What to expect as an older masters student?
Hi there,
I have an unconditional offer to undertake a masters degree at a really great university for a course that was my top choice. I am taking a slightly strange route to post-graduate education - I worked for ten years after graduating in the City and decided at 31 that I wanted to return to education to undertake a masters to facilitate a career change.
I start in September and really excited. However, I just don't know what to expect after being in full-time employment for ten years. It is going to feel strange returning to education after so long and now I have the offer I wanted, I am starting to feel a little nervous!
1. What would a typical week studying and attending seminars look like? My usual working week in my career has typically been 40-55 hours a week and a lot of working in the evenings, but I have tended to have my weekends to myself. Will I have a similarly intense schedule during the masters or will I have time to pursue extra-curricular activities and also manage life stuff? I would quite like to not work such long hours during my year out to do my masters degree because I really burnt out at work, so a civilised 9-5 schedule would be ideal.
2. I have been so used to a Monday to Friday 9-5 (and more) working life. Will I have days during the masters where I can choose my working hours, like go to the gym in the morning, then class and then go home, whereas other days spend it in the library? Just trying to imagine what a normal week would be like after working so long.
3. What is the experience of older masters students? Do they tend to be able to make friends with course mates and join societies etc or is there typically a lot of ageism in the university social life / preference towards younger people? I am not at all at a place in life where I want to be joining drinking societies / going partying, but I'd quite like to maybe try a new language or join a club.
4. Are careers advisors / careers centres well equipped to helping older students facilitate career changes?
5. Are the professors / lecturers open minded about older students or do they tend to prefer younger students?
6. Is it a difficult transition going from the working world to education? I guess my mind is so much geared towards "solutions" and the corporate world, I'm worried I will find the academic environment challenging, even though I used to excel in those environments when I was younger.
7. I understand I have two terms, autumn and Spring and then my final term in the summer is spent on the dissertation. Is this when things typically get really intense and you have to work all the time on the dissertation to the exclusion of all else? I noticed quite a lot of alumni tend to go back into the workforce after the first two terms because they need the money, is that feasible while doing your dissertation or not recommended?
8. Can you work part-time during a masters feasibly? I am considering doing some part-time consulting work on a very limited basis.
TL;DR mostly worried about ageism / being an older student!
Thanks
I have an unconditional offer to undertake a masters degree at a really great university for a course that was my top choice. I am taking a slightly strange route to post-graduate education - I worked for ten years after graduating in the City and decided at 31 that I wanted to return to education to undertake a masters to facilitate a career change.
I start in September and really excited. However, I just don't know what to expect after being in full-time employment for ten years. It is going to feel strange returning to education after so long and now I have the offer I wanted, I am starting to feel a little nervous!
1. What would a typical week studying and attending seminars look like? My usual working week in my career has typically been 40-55 hours a week and a lot of working in the evenings, but I have tended to have my weekends to myself. Will I have a similarly intense schedule during the masters or will I have time to pursue extra-curricular activities and also manage life stuff? I would quite like to not work such long hours during my year out to do my masters degree because I really burnt out at work, so a civilised 9-5 schedule would be ideal.
2. I have been so used to a Monday to Friday 9-5 (and more) working life. Will I have days during the masters where I can choose my working hours, like go to the gym in the morning, then class and then go home, whereas other days spend it in the library? Just trying to imagine what a normal week would be like after working so long.
3. What is the experience of older masters students? Do they tend to be able to make friends with course mates and join societies etc or is there typically a lot of ageism in the university social life / preference towards younger people? I am not at all at a place in life where I want to be joining drinking societies / going partying, but I'd quite like to maybe try a new language or join a club.
4. Are careers advisors / careers centres well equipped to helping older students facilitate career changes?
5. Are the professors / lecturers open minded about older students or do they tend to prefer younger students?
6. Is it a difficult transition going from the working world to education? I guess my mind is so much geared towards "solutions" and the corporate world, I'm worried I will find the academic environment challenging, even though I used to excel in those environments when I was younger.
7. I understand I have two terms, autumn and Spring and then my final term in the summer is spent on the dissertation. Is this when things typically get really intense and you have to work all the time on the dissertation to the exclusion of all else? I noticed quite a lot of alumni tend to go back into the workforce after the first two terms because they need the money, is that feasible while doing your dissertation or not recommended?
8. Can you work part-time during a masters feasibly? I am considering doing some part-time consulting work on a very limited basis.
