Working full time and taking on a MSc (My experience so far)

I'm currently working full time (37 hours per week) and taking on a distance-learning MSc. "You must be crazy" I hear you say. You'd be right. The University initially said the course was a part time, go at your own pace course. They couldn't have said anything further from the truth...

It turns out that the distance-learning course is full time distance-learning, NOT part time distance-learning. I'm posting this to give my initial thoughts and impressions to make people aware and so that I can look back on this in future.

The MSc course needs approx 20 hours per week to read, watch lectures and do practical work. This means that I have a 57 hour+ workload to do each week. To make things worse, I travel 1 hour each way to work everyday meaning i've got to dedicate 10 hours on a saturday and 10 hours on a sunday to this course - just to keep up with everyone else.

As it stands, i'm 1 week behind schedule, which means that i've got to spend my weekday evenings catching up. I knew this wasn't going to be easy (time-wise) but it's harder than I expected. The content itself....isn't too hard, just time consuming. I'm currently working on network security and digital forensics.

If there is enough interest, I would consider updating this post throughout the 2 year course. Otherwise, i'll just let this thread sink.

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JoJoCal19

I'd be interested in hearing on how you manage it. Maybe I'll learn some new things about juggling work and school (I've been doing it for over a decade already). Most importantly, I'd like to know the school/program.

si20

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

I'd be interested in hearing on how you manage it. Maybe I'll learn some new things about juggling work and school (I've been doing it for over a decade already). Most importantly, I'd like to know the school/program.

Here's a link to the school/module list:
Advanced Security and Digital Forensics - MSc at Edinburgh Napier University

When I originally signed up, there was another digital forensics module. They canned it and didn't even let us (the students) know; we just had to figure it out for ourselves.

I was in IT for 5 years before I took 3 years out to do my BSc. Began working again for almost 2 years before taking on this 2.5 year MSc. So by the time I finish, I should be MSc level with 9.5 years IT experience - which I hope will allow me for a good future in the industry, or academia if I end up going down that route.

cvuong1984

Are you able to possibly take some time on the weekend to "Download/Pull" lectures and put it into MP3/Wave format and listen to it during your car ride? When I did my BS, I found some of the text books on Audible.com and bought them and listened to them on my drive to work.

si20

cvuong1984 wrote: »

Are you able to possibly take some time on the weekend to "Download/Pull" lectures and put it into MP3/Wave format and listen to it during your car ride? When I did my BS, I found some of the text books on Audible.com and bought them and listened to them on my drive to work.

I'm considering it. I'm not sure how much i'll take in as i'm driving though. I'll give it a try tomorrow!

--chris--

si20 wrote: »

I'm considering it. I'm not sure how much i'll take in as i'm driving though. I'll give it a try tomorrow!

I absorb quite a bit while driving, enough that I can bring up tidbits at work when needed and research the rest to figure it ou...saved the day more than once because of things I learned from a pod cast while driving.

someperson49

Would you mind me asking how much the MSc will cost?

si20

someperson49 wrote: »

Would you mind me asking how much the MSc will cost?

Not at all. My fees are just under £4,000 for my MSc. Expensive yes, but not as expensive as some MSc degrees. Some MSc courses are £6-10,000. I am doing this to get me into digital forensics. The problem i've found is that 1000's of people have a BSc degree and i'm hoping that the MSc will help to separate me from other applicants.

RHEL

Best of luck, just hang in there and stick with it.

My first job out of college, I was a UNIX admin for a global aerospace company (40 hrs a week + on call + after hours maintenance). I ended up taking on a full-time MS CIS at a major university, only because the company would pay for it. It was mostly distance learning with a week on-campus at the start of each semester.

I finished in two years @ 9 credit hrs/semester. It never really felt too overbearing, but then again, I was always the type to marathon my work at the last minute. Easy street until something was due, and then I would just hammer it out.

Really, it depends on your life obligations and work flexibility, but it can be done. I often hear about those single mothers who work several jobs and still manage to get an education. Man, now that's impressive.

You've got this!

Chev Chellios

In the UK that's a pretty fair price for University tuition fees! Hope it goes well anyhow dude, sounds like you have a lot going on but there are options like learning on the way to work. Do you have a family to support or anything like that as getting some time in during the evenings is beneficial- I have to study once my son is asleep and everything else is done, it's a pain some nights but just need to be organised and you will smash it.

Looks like a really interesting course by the way!

Mike-Mike

at one point I was working full time, 3rd shift, completing my Masters at WGU, and working part time on an Associates degree.

I wanted to smash my head into a wall

pandread

I plan on starting this MSc in September 2016. I find it very interesting and having completed
a BSc in Computer Science I would like to know what Im going to face.
Would appreciate any info about quality of modules, teaching methods, practical experience very much.

As I mentioned this is going to be my first "specialization" into Security field. So would you recommend this MSc
to me judging by your experience and perspective?

Thank you!

zxbane

Best of luck! I find myself feeling the most comfortable in these type of situations, if things are calm or easy I feel complacent and stagnant. I'm currently also pursuing a MS degree, working fulltime and have a 2 year old and 2 month old. I tend to always want to keep a full plate!

Keep pressing on and the sacrifice will be worth it!