Should I pursue my Passion or Money?

During my first semester in my first year of uni, I was really set on doing a Master's degree after graduating - I have since graduated uni with a 1st in Computer Science BSc - I've been accepted into a Russel Group Uni for my Master's Degree also, so i'm waiting to start in September. I wanted to do a master's degree because I've loved my university experience and I've been considering a career in research/ becoming an academic, where a Master's degree is required.

Here's the complicated bit; I've been working the entire time I've been in uni, until I had left a job earlier in the year to focus on all my final assessments, so I started applying again for part time work and there was a software testing position at a company which had both part time and full time roles available - the starting salary for fulltime is £40k a year - I'm feeling conflicted because the company has reached out to me about it and are interested in me.

I don't know what to do because my family have been saying that I should not bother with the masters and go for this job instead - it is a great opportunity but I've been looking forward to starting my masters, so I'm not sure what to do and any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

Reply 1

Kutie Karen

Do the Masters as you have your heart set on it. You will get a far better job once you have finished that.

Reply 2

Labradoodle1

In your situation, I'd 100% follow your passion and go for the master's. It's what you want to do and it's a great financial/career investment so it sounds like a win-win to me.

Reply 3

kitkatya789

Original post

by Anonymous

During my first semester in my first year of uni, I was really set on doing a Master's degree after graduating - I have since graduated uni with a 1st in Computer Science BSc - I've been accepted into a Russel Group Uni for my Master's Degree also, so i'm waiting to start in September. I wanted to do a master's degree because I've loved my university experience and I've been considering a career in research/ becoming an academic, where a Master's degree is required.
Here's the complicated bit; I've been working the entire time I've been in uni, until I had left a job earlier in the year to focus on all my final assessments, so I started applying again for part time work and there was a software testing position at a company which had both part time and full time roles available - the starting salary for fulltime is £40k a year - I'm feeling conflicted because the company has reached out to me about it and are interested in me.
I don't know what to do because my family have been saying that I should not bother with the masters and go for this job instead - it is a great opportunity but I've been looking forward to starting my masters, so I'm not sure what to do and any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

Genuinely is the master's useful? What can you do with it or is it something you just want to do? Since you want to become an academic then I'd say it's fine doing the master's however perhaps you could do a part time master's ? I don't know how this fully works but sometimes companies can also help pay for master's you could ask them and see what they provide in terms of development. Another thing is if you take the job you could work there for a year or two then leave and atleast you will have stacked up some money which means you may not need to work during your master's. I did a Meng so I don't fully know how funding works for a separate master's I just remember my brother needed to have money upfront in order to do it.

It's just often a master's is not really useful it just depends on what it is and where you will go after it. I regret my Meng because I could have just got my bachelors and then picked a master's more closer to what I want to go into the future. I've also heard of some people skipping a master's and going straight to a phD but it's usually at the same university they did their bachelors and are familar with the supervisor/lecturer.

Lastly speak to some of the academics, again this probably won't apply but one of my supervisors genuinely wishes she went into industry rather than academia due to pay, actually being able to take time off (she often works on saturdays etc). I know you are interested in academia but it's not as glamarous as we think. Again I only have a Meng degree so theres lots I don't know so don't listen to me too much ahah, but definately speak to academics about what exactly you want to do in the future and what academia is really like.

If it was up to me, I'd personally take the job and do it for 1-2 years gain some money and experience then do the master's as you can do it any time. However you have already accepted the master's programme so hopefully you don't annoy the uni by leaving (i doubt this will be the case tbh) but just some things to think about.

🙂