Drastic study change from undergrad to postgrad...is it really possible?

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum so please forgive me if this is in the wrong space!

I am currently studying at MMU Cheshire on a Dance course, it's getting close to the end of my second term as a second year. The thing is, my passions and career goals have completely shifted.

I've always had a huge interest and passion for History, I read a lot of books on a variety of topics especially that of British History and I spend a lot of my time watching documentaries and reading online articles. Until now I wanted this as nothing more than a hobby, but this year I've come to realise that my career in dance or the arts isn't something I wish to pursue further. This isn't a whim and I've given it a lot of thought, hence why I'm here searching for some help and answers.

As a school kid during my GCSE's I chose Drama and Art as my chosen subjects at school, during the first week of year 10 pursuing these classes I asked if I could transfer to History instead of Drama but my teachers just kept telling me 'stick it out', 'you'll like it eventually!' and a lot of other nonsense. I knew History was on the timetable at the same time as Drama and that the class wasn't full because I had friends in the History classes, and I most certainly was capable of taking a History class. But no, I was forced to continue with Drama for the final two years of GCSE.

During school I was also bullied intensely and so I wanted to get out of there asap, after securing an A* in Drama I continued onto a Performing Arts course and subsequently ended up on the Dance course I am on now. It was only during the end of my first year I started having doubts about continuing with Dance, but I was too scared to quit University in fear of regretting the decision. Now in second year I fear it's too late to quit and start a new undergraduate degree because I most certainly would not be able to finance my own education.

I truly want to start studying History in some form or another but I have no idea how to go about it, when I think I've solved my issue I always hit a wall.

I found out that a few Universities do Post Graduate Certificates which can be used as a sort of conversion course for those who (like me) have never studied into certain subjects before. The issue is I can't find any help in terms of how to fund such courses, and the majority of them are part time which leads me to worry about accommodation as I come from the middle of nowhere and wouldn't be able to commute 2-3 hours every time I have a class.

I went to the Careers Advisers at my University but they weren't particularly helpful...they told me to 'start a blog' and to make my dance dissertation somehow related to History and then I might get onto an MA regardless of no experience. As much as I hope that's true...I'd also love to do the Post Graduate Certificate just to gain some valuable experience in my studies first before pursuing an MA.

It's all so difficult and stressing me out to the max, my insecurities about my future is causing so many mental health issues and I'm beginning to just hate being at University because I feel like it will lead me nowhere.

Any advice after reading all that? I'd love some opinions and ideas on where I can go next?

Reply 1

Klix88

17

Original post by MharaStarling

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum so please forgive me if this is in the wrong space!

I am currently studying at MMU Cheshire on a Dance course, it's getting close to the end of my second term as a second year. The thing is, my passions and career goals have completely shifted.

I've always had a huge interest and passion for History, I read a lot of books on a variety of topics especially that of British History and I spend a lot of my time watching documentaries and reading online articles. Until now I wanted this as nothing more than a hobby, but this year I've come to realise that my career in dance or the arts isn't something I wish to pursue further. This isn't a whim and I've given it a lot of thought, hence why I'm here searching for some help and answers.

As a school kid during my GCSE's I chose Drama and Art as my chosen subjects at school, during the first week of year 10 pursuing these classes I asked if I could transfer to History instead of Drama but my teachers just kept telling me 'stick it out', 'you'll like it eventually!' and a lot of other nonsense. I knew History was on the timetable at the same time as Drama and that the class wasn't full because I had friends in the History classes, and I most certainly was capable of taking a History class. But no, I was forced to continue with Drama for the final two years of GCSE.

During school I was also bullied intensely and so I wanted to get out of there asap, after securing an A* in Drama I continued onto a Performing Arts course and subsequently ended up on the Dance course I am on now. It was only during the end of my first year I started having doubts about continuing with Dance, but I was too scared to quit University in fear of regretting the decision. Now in second year I fear it's too late to quit and start a new undergraduate degree because I most certainly would not be able to finance my own education.

I truly want to start studying History in some form or another but I have no idea how to go about it, when I think I've solved my issue I always hit a wall.

