Hello Guys,

I have just started a Master's degree in Social Policy part-time over 2 years. I am really committed and want to do as well as I can. I really want to achieve a distinction to help my chances of obtaining funding to do a PhD. I am hoping to hear from successful MA graduates on their tips for success. My main query is should I aim to study every day or is it important to take a couple of days off a week? I will be working 3 days a week in a college unrelated to my master's. However I only have half the modules to complete that a full-time student has. Am I in danger of burning out if I commit every available hour to my MA or is that the price one has to pay to achieve the best grade?

Hi there

I've done an MA and also another Masters and received distinctions in both, and have also taught Masters students, so might be able to help you a bit. I think there's a few elements to doing well. There's intelligence - some people are just naturally smarter than others and won't need to do as much work. I'm no genius, and so have had to make up for this by working really hard - what I lack in genius I make up for in hard work. So, depending on how gifted you are, you will need to put in the hours. Have at least a day off a week tho, otherwise you'll burn out and go crazy.

You also need to read widely. In student's essays I was marking, most of them did a bare minimum of reading, and it showed in their essays - analyses not all that developed, a lot of regurgitation. I think the other thing that helps to get distinctions is originality. You need to go a step beyond the basic arguments, and develop a line of thinking that questions the material and pushes the boundaries a bit. This can be difficult, and if you go on the wrong track it can end badly - you could always discuss your essay/research ideas with an academic to make sure you're on the right track.

Your course outlines should also explain how things are graded, and detail the requirements of a distinction. Ask your lecturers too.

Hope this helps!

I got a distinction in my Masters, studying part-time over 2 years, and certainly didn't put in masses of extra time! I was a very minimal student I'm afraid, mainly for disability/illness reasons. But I focused carefully in what I studied, concentrating on those areas most important, and making sure to pick a dissertation topic that I could really get my teeth in.

It probably also helped that there was quite a lot of flexibility in the earlier essays I had to do, so I could bend them to suit my interests and existing experience. I was at or about distinction level throughout my essay marks, but the final dissertation obviously helped to swing things.

Good luck!

I did a part-time MA and got a distinction. I was in a different position from you - not working, but responsible for kids - but in your shoes I'd be inclined to devote your 'spare' two working days completely to your MA, and try to find some time in the evenings and at weekends to keep up with your reading (which shouldn't leave you too shattered!)

But I'd also suggest you be prepared to put extra time in where it counts, i.e. when producing assessed work. So you might find you're working over a weekend sometimes in order to get a draft to your tutor in good time, say.

And don't be afraid to spell out to your tutors that you want a distinction, and ask them to be clear with you about what you have to do to get one.

Best of luck anyway!

I'm like you Heneghan, I want to get a distinction. I got a 1st in my undergrad and I think anything less in the MSc would be a bit of a let down. I think the best way to go about things is to set aside strict time every week for studying. A lot of time of course, but leave the few hours here and there free. In these times choose things that you like to do so it gives you some relaxation. For me, I go to the cinema with my fiance most Wednesdays (because of the Orange 2-4-1 deal of course) and play football and watch F1 or football on Sundays.

This works for me because it means I am in a routine every week and I can churn out the same amount of work and set a comparison, just in case I need to do more on some weeks or whatever.

Basically, treat it like a job!

I studied for a social science masters for one year and achieved a very high distinction mark.

Since I was doing it full time (i.e. no job, no kids) I treated it like a job. I'd get into university (mentally I HAD to separate university from home) at about 8.30am every weekday morning and leave at around 5pm. I'd take an hour for lunch and spend about two hours a day procrasinating. So all-in-all I probably worked for about 5 hours per day working (although obviously some days I'd work really well and get tonnes done and others I just wouldn't). And I had every weekend off.

