What are your plans when you finish studying?

[QueenAnneofAustria]

Next year will be my final year on a humanities based degree.

I wanted to go to university and have loved every single second of all of it. I originally sold the idea to DH as a career change to teaching, but now I am not sure what I want to do. I have three DC (8,6,3). There are a few options.

1. I work in an admin based job. Always reasonably easy to get a job, can be part time/full time/remote. Work for a company/freelance etc. I have entered a salary bracket where there is a little more growth left and will mostly be comfortable. I enjoy my job and am good at it. I could continue and going froward it just means that I can apply for roles that also specify "graduate" in the ad. All my previous roles have invloved offers of progression but they have never been the right opportunity for me to accept.

1. I do an MA. This will cost close to £7k. I can't really afford this, but this is what I would love to do, even if I had to take a break for a year to pay for it. My family will have put up with 4 years of me studying already and although I know I will regret not doing it, if it has no vocational purpose I could always do it down the line. But, I could try for a career in academia - i am on course for a First and just adore my subject and everything about being at university. But, maybe that isn't enough. I will have to justify this choice to DH.

1. I do a PGCE. I have wanted to teach since I was 11 years old, albeit a different subject back then. I have volunteered in a school in my subject area and it was a school that was under achieving and has lots of issues - which was a deliberate choice because I did not want to look at the idea through rose-tinted glasses. I would still love to teach but now I would be taking a pay decrease as well as another 1-2 years of study. This is something I know DH would not disagree with since this was the whole original purpose of the degree.

So, what do you think? And, what are your plans?

I would go with option 3 if i were in your shoes.

I am in year one of a social work degree, i want to work in children and families, namely child protection. When i have donemy degree i will hopefully find employment in children and families and work towards getting into cp. I also want to study the masters in child protection which is distance learn from a uk university.

I am in your position, although in year 2 of a 5 year part time degree. I started out exactly like you and planned to do a PGCE, but the more I do, the more I am leaning towards option 2.

Its hard isn't it. The way I see it I want a career I will love at the end of it, and I do adore my subject. For me, the idea of not studying leaves me cold. Maybe I am destined to be an eternal student!

If you go for the PGCE option, you'll come away with points towards a masters, which you could add to at a later date if you still want to pursue option 2

I am a secondary teacher and I will either use my psychology degree that I'm finishing next year to branch into special needs or I'm thinking of becoming a counsellor or therapist.

Thanks. I realise this thread is a little old now. Option 2 is definitely where my heart lies, but I could actually do it down the line rather than now.