My fees are paid, the first lecture is complete and I’m officially a university student once again! However, I’m aware that I’m not the only one here undertaking Level 4 and above studies.
With the changing landscape of studies post-Covid, I felt it would be useful to have a little supportive chat for one-another here. So who’s studying, what are you studying and (if you’re open to it from a PerSec perspective) where are you studying?
My current studies are for a MSc Global Political Economy with Birkbeck, University of London. I’m a hybrid student; can attend lectures & seminars in-person or remotely, depending on what suits best. Currently, I live quite some distance from London, so will essentially be a distance learning student for the foreseeable. I’m managing this in a constructive way by becoming an associate reader of my local university through the SCONUL scheme, granting access to their facilities and enjoying the environment such facilities provide.
Clarification of levels:
Appreciating not everyone will be familiar with the levels to which I’ve referred, please see below:
Bachelors:
Year 1 (Certificate of Higher Education): Level 4
Year 2 (Diploma of Higher Education): Level 5
Year 3 (BA or BSc): Level 6
Postgraduate:
Masters: Level 7
PhD: Level 8 or higher
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I’m just starting my final year of a part-time level 6 Bachelors in Electronic Engineering.
I’m struggling with motivation to be honest because the university has failed to achieve accreditation for the degree.
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I really should do a degree of some form.
Where do you all find the motivation?
That is the hard part
Set small goals and tick them off regularly, and set aside a fixed time to study. I tried the ‘I can just do this whenever on my tablet’ and it didn’t work as well.
L7 in a career related field. I can’t actually justify the cost of a full MSc (and I already have a Master’s which excludes any funding such as a loan). So I’m doing online learning modules at the moment.
For me it’s quite simple; the field I want to build a career in pretty much doesn’t consider anyone who doesn’t hold a relevant Masters degree - sometimes even at the voluntary level. It helps that I also enjoy learning (studying is a separate conversation) and know that I’ll never come close to paying off what I’ve borrowed to do so, but should see an increase in salary as a consequence (assuming I finish the course successfully).
In addition to this degree, I also need to get my French to a minimum of a B2/C1 level (currently it’s A1 on a good day…) whilst maintaining my Spanish (currently around a B2). As such, I’m very much playing The Infinite Game with my professional development.
On my final module if my Level 6. BEng in engineering management… Should be a laugh as I’m deployed for 4 of the 6 months module…
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Some people in the silent study area of the library are ill, coughing, sneezing and spluttering everywhere. Would it be uncouth to tell them to move elsewhere?
First piece of work submitted! 
It’s getting touch balancing work & study though (although I very much see this as a positive problem). Might start going to the library after work as well as the weekends!
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Happy to hear things are more positive now!
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First assignment back and I’ve scored a 70!
It wasn’t a proper assessment (only worth 10% of the overall module score as a result) but it’s something.
Poor American lass on our course got very confused. She scored a 60 and interpreted it the American way, thinking she had a 0.7 GPA. Took a lot of convincing that she had actually done well.
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A 68 on the 2nd assignment; something I was certain I had failed! Just a 2 question “unseen essay” to go and that’s the module successfully passed.
Also saw this wandering around the campus last night…
You mean this…?
And no, I didn’t try out - it clashed with my seminar.
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