TL;DR mostly worried about ageism / being an older student!
Thanks
I would advice against working part-time while studying a full-time masters. I find UK full-time masters a stressful experience. While in many European countries 2 year masters are often 120 ECTS points in the UK it is basically 90 ECTS cramped in 1 year.
Regarding the dissertation:
a) Depending on the course subject/university it is possible that you are expected to start working on it (in some form) since the first month of your studies (be assigned to a supervisior, brainstorming, proposal, planning, ethics committee aproval, draft, feedback, actual dissertation writting). So this can take the whole year. Some projects can be smaller, of course.
b) The third Semester isn't always until August. Again, it depends. Our dissertation deadline was end of June.
Regarding the dissertation:
a) Depending on the course subject/university it is possible that you are expected to start working on it (in some form) since the first month of your studies (be assigned to a supervisior, brainstorming, proposal, planning, ethics committee aproval, draft, feedback, actual dissertation writting). So this can take the whole year. Some projects can be smaller, of course.
b) The third Semester isn't always until August. Again, it depends. Our dissertation deadline was end of June.
(edited 1 year ago)
I would say that at 31, you are still a baby. I didn't start my full time master's until I was 53 (and my PhD at 55, after a 'gap' year due to funding issues). In my case, making casual friends was easy, though close friends was another matter due to the generation gap. In your case, at 31, I really don't see any issues with the age thing.
As for the intensity of a taught master's that so many people speak of, which in turn would affect the number of hours you can work, don't believe everything you read. A taught master's is what you make of it, and you can read every single item on the reading list plus the weekly required reading, in which case, you'd probably be burnt out even without any part time jobs. On the other hand, you can just choose to focus on the important readings, and those that interest you. If you take this route, you'll probably need to spend 20-30 hours per week on the course. This would include the usual 10-12 contact hours per week, giving you plenty of spare time to do other things, including part time work.
I think most English university split the academic year into three semesters for taught master's courses, with the final semester (June to Sept in my case) being for the dissertation. You should ideally have a good idea of your topic by Christmas.
These are just my experience of doing an English taught Master's in social sciences at a fairly advanced age. Others might have different experiences, especially in different disciplines, but I hope it has given you some ideas of what to expect.
As for the intensity of a taught master's that so many people speak of, which in turn would affect the number of hours you can work, don't believe everything you read. A taught master's is what you make of it, and you can read every single item on the reading list plus the weekly required reading, in which case, you'd probably be burnt out even without any part time jobs. On the other hand, you can just choose to focus on the important readings, and those that interest you. If you take this route, you'll probably need to spend 20-30 hours per week on the course. This would include the usual 10-12 contact hours per week, giving you plenty of spare time to do other things, including part time work.
I think most English university split the academic year into three semesters for taught master's courses, with the final semester (June to Sept in my case) being for the dissertation. You should ideally have a good idea of your topic by Christmas.
These are just my experience of doing an English taught Master's in social sciences at a fairly advanced age. Others might have different experiences, especially in different disciplines, but I hope it has given you some ideas of what to expect.
I agree with chaotic1328 - a Masters is what you make it. I’m 43 and applying for an MSc and it’s been a long time since I studied full time. I think if you would ideally like to be studying 9-5, there’s nothing from preventing you doing that.
Once you have your timetable you will have a better idea of how much time you’ll be expected to attend, how much self study, and then you can build your personal time around that. I recommend that you check you your module specifications and have a look at the break down of hours they have in terms of lectures, seminars, but most importantly how much studying you’ll be expected to be doing by yourself. This is pretty good guidance - the closer you are to the hours on the module specs, the closer you will likely get higher grades.
The module specs should basically tell you how much weekly study or overall study is expected of an ‘ideal’ student, and you should be able to take it from there. Module specs should be available for students to read - it’s part of the openness of Universities and it helps them be more specific with hours for you to expect from academic staff, and hours which they expect from you, and you ARE absolutely allowed to question them if you don’t think you’re getting the correct number of hours as it says - just be prepared for a flimsy answer if the University never thought you’d spot it! 😄 The only issue you might have is finding module specs, because even though Universities make them available, they sometimes squirrel them away on the website in places that only students like me or you would consider. But you should be able to ask for them if you’re unable to find them.
I hope this helps!