I found out that a few Universities do Post Graduate Certificates which can be used as a sort of conversion course for those who (like me) have never studied into certain subjects before. The issue is I can't find any help in terms of how to fund such courses, and the majority of them are part time which leads me to worry about accommodation as I come from the middle of nowhere and wouldn't be able to commute 2-3 hours every time I have a class.

I went to the Careers Advisers at my University but they weren't particularly helpful...they told me to 'start a blog' and to make my dance dissertation somehow related to History and then I might get onto an MA regardless of no experience. As much as I hope that's true...I'd also love to do the Post Graduate Certificate just to gain some valuable experience in my studies first before pursuing an MA.

It's all so difficult and stressing me out to the max, my insecurities about my future is causing so many mental health issues and I'm beginning to just hate being at University because I feel like it will lead me nowhere.

Any advice after reading all that? I'd love some opinions and ideas on where I can go next?

The crux of the matter is that you can't afford to do a PGCert of any kind, not just a History one. Even if you get into a History MA, the Postgrad Loan is only £10,000, which is unlikely to cover all of your fees and bills. Beyond that issue, everything is just hypothetical. Get the financial aspect sorted in your own mind - many people have to work after a degree to build savings and afford a Masters, even with the Postgrad Loan.

Tailoring your dissertation is a good starting suggestion. There must be historic aspects of your current subject that you can explore from that perspective.

Reply 2

Reality Check

22

Original post by MharaStarling

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum so please forgive me if this is in the wrong space!

I am currently studying at MMU Cheshire on a Dance course, it's getting close to the end of my second term as a second year. The thing is, my passions and career goals have completely shifted.

I've always had a huge interest and passion for History, I read a lot of books on a variety of topics especially that of British History and I spend a lot of my time watching documentaries and reading online articles. Until now I wanted this as nothing more than a hobby, but this year I've come to realise that my career in dance or the arts isn't something I wish to pursue further. This isn't a whim and I've given it a lot of thought, hence why I'm here searching for some help and answers.

As a school kid during my GCSE's I chose Drama and Art as my chosen subjects at school, during the first week of year 10 pursuing these classes I asked if I could transfer to History instead of Drama but my teachers just kept telling me 'stick it out', 'you'll like it eventually!' and a lot of other nonsense. I knew History was on the timetable at the same time as Drama and that the class wasn't full because I had friends in the History classes, and I most certainly was capable of taking a History class. But no, I was forced to continue with Drama for the final two years of GCSE.

During school I was also bullied intensely and so I wanted to get out of there asap, after securing an A* in Drama I continued onto a Performing Arts course and subsequently ended up on the Dance course I am on now. It was only during the end of my first year I started having doubts about continuing with Dance, but I was too scared to quit University in fear of regretting the decision. Now in second year I fear it's too late to quit and start a new undergraduate degree because I most certainly would not be able to finance my own education.

I truly want to start studying History in some form or another but I have no idea how to go about it, when I think I've solved my issue I always hit a wall.

I found out that a few Universities do Post Graduate Certificates which can be used as a sort of conversion course for those who (like me) have never studied into certain subjects before. The issue is I can't find any help in terms of how to fund such courses, and the majority of them are part time which leads me to worry about accommodation as I come from the middle of nowhere and wouldn't be able to commute 2-3 hours every time I have a class.

I went to the Careers Advisers at my University but they weren't particularly helpful...they told me to 'start a blog' and to make my dance dissertation somehow related to History and then I might get onto an MA regardless of no experience. As much as I hope that's true...I'd also love to do the Post Graduate Certificate just to gain some valuable experience in my studies first before pursuing an MA.

It's all so difficult and stressing me out to the max, my insecurities about my future is causing so many mental health issues and I'm beginning to just hate being at University because I feel like it will lead me nowhere.

Any advice after reading all that? I'd love some opinions and ideas on where I can go next?

You don't say in your post what other GCSEs and A levels you've done. As the change in subjects is quite stark, I think any prospective Admission's Tutor would want to see some hard evidence that you could cope with,and were suited to the course. Evidence of an ability to write and critically analyse evidence would, I imagine, be required. If you have the right A levels, then often surprising transfers are possible. However, I think you'd be best off contacting a few universities you might be interested in to explain your situation and see what they say - it's such an irregular situation that I think you need expert advice.

