Adjusting To Life as a Part-time Postgraduate Student

This blog has been co-written by Jo and The University of Edinburgh. Jo is currently studying MSc Education Futures at the university, and is originally from Scotland.

Hi, my name is Jo. I'm on the Education Futures Masters programme at the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) which is part of The University of Edinburgh. I'm in my third year, doing the course part-time. I'm originally from Glasgow, but I've lived in Edinburgh for a while (in fact, since 2006). Before that, I did my undergrad in Liverpool and a previous Masters in Glasgow. Here’s how I navigated the jump from an undergraduate to a part-time Masters while juggling work as well.

At EFI, I find that the Masters is set up differently to how they’re structured elsewhere at the university. The courses are taught in intensive days. You get core projects and core modules that run over 10-week blocks or you get optional modules that run over five weeks and that's where you get that two-day intensive schedule which can feel quite full on. But you are getting all of your learning condensed, it is quick-fire and you're able to make a lot of synthesis between the work that you're doing and that’s a real benefit.

You might feel a bit like ‘Wow!’ at the beginning, but the picture slowly starts to form as you're going through it. I’m a part-time student and I'm now in my third year. I’ve already seen, and worked with, two cohorts of one-year full-time students who have completed the programme. All with different experiences, diverse backgrounds, but they emerge from their studies with this amazing energy and this attitude of ‘let's go for this and let's take on the world’!

As a part-time student, I would say that getting to work and do my Masters at the same time has been invaluable. And if you are wanting to do that, then definitely go for a two-year or, if possible, a three-year course. If your experience is anything like mine, what you’ll get is the opportunity for your professional life and your studies to all come together.

The other piece of advice about adjusting to postgrad life, especially if you are studying part-time and you're also working either full or part-time, would be to enquire about the timetable in advance (especially if you're considering courses where there doesn't appear to be that much flexibility in the timetable). Find out what that timetable looks like so you can work out your schedule and share with your employer as well. Explore what leeway or flexibility there is with your employer, especially if it’s something you really want to do.

At EFI, the assignments and assessments aren't what I’d call standard. For example, I handed in a LEGO animation a couple of years ago as part of an assignment. If you had told me that earlier, I would have said “No way, that just wouldn't happen”. So, it's amazing what can happen if you allow yourself to go there and approach everything with an open mind.

My advice for anyone seriously considering applying or accepting an offer at Edinburgh (or any Masters programme at any university you’re passionate about), would be to go for it. You will be challenged in all the right ways and when you come close to finishing your course, whether that's in one, two or three years, you’ll think, “Oh my goodness, I had never expected to have worked with those subjects or been studying that, or handing in assignments like that!”

Wrapping it up, let me remind anyone reading this that everything that you have and are has got you to this point. So I’d urge anyone who is seriously considering doing a postgrad and is passionate about the subject matter but is in doubt about adjusting to postgraduate life, to just throw yourself right in and go for it.

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