My undergraduate degree was five years long. That was, I’m sure you will agree, too long. In Scotland, the average degree takes four years, unlike the three here in England. I completed a work placement abroad, adding an extra year. I took a gap year after my A-levels meaning I was 19 when I first went to university and 24 when I graduated. I will be 25 when I leave Oxford.
On the other hand, my best friend went to university at 18 and was 21 when she graduated. I’m aware that this is similar to most people’s academic progression. My old school friends have spent nearly four years as “official adults” in the world of work. They have careers: I don’t. Given that I’ve decided to undertake a teacher training course next year, I won’t begin my career until I am 26.
Thankfully, I’ve chosen a career I already have experience in. My undergraduate degree aligns with the subject I will teach in secondary school classrooms. What this means, however, is that my master’s degree feels pointless. Well, maybe not pointless but it’s no secret that I could have easily entered the teaching industry without my master’s. I could have undertaken my teacher training course this year, instead of coming to Oxford. I would have been a year closer to a career, to a promotion and a stable salary.
What I have learnt from my master’s so far, and from my friends who left education behind years ago, is that experience in the field you want to work in is incredibly important. Nowadays, 33.8% of people have a level 4 qualification or above (Higher National Certificate, Higher National Diploma, Bachelor’s degree, or postgraduate qualifications). In London, this figure rises to 46.7%. The takeaway from these figures is that having a degree is not as impressive as it used to be. Employers have a deeper pool of highly educated applicants to choose from: the competition is greater.
This was one of the reasons I chose to stay in education. I wanted to make myself more employable and I wanted to stand out from the crowd. I completed my undergraduate degree in modern languages but for my master’s, I moved into linguistics. Although some areas overlap, they are two completely different subjects and I hoped to widen my skill set.
So far, it seems like my decision has paid off. However, this is not entirely because of the subject I chose, or even the fact it is a postgraduate degree, but rather the place that I am doing it at. We all know that Oxford is prestigious. St.Andrews, where I completed my undergraduate degree, has also impressed employers in recent interviews. Studying a master’s was recognised and admired, but the majority of the questions I faced from interviewers were centred on my work experience. “Tell us about a time you taught a difficult class?”, “What can you tell us about safeguarding?”, “How do you design your lessons?” are just a handful of experience-related questions I have answered. While some employers of English teachers showed an interest in my linguistics master’s, the main focus was still on my previous work experience, rather than what I was learning or how well I wrote essays.
This doesn’t mean I regret my masters. I don’t. Naturally, I am envious of my old friends who already have careers and steady incomes. I am envious of those mid-twenty-year-olds who have already bought a car, or even a house. But I chose to do a postgraduate degree because I wanted to learn more. Even after a five-year undergraduate degree, I didn’t feel satisfied with the knowledge I graduated with. I wanted more. Oxford has given me the chance to gain further career experience in different industries through volunteering or casual contracts with my college. My master’s has gifted me with a plethora of opportunities that have enriched my CV. I wouldn’t have gotten these if I had just gone straight into working life.
I can tell you now though, with certainty, that this is where my higher education journey ends. As much as I value education, my master’s has shown me that academia is not the field I want to remain in. It’s time to get out into the real world. I am excited about leaving behind my status as a student, a step I didn’t feel ready to take at the end of my undergraduate degree. I am excited to receive a salary and to be able to enjoy my free time without feeling like I should be studying.
So, I find myself in a weird contradiction: I wouldn’t ever quit my masters (I do, surprisingly, find joy in it and I consider myself very lucky to be doing it) but I am also eagerly awaiting the time when I am no longer a student. On reflection, I get the sense that this is healthy. Graduating and leaving behind the university environment is a natural progression that has to happen eventually (unless you’re an academic, in which case, I don’t envy you).
All in all, deciding to do a master’s is a complex process. Leaving university can feel overwhelming – but staying can seem just as daunting.
Whether my master’s will be worth it…we’ll have to wait and see.
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