Siobhan x
Once you have your timetable you will have a better idea of how much time you’ll be expected to attend, how much self study, and then you can build your personal time around that. I recommend that you check you your module specifications and have a look at the break down of hours they have in terms of lectures, seminars, but most importantly how much studying you’ll be expected to be doing by yourself. This is pretty good guidance - the closer you are to the hours on the module specs, the closer you will likely get higher grades.
The module specs should basically tell you how much weekly study or overall study is expected of an ‘ideal’ student, and you should be able to take it from there. Module specs should be available for students to read - it’s part of the openness of Universities and it helps them be more specific with hours for you to expect from academic staff, and hours which they expect from you, and you ARE absolutely allowed to question them if you don’t think you’re getting the correct number of hours as it says - just be prepared for a flimsy answer if the University never thought you’d spot it! 😄 The only issue you might have is finding module specs, because even though Universities make them available, they sometimes squirrel them away on the website in places that only students like me or you would consider. But you should be able to ask for them if you’re unable to find them.
I hope this helps!
Siobhan x
Hi @MScApplicant2023,
As others in the thread have said, it's no longer unusual to have mature students taking degrees, especially at a postgraduate level. With the cost of university being what it is, lots of people take time out to work and then return to study later in life
I spent 11 years in the workplace between my BA and my MA, doing my MA at the age 33 before moving on to do my PhD.
I was one of 3 mature students in my MA cohort of 11 and I can honestly say that being a mature student didn't impact on my experience in any negative way. Because we were all studying, I still had plenty to talk about with my course mates and, through attending mature student and postgraduate social events, I met several other mature postgraduate students and developed a great friendship and peer support group. I've also found having that experience of work and the world beyond university to be very beneficial in terms of allowing me to put academic ups and downs into perspective!
I also joined a couple of societies and, again, found that having shared interests overcame any age gaps! We have a dedicated postgraduate students union at Keele, which really helped with that aspect because they run lot of different types of social events including coffee mornings, film nights, board game afternoons, mindfulness sessions, and craft evenings. I think you'll find that most SUs and societies do that nowadays though - students are a varied lot so there's more recognition that not everyone wants to drink lots and dance till the small hours!
In terms of course structure and practicalities, it varies from course to course. Personally I found the MA to be a very intense year. There was a lot of content to pack in and it was a real step up from undergraduate. Plus, having been away from university for so long, I had to learn new systems and ways of working, and get used to reading and writing in an academic way again. There's usually lots of support you can get with this though. Both Student Services and the team at Keele Library were really helpful, running training courses and offering online learning modules that quickly got me up to speed on all the digital resources that are now part of daily university life. My tutors were really supportive too, so don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you need it!
And yes, I've found the careers team at Keele to be very good. I've done an internship with them during my PhD and also had their support when making applications for other part-time roles. Their advice has always been spot on and they've really helped me to identify skills from both my previous employment and my studies.
In terms of working pattern, I stuck to the 9-5 even if I wasn't in classes. This is because it suited my lifestyle, as I was continuing to work part-time at the weekend (about 7-10 hours a week usually) and could then spend the evenings with my partner. I also found that still having a 'working day' was helpful for my productivity although that isn't to say that there isn't scope for variation. During my PhD, I've taken to starting a little later some days so that I can fit in a morning swim session. Ultimately, I work full-time hours most weeks but where I put those hours is largely up to me.
I can only speak from my own experience but I had a great time during my MA. It was a very intense year but I still had a lot of fun!
Hope that helps
Amy Louise
PhD Candidate & Student Ambassador, Keele University
As others in the thread have said, it's no longer unusual to have mature students taking degrees, especially at a postgraduate level. With the cost of university being what it is, lots of people take time out to work and then return to study later in life
I spent 11 years in the workplace between my BA and my MA, doing my MA at the age 33 before moving on to do my PhD. I was one of 3 mature students in my MA cohort of 11 and I can honestly say that being a mature student didn't impact on my experience in any negative way. Because we were all studying, I still had plenty to talk about with my course mates and, through attending mature student and postgraduate social events, I met several other mature postgraduate students and developed a great friendship and peer support group. I've also found having that experience of work and the world beyond university to be very beneficial in terms of allowing me to put academic ups and downs into perspective!
I also joined a couple of societies and, again, found that having shared interests overcame any age gaps! We have a dedicated postgraduate students union at Keele, which really helped with that aspect because they run lot of different types of social events including coffee mornings, film nights, board game afternoons, mindfulness sessions, and craft evenings. I think you'll find that most SUs and societies do that nowadays though - students are a varied lot so there's more recognition that not everyone wants to drink lots and dance till the small hours!
