Do I need to look for work if doing a masters?

[MSc4me]

I am in a difficult situation.

My DC is in secondary school and will have no transport from September.

I was able to pay for a concessionary rider previously, as the estate we live on is in the catchment area for free transport but I live in the last house and my front door is just out of the catchment area. But now all of the kids from the estate are no longer at the school and therefore they’ve stopped the bus and I cannot get any transport so I need to take my DC myself.

My working hours were 8:30-5 and I had to hand my notice in because there was no way I can take my DC to school whilst staying in the same job (I’m a single parent with no help).
I managed to find a cleaning job that was meant to start in 2 weeks but they’ve just told me it’s no longer available unless I can do nights, which I can’t.
So I currently have no job.

I have been panicking and looking for work but cannot find anything!

I have always wanted to do a masters degree and I’m wondering if this would be the best option for me but I don’t know anyone whose done one before and so I can’t ask anyone in RL for advice.

My options are:

1.Doing one in person FT for 1 year - which probably wouldn’t be possible because of having to take my DC to school.

2.Doing one in person PT for 2 years - this is where I’m wondering if I need to look for work?
The course is 2 days a week so I would need to find a job 3 days a week which was my plan before the transport issue and I’m hoping I’ll still be able to do this.

I will absolutely be able to work seasonal times as I live next door to a caravan site and so I can make up my money during the school holidays but I’m worried about UC badgering me about finding work and having to go for meetings every week when I’m trying my best (I’ve never not worked before).

3.Or I could do an online masters degree from the open university. I do not know much about doing courses online and although I would prefer to do it in person I’m thinking this may be my best bet.

Would I need to look for work if I did an online degree at home?

I’ve seen another cleaning job but it’s ad hoc and could be 5 days a week or no work for a couple of weeks (obviously I’d want something more fixed in the future) but if I need to go to the job centre every week then I’m going to have to turn down a days work.
The degree is 25 hours a week but can be done at anytime.

Basically, I want to be in a position where I don’t need to look for work, so I can avoid going to the job centre.
(I would obviously still be looking for work for financial and MH reasons).

I’ve always wanted to do a masters and I’m wondering if this is the right time for me to do it. It would also benefit me in the long run by getting a better career.

If anyone has any advice or experience, especially single parents on UC I would be very grateful.
As you can imagine I am very stressed about my situation.
Thank you x

I'm doing a second masters right now which is fully online (via Kings) and can be done either fulltime or part time.

I would say think carefully about your motivation for doing one, and what you hope to get out of it in terms of finding work. What percentage of graduates from your chosen subject end up in paid employment relating to their field of study? Doing a Masters to be able to get the Job Centre off your back is probably not the best motivation.

An online Masters might be the only practical option with your childcare and transport issues. Open University isn't the only place that does online Masters, and you can work around them. I know people doing their Masters part-time while working full-time, and I go between FT and PT work.

Of course if you've found a two day a week course that's local already, then that might be the best option if you can find part-time work around it. The issue of not being able to find work is bigger than making a decision about studying, I think. Personally I'd focus on finding work - any work - and then apply for a Masters when your job situation is a bit more settled.

There must be another public bus or train he can get surely? How far are you from school? Can he cycle? It seems totally mad that you're giving up work just so you can take your kid to school.

Regarding the Masters, assuming you'd be taking out the loan, a third of the total loan would be taken from your UC (if you quit your job would you even be entitled to UC?) which may not give you enough to actually live on.

Also think carefully about how you would fund it. Masters tend to be expensive, and it's very difficult to get funding to do one unless you take out a loan.

You usually can't get Universal Credit if you're a full time student, so if you did decide to do a full-time course you would likely have to find an alternate source of income. I've looked online and the information is a bit confusing - being a single mum might you'd be able to keep receiving UC, but please do check with your benefits office before applying to make sure you won't suddenly have your benefits stopped.

@SkylarSpirit
Thank you for your advice.

I too have looked online and can’t find any information about it and what happens if you are on UC.

I have seen that you can get a loan for it which I could survive on, especially if I can get seasonal work but i didn’t take into consideration that I’d have to actually pay for the course using that loan and so I don’t think it’s possible to do without working.

I have always wanted to do a masters and it’s a conversion course as my undergraduate hasn’t helped me that much and I know I can get a better career with one but I was planning to start a PT one next year when my DD was a bit older as I’d have more free time to do assignments in the evening.

but i didn’t take into consideration that I’d have to actually pay for the course using that loan and so I don’t think it’s possible to do without working
How were you planning on funding it?

There are no public buses or trains where we live unfortunately and I’ve appealed the transport and have said about having to give up my job and the fact that the actual place the school bus stops is within the catchment area but I’ve had 2 appeals rejected.