Reply 3

markova21

21

Someone I worked with in Japan when I was a professional dancer had a dance degree from Laban. She worked as a dancer for a few years and then did a PGCE. She now works as a primary school teacher. I've no idea what A levels she took at Laban. You could incorporate the history of Ballet; from King Louis XIV The Sun King who practically invented Ballet, through to the Italian Court . Marie Camargo, the first Ballerina to shorten her skirt to show her ankles which caused a scandal. Then on to the Romantic Period, which not only influenced Ballet, [and was the start of what we now know as a Ballerina], but Art, Music, Literature etc. That's just one genre. There's also Contemporary Dance, and social dances, Dance performed by Native Americans and popular dance in the United States.How has it evolved? How segregation in the 1950's affected dance and who you could and couldn't dance with. The history of dance in film. From Loie Fuller and Isadora Duncan to the Nicholas Brothers, Gene Kelly and Zizi Jeanmaire. To today. Popular culture is still having an influence on dance, from Michael Jackson to Madonna, and programmes like So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing With The Stars, etc. There is a terrific book written by former Prima Ballerina Assoluta Dame Margot Fonteyn called The Magic of Dance. It was a TV series on the BBC in the early 1980's and she presented it and wrote the book. It is full of lots of information I have just mentioned about dance history and how dance has evolved over the centuries. If you say learning about the history of dance has interested you to such an extent that you want to develop your love of History in its wider context and study the subject more broadly now. I hope i've been of some use, and get in touch again if I can help in some other way.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 4

beautifulbigmacs

19

Original post by MharaStarling

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum so please forgive me if this is in the wrong space!

I am currently studying at MMU Cheshire on a Dance course, it's getting close to the end of my second term as a second year. The thing is, my passions and career goals have completely shifted.

I've always had a huge interest and passion for History, I read a lot of books on a variety of topics especially that of British History and I spend a lot of my time watching documentaries and reading online articles. Until now I wanted this as nothing more than a hobby, but this year I've come to realise that my career in dance or the arts isn't something I wish to pursue further. This isn't a whim and I've given it a lot of thought, hence why I'm here searching for some help and answers.

As a school kid during my GCSE's I chose Drama and Art as my chosen subjects at school, during the first week of year 10 pursuing these classes I asked if I could transfer to History instead of Drama but my teachers just kept telling me 'stick it out', 'you'll like it eventually!' and a lot of other nonsense. I knew History was on the timetable at the same time as Drama and that the class wasn't full because I had friends in the History classes, and I most certainly was capable of taking a History class. But no, I was forced to continue with Drama for the final two years of GCSE.

During school I was also bullied intensely and so I wanted to get out of there asap, after securing an A* in Drama I continued onto a Performing Arts course and subsequently ended up on the Dance course I am on now. It was only during the end of my first year I started having doubts about continuing with Dance, but I was too scared to quit University in fear of regretting the decision. Now in second year I fear it's too late to quit and start a new undergraduate degree because I most certainly would not be able to finance my own education.

I truly want to start studying History in some form or another but I have no idea how to go about it, when I think I've solved my issue I always hit a wall.

I found out that a few Universities do Post Graduate Certificates which can be used as a sort of conversion course for those who (like me) have never studied into certain subjects before. The issue is I can't find any help in terms of how to fund such courses, and the majority of them are part time which leads me to worry about accommodation as I come from the middle of nowhere and wouldn't be able to commute 2-3 hours every time I have a class.

I went to the Careers Advisers at my University but they weren't particularly helpful...they told me to 'start a blog' and to make my dance dissertation somehow related to History and then I might get onto an MA regardless of no experience. As much as I hope that's true...I'd also love to do the Post Graduate Certificate just to gain some valuable experience in my studies first before pursuing an MA.

It's all so difficult and stressing me out to the max, my insecurities about my future is causing so many mental health issues and I'm beginning to just hate being at University because I feel like it will lead me nowhere.

Any advice after reading all that? I'd love some opinions and ideas on where I can go next?

I've been in exactly the same situation.

You can definitely get onto a masters degree where your undergraduate degree is in an unrelated subject.

Keep an open mind about which uni to go to. Write a strong personal statement for history that details your interest in the subject and what your plans are.