Id like to get the opinions of a students studying for their masters degree regarding social life... is the work load suffocating? is there still time to socialise etc?

This might sound shallow but im geniunely curious about the transition between undergrad - postgrad, in terms of different peoples experiences... Hopefully it will help me know what to expect [I will be starting my MSc in Oct/08].

It depends on how well you want to do. If you want to get a merit / distinction (which I would advise trying to do if you're thinking about an academic career), you will have to work hard & cut back on socialising. I got a distinction for every single piece of work on my Master's course (though I am a humanities student), and that meant I usually ended up going to the pub later and for less time, as wel as passing on a lot of social stuff. If you're just there for the ride, you can probably spend much more time socialising. However, I'm sure there's a happy meidum inbetween those two things!

I firmly believe that any course of work benefits from a considered amount of socialising, because it will help you become a well-rounded person.

Your work probably will suffer if you're out til 3am every night, but if you stayed in every night you'd probably spend 70% of that time staring at a blank word document, wishing you were out anyway.

My University has a really involved post-grad society which always keeps me busy and helps me meet a lot of people, and I think will be one of the things I look back fondly on from my time here.

Thanks for the responses so far!! making me feel a little more confortble with regards to the prospects of being a postgrad....MORE COMMENTS WELCOME RE: THE ACADEMIC-SOCIAL BALANCE.. =]

I agree with thecoastman. The time I spent studying for my Master's was the most fun I've ever had in my life, and I got a distiction at the end of it all! Because I had a healthy social calendar, all the hours spent working were more focused and a lot less daunting. Of course I had to pass on a few nights out when I had coursework due but then so did all my friends at uni. It's all about balance.

The emphasis will be much more on you at any postgrad level, personally on my course everyone works really hard but at the same time theres a lot of organised socials going on as well. For example, on our deadline date for this modules submission we're going to be going out to celebrate! :D Its much more deserved when you put the effort in. I know I sound like an ole codger but its seriously all up to you.

I think that treating it like a full time job and doing 35-40 hours a week is enough, and leaves plenty of time for socialising.

You might get a bit of a shock if you're coming directly from your undergraduate degree and haven't had the experience of putting in full time hours though!

I came out with a merit for my first semester, but didn't put in as much time as I could. Maybe 25 hours a week? I think I could have done a little better on one unit if I'd have put more time in but with the others I don't think it would have made a difference.

It depends on your course though because some are more demanding than others.

Well, I'm currently doing my MSc at the University of Manchester (studying for a degree in Management of Projects) and though my average is within the merits bracket at the moment, I must confess that MSc is not as challenging as people profess it to be and there's still time for social activities as well as a part-time job as well.

If you need further help, get in touch.

I've had a very fullfilling social life as an MA student in the UK. I think this because I am a good multitasker and try to fit in as much in a day as possible. Something that I found to work very well is to plan out bigger social outings (i.e. concerts, theatre, film nights and parties) before the term starts and let my mates know far in advance so we can plan ahead and get cheaper tickets to gigs. A good site for info on postgrad life is www.postgrad.com - loads of info there! Cheers