In terms of course structure and practicalities, it varies from course to course. Personally I found the MA to be a very intense year. There was a lot of content to pack in and it was a real step up from undergraduate. Plus, having been away from university for so long, I had to learn new systems and ways of working, and get used to reading and writing in an academic way again. There's usually lots of support you can get with this though. Both Student Services and the team at Keele Library were really helpful, running training courses and offering online learning modules that quickly got me up to speed on all the digital resources that are now part of daily university life. My tutors were really supportive too, so don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you need it!
And yes, I've found the careers team at Keele to be very good. I've done an internship with them during my PhD and also had their support when making applications for other part-time roles. Their advice has always been spot on and they've really helped me to identify skills from both my previous employment and my studies.
In terms of working pattern, I stuck to the 9-5 even if I wasn't in classes. This is because it suited my lifestyle, as I was continuing to work part-time at the weekend (about 7-10 hours a week usually) and could then spend the evenings with my partner. I also found that still having a 'working day' was helpful for my productivity although that isn't to say that there isn't scope for variation. During my PhD, I've taken to starting a little later some days so that I can fit in a morning swim session. Ultimately, I work full-time hours most weeks but where I put those hours is largely up to me.
I can only speak from my own experience but I had a great time during my MA. It was a very intense year but I still had a lot of fun!
Hope that helps
Amy Louise
PhD Candidate & Student Ambassador, Keele University
Original post by MScApplicant2023
Hi there,
I have an unconditional offer to undertake a masters degree at a really great university for a course that was my top choice. I am taking a slightly strange route to post-graduate education - I worked for ten years after graduating in the City and decided at 31 that I wanted to return to education to undertake a masters to facilitate a career change.
I start in September and really excited. However, I just don't know what to expect after being in full-time employment for ten years. It is going to feel strange returning to education after so long and now I have the offer I wanted, I am starting to feel a little nervous!
1. What would a typical week studying and attending seminars look like? My usual working week in my career has typically been 40-55 hours a week and a lot of working in the evenings, but I have tended to have my weekends to myself. Will I have a similarly intense schedule during the masters or will I have time to pursue extra-curricular activities and also manage life stuff? I would quite like to not work such long hours during my year out to do my masters degree because I really burnt out at work, so a civilised 9-5 schedule would be ideal.
2. I have been so used to a Monday to Friday 9-5 (and more) working life. Will I have days during the masters where I can choose my working hours, like go to the gym in the morning, then class and then go home, whereas other days spend it in the library? Just trying to imagine what a normal week would be like after working so long.
3. What is the experience of older masters students? Do they tend to be able to make friends with course mates and join societies etc or is there typically a lot of ageism in the university social life / preference towards younger people? I am not at all at a place in life where I want to be joining drinking societies / going partying, but I'd quite like to maybe try a new language or join a club.
4. Are careers advisors / careers centres well equipped to helping older students facilitate career changes?
5. Are the professors / lecturers open minded about older students or do they tend to prefer younger students?
6. Is it a difficult transition going from the working world to education? I guess my mind is so much geared towards "solutions" and the corporate world, I'm worried I will find the academic environment challenging, even though I used to excel in those environments when I was younger.
7. I understand I have two terms, autumn and Spring and then my final term in the summer is spent on the dissertation. Is this when things typically get really intense and you have to work all the time on the dissertation to the exclusion of all else? I noticed quite a lot of alumni tend to go back into the workforce after the first two terms because they need the money, is that feasible while doing your dissertation or not recommended?
8. Can you work part-time during a masters feasibly? I am considering doing some part-time consulting work on a very limited basis.
TL;DR mostly worried about ageism / being an older student!
Thanks
I have an unconditional offer to undertake a masters degree at a really great university for a course that was my top choice. I am taking a slightly strange route to post-graduate education - I worked for ten years after graduating in the City and decided at 31 that I wanted to return to education to undertake a masters to facilitate a career change.
I start in September and really excited. However, I just don't know what to expect after being in full-time employment for ten years. It is going to feel strange returning to education after so long and now I have the offer I wanted, I am starting to feel a little nervous!
1. What would a typical week studying and attending seminars look like? My usual working week in my career has typically been 40-55 hours a week and a lot of working in the evenings, but I have tended to have my weekends to myself. Will I have a similarly intense schedule during the masters or will I have time to pursue extra-curricular activities and also manage life stuff? I would quite like to not work such long hours during my year out to do my masters degree because I really burnt out at work, so a civilised 9-5 schedule would be ideal.