I set myself daily aims, but only with the aim of smashing them. So if I had a 7,000 word essay to do over 7 weeks, I'd break it down into what I needed to do to be finished dead on time;

- 1,000 words per week
- 200 words per day
- 40 words per hour

I'd always make sure that I did my daily target even if I went back and re-wrote or completely deleted it at a later date.

I always made sure I compartmentalised my work as well. So although I had between two and four modules running at once, I would never do more than one assignment at any one time so that I could keep my mind focused and not get confused by literature etc.

I also didn't look to the long-term (which may be terrible advice but it worked for me). So I didn't start my MA thinking 'I want a distinction'. I would just make sure that what I wrote each day/week/month/assignment was as good as it could be and then whatever happened happened.

So my experience and advice about getting a distinction is;

- separate work from home
- treat the masters like a job as much as possible
- set yourself short-term goals
- don't work on more than one assignment at a time
- don't focus on the long-term too much

Hi, thanks for starting this as I really want to get a distinction for my MSc that I've just started. Like you I want to start a PhD ideally straight after I finish, and as I got a first in my UG degree last year I think I would be a bit dissapointed with anything less. I'm finding it quite tough though as I am working part time, and I have a horse to look after, although he is a massive luxury its hard work! I feel like I don't really have the time that I'd like to have for my course at the moment and its quite depressing really, but I guess I'm still at the 'settling in' stage, hopefully I'll become a bit more efficient soon!

Hey guys! I got a distinction in my MSc a couple of years back, but it was a really hectic year trying to balance my research project with exams and coursework. I did have to sacrifice a lot of my personal time so that I could devote enough hours to my project, which was a great project but a lot more demanding time-wise than a lot of the projects my friends were doing. I also got a first in my BSc and would have been disappointed if I didn't get a distinction, but the people I knew who had firsts all got distinctions in the MSc, and a lot of people with 2.1s got distinctions in the MSc too, so with hard work it can be done. Even though it was the busiest year of my life, I don't regret giving it my all- whilst it isn't essential to get a distinction to get onto a PhD, if you are applying for your own funding then it might just give you the edge if you are in a competitive field. So don't burnout, but it's worth putting in as much time as you feasibly can I think. Best of luck, KB.

Hi,
I got 87% in my Women's Studies MA... whilst doing a full-time job at the same time. (I did the MA part time over 2 years). I would agree with all of the above - I would add that personally, I was so, so passionate about the subject I had chosen and felt this was a huge part of my success. I thought about it every minute of every day - not sure if that was healthy or not but it worked! I also managed to find a 'niche' that hadn't been looked at before, so that helped in getting me over the threshhold for original thought, along with some theory development.
Good Luck (up)

I got a distinction in my MSc, I just moved over to UK with my family (Wife and Son), it was very hectic because I finished undergrad about ten years ago, hence it was very difficult to adjust, moreover, I had to do part time work to meet the basic expensive bills and taxes in UK. I worked in the morning before going to the laboratory and I also worked in the evenings as well including weekends.

My motivation however was that I was determined to succeed and so I gave it all my best. At the end of the day, I would say my getting a distinction was highly dependent on God, hard work and my supervisor, who was very helpful as well.

So you can do it, go for it, and I bet you, it will make a lot of differences.

I know what you mean- but all the information here has been really helpful
Like you, i am doing my MA at the moment, i got a 2:1 at undergrad, although i worked so hard to get a 1st
However, i am considering doing a Phd and will definately need funding for it, and the advise i've been given is that it'll pay for me to have a distinction
My MA is full time, but because i dont get a loan or any kind of financial assistance, i find myself doing 3 part-time jobs, one will luckly be ending when this term ends, and another is only part-time, alternating weeks.
Its so hard though, and i have written off a social life, besides taking time out to read a best -seller (i love my books), i realise tho its a bit of a gamble,as my director informed me today there are only 2 levels of grades awarded, distinction and a pass..God help me but i need that distinction..so a lot of advise given below has been post-it (it) and hang on my wall..
Thank you :-)