Anyone starting a Masters in October2020?

[SockYarn]

Just that really. Have started the registration process for my Masters, starting part-time in October. Anyone else in the same boat?

I am a (very) mature student, graduated for the first time in 1995.

Thanks easy. As far as I can make out that might be true, but you then need to get onto an accredited masters afterwards, which are highly competitive. 10 applicants per place so I’ve been told, so you’re looking at straight A/firsts in degrees students.

I think I’d like to go into counselling, just not sure of the pathway!

I have a Communications BA and got into the accredited MSc at Exeter, Plymouth and Brunel. I had a high 2:1 but that's about it.

Unless you mean the doctorate?

I think this implies you need to do your first degree/conversion and then a postgraduate qualification in a specialism. I’m happy to be wrong though!

To be able to be called a Clinical Psychologist you'd need the doctorate. But to enter a DClinPsych programme you need either a BA or MSc with BPS accreditation and one years experience.

Ah, that’s really interesting, thank you easy. Could you please link to that page?

www.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/dclinpsy-clinical-psychology

Thank you - really interesting 😊

Looks like there's a few aspiring clinical psychologists here! Just to say make sure your psychology conversion masters are BPS accredited as it's a prerequisite of most doctorates. My under grad degree was as is my health psychology masters. I'm hoping to apply to do s clinical psychology doctorate at glasgow and Edinburgh university next year 😬 x

Ah interesting lots of aspiring clinical psychologists and counsellors! I took the more vocational approach of study into counselling and recently completed the Cpcab Level 4 diploma which ‘qualified’ me as a counsellor. I’m starting my MSc in counselling Children and Young People and am continuing my agency work in the meantime as I think to the future and private practice.

No probs @SockYarn! The other students all seem about my son's age ( ie. 22). There aren't many of us on the Zoom meetings, so far, anyway. We/ Uni have decided to have the first term online and in Jan. will be meeting in person. I am nervous/excited!

Hey all, so glad I found this thread! I am starting a part time MFA in September so am going to be the frumpy mum amongst a lot of v. trendy arty types! It's 20 years since I did my MA so it's all very weird to go back into academia. I haven't got my login or reading list etc yet so it all seems very nebulous still!

@SockYarn

But don’t know if I will need to do a BA again or if I could just jump to an MA/ MSc but without any experience in the related field. Completely lost!

My advice @user1493242132 would be to email the contact person for the course you are interested in. Lay out your situation and ask for their comments. I knew I wanted to do something History-related, but my first degree isn't in History. The course I'm on took me because I have research, family tree and lots of transcribing experience.

Another course I was considering was a more traditional history course, they recommended that I sign up for the OU and take just a couple of their undergraduate degree level modules to prove I would be able to cope with history at a postgrad level. There are options, especially as a mature student.

So in your position there probably wouldn't be the need to do a whole other first degree in a related subject, but they might ask for some other qualifications as a stepping stone. Email and ask! (But make sure you email the actual tutor or course contact person, in my experience the admissions tutors are very good at applying the guidelines but can't make suggestions about what you should do to prepare).

Thank you! That was insightful as I feel like a headless chicken atm trying to figure it out.

Yes and I am shitting it.

If there is any support group in the offing I'd love to be added. MSc, neuroscience.

Calming vibes bottleofbeer! how mature are you going to be?

I am still having dreams about missing exams, forgetting my hall room number etc so feeling so weird about it actually happening. Still not got log in details, schedule etc yet, so am waiting on that...

Yes possibly, Health Psychology. Local university have said they will take me and course leader pretty sure there are spaces but I have to formally apply. Will be mostly online for first semester.

Graduated 1996. Found my old stats book the other day and am now worried as can’t remember anything and can’t take in the information - please tell me under my menopausal fog my brain will still function!

Haven’t looked at the finance forms yet, don’t think I was expecting a positive response to my email from the department. By a strange twist of fate my old tutor has retired from my original university some way away and appears to be a visiting lecturer, having been supervisor for a couple of members of staff at local university, including the Head of Department.

I am but I'm not really feeling the enthusiasm right now. I 'started' it last year but then had a difficult time personally and intercalated until September, I think it's just having had a long summer off, once I get back into it it'll be fine.

Hi, another VERY mature student starting MA Digital media full-time in October, alongside a full-time job! It will be interesting to say the least but I can't wait! Good luck to all! Let's support each other here, we'll need it!

I am 49 and halfway through a masters in psychotherapy in primary care in Scotland. We get 2 days study a week, then one day admin and 2 days seeing patients, and get paid so I feel very fortunate! There are a couple of other mature students but most are much younger - some weren't born when I graduated first time round! It's been really good though, very interesting and the work has been challenging but doable. I did a psychology degree at the OU a few years ago so had recent essay writing practice!
Good luck to you all, it is hard but definitely worth it.

So I've started a bit of reading and am enrolled. My seminars are all online and hope I can make it work on unis web system. Watching emails so I do not miss the training for it. Had Teams mtgs for work, so some relevant experience.
Have my handbook which is detailed and very interesting.
Hope we can keep a support thread going.

we've had our first few online meetings! there's also a moodle thingy to add work to, which confuses the hell out of me, even tho I think I am fairly tech savvy. Back in the day it was all PINE and slipping essays in tutors' pigeonholes!

Since I'm PT tho I wasn't sure I would be able to get a full time studio space this year, but I have, so am pretty excited. Hoping to get out of the house at least one day a week.

Hello! Sitting here, bit drunk as I am literally about to submit my very last assignment after a 2 years MSc.

My main advice is enjoy it but use the academic affairs/learning support and the lovely librarians as much as you can.

It has taken me 2 years to learn how to use all the technology, software and library stuff on offer and 2 years to learn how to write an essay properly.

If I had my time again I would have invested learning how to use Ref Works, Grammerly etc properly. Can save you a lot of time.

There are a lot of people in and around a university or college who are invested in you and invested in you to pass. Ask for help and guidance as you go,

Good luck!!!!!

Oh, and set up students WhatsApp groups. Once we went online cos of Covid they were a life saver.