Job, Master's, or both

[Gdcovme]

Hello everyone

 

i am writing becaue I need some advice on my situation.I recently quit my job working as an Admissions Officer. The hours were long and my work situation was unhealthy. I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary education (07). I decided to apply to a Master's program for Counseling in Higher Education. My question is I am waiting ot hear back from the school to find out whether I am accepted. When I quit my job I did not have another one lined up. For now I have the support of my family (husband, older brother, mother, younger sister). But the support is temporary. I have been looking at jobs to work as an Elementary teacher again. If I get a job as a teacher will this interfere with the Master's program? Or should I just apply to jobs and deal with the possible work school clash later?

 

 

[rising_star]

It really depends. Are the classes for the master's program at night? That would definitely help you if you want to work full-time while pursuing the program. Are any internships or field placements required to get the degree? If so, these might be difficult to do if you have a full-time job to schedule around. You should also consider the kind of experience you'll need to get a job post-degree. Will working as an elementary school teacher help you get a job counseling students in higher ed? My guess is no, though I could be wrong. Given that, you'd have to figure out how you're going to get work experience in this new area while also working full-time. Maybe to fill the gap you could try to find a semester-long position (maternity leave coverage, for example) between now and when the master's program starts in the fall.

[thdus82]

I teach at a middle school while working on my master's degree full-time.  I am also a single mom with a son in high school.  In addition, I am working as a research assistant at my grad school on a research project.  It is definitely incredibly challenging to juggle with so many different responsibilities but my master's program offers classes on week nights and weekends so it's possible to do it while working full-time.  I will be done with my master's in May but for the last year and a half, I practically had no free time on the weekends.  It is hard but it's doable.