being a student (even if it does turn out to be short lived), working anti-social hours for minimum wage.

How did everyone find their degree this academic year? Absolutely loved mine. It has given me more confidence in my academic ability. Currently working on my dissertation. So so glad I chose the degree I did in 14/15 how's it been for you guys?

Exhausting at times, my coursework deadlines were largely crammed together and I'm not good at getting work done early so that was tough. And now im mentally exhausted from the year so dissertation writing is tough going when my head needs a rest. Taking September off from doing anything significantly productive. And marks haven't been as good as I wanted, I struggled a fair bit with some essays.

I think there's a lot to be said for how a course is organised. I was hoping to take September off or maybe up to December but my circumstances changed. It's a bit of a head mash because not being in an employed role over the summer makes me think "I'm glad I don't have to work in this weather" but then I can't relax really amd it doesn't feel like I've really got the summer off due to the dissertation.

My marks have generally been better than in my last degrees because I've got more of an interest in the subject. I want so much to keep my average at a merit. My marks have ranged from literally just passed to onehelluva distinction. The scientific bits were a my weakness but the humanities type bits I excelled at so I hope so much to get a merit (my BA was 2:2 and my MA was a pass, nowt wrong with that but a merit would be well nice!).

How's the dissertation going? I'd love to get mine done by August but it depends how long it takes me to acquire/handle/represent data.

From one music person to another, how was your course? Did you enjoy it?

Wow! Same question! How did you enjoy it?!