2. I have been so used to a Monday to Friday 9-5 (and more) working life. Will I have days during the masters where I can choose my working hours, like go to the gym in the morning, then class and then go home, whereas other days spend it in the library? Just trying to imagine what a normal week would be like after working so long.
3. What is the experience of older masters students? Do they tend to be able to make friends with course mates and join societies etc or is there typically a lot of ageism in the university social life / preference towards younger people? I am not at all at a place in life where I want to be joining drinking societies / going partying, but I'd quite like to maybe try a new language or join a club.
4. Are careers advisors / careers centres well equipped to helping older students facilitate career changes?
5. Are the professors / lecturers open minded about older students or do they tend to prefer younger students?
6. Is it a difficult transition going from the working world to education? I guess my mind is so much geared towards "solutions" and the corporate world, I'm worried I will find the academic environment challenging, even though I used to excel in those environments when I was younger.
7. I understand I have two terms, autumn and Spring and then my final term in the summer is spent on the dissertation. Is this when things typically get really intense and you have to work all the time on the dissertation to the exclusion of all else? I noticed quite a lot of alumni tend to go back into the workforce after the first two terms because they need the money, is that feasible while doing your dissertation or not recommended?
8. Can you work part-time during a masters feasibly? I am considering doing some part-time consulting work on a very limited basis.
TL;DR mostly worried about ageism / being an older student!
Thanks
Lol I start on September 15th and I'm scared of the same thing....only difference is I'm 38 I'd kill to be your age again! xcx
Original post by Aminakelly366
Lol I start on September 15th and I'm scared of the same thing....only difference is I'm 38 I'd kill to be your age again! xcx
Ahhh glad to know I’m not the only one! I’m starting in a month and getting quite nervous now ha!
Original post by MScApplicant2023
Ahhh glad to know I’m not the only one! I’m starting in a month and getting quite nervous now ha!
Original post by Aminakelly366
do these apps have DMs? Drop me a dam if they have them!! Let's tackle it together!! I'm sure this is the right course for me! Xxx
Yes, you can DM on here if you go into someone’s profile. I’ll drop you a DM!
Original post by chaotic1328
I would say that at 31, you are still a baby. I didn't start my full time master's until I was 53 (and my PhD at 55, after a 'gap' year due to funding issues). In my case, making casual friends was easy, though close friends was another matter due to the generation gap. In your case, at 31, I really don't see any issues with the age thing.
As for the intensity of a taught master's that so many people speak of, which in turn would affect the number of hours you can work, don't believe everything you read. A taught master's is what you make of it, and you can read every single item on the reading list plus the weekly required reading, in which case, you'd probably be burnt out even without any part time jobs. On the other hand, you can just choose to focus on the important readings, and those that interest you. If you take this route, you'll probably need to spend 20-30 hours per week on the course. This would include the usual 10-12 contact hours per week, giving you plenty of spare time to do other things, including part time work.
I think most English university split the academic year into three semesters for taught master's courses, with the final semester (June to Sept in my case) being for the dissertation. You should ideally have a good idea of your topic by Christmas.
These are just my experience of doing an English taught Master's in social sciences at a fairly advanced age. Others might have different experiences, especially in different disciplines, but I hope it has given you some ideas of what to expect.
As for the intensity of a taught master's that so many people speak of, which in turn would affect the number of hours you can work, don't believe everything you read. A taught master's is what you make of it, and you can read every single item on the reading list plus the weekly required reading, in which case, you'd probably be burnt out even without any part time jobs. On the other hand, you can just choose to focus on the important readings, and those that interest you. If you take this route, you'll probably need to spend 20-30 hours per week on the course. This would include the usual 10-12 contact hours per week, giving you plenty of spare time to do other things, including part time work.
I think most English university split the academic year into three semesters for taught master's courses, with the final semester (June to Sept in my case) being for the dissertation. You should ideally have a good idea of your topic by Christmas.
These are just my experience of doing an English taught Master's in social sciences at a fairly advanced age. Others might have different experiences, especially in different disciplines, but I hope it has given you some ideas of what to expect.
I'm 49 and really really struggling with my master's course (forensic psychology) -I completed one in Health Psychology twenty years ago and the difference Iny experiences of the two is phenomenal! Any tips? Xx
Pretty accurate summary of my current experience
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