I've always wanted to do an MA as a personal goal, but I thought it could possibly be in my early 30s, due to money factors et cetera (I am currently 24 years old). I started thinking about it seriously and when I was still thinking about it in January, I arranged to go on the open days et cetera. After that, I went ahead and applied for an MA on the basis that I didn't have to accept the university's offer.

I was accepted and I accepted their offer and put down my deposit to do my MA. However, I still find myself umming and ah-ing over the issue and wonder if I'm doing it for the right reasons. The MA is in Contemporary Performance and I have thought why I should and shouldn't do it.

(I can't post more than 200 words, so I'll put the rest in a second post)

This course is probably what I would call 'artistic masturbation'; a chance to release all that pent up creativity after a three year break from academia, and also a chance to put my heart and soul into something I enjoy learning about. The pros are that it is very practically based with lots of work experience working with theatre practitioners in the field as well as research.

However, I may have to leave my job because of time commitments and take up something part-time, and I don't know whether or not I'll be any better off career-wise after my MA.

I'm partially getting anxious because I've been away from university for so long that it would be a massive change of lifestyle. I think I may be doing my MA as I've mainly been working in jobs that are unrelated to my expertise, and thus have given me a lack of motivation with no career goal.

I think my MA will give me something to aim for, as well as making me a self-reliant performer, and give me contact with the creative world to see if there's any way I could progress in that field.

So the big question is should I do my MA? Am I doing it for the right reasons? Is it worth the time, money and effort in your experience?