Masters degree. Have I made a huge mistake?

[TabithaTiger]

This week was the first week of my masters degree. It's in a subject closely related to my job and something I've wanted to do for a while. I knew it was going to be tough, but it's the end of week one and I'm completely overwhelmed and feel like I've made a huge mistake in thinking I could do this.

I work full time in a fairly senior, full-on role, I've realised that if I'm going to do well, I'm going to have to spend pretty much all of my free time working. And I don't think I can do it,

Admitting defeat at this stage would be so humiliating (especially as work are paying) and I'll feel so disappointed in myself, but the longer I leave it, the less chance I'll have of getting some of my money back.

Any advice appreciated.

Stick with it. I remember one week last January juggling work, COVID and an assignment submission date….and I am still here! Are you doing it FT? If yes, either ask work for protected study time and/or look at changing to a part time study basis.

Don’t worry! the first month or so is a shock to the system. Don’t push yourself to get distinctions or anything, settle for a pass - nobody cares at masters level, you just put that you have a masters degree on your cv. Tbh it’s relatively easy to scrape through a masters degree, you would have to try pretty hard to fail.

If a masters was easy, everyone would get one. It's still early days and I'm sure you'll get into the swing of things. You wouldn't have been offered the place if you weren't up to it.

It's hard to start something new, if you've been away from academia/ studying etc for a while it will feel like a shock. I would say don't make any decisions yet. Check if there is a possibility to get study leave or additional annual leave from work or at worst some unpaid leave. Work is paying so they're invested in you. They should be up for supporting you fully. Has anyone else in your job done this before? May be have a word. I will say I have previously had a work funded masters I dropped out of, I felt awful and embarrassed and like everyone would know. But in the end it was 100% the right choice, quitting was the best and bravest choice at the time and I've since done a more suitable course also work funded. So see what support there is etc but if you look at all options and still choose to leave the course that will be the best decision for you at that time. Good luck

Is the masters full time? Could you go part time?
There's no shame finding it hard to juggle a master's with work!!

Are you doing it part time? It can be a huge shock as there is so much work to do in your own time, as well as work and juggle life in general. But if it's modular then you will get breaks between modules.

Do you NEED to do it? No shame in admitting it's just not the right time.

My husband is doing a masters remotely at the minute and is nearly done. Looking back I wonder how he/we did it! I did all the household chores to free him up (within reason) and he got up early at weekends to do bits. Used odd days of annual leave for revising for exams. He is so glad to have done it, it was definitely worth it and you will feel so good when it is done. And once it’s done you have that qualification for ever, you’ll be so glad you kept at it.

When I did my MBA I went to the first session and came home crying because I felt like I was the dumbest there. Turned out I wasn’t and lots of the others were bullshitters. Stick with it, get a little routine going, and time will soon fly. You’ll get an amazing feeling once you have achieved it.

I hated the first week of my MSc which work paid for and I did part time. It was through the leadership academy and the entire course was nonsense. After that I pretty much ignored the virtual campus and just did the assignment. I graduate in 3 weeks. I will never do one again!!!

Do you get any study time from work? Can you negotiate any?

You can decide to finish before you get to the full masters as well, focus on getting to PGCert, then PGDip then the full masters if you can/want to. If you can stick it out for 60 credits and get your PGCert you won’t walk away with nothing.

I did get half a day a week study leave for it but also worked full time and had a part time job. It really was hell on earth but its done. I passed. After failing one module and having to resit. You can do it!!

When I expressed horror at the long reading list for my course, the lecturer said "well there are 24 hours in a day!"
Keep going, OP. You'll get into a routine and a structure in no time.
Best of luck!

Ah, honey, it's meant to be like this. You're pushing yourself. They want to lay it on the line now that this won't be a walk in the park. And it won't be, buy what will happen is that you'll absorb it into your everyday life. You'll get into the swing of it. Some assignments will be easier than others, some modules will be worse than others. The deadlines will keep on coming. Bit you'll be ticking them off, snatching the odd hour here or ther to work on it and you'll emerge at about half way and say, oh wow, I'm doing this. And soon enough, you'll be finishing. And you'll wonder what you'll do with all of your free time!

