Job after degree VS Masters after degree

I am going to finish my degree next year and was thinking about what to do after.
My parents said I can live with them as long I want to so money is not a problem so I am in no rush to get a job.
And I suffer from social aniety so a job doesn't seem the right thing for me yet, as I quit my part time job few months ago because of social anxiety. And I don't want to just sit at home and do nothing.
So I thought I can do masters and there's actually a course I am interested in. I am doing computer science right now and I want to do masters in something environment related, and I emailed that university who does that course and they said they will accept computer science students. So I am considering that. And after that hopefully phd and a research career, which would be better suited to my social anxiety rather than an office job (that's what I think anyway).
But the thing is...
Many people have suggested me that it's better to do a job for a while before you think about masters otherwise you will be extremely qualified with no experience..
I'm looking for other people's opinions, advice etc, please reply, thanks :smile:

Reply 1

jelly1000

Original post by mdewar

If you are genunially interested in an academic career then a masters followed by Phd would be the next step. However funding for Masters degrees is limited and whilst better at Phd level not guarenteed by any means. And then job prospects are not good after that either, I'm sure someone on here can explain that better. And its true in many but not all cases a Master won't help you get an office job if you changed your mind -you would still need work experience.

Reply 2

Ftmshk

Another option would be to get a part time job and do a part time masters over 2 years.

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Reply 3

beautifulbigmacs

Or you could go straight onto doing a masters and make use of the university's counselling service. In my experience the counselling services of unis and colleges has a much smaller waiting list that the nhs. You could have a year of getting a masters and working on your social anxiety which could be really empowering in terms of seeking employment. I know from experience that social anxiety can be so hard to do certain things with.

Reply 4

Nathanielle

Original post by mdewar

Just make sure, you tackle your social anxiety, because a PHD can be very tough and will be much easier for you to be able to decide what to do based on your wish and not based on your social anxiety.

Reply 5

sydneybridge

I also suggest you get some professional help for the 'social anxiety'.

At some point you are going to have to get a job. You can't live with your parents/be a student forever.A PhD is far more stressful/confronting than most jobs I've ever done. Go and see your GP and get a referral.

No, I am not being 'cruel' or 'unfeeling' - I also have MH issues - but you can't hide behind this convenient label forever can you?

Reply 6

Juichiro

Original post by mdewar

You say you have social anxiety yet you want to go into academia. You might not know this but academia is a very stressful place where mental illness and bullying are a thing. In addition, the PhD is not the easiest of the rides. If you are not mentally strong, you will break like ice caps in warming Earth. Plus, your chosen field is not highly employable meaning you will have to fight hard for a postdoc position which is hard in general but harder for areas like environment.

Do research and talk to people who are where you wanna be before you put down any money.

Reply 7

sydneybridge

Original post by Juichiro

academia is a very stressful place where mental illness and bullying are a thing. ..... If you are not mentally strong, you will break like ice caps in warming Earth.

Whilst MH is an issue for some Uni students (not just postgrads), I think you do have to be careful before possibly suggesting that bullying is a major issue in parallel. The two things are not connected, and bullying isnt a major issue at UK Unis because the Unis take this very seriously and deal with it quickly and very effectively. Your analogy about ice caps also isnt that helpful - its okay to point out any potential problems the OP might have but that sort of dramatic image will just create fear which is clearly inappropriate and unhelpful.

Reply 8

Wahrheit

Original post by sydneybridge

Not all bullying is obvious and can take the form of whispering and exclusion, etc. and the vast majority of the time will go unreported at this 'low' but also intensely pathology level of bullying.

Reply 9

Juichiro

Original post by sydneybridge

Whilst MH is an issue for some Uni students (not just postgrads), 1.I think you do have to be careful before possibly suggesting that bullying is a major issue in parallel. 2.The two things are not connected, and 3.bullying isnt a major issue at UK Unis because the Unis take this very seriously and deal with it quickly and very effectively. 4.Your analogy about ice caps also isnt that helpful - its okay to point out any potential problems the OP might have but that sort of dramatic image will just create fear which is clearly inappropriate and unhelpful.

1. Mentally ill academics themselves have reported being bullied. The Guardian has a series of articles on this.

2. See point 1

3. False. I suggest you read the views of academics on this issue. Mental health, bullying and stress are issues in 21st century academia based on the opinions of academics. Check the Guardian for more information on this.

4. It is not unhelpful, it is meant to illustrate something that seems to happen to PhD candidates. He needs to go in with his eyes wide open.

Reply 10

beautifulbigmacs

I've experienced far more bullying in the workplace. Academia, albeit at masters level, has been a cakewalk comparatively speaking (touch wood).

I know from my own mental health difficulties that there is no such thing as an occupation where you can fully avoid triggers. Avoidance type behaviour isn't na reason to do or not do something (I need to remind myself of this frequently!).

It's important to work on the social anxiety either way but if a PhD is what you want to do then don't be put off going for it :smile:

Reply 11

larusfuscus

Job.

You haven't said what area of 'environment related' work you want to get into but most of them are quite competitive and without some experience you will struggle. And, ime, you will struggle to get a funded PhD - unless you want to do computer modelling - on the basis of a one year masters without experience to go with it.