Struggling with practicalities of part-time MA

(edited 5 months ago)

So I'm starting a PT MA at Goldsmiths in September. It's all been pretty last minute (applied May/got accepted June) but I have the kind of brain that would sabotage the whole thing if I deferred to Sept 24.

I do have things going for me: First year is just 1 day a week. I have enough savings to either a) pay Y1 tuition and live for 7 months, or b) pay Y1 tuition, bank Y2 tuition, and live for 4 months. If I don't manage to move to London in time, commuting 1 day a week is doable (though not ideal- 4h round trip and no railcard support for mature PT students!).

The part I'm struggling with is having to both house- and job-hunt from outside of London at the same time. It feels impossible to break this task down into manageable bits. If I house-hunt first and job-hunt once I'm living in London, then people won't want to rent to me because I'm not FT studying, I'm currently unemployed, and even for places that accept benefits I can't get them as a PT student. If I job-hunt first then I'm applying from an address outside London and could potentially end up having to start work before I've got anywhere to live (remote jobs seem to want Mon-Fri 9-5 which I can't give).

I realise I'm viewing this very negatively because I'm overwhelmed. Some sensible/non-stressed voices would be much appreciated!

House hunting in London sucks. I'm currently trying to find a place as I'm starting an apprenticeship and I would highly recommend finding a stable source of income before trying to find a place to live. When applying usually there is an option to say that you will relocate if successful. I also needed an employer reference to prove I can afford my rent. I knew someone who commuted to London from Humberside (where I currently live) once a week (6/7 hr round trip) because it worked out cheaper. If you don't mind the trip then see if that option works out cheaper than living in London. If you wanted to work in London then commuting is not realistic for you. Maybe look for part time work (if there are any in what you want to do) or try to negotiate different hours.