"I for one found it really condescending".

Yes so did I. Accordingly, I started off with the word pompous, moved onto condescending but ended up with self-important in my post two or so back. I was under the impression there was a movement by many Universities towards 1+3's anyway, ala the New Route. They obviously see some purpose in the 1.

Similar to H, I worked in industry for about four years and was itching to do my Masters (grass is always greener I suppose). To be honest, the Masters research training was invaluable. I also felt that universities that I was applying to for PhDs, were taking me more seriously as a result of doing a targetted/specialised MSc. This was perhaps my ticket to the PhD Im pursuing at the moment.

Thank you Mia, and golfpro. I have nothing personal against whattodonext, and i'm sure what was said he didn't intend to mean as an insult

I did my degree. Then I took a year off and got a job. I was quite glad I did as I was ill for much of my year out.

I took a year out and travelled around the world before starting my PhD.

I worked as a tech in a research lab for 3 years, then began PhD with same group.

Currently working as a tech but starting a PhD in oct. The way I see it, having a masters or at least some research experience makes it much easier to get onto a good PhD.

I did a BA then worked for 4 years before returning to university to do an M.A with no plans for a PhD. I'd just had enough of 'the office' culture and needed to feed my brain. After enjoying my MA so much & realising I wanted to persue the dissertation topic further, I returned to work for 2 years whilst I applied to universities and earnt some money. Now one year into a PhD...
Personally I believe doing an MA has made me a more capable researcher. I would also like to add that doing an MA was one of the most rigourous & difficult things I have ever had to do in terms of commitment, work load, difficultness of the course etc. I view it very much as an apprentiship for the thesis.

I did a BA, worked for a year in a factory (hated it), did a BSc, worked for another year (hated that too), did a Postgrad research diploma, then straight into the PhD

Not sure if I should start a new thread but how many people are considering doing a post-doc after they finish their PhD and why do they think it would be useful?

I went for an interview for a post doc last week, but havent heard anything from them since. Guess that means I havent got it, but it would be quite nice for them to let me know!

99% sure I'll never be a postdoc. Not looking for any positions - my PhD has been too lonely and too difficult (just plain and simply too hard!) for me to consider a PostDoc position. I'm determined to finish the PhD, but don't feel that I can risk another experience like this (a postdoc position that I can't get out of for at least 18 months).

I don't want to do a post-doc as working in academia doesn't interest me. I think I will just go an work in industry, I believe that there is more opportunities, rewarding jobs and more money in industry.

Of course that is an opinion, so I respect people planning on staying in academia, as I'm sure they have a good reason for it. I probably could be tempted by the right position in academia, but at the moment I have no plans for it.

A couple of days out of the forum and all these replies about the implications of one statement. I think people who join a postgraduate forum should be credited with enough sense to know that qualifications of any kind are not a waste of time if they benefit you and your career. For a person in my situation (coming from an engineering background with relevant undergraduate project work to do a PhD in engineering and science); an MSc would not have helped at all. I was talking about me (female btw) not anyone else. So sorry if you thought I was talking about you; it was not a statement directed at you. It was kind of self-reflection considering the start of thread was made by someone who got a PhD without doing an MSc and was wondering if that was a bad thing!

With respect to the postdoc, it is probably the way to go for most... but the post doc has to be in a university different from where you did your PhD in order to show that you can do research without help from people who know you and also to gain wide experience.

However I have known of people who did a postdoc in industry (Engineering and Applied Science fields) so doing a postdoc does not have to be just about academia. Atleast I hope not. I am not ready to impart wisdom to younger minds yet. I want to work and get money first without having to teach!