Hi all,

I am a BE graduate from India.I have graduated in Instrumentation technology, passed out in 2004.I haven't worked anywhere.
I struggled hard to get a placement but i cud not succeed. Then i got married and I have a child of 2 1/2 yr.
As part of my husband's project we are in London now. He in on work permit and am on dependent VISA.

I intend to do my masters now.
In such a situation i have lots of questions in my mind.

-Shud i take this up and will i be able to do this?

-If i take up in what subject(not Instrumentation again)?

-Can I take up Computer science?

-What will be the cost and from where will i get help?(My husband cant help much in this).

-which university to go with?

-Can I go for online education?
-how is it taught?
-does it hold the same value as a regullar degree would have?
These are the questions I have.
Pleeeee...z help me so that I can take this forward.



Thank you

hi archana
welcome to England and welcome to the forum
I think there were similar posts like yours before; if you do a search you're likely to find them
I try to answer your questions:
1. you need to decide for yourself whether you want to do your masters or not (what will it do for you in future) and why you want to do it; also what are your priorities.
2. what subject, again nobody can decide for you. More important is why you want to do a master now. Sometimes people do this because they really want to; they have some aspiration/ambition; sometimes people also go for further education because their self-esteem is low and they want to improve themselves. Higher qualification does improve social standing but sometimes does not change anything else in a person's life
3.Yes you can take up computer science if you find a university that is agreeable with your qualifications; OR you find a supervisor who is willing to take you on when you dont have the foundation. I had a friend who did this; and she found it extremely difficult (having no computer science background)
4.The cost depends on whether you are funding yourself or you are looking for funding. But first you need to answer no.1 then you can worry about this.
5. what university, again this depends on no.1, no.2, and no4. Since you are now living with your family, you need to think about them as well. For example, you dont want to go to a university that requires you to travel a lot when your child is still very young; on the other hand if you have your in-laws with you or people who can help with the child and housework, then maybe..
6. yes you can go for online education, why not
7. it is taught over the internet (for example using Dimdim etc.). You're expected to send in your assignments to your tutor; in some long distance universities, students are required to come in to campus once a year (for the exam). This depends on which university.
8. same value, this one is hard for me to say for sure. But I know that USUALLY online degrees are not considered to hold as much weight as a mortar-and-brick degree. Personally, I would not study for an online degree.

hope this helps
good luck
love satchi

Hi Archana,

Many universities offer taught postgraduate courses aimed at students who may not have studied computer science so far but who are keen to acquire core computing skills. And there are many universities in London: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_and_higher_education_colleges_in_London

The cost differs significantly between the institutions but, as an overseas student, you are looking at £9k+ minimum and possibly £20k+ for the MSc. I'm afraid that you won't get any financial help towards the fees here. Perhaps some grant from India? But I can't help with those.

I'd suggest to have a look at Birkbeck, University of London. They specialise on evening higher education, and as such they provide primarily for mature students who study part-time and fall into the cheaper bracket. You would be able to finish the part-time Master's degree in two years which would mean fees of approximately £5k a year.

Good luck!

Hello Satchi,
Thank you soo much for ur reply and it matters a lot to me.

The point no.2 which you have written is something to be thought about and i need guidence.
I want to do masters to find a job . am not getting any reply If am applying with this degree

certificate(employers want fresh graduates). am applying to all kinds of jobs -Instrumentation

jobs,software jobs,simple data entry jobs,admin jobs. but there is no reply

So i felt ,If i do masters may be my position will be better in the market(here am i right or wrong I

dont know).

My husband told me to try and apply maximum only in the Instrumentation industry(in which i have

graduated in)some where I'll succeed.Employers see my knowlwdge and not when I have passed my degree.

Is my husband right?Please guide me Satchi.
I will be very happy if I get a job in Instrumentation Industry.Do u think this is possible?
My life has become dull because of thinking only this.Everyday I repent for leaving 2 jobs which I had got earlier.



I look forward for ur reply
Plz help me Satchi.

Thankyou
Love Archana

hi Archana
I would like to share with you what my first supervisor once said to me about doing masters. He said, "do a masters because you want to do it". He advised me not to do it because of finding a job.

At the end of the day, we don't know what will happen. If you use up say 2 years doing a masters, you could also have missed job opportunities; either that or your direction might even change. If you have a masters, your position might improve in the job market but then again this is open for change; some employers look for work experience and track record etc. It all depends.

Don't be disheartened if you don't get any replies to your job applications. Are you thinking of doing a master because you haven't got a career of your own now? Sometimes even when we have a loving family and home to look after, yet we don't seem to have something of our own, we (especially us modern ladies) can feel somewhat insecure. In some ways we appreciate our life, in some ways we wish we had more.

Your husband gave you his advice for doing instrumentation; I guess he feels that since this is your area, you might be able to go farther in it and not struggle with having to learn new stuff etc. Changing fields is possible but can be difficult. You said you will be happy if you get a job in instrumentation, so is this what you want to do? :-)

You asked me if this was possible, I will tell you to believe it will come true, and it eventually will :-)

If your husband is supportive of your decision to do a masters, and this is what you want to do; then go for it.
If not, your life can be equally as fulfilling as well. Happiness is not only about getting what we want (job, master, money etc.) but also happiness within ourselves. I know this is easier said than done, but try to believe it. Sometimes I think of myself and how much I have missed being away from home doing further education, I do wonder maybe I shouldn't have started in the first place. Only for me, I have gone this far and I cannot back out now. I need to finish the phd.

Don't regret leaving the 2 jobs you had in the past :-) let it go; you have so much to look forward to.
Even if you keep thinking of what you might have done or should have done, we cannot turn back the clock.
Better to look forwards :-)

love satchi

You should definitely take a look at Birkbeck - not only is it aimed at part time students it is one of the top universities in the Times Higher Top 200 so you needn't feel that part time or night school is inferior. http://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/news-releases/birkbeck-ranked-in-top-200-of-world-universities/

I did my MA at Birkbeck for fun (I was working full time as an Accountant at the time) and it was my tutor there who was the inspiration that led me to pursuing an academic career (even though the pay is much worse than accountant) - it took me 11 years from completing my MA to my starting my PhD (in part because I gave birth three weeks after I submitted my dissertation).

Good Luck with what you decide to do.