I am poor and want to do a 2nd degree...how to fund this?

hiya,

i've just finished a geophysics degree but i wasn't entirely happy with it nor felt fulfilled. I want to go to uni to do maths or biology. I was wondering how i could go about funding further study as i've heard you only get government funding just the once. Any ideas? I know the obvious thing would do to be to get a job, save up, then go again, but that'll take years! Any other ideas?

blue.

Oh dear, ok I may need to prostitute myself,

Any takers?

Sorry, I found it quite a struggle; I didn't even know when you were inside me

Live with it.

You didn't do your research properly and so you chose the wrong course. Surely you would have realised that you were not a fan of the course within the first year, at which point you could have changed to something you liked more, or dropped out and reapplied.

Also, you must have known before you went travelling that you wanted to do a 2nd degree, so why didn't you stay at home rather than travelling so you had some money to start your 2nd degree.

As thing stand you have 1 option, get a job, save up, and then apply again a few years down the line.

Isn't graduate medicine an exception to the no funding rule ?

Or something like the NHS pays for half the degree is in place ?

There is definitely something that helps graduate medics.

That's why I'm glad the govt only funds degrees once. People take the piss, how someone can choose a degree that's not right for them is beyond me.

If you are really motivated then you will work and save up for a masters or whatever you plan to do. There are also bank career development loans available.

Maybe it's time for the workplace and to gain a bit of maturity. It's no longer the nanny state and rightfully so.

Live with it.

You didn't do your research properly and so you chose the wrong course. Surely you would have realised that you were not a fan of the course within the first year, at which point you could have changed to something you liked more, or dropped out and reapplied.

I worked for two years so I could save up and pay for my MA. I also elected to do it part-time so that I could spread the fees, and enjoy the degree more if I'm honest. Obviously it depends on your circumstances but that's the method I'd recommend, the only problem being is that it's not that easy to get a job at all right now, at least not here in the North East.

There usually is funding (the university will advise you on the application process) but it's highly competitive, far too many people apply than will ever see it. I certainly didn't get it for my masters even though I had been awarded a first in my undergraduate degree, so don't be too hopeful on this count.

I'd like to think I could do the same for a future PhD as I did for my masters but at around four and a half grand a year for (at least) three years it's not looking likely, I think I'll have to leave it at the masters in my case.

For me, studying my degree is what led to my academic development which subsequently fed my disatisfaction for the subject. Hence I am choosing to do a second degree.

I would never have realised this had I not studied my first degree.

It isn't as simple as 'doing the research'.

You could apply for a full time PhD, apply to as many funding sources as possible and if you weren't successful, ask to do it part time. There are teaching opportunities available to PhD students, too (some are part of the degree) which is a useful source of income.

I'm thinking of doing a PhD part time. 6 years is a long time but I have other commitments (a baby), ruling out full time study.

Just out of curiosity, what was the original subject you lost interest in?

For me, studying my degree is what led to my academic development which subsequently fed my disatisfaction for the subject. Hence I am choosing to do a second degree.

I would never have realised this had I not studied my first degree.

It isn't as simple as 'doing the research'.

The NHS pays for 3/4 of the very competitive GEP courses and only 1/5th of the fees for the 5yr courses. E.g. you have to pay £12k up-front, or £36k up-front when the fees rise.

Some people get half a maintenance loan to feed themselves with. Most people take out high-street bank loans to pay for their living costs, however.

I disagree, I studied biomed because I genuinely enjoyed it and wanted to work in the field, however as I got more involved in the course I decided that I wanted to study medicine and work in the public sector.

There are numerous reasons why people decide to do a degree in a particular field, be it money, peer/family pressure or because they have a particular affinity for that subject.

Choosing a degree at 18 can be a mentally tiring process and whilst at Uni many, many people I knew had no idea what they wanted to do in life. Some did Masters to try and focus their interest in something specific, some abandoned their original courses altogether for other things and others have just enjoyed life for a bit.

OP you can receive (maintenance)loans as far as I am aware however you will not be eligible for the tuition fee loan. You can apply for a bank loan which can tide you over for a little while but you will need to find paid work.

I am going down the same route this year and its not going to be easy. Just make sure you genuinely want to do this and that it will benefit you in the long run.

At 16-19 years old, people are still going through the transition to adulthood. It can be an unstable period of time with many going through several mood swings towards one subject and others. You may say that people should read round the course before commiting to it and I agree with this, research is always important. However, the actual experience that one gets from their course and their expectations prior to starting can be very different. Sure, you could even argue that they should drop out near the beginning of the course if they didn't like it, but bear in mind, its a bold and courageous step to quit something that you've hyped about for several months or even years.

This suggests to me that people going to university are obviously a bit immature to be making important decisions such as choosing the right university degree and possibly need to take time out in the workplace before making such huge decisions. I'm glad the coalition government is putting an end to this nanny state otherwise how will people effectively make career decisions if they are handed things on a plate? I'm glad EMA has been scrapped (I hope whatever they have replaced it with is most appropriate). I'm also glad people like the OP will be unable to get a maintenance grant for their second degree. I'm also glad tuition fees has been raised because that way people will start seriously considering the decisions they make when they go to university and it will also bring back value to university education.

I accept that we all make career shifts and changes but then we need to take full responsibility for that. Why can't the OP accept responsibility for his mistake and self-fund a Masters in Maths? That's because he is used to the nanny state that hands everything on a plate and so he wants to know if they can pay for another degree for him, that's absolutely absurd. If it means taking a few years to work then to do that. If he wants it so much then he will commit to doing so.

I know someone who wanted to do medicine but didn't manage to achieve the grades she needed and so chose to do biomed with the view to go into medicine from then. There was a clear career focus and she also committed to self funding her career therefore, I don't quite liken your situation to the OP's. The OP expects to receive funding for his education, it's not quite the same because he's not taking responsibility.

This suggests to me that some people are a bit too immature to be making those decisions at that age whilst others are ready to make those solid career decisions. That's why university education should* be for everyone.

EDIT: It's also fair enough if they make a mistake and want to change but then they should commit to self funding their new ventures. Why do they expect funding to come from other sources other than themselves? Nanny state comes to mind.

* shouldn't...and I think there should be other means of gaining skills in the workplace..apprenticeships, on the job training, etc etc