Part-time work and study - am I being selfish?

[TessoftheD]

Am I being a wimp? I've got a part time job (that I don't much like) which is three days a week and I'm doing an MA part time which I love. I'm beginning to worry that I'm not going to have time to do all the reading and really do the course justice if I keep the job (I've got 3 children at primary school). So my options are: stop whinging and get on with it (ie I could be reading now not surfing mumsnet) or jack in the job and lose the money, but have plenty of time for coursework. I could be a dinner lady for a bit of cash. My pay doesn't affect mortgage but it does pay for holidays and extras so we would miss it though it wouldn't be life or death.
I've been waffling on like this to myself for weeks now, so I thought I'd share the joy and see what anyone else thinks. As you may have guessed, decision making is not my forte but I wonder what the point is doing something that I don't like and don't want to stick with long term, to the detriment of something that may actually turn out to be what I want to do in future.

[hecate]

What does your partner think about it? I think that is the first consideration. Talk to him/her about being the sole wage earner while you concentrate on your studies.

Juggling is possible, but it is harder, so if there is a way you can focus on studies, it might be easier for you.

[TessoftheD]

He's ok about it, and tries to be supportive - but I don't think he really understands why I'm doing the studying: it's a completely different field to what he does, and I can't explain very well what I hope to get out of it (it's not like a vocational career-specific training course). I think what I'd like him to say is 'of course you must give up your job; it's the only way to go', but he's not that excited at the prospect!

[hecate]

Well, I think you need to explain very well what you will get out of it. (to him, not to me ) Why are you doing it? Will it ultimately bring money? Will it lead to a career? I think those are important points. If you are studying to RETRAIN and it will benefit you all in years to come, then that is a good reason for him to be the sole wage earner for a while. If, otoh, you want to give up work so you can get a degree in basket weaving with horse hair, and there's no job or benefit at the end of it, other than you have a bit of paper that says you can weave baskets out of horse hair, then that comes under 'hobby' and it would not be reasonable to give up work to pursue a hobby. IYSWIM.

You have chosen to do this, you must know why and you must have a long term plan of some sort? If not, then you can't blame him if he's a bit reluctant. It's up to YOU to put the enthusiasm into it and make him feel it's a great thing!