Finish Exam or Start Placement?

[mayum1]

I have a dilemma.

I have an exam scheduled for registration on November 20. Even if I pass that exam, I will not find work where I am due to government regulations. I applied to take the exam in case in the future, there would be an amendment to the regulation. Or I can move somewhere I can practise it.

Because of this, I have decided to go to uni and take a masters course. It means lots of $$$ though. So I need to work.

I am doing an Aged Care course and I have been offered a placement position nearby ASAP. It will run for one month (5 days/week; 8hours/day). So basically I'd be done by end of September, leaving me October to November 20 to prepare for the exam. I also will try to study everyday after placement, but I don't know yet how tired I will be. Basically I am doing the Aged Care course to have a job to pay for tuition.

I am also a crammer and tend to procrastinate when I know I have more time in my hand.

The other option is to wait until the exam is finished, and then start placement. Which means I will be done by Christmas time.

Uni starts end of February.

What would you do?

Depends how much work the exam is. If just revision that's plenty of time (even without working after the placement day) but it sounds as if it's learning something new?

Impossible to say without knowing how much work is needed for the exam.

Would you be expected to start work straight after the placement month though?

Devilishpyjamas - usual study for the exam is three months.

No, after placement, I would have to look for work. So I can delay that until I finish the exam.

If you're a crammer then I think there's time. But if you're not going to be looking for work straight away would it make more sense to delay the placement? It will still be completed before starting uni?

Devilishpyjamas - I was hoping to start working after the exam to raise money for uni.

So you'd lose just over a month of money-making time? That's quite a bit.

Well I think it's doable. Do you have kids? It's definitely doable if you don't as you could study for the exam at weekends.

Devilishpyjamas - no kids. Yeah about a month of potential earning and I wanted to get a headstart early. The exam is expensive though but considering I don't have real use for it in the near future I am wondering if it's the wiser choice to prioritise earning money. Plus time and again I have proven I am a crammer.

Got accepted to my dream masters program with two kinds of fees (which I thought was a shot in the dark!) and they offered me the subsidised one!