Masters During NQT Year

Hi everyone,

I'm due to begin my NQT (newly qualified teacher) year this September and I have also been accepted onto a masters degree. Originally, my plan was to defer entry and complete my masters next academic year. However, due to timetabling constraints this year (due to covid), I will be teaching less in school and also will be physically in uni less for my masters. Lots of the teaching and the learning will be done online.

Because of this, I am considering doing both this year. The masters degree is only two modules a term, with he dissertation expected to be completed over the summer months. Alongside this, due to being an NQT, I will be on a reduced timetable anyway at school, and so, should have a little extra time on my hands.

What do you think? Am I being ridiculous? Or is this viable?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

Joinedup

20

Sounds like too much, loads of people are burning out in their NQT year without any additional workload... covid restrictions are probably going to start relaxing even more over the next few months so you can't base your decisions on them being a permanent feature til next summer.

both your job and masters are tied to the academic calendar so you might find the workload from both peaking at the same times.

Reply 2

bluebeetle

18

Having just completed my NQT year (part of which was online teaching, of course), I can't imagine trying to complete a masters at the same time. It was definitely a more stressful year than my training year, still enjoyable, but there was a lot more on my plate and I felt more personally responsible for a lot of things, which adds to the stress.

I'm not sure how much distance learning you were involved in as a trainee teacher, but I really wouldn't assume that you will have a lot more free time on your hands if school is being run online. There was a period right after the lockdown started where there wasn't much to do and I did have more free time, but after those first couple of weeks, I was very busy.

Original post by TheMathsTeacher

Hi everyone,

I'm due to begin my NQT (newly qualified teacher) year this September and I have also been accepted onto a masters degree. Originally, my plan was to defer entry and complete my masters next academic year. However, due to timetabling constraints this year (due to covid), I will be teaching less in school and also will be physically in uni less for my masters. Lots of the teaching and the learning will be done online.

Because of this, I am considering doing both this year. The masters degree is only two modules a term, with he dissertation expected to be completed over the summer months. Alongside this, due to being an NQT, I will be on a reduced timetable anyway at school, and so, should have a little extra time on my hands.

What do you think? Am I being ridiculous? Or is this viable?

Thanks :smile:

Hello @TheMathsTeacher

Congratulations on being offered your place on your Masters degree course!

While it is achievable, you do need to be prepared to work on your Masters degree either late into the night, over weekends or during your holidays. You may think that this isn't reasonable to allowing you a good work/life balance, but speaking from experience, the NQT +1 year is more busy than the NQT year, and so if you are going to do it, now might be the optimal time. I've known an English teacher manage that this year, during his NQT year.

All the best, Jane

Reply 4

Muserock

18

Original post by TheMathsTeacher

Hi everyone,

I'm due to begin my NQT (newly qualified teacher) year this September and I have also been accepted onto a masters degree. Originally, my plan was to defer entry and complete my masters next academic year. However, due to timetabling constraints this year (due to covid), I will be teaching less in school and also will be physically in uni less for my masters. Lots of the teaching and the learning will be done online.

Because of this, I am considering doing both this year. The masters degree is only two modules a term, with he dissertation expected to be completed over the summer months. Alongside this, due to being an NQT, I will be on a reduced timetable anyway at school, and so, should have a little extra time on my hands.

What do you think? Am I being ridiculous? Or is this viable?

Thanks :smile:

I'm also doing my Masters degree during my NQT year (but I'm on supply so I'm not sure how much work I will be doing this year). Mine is also online. Which university are you studying with?

I'm hoping to use the holiday's to work on assignments. Like you, I just have two modules this year and then the dissertation next year so hoping it isn't too much but we shall see. Good luck!

Masters During NQT Year

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