I’ve not even told UC of my circumstances yet as I had handed my notice in and was planning to start the new job at the end of my notice period but that’s not happening now so I’ll have to notify them and I hope I’ll receive some UC as I didn’t think about the fact that I’d quit my job.

When I did my undergraduate (few years ago now) I had a loan that paid my course fees and then I had enough left over to live on whilst working PT and seasonal.

If I remember correctly there were 2 loans you could choose to take out, 1 for the course fees and 1 for living on and I thought it was the same for the masters degree.
I know I’d have to pay it back regardless which I’d be happy to do.

Well you must live less than 3 miles from school then so I'd suggest he gets a bike.

If I remember correctly there were 2 loans you could choose to take out, 1 for the course fees and 1 for living on and I thought it was the same for the masters degree.

It's not the same for a masters degree no.

We are 6.1 miles from the school as 6 miles is the cut off point and why we can’t get school transport.

Theres also no paths or streetlights as we live in the middle of nowhere and it wouldn’t be safe for her to cycle.

@MSc4me could you get your DC to the 6 mile cut off point and arrange they get collected from there? (0.1 miles not far). Maybe a chat with the school about the situation could help.

Is it your nearest school? If so then your dd (sorry I thought you had a ds) has a statutory right to free transport provided by the council. You need to go higher up, involving the LGO if necessary.

Post on the education boards for help on this.

She doesn't need to. 3 miles to nearest suitable school by safe walking route is the cut off. It's the law and the LA cannot break it.

No because it counts from your doorstep.

So she got the bus from the same place as the others on the same estate but they got it for free and I had to pay because my front door was at the end of the estate.

The actual place she got the bus from was within the 6 mile cut off, which is why I appealed as it wasn’t like the bus had to travel any further but it didn’t matter apparently.

No there is one slightly closer which I applied to but there was no spaces.

Spaces then became available once she’d already started at the new school, about half way through year 7 and because I didn’t move her (this was all during covid and a transfer would have been practically impossible and very disruptive for her) they class it as me not applying to the nearest school.

Someone was going through a similar thing at the time and I posted on here about my situation and we both went through the appeals process and they both got rejected.

The legal cutoff is 3 miles not 6. Is this your nearest school? You've not answered....

Ok so if you applied to your nearest but didn't get a place then the school she is at is your nearest suitable. She has a legal right to free transport.

Seriously post on the education board. Get in contact with the LGO. You don't need to give up your job.

My LA is a 6 mile cut off.

You can only get free school transport if you live within 3-6miles of the school.

If you live under 3 miles you’re not eligible for transport as it’s classed as walking distance, unless there are no paths or you have to cross dangerous roads.

And if you live over 6 miles then you can’t get it unless you get a concessionary pass.

I know nothing about UC but about the masters….

I have a masters, a pg dip (masters course without the dissertation) and I teach one. I’ve experience of a mix of pt/ft and in person/online. I think you need to think carefully about whether what you need from it. Is it the certificate, the knowledge gained, or the immersion/contacts/network?

my first main msc was about total immersion and contacts / a network that serves me still 20 years later. The course helped with work experience and career advice and jobs were advertised through the course admin.
f/t was only two full days on site though it was a LOT of work the rest was flexible hours.
online courses (the one I did and the one I teach) are great for gaining the knowledge and certification but you definitely don’t make the same connections. I didn’t find mine helped with finding a job after and the references etc I’ve been asked to give for my students have almost all been for the inperson students.

I would advise to only invest in the masters if you can logistically do it in the format that will really pay off for you.

I have honestly tried and been rejected for all of my appeals.

They say I can move her now there is space in the closer school and I’m choosing not to.

It’s frustrating because I wouldn’t mind if I lived way out but a few steps from my home I would be in the catchment area.

This is really good advice and definitely something to think about.

When I did my undergraduate I learnt so much from my lecturers and I loved being around people who were passionate about the sane thing as I was.

I know I wouldn’t get the same experience if I did it at home (I remember reading about uni students working from home during covid and I felt so sad for them) and I need to weigh up the pros and cons of doing it in person or online.

Why are you bothering with appeals. CE of council followed by LGO.

Oh FFS no it isn't. It's a LEGAL distance and that distance is 3 miles. If your council says it's 6 they are acting illegally. Which sounds far fetched tbh...

I'm guessing you don't want to name
the council on here do you?

The home to school transport aspect seems strange. If you are in England a secondary pupil is entitled to home to school transport at 3 miles plus if they attend their nearest school, and there are certain conditions that mean they may qualify if they live nearer.

You mention you applied to your nearest school but were unsuccessful so the LA allocated her a place at a school 6.1 miles from home, which if I understand correctly, you accepted and she started school at the beginning of Yr. 7. If this is the case why were the LA refusing to provide / pay for home to school transport? I have never heard of a LA requiring a pupil to leave a school to which the LA allocated them and the had taken up the place and started unless the original allocation was based on false information.

It’s Cornwall council.