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Education

To be more specific: My M.Phil has been submitted in what is hopefully a final draft. It needs to be completed by this September, since it's been ongoing for 5 years now. The problem has been time (what with a full-time job) and generally not being arsed to finish it (because I don't need the qualification any more). It seems that there are two major obstacles to getting a higher qualification - being able to cope with the workload (either in terms of ability or motivation) and having the time. I would thus strongly advise against doing such a degree in any of the following situations:

• In a part-time capacity
• Getting a "filler" job in-between, which has any chance of lasting for more than 6 months
• Starting a qualification that you can't forsee finishing

• How you performed (ability-wise and motivation-wise) in your last degree
• Whether you definitely need the qualification (would a lesser one do, at least for the time being?)
• Whether you can afford it (and the likelihood of keeping up payments)
• What other people think who have done the qualification and in the field that you're interested in. (Ask as many people as possible.)

From what I've seen of the three main higher degrees, I would give the following advice. If you're thinking of doing a MSc or a MSci, then be aware that it's expensive and very hard work in a very short amount of time. The pressure is on, but you're more likely to be motivated to get it done. If you're thinking of a Ph.D, then think harder. It's more expensive (unless you've been promised a bursary or something), and many people drop out in the third year because it's so long and so difficult to keep such a lengthy thesis flowing well. Also, you might get bored looking at the same subject for many years. If it's a M.Phil, then it's a mixture of the other two.

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