And like a pp said, don't aim high. Aim for the pass. It's different now. You have a full on job, adult life to navigate. Possibly kids or ageing parents, or both (or an equivalent). Just keep ticking those deadlines off. It's the only way. Don't look too far ahead concentrate on the now.

And any decent university/teaching team will give you everything you need. Make use of the support. Get the library classes under your belt (even though they're not mandatory ,but they'll help, I promise), log on every day/week, go to the drop in sessions, whatever it is they're saying will help, it will. One foot in front of the other. Don't drop out now. You don't know how capable you are yet! And I'll bet my bottom dollar, you are entirely capable, you just need to go through this to know it.

In the words of every American game show: you got this.

You can do it! I'm 1 year through a 3 year part time masters. Just make sure when you work you do it productively, I've wasted hours 'working' in the evening with a laptop on my knee in front of the TV when actually I could have had it done in half the time if I'd gone somewhere quiet. Give yourself at least a day off a week too.

I've also started booking 2 days A/L before my assignment deadlines so that I definitely get them done. It is hard work I won't lie but there's usually a decent break between terms where you can recharge as well.

Me too. I'm about 6w behind and hating it if I'm honest. I'm hugely resenting spending 20hrs a week on top of my 50hrs work. Infact I'm just not doing it. Which is why I'm behind.

I've had one weekend off since September and I can't afford another day off until dec 23. I'm taking 23-25 Dec and nyd. Submission date is 5/1. Can't bloody wait.

Im doing mine, just starting my dissertation. There is a prerequisite that you do 20hrs study a week. A lot of the further reading isn't actually necessary to pass the modules so you get to know what you do and don't need to prioritise. I also found most of it fairly familiar as it pertains to my current job so although there have been flurries of stressful deadlines, it's not constant. Stick it out, you can do it 🙂

Thanks everyone for the responses. I've come down with a cold and feel rubbish which is probably making me feel worse about the whole thing. I'm trying to take the weekend to relax but every time the Masters pops into my head, I can feel myself tense up. Will give it a few days and reassess how I'm feeling then.

Normal. First few weeks you basically have a banging headache, think you cannot do it. Wake up in a cold sweat.

And more. But you can do it. Chill, wait for your first assignment and the results. You'll probably surprise yourself.

@TabithaTiger if you have a look through the threads on the Mature Study and Retraining board you’ll find even more relevant experiences.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students

The first few weeks of doing something like this after years (?) out of the academic world can be horrendously stressful. You honestly can’t tell how it will work out at this stage. You need to give it at least a term and half to find your feet, get used to the new challenges, work out what you find manageable and what you need more help with. Trust yourself more! Unless there’s a concrete impediment that will prevent you from studying effectively (is there one?) there’s no reason to believe you’re not capable of getting to the end of the course.

I'm 18 months into my MBA (only the dissertation to go), and there is just no denying that its bloody hard work and dominates my life. I listen to audio books for it when walking the dogs, read my books when waiting for ds to do his club and so on. But once you get into a routine it is a lot easier - our unit is released Monday morning, so I do that weeks reading Monday, watch the lectures Tuesday, do any interaction stuff Wednesday, then the rest of the week is preparing for the next assignment

OK, take a breath! One step at a time. Very normal to feel overwhelmed when you are standing at the bottom of a mountain! Am currently in the middle of my second MSc. I have learnt to take things just one step at a time.

Also, your university should offer mental health support if you are feeling overwhelmed. My university is great with this.

Look after yourself. You've got this 💐

I've started a part-time on-line masters this term and everyone I have spoken to is feeling the same. A friend who started last year tells me that it gets much more straightforward once you begin to write and can focus on the areas of reading that relate most closely to it.

It's not an MEd you're doing @TabithaTiger ?!