The Worst Reasons to Apply for a Masters

It goes without saying that we’re all about encouraging people to follow their postgraduate dreams. There’s no shortage of great reasons to consider Masters study (we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think so!). That said, not all Masters-motivators are created equal. We thought we’d take a look at some not-so-great reasons to apply.

#1 You're putting off 'real' life

Leaving university after completing your undergraduate degree can be scary. Being confronted with a competitive job market, the existence of taxes and the sudden cessation of those trusty maintenance loan payments may leave you wanting nothing more than to crawl back to the familiarity of university life.

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but postgraduate study is far from the easy option. A Masters degree is a considerable undertaking that requires a high level of intellectual (and financial!) commitment. You’ll be expected to tackle more complex material than at undergraduate level, with a much higher level of independence. Funding your studies is also no walk in the park.

Plus, those responsibilities you’ve been avoiding will, sadly, still be there a year or two down the line – so now is as good a time as any to face your fears!

#2 Everyone else is doing one

If you’re in the final year of a Bachelors degree and have found yourself feeling like the odd one out as your course mates excitedly discuss their postgraduate plans, it can be tempting to jump on the bandwagon.

Cliched as it may sound, there really is nothing to gained from bowing to social pressure. While a Masters degree might fit in perfectly with the professional and academic aspirations of your peers, this might not be the case for you – and that’s perfectly ok!

#3 You can't decide on a career path

This isn’t always a bad reason to apply for a Masters degree – if you’re genuinely passionate about your subject but unsure exactly how you want to apply it to the world of work, further study may well be a great way to pick up transferable skills, and learn about career options you hadn’t previously considered.

What you want to avoid, however, is applying for a Masters in a subject you’re less than enthusiastic about in the blind hope that it will be a gateway to your ideal profession. Sure, maybe an MA in the History of Art will allow you to access some previously untapped love of medieval sculpture and lead to the career in museum curation you never knew you wanted, but it’s a big gamble.

Studying a Masters just to buy yourself a little more soul-searching time before you commit to entering the world of work, besides being possibly the most expensive procrastination technique ever, is unlikely to cure your existential indecision. What might, however, is heading out there and getting some work experience – a little trial and error can go a long way to helping you decide what it is you really want.

#4 You're collecting qualifications

It can certainly be satisfying to add another certificate to your wall, or a new set of letters to your post-nominal list. Plus, the more degrees you have, the more employable you’ll be, right?

It’s not untrue that a Masters can be an excellent addition to your CV, but decorating yourself with as many qualifications as possible won’t automatically make you a job magnet. You’ll need to think carefully about exactly how your chosen course is relevant to your career plans, as well as whether you’ll be able to ‘sell’ your degree to future employers.

If you just have a penchant for collecting things, we can think some much cheaper alternatives. Like stamps. Or buttons.

#5 Your parents want you to

This is an obvious one – the decision to pursue a Masters degree should be yours and yours alone. You deserve to enjoy your time as a postgraduate student, and that will be near impossible if you never really wanted to be one in the first place!

#6 You want to impress people

Don’t get us wrong, completing a Masters is certainly an admirable feat! Much as your peers will (rightfully) applaud you for undertaking such a momentous task, you’ll probably be paying off your student debts long after they’ve all forgotten about it. Cheesy as it sounds, the only person you should really be aiming to impress is yourself.

#7 You just really don't like getting up in the mornings

If you’ve grown accustomed to the university lifestyle of lie-ins (you can always watch that early morning lecture back later, right?), 4am study sessions and an ever-blurrier distinction between weekends and weekdays, you may shudder at the thought of re-adjusting to a traditional work week.

You probably don’t need us to explain why this is a bad reason to do a Masters. Just set an alarm and avoid that snooze button – you’ll be fine, we promise.

If any of these reasons to do a Masters feature on your own list, you might want to do a little introspection. Remember that even if postgraduate study isn’t the best option for you right now, that doesn’t mean it never will be! The option to apply for a Masters will always be there – just make sure that when you do, it’s a decision you’ve